Pedro Neto vs Hwang Hee-chan: FPL Transfer Analysis

With Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers constantly on the lookout for the next big transfer to boost their team's performance, Wolverhampton Wanderers' midfielders Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan present themselves as intriguing options. This article aims to dissect their potential impact in the upcoming Gameweeks, scrutinising their performance, upcoming fixtures, and predicted points.

Using the Opta Stats Sandbox tool, it's clear to see they are the two standout options at Wolves other than the injured Cunha.

Performance Breakdown

Pedro Neto, valued at £5.7m in FPL, has played a pivotal role for Wolves this season. Accumulating a total of 80 FPL points, despite a lengthy spell out through injury, his ownership among the top 100k managers is a very modest 2.8%. Despite scoring only 2 goals against an expected goals (xG) of 2.86, Neto's quite remarkable tally of 11 FPL assists, surpassing his expected assists (xA) of 4.42, showcases his creative prowess. His popularity is on the rise with 54,629 transfers in this Gameweek.

Conversely, Hwang Hee-chan, slightly cheaper at £5.5m, has been a goal-scoring revelation with 10 goals, outperforming his xG of 7.0. His contribution extends beyond goals, with 3 assists against an xA of 2.54. Hee-chan's FPL point tally stands at 102, with an ownership of 2.0% among the top 100k managers, making him a very attractive differential. He has been transferred in by 47,560 managers this Gameweek.

The contrast between Neto's assist-heavy contributions and Hee-chan's goal-scoring exploits provides FPL managers with a compelling choice.

The above image from the Opta Player Heatmaps feature shows the two midfielders stats per 90 minutes, really highlighting their contrast for creativity and goalscoring.

Upcoming Fixtures Analysis

Wolves' next three fixtures are as follows:

Gameweek 26: Sheffield Utd (H)

Gameweek 27: Newcastle (A)

Gameweek 28: Fulham (H)

At first glance it appears as a blend of home advantage against lower difficulty teams and a challenging away fixture. However, Newcastle have conceded 12 goals in the last five games, as well as averaging an expected goals conceded of 2.02 per game for that period. Therefore, there could be an opportunity for attacking returns for the Wolves' midfield maestros.

Wolves sit sixth for attacking fixture difficulty in the Fixture Planner tool for the next three games. You can see all players' projections using the Predicted Points & Stats tool.

Predicted Points Overview

The predicted points table reveals that Hwang Hee-chan is expected to outscore Pedro Neto in each of the next three fixtures, suggesting his goal-scoring form might translate into higher FPL points.

Conclusion

When deciding between Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan for an FPL transfer, managers must weigh Neto's assist potential against Hee-chan's goal-scoring prowess. Considering the upcoming fixtures and predicted points, Hee-chan appears to have a slight edge in terms of potential FPL output. However, Neto's unique ability to create chances makes him an equally valuable asset, especially in fixtures against defensively weaker teams.