FPL Double Gameweek 29: Are West Ham players worth buying?

West Ham United are 18th in the table, a point from safety, having won just two of their last 14 Premier League games.

However, the Hammers are one of only two sides who not only ‘double’ in Gameweeks 29 and 34, but also have a fixture in Blank Gameweek 32. That means they play eight times in the next six Gameweeks.

With West Ham players under consideration for many Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, we look at the underlying numbers.

TEAM DATA

WEST HAM: ATTACK
Total (rank)
Goals 24 (15th)
xG 34.87 (11th)
xG delta -10.87 (20th)
Mins per xG 71.2 (9th)

West Ham have regressed this season following back-to-back finishes of sixth and seventh, but the data suggests they have maybe been a little unfortunate.

The Hammers are badly underperforming on expected goals (xG), with 24 from 34.87 xG. That means no top-flight side has underachieved more in front of goal this season, with wasteful finishing regularly letting them down.

WEST HAM: DEFENCE
Total (rank)
Clean sheets 5 (18th=)
Goals conceded 34 (7th=)
xGC 32.05 (5th)
xGC delta +1.95 (7th)
Mins per xGC 77.4 (6th)

Defensively, West Ham have managed to keep just five clean sheets from their 26 league outings, fewer than any other side bar Southampton (four).

However, they rarely get blown away and rank as high as fifth for expected goals conceded (xGC) and sixth for minutes per xGC, again suggesting they have been a bit unlucky not to record more shutouts.

WEST HAM: HOME MATCHES ONLY
Total (rank)
Goals 17 (13th)
xG 19.95 (10th)
Mins per xG 62.2 (9th)
Clean sheets 4 (13th=)
Goals conceded 14 (7th=)
xGC 14.59 (8th)
Mins per xGC 85.1 (8th)

If the Hammers were able to play every game at home, they probably wouldn’t be in this mess, which is important for FPL managers, given that both of their Double Gameweek 29 fixtures are at the London Stadium.

David Moyes’ troops have only one win on the road all season and no team has a lower total of six points gained, but they are far better on home turf, with five wins and three draws from 13.

It’s also worth noting they have registered above 2.0 xG in three of their last four home matches, a significant improvement. The two most recent outings, v Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, has seen David Moyes deploy a more attacking 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation, with Lucas Paqueta (£5.9m) becoming more influential in the attacking third.

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