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The latest chapter in the Cole Palmer (£6m) story was nothing short of extraordinary.
On Sunday, Chelsea’s standout player tallied 25 points against Tottenham, demonstrating his Dream Team prowess in spectacular style.
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It’s important to note that he gained from some questionable fouls committed by Spurs midfielders Yves Bissouma (£2.5m) and Pape Matar Sarr (£3m), leading to two penalties for the visitors at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Though Palmer converted both penalties, the second being a cheeky Panenka, this barely scratches the surface of his performance narrative.
The 22-year-old was awarded a ‘fantasy assist’ from Opta for his contribution to Enzo Fernandez’s (£4.3m) goal that put Chelsea ahead in the second half.
As if that were not enough, Palmer garnered five bonus points—the maximum available—thanks to his four successful dribbles, four fouls won, three precise crosses, one interception, and a pass completion rate of 79%.
By the end of the weekend, Palmer stood out as the top performer of Gameweek 14, eclipsing his nearest rival, Bryan Mbeumo (£4m), by an impressive ten points with an overall score of 25.
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In wider terms, the former Manchester City prodigy now holds an impressive average of 11.1 points-per-game this season—the best among all players.
Palmer is undoubtedly a remarkable talent, prompting the question: should Dream Team managers break one of the game’s fundamental rules to include him?
It is generally advisable for managers to prioritize maximizing fixtures for increased scoring opportunities.
This principle forms a cornerstone of Dream Team strategy—more matches lead to higher points potential.
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For example, if Player A averages 8.5 points-per-game while Player B sits at 6.2 points-per-game, Player A may seem like the better pick for a single match.
However, if Player A has three fixtures across the upcoming three Gameweeks while Player B has five, Player B is more likely to accumulate more points over that stretch.
This relationship isn’t always straightforward due to various elements at play, but the principle is clear.
Before the season kicked off, it was anticipated that Palmer would be a pivotal player, especially considering the potential to enhance his league points with extra European fixture returns.
Nonetheless, Enzo Maresca has opted to manage his star’s playing time judiciously.
Palmer wasn’t included in Chelsea’s European squad for the league stage and missed out on the Carabao Cup prior to the team’s exit against Newcastle.
This approach has yielded positive results, with regular starters remaining fit while secondary players have excelled in the Conference League.
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Even though Maresca’s rotation strategy has led Chelsea to a fruitful season, Dream Team managers can only speculate on the potential contributions Palmer might have made in these additional competitions.
While he boasts the highest points-per-game average, Palmer lags behind Mohamed Salah (£7.6m), Erling Haaland (£8.5m), and Bukayo Saka (£6.7m) in overall scoring, as he has only participated in 15 matches compared to their 20-plus appearances.
Nonetheless, it’s significant that Palmer ranks fourth overall despite only featuring in league matches.
Many elite Dream Team managers might overlook players with such limited playing time, but Palmer challenges this trend, especially emphasized during this Gameweek.
With seven European fixtures scheduled for midweek, one wonders how many players can match Palmer’s impressive score of 25 from the weekend.
Son Heung-min (£5.2m) stands as his closest challenger, needing at least 13 points away at Rangers on Thursday night to tie with Palmer’s tally.
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Managers should still seek additional competitions, but if there’s any player deserving of bending a vital rule, it’s Chelsea’s standout player.
It’s clear that Palmer will be a crucial asset from Gameweek 16 onwards when the spotlight shifts entirely to the Premier League during the festive period.
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