Fantasy Premier League GW17 reaction: Mitrovic mighty but Perisic pitiful

The Premier League returned on Boxing Day for Gameweek 17 and millions of fantasy football players flocked to prepare their squads after a lengthy break.

Arsenal picked up where they left off, coming from behind to beat West Ham 3-1, while Manchester City kept in touch with the leaders after dispatching Leeds.

At the bottom of the table, Everton fell to a last-gasp home defeat against Wolves as fellow relegation candidates Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Southampton also lost.

With domestic action back in full flow, we take a look at Gameweek 17's best and worst performers.

Gameweek 17 top performers

Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham)

It seems a lifetime ago that spectators were claiming that Aleksandar Mitrovic would flop in the Premier League, but his goal and two assists helped Fulham comfortably see off Crystal Palace.

Recording a 15-point tally, the Serbian forward is the top scorer in fantasy football this week and his overall total of 76 points will please the 21.7% of players who selected him.

And with a home encounter with Southampton to come on Saturday, players would be wise to stick with the 28-year-old who is sat on 10 goals for the season.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

There was never really any doubt that Erling Haaland would pick up where he left off as the Norwegian sensation bagged a brace against his hometown club on Wednesday night.

With a healthy break during the World Cup for the 22-year-old, Haaland seems more determined than ever to make his mark in England and his two goals against Leeds earned him 13 points.

The champions take on Everton at the Etihad next and the former Borussia Dortmund striker is almost certain to add to his tally of 20 league goals for the season.

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

It was certainly a gameweek for attackers and Marcus Rashford was another who flourished on his return to Premier League duties.

A 14-point haul makes him the joint-second top scorer for the week having recorded a goal and an assist in Manchester United's 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

With the England international clearly carrying his form from the World Cup back to Old Trafford, it would be a smart move to include him for the upcoming fixtures against Wolves and Bournemouth.

Gameweek 17 worst performers

Ivan Perisic (Tottenham)

It may seem harsh to include Ivan Perisic in the week's worst performers considering he rushed back from the World Cup, but with 20% of fantasy players putting faith in him, his one-point return cannot be ignored.

Tottenham found themselves behind for the ninth game in a row but mounted another comeback to salvage a point at Brentford courtesy of Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Fatigue may have been a factor in his performance, but Perisic will have a chance to bounce back with a home game against Aston Villa on New Year's Day. 

Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest)

Handed his first Premier League start of the season, Wayne Hennessey will have been keen to put in a good performance as he replaced loanee Dean Henderson who was ineligible to face parent club Manchester United on Tuesday.

But the 35-year-old Forest stopper was unable to prevent a free-flowing United side, at fault for Anthony Martial's strike, the Red Devils' second of the night.

With Henderson back available to boss Steve Cooper for Sunday's game with Chelsea, expect Hennessey to return to the bench.

Reece James (Chelsea)

Chelsea may have won on their return to action, but it was the same old story for Reece James who limped off with an injury just after half-time.

Having just recovered from a knee problem, the full-back picked up another knock that has ruled him out for a month, meaning he will not add to the one point he recorded in the Blues' 2-0 victory over Bournemouth.

Nearly 20% of players still have the England international in their squad, but it may be wise to cut ties with James and invest in a player with more regular minutes in this busy period.