With the new season set to begin on Friday, fans are eagerly anticipating the start of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) campaign.
It can be tricky to select a starting line-up that can hit the ground running, especially with several exciting players joining the Premier League during the transfer window.
We’ve highlighted some of the best players to consider in preparation for Gameweek One, and in case you’re wondering what to call your fantasy football team/league, we’ve got you covered.
Goalkeeper
Jordan Pickford (£4.5m)
If you’re a fantasy manager not looking to spend too much in the goalkeeping department, then Jordan Pickford is your ideal candidate.
The Englishman was vital to Everton’s survival last season, making 124 saves while managing eight clean sheets. He also created one big chance and had an assist to his name.
Pickford represents a low-cost yet high-value option, having accumulated 124 points in the previous campaign and will be just as crucial to the club’s ambitions this year.
He could enjoy a strong start to the season, with the Toffees set to take on Fulham, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opening three fixtures.
Defenders
Pervis Estupinan (£5.0m)
Pervis Estupinan established himself as a fantasy fan favourite last season after notching a goal and five assists while racking up a respectable 128 FPL points.
The Ecuadorian full-back is vital to Brighton & Hove Albion’s style of play, and his ability to contribute at the top end of the pitch also makes him an eye-catching asset.
Brighton take on newly promoted Luton Town in their opening fixture before facing Wolves and West Ham United, making Estupinan a smart pick for the start of the season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.0m)
Liverpool face a challenging run of opening fixtures, but Trent Alexander-Arnold was a popular choice for several fantasy managers last year.
Although his reputation took a hit largely due to his poor defensive coordination, that takes nothing away from his impressive attacking prowess.
Alexander-Arnold returned 156 FPL points last season – the joint second-highest of any defender in the Premier League.
The Englishman is a chance creation machine and has become even more valuable to Liverpool’s attack since taking on an inverted role.
Gabriel Magalhaes (£5.0m)
While full-backs are generally preferred to centre-backs for their attacking returns, Gabriel Magalhaes could prove a good value-for-money addition for FPL managers.
The Brazilian was a part of the Arsenal backline that kept 14 clean sheets last year and ranked fourth on the FPL points tally for defenders (146).
Gabriel also carries a significant goal threat from set-pieces, having scored three times last season and ranked third among defenders for shots taken with a total of 32.
Midfielders
Mohamed Salah (£12.5m)
Mohamed Salah is one of the most owned players in FPL, thanks to his consistent goalscoring exploits for Liverpool over the years.
The Egyptian clocked up 19 goals last season and demonstrated his creative prowess with 12 assists, which earned him the most FPL points of any midfielder with 239 and the third most of any player in the league.
Salah has a good track record of starting the season strongly and will fancy getting a headstart in the Premier League golden boot race.
If his pre-season form is anything to go by, he should be the first name on the team sheet regardless of Liverpool’s opponents in their opening fixtures.
Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m)
Kaoru Mitoma was a sensation for Brighton in their charge to Europa League qualification, dazzling the division with his exceptional dribbling ability.
The Japanese forward perhaps needs to improve on his end product to increase his FPL points tally, but he remains a dangerman for the Seagulls and should start the season brightly against Luton.
Marcus Rashford (£9.0m)
Marcus Rashford was often the pick of the bunch for FPL managers last season, thanks to his remarkable goalscoring form for Manchester United.
Owned by 45% of managers, the Englishman will be eager to pick up where he left off last year after racking up 17 goals and five assists, which earned him 205 FPL points.
Two favourable home games in the first three Gameweeks against Wolves and Nottingham Forest should allow Rashford hit the ground running, considering 13 of his 17 league goals came on home soil.
Bukayo Saka (£8.5m)
Bukayo Saka is the most-owned midfielder in fantasy football and will be eager to improve on his 25-goal contribution from last season, which earned him 202 FPL points.
The English forward registered two goals and an assist in pre-season and has already kickstarted the campaign on the front foot after picking up an assist in the Community Shield.
With Gabriel Jesus set for an extended spell on the sidelines, Saka could be Arsenal’s primary goal source and should benefit from a favourable opening run of fixtures starting with a home clash against Forest.
Eberechi Eze (£6.5m)
Eberechi Eze has been a player reborn since Roy Hodgson arrived at Crystal Palace last season, racking up 14 goal contributions for the Eagles.
Six of his goals came in the last nine games of the campaign, and the Englishman has been in inspired form during the pre-season, registering two goals and two assists in six matches.
With an opening day fixture against newly promoted Sheffield United lined up, Eze offers a low-risk, high-reward option to the other costly midfielders on the roster.
Strikers
Erling Braut Haaland (£14.0m)
Off the back of a record-breaking 36-goal haul from last season, Erling Braut Haaland is already owned by an astonishing 86.5% of FPL managers.
The Norwegian goal machine racked up 272 points last year – the most of any player in the Premier League and is expected to be the default captain for several teams.
Haaland scored twice in his debut for Manchester City last year, and with the treble winners travelling to newly promoted Burnley for the curtain raiser, you can expect the striker to pick up where he left off.
Yoane Wissa (£6.0m)
Considering Brentford’s early season fixtures, Yoane Wissa could prove to be an excellent low-cost addition to the team, especially in the absence of Ivan Toney.
Last season, the 26-year-old registered ten goal contributions despite starting just 16 Premier League games and returned 111 FPL points.
