Some of the world’s best Fantasy Premier League managers assess whether the most popular players are actually the best picks for Gameweek 1 and provide their verdict.
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Erling Haaland (Man City) £15.5m
Utkarsh Dalmia (@Zopharfpl): Haaland had a stormer at the FIFA World Cup and is known for starting the season strongly. However, this campaign there are a few questions surrounding the forward. Pep Guardiola’s departure means it is the first time Haaland will have a different coach in the Premier League. With Enzo Maresca taking charge, we will have to see whether a new system favours Haaland and if he can score at the same rate under the new boss. Also, Haaland will most likely join the squad late due to having an extended break because of the World Cup, which poses questions around his sharpness. For such a highly-priced asset at £15.5m, there are some doubts. But Manchester City’s first three home fixtures provide optimism, with AFC Bournemouth, Coventry City and Sunderland visiting the Etihad Stadium, so it makes sense to pick Haaland at the start. It’s easier to downgrade the forward and spread the funds than try to squeeze him in if he starts on fire.
Verdict: Yes
Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) £12.0m
Andy North (@FPLMode): Fernandes collected 235 points last season, more than any other midfielder. He has also accumulated over 160 points in each of his last four seasons. Accomplishing this while also beating the Premier League assist record means he was due a major price hike. Equally adept at creating and scoring goals, Fernandes is the standout premium midfielder this season. He amassed over 23.0 Expected Goal Involvement (xGI) last year and makes for a great captain, especially in home games. It absolutely makes sense for him to be one of the most-owned players in the game.Â
Verdict: Yes
Joao Pedro (Chelsea) £7.5m
Az Phillips (@FPLBlackbox_Az): I was expecting a price rise for Joao Pedro given his outstanding first season at Chelsea when he netted 15 times, with nine assists to boot. The fact he comes in at a cool £7.5m, has no European fixtures, an exciting new manager and increased talent around him only boosts his appeal. Not only that, but he wasn’t selected by Brazil for the World Cup, so he has had a full summer off. Furthermore, the forward bagged a nine-minute hat trick in Chelsea’s first friendly. He’s an absolute lock in my Gameweek 1 team.
Verdict: Yes
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) £7.0m
Lee Bonfield (@FPLFamily): Szoboszlai was becoming more and more talismanic for Liverpool last season, pulling the strings in midfield and taking many of the free-kick duties from Mohamed Salah. With the Egyptian gone, I expect him to be Andoni Iraola’s main set-piece taker (including corners) this season. Penalties will likely belong to Alexander Isak (£9.0m), but the Hungarian will be next in line. And with the summer off and a full pre-season, he’ll be looking to hit the ground running this season.
Verdict: Yes
Morgan Rogers (Chelsea) £7.5m
Harry Daniels (@FPL_Harry):Â Rogers is a good pick for the season, but I do have some concerns around him starting in Gameweek 1. Xabi Alonso has stated all his players must be ready to start the season, but it is more the fact that he is new to the group and may be eased in for the first match at Fulham.
Verdict: No
David Raya (Arsenal) £6.0m
Pras (@Pras_FPL): Raya is an odd one. While he is a good long-term option from the excellent Arsenal backline, Raya is also £0.5m-£1.5m more expensive than the other good goalkeeper options. To start the season, I prefer cheaper ‘keepers like Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m), and then bring Raya in as part of the first Wildcard squad. That should also align with William Saliba’s (£6.0m) return from back surgery, which will only make the Gunners’ defence stronger.
Verdict: No
Gabriel (Arsenal) £8.0m
Pranil Sheth (@Lateriser12): Gabriel was by far the best defender in the game last season and is now correctly priced at £8.0m. In addition, Arsenal are the most reliable defence in the league right now, given so many new managers elsewhere. This makes Gabriel reliable at his price, but with Saliba out injured, there is value in finding cheaper Arsenal defenders, so the likes of Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori (both £5.5m) interest me if it looks like their minutes might be secure at the start of the season.
Verdict: No
Marc Guehi (Man City) £6.0m
Josh Scott (@FPLgraduates): Guehi is coming off the back of an impressive 179 point season, better than the likes of Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) and Marcos Senesi (£6.0m). So on that basis alone, the price point of £6.0m into Man City’s defence feels fair. Questions could arise over his minutes, with Maresca now in charge and Josko Gvardiol (£5.5m) recently signing a new deal. However, until we see him lose his place, he feels a safe pick into one of the better defences in the league.
Verdict: Yes
Martin Dubravka (Spurs) £4.0m
Sam Bonfield (@FPLFamily): Dubravka is currently owned by 24 per cent of Fantasy managers, although he has been bought by Spurs as a back-up for Antonin Kinsky (£4.5m). If Fantasy managers are buying Dubravka for budget reasons then at £4.0m he could be a good option, however they must ensure that their other goalkeeper is first-choice for their club. If you are planning to use the Bench Boost chip early, an extra £0.5m for Kinsky, or the likes of Verbruggen or Djordje Petrovic (£4.5m), seems worth it.
Verdict: Yes if paired with a starter for their club
Nico O’Reilly (Man City) £6.5m
Ben Brown (@FPLgraduates): O’Reilly is a really interesting option this year. While he sits as the most expensive Man City defensive asset, he has the potential to be one of the most explosive players in the game. With the most Expected Goals (xG) produced out of any defender last season, and with a good set of opening fixtures, he could be certainly worth the price tag. There is even the chance that he ends up further up the pitch in this Maresca system too.
Verdict: Yes
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