The 2018/19 Fantasy Premier League Guide

Last Update: August 9th, 9:27PM(BST)

Post Deadline Day Update:
New Players Review: Kovačić, Kepa, Bernard, Gomes, Mina, Traoré
Starting XIs: Brighton, Chelsea, Cardiff, Everton, Fulham, Leicester, Wolverhampton

Fantasy Premier League just launched and even in the midst of a fantastic World Cup and the Premier League a month away, we’re all tinkering with our squads already. Here are 5 different alternative ways you can set up your squad.

The first and possibly most important question you need to ask yourself, is whether or not you should have last season’s FPL standout, Mohamed Salah. Priced at £13.0, including Salah would mean you have to downgrade several other players to make room for him. However, with Salah’s incredible FPL potential and kind opening fixtures, can you really start this FPL season without him?

To get a better picture of how your team can look with or without Salah, here are my “Mo Salah” and “NoSalah” teams:

The Mo Salah Team

No other midfield big hitters, but there is room for Aguero up front.

The cheapest viable GK pairing might be Fabianski and McCarthy. They rotate perfectly, ensuring you a home game every week (BUR, BOU, LEI, WLV, BHA for the first 5 gameweeks). Fabianski has been a top FPL goalkeeper the past few years with Swansea and there’s a good chance he can keep it up with West Ham. McCarthy took over as Southampton’s #1 last year, a team that might get back to mid-table security with Mark Hughes as manager.

Bailly might be a steal for only £5.5. He’s clearly Man Utd’s most talented defender and won’t have to deal with the injuries that left him out for most of last season. He should be a lock in Manchester United’s defence. Sokratis is a very solid addition to Arsenal’s backline and might give them enough clean sheets to make him a 6.0 defender next season. Pereira is an exciting new offensive full-back, while Kabasele and Tomkins are solid starters at £4.5.

Salah is obviously the star in midfield for the “Mo Salah Team”. He is a default captain choice and is obviously a top class player. Having Salah doesn’t mean the midfield has to suffer however, as he is joined by fellow big 6 players Mahrez and Mkhitaryan. Both are tricky wingers with an eye for both assists and goals and will be fun to watch. Sigurdsson takes all set-pieces for Everton, especially with Baines being replaced by Digne. Pritchard is a hidden gem for Huddersfield who plays right behind the striker and takes some set-pieces as well.

Aguero is a can’t miss option to start the season. Gabriel Jesus returned late from the World Cup and Man City’s schedule is a cake-walk after they open against Arsenal. Zaha has similarly easy opening fixtures and even though he’s reclassified as a striker, he can get a lot of points for Crystal Palace, both in the league and in FPL. With only £6.5 left, the best option is King. He has expressed to manager Eddie Howe that he wants to play more as a striker again this season and is on penalties.

The No Salah Team

No Salah… But we have Sané, Mané… and Bobby Firmiiiiiin(i)o.

Going from Salah to Mané saves you £3.5 alone, and you can use that extra cash to upgrade elsewhere. In goal, you can go with the easy option of having De Gea and never worry about who to pick as your goalkeeper. De Gea might have sucked in the World Cup, but he is still a world class goalie and a safe bet to be the highest scoring Fantasy GK yet again.

Alonso and Robertson is a lot more exciting than Bailly and Sokratis, but that’s what going £6.0 and above gets you. Burnley defenders are getting overlooked to start this season, as they won’t play in Europa League until September anyway, making it perfectly fine to start the season with them and their kind fixtures. Either of the four starters is a fine choice, but I’d personally go with captain Mee. Ogbonna is the most likely £4.5 starter for a possibly resurgent West Ham, while Wan-Bissaka is the most secure starter at the £4.0 price point.

Going from Mahrez to Sané might earn you more points as well. Sané is well rested and motivated after being left out of the Germany squad that crashed out of the World Cup. He is 22 years old and is talented enough to become the best player in the league. Mané’s quality is unquestioned and he was Liverpool’s main man only a year ago and looks to be on penalties judging from pre-season. Kenedy and Neves are solid picks at only £5.0. Neves is on set-pieces for Wolves while Kenedy will play an important part for Newcastle long term.

Aguero remains, but he’s joined by Firmino. With Salah nowhere to be seen, you need appropriate Liverpool cover and you get that in spades with the remains of the former Liverpool fab four. Yet again we are left with £6.5, but with a more solid team, we can take a punt on Chicharito. Located more on the wing and on the bench last season than he would have liked, Chicharito struggled just like the Hammers. New manager Pellegrini wants to make Chicharito one of his most important players and a pairing with Arnautovic is on the cards. Keep an eye on both of them for FPL.

The Gambler Team

Fancy a gamble? Here are some risky bets that might reward you.

Playing it safe is no fun. You’re trying to win it all, right? Then you need to pin-point the players others might overlook, starting with Leno in goal. Leno is the unknown out of the top 6 goalkeepers, but he’s cheaper than all of them. Arsenal might get a resurgence with Wenger out and with Sokratis, Lichtsteiner and Leno on board, their defence might be shored up. Leno is also a terrific penalty stopper.

Laporte could be this season’s Otamendi, as a £5.5 defender who plays every game for Man City. He’s the most talented centre back in the team and should be starting, but when playing for Pep, that is no guarantee. Shaw will start the season for Man Utd at left-back and should he impress, he might take over the spot from Young. Another left-back who will look to become a starter over their more experienced teammate, is Digne, who just joined Everton from Barcelona. Wolverhampton’s full-back also get involved going forward and with the sale of Douglas, the option left is Doherty. Hopefully his 4 goals and 4 assists from the Championship translates to the Premier League. Schelotto has a decent chance at securing the right back spot for Brighton, but is no sure thing.

Sanchez and Hazard are both priced at £10.5, but neither warranted that price tag a year ago. If Sanchez can finally fit in with Man Utd and Hazard gets the usual boost from playing under a new manager, they might both be worth a lot more. The same can be said about Özil who actually dropped in price to £8.5. With no national team on his mind anymore and a focus on proving people wrong, he can return to old glory. Poor Bernardo Silva saw Man City add yet another winger, but after impressing in pre-season and several City players missing with World Cup fatigue, Bernardo Silva could grab his chance. He’s talented enough to be a star in this league. His compatriot Moutinho is also a new face in the Premier League and has way more potential than his measly £5.5 price point would tell you.

Lacazette actually had a pretty good maiden season, but a drop in form around Christmas and Arsenal spending big on Aubameyang meant that most forgot about Lacazette. Luckily, the Frenchman flourished towards the end of the season when playing alongside Aubameyang, something Emery should take advantage of. If Lacazette plays, expect his value to exceed £9.5. Morata had a worse year for Chelsea, after dazzling at the beginning, highlighted by a hat-trick against Stoke. If he fights off competition from Batshuayi, he’ll be nailed under Sarri, who rarely changes his team. Iheanacho has boatloads of potential and will get to show it in the opener after Puel confirmed Vardy won’t be ready yet. If he can score against Man Utd yet again, he might keep his place next to Vardy when he returns.

The Wildcard Team

Because international breaks are more fun with a Wildcard

Liverpool, Man City, Everton and Crystal Palace. The four gameweeks before the first international break is perfect for these guys. The “wildcard during the international break” tactic isn’t as appealing now that the transfer deadline has been moved up, but it’s still a useful way of weighing your options before you settle for a squad.

Pickford gets the nod in goal as Everton could keep a clean sheet in all four opening matches (wlv, SOU, bou, HUD). He might have returned late from World Cup heroics, but that shouldn’t affect goalkeepers as much as outfield players. You could always hedge by putting Stekelenburg as your backup, but we want to efficiently use all three Everton spots.

Man City’s opening matches (ars, HUD, wlv, NEW) could also tickle your fancy and Mendy might become the most explosive defensive prospect in the game. Robertson became Liverpool’s clear #1 left back last season and the offensive minded Scotsman looks to continue his form against inferior opposition (WHU, cry, BHA, lei). To take full advantage of Crystal Palace’s opening fixtures (ful, LIV, wat, SOU), we’ll go with van Aanholt, who dominated in FPL at the end of last season. Cardiff have similarly favorable fixtures (bou, NEW, hud, ARS) and Bamba is the heart of their defence priced at £4.5. We double up on Palace defenders with Wan-Bissaka, but as a £4.0 player, he’s mostly cover on the bench.

Sanchez is the only superstar offensively for Man Utd left with Pogba and Lukaku as late returns, which means Sanchez will take set-pieces and has two especially great matches to start the season (LEI, bha). Mané also seems to be on penalties and will look to score in all four opening matches. Mahrez is Man City’s shiny new signing, he will be fit to start the season and Guardiola would probably like to show him off as their only major signing this summer. Richarlison is back with Marco Silva, this time at Everton and we think both his time off this summer, playing for a better team with his favorite manager, will do him worlds of good. Masuaku is the £4.5 midfielder who has a chance of starting AND could provide something offensively, but mostly he is there to complete a cheap bench to maximize value elsewhere.

We’ve gone through Aguero’s enticing opening games, and he’ll be a top captain option in gameweeks 2-4. Tosun showed parts of what he’s capable of in 17/18, with 5 goals in under 1000 minutes and should be Everton’s clear #1 striker under a new and interesting manager. The Turkish tank is just £7.0 and a fellow £7.0 player joins him in attack, Crystal Palace’s Zaha. Once again blessed with easy fixtures early, Palace hope they can do much better than last season, losing 7 in a row to start the season, without scoring no less. Zaha could bag a couple of goals early and change their and your fortunes around.

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Our last squad suggestion is a section all by it’s own; how you win in FPL without a single change throughout the season.

The Whole Season Team

If you’re gonna forget about FPL early on, you best come prepared

Do you typically forget about Fantasy Premier League a couple of weeks into the season? Then this might be the squad and tactic for you. You can actually win in Fantasy Premier League without doing a damn thing. Does that sound appealing to you?

“Yusuf’s Team” won Fantasy Premier League last season, with 2512 points, but if you had picked out this team at the start of the season, you’d end up with 2560 points without doing a single change!

Total Cost (Start of season): £100m

2401 points from the starters, 143 points coming off the bench and 16 sweet Vice Captain points from Mahrez in the two gameweeks Salah didn’t play. No Triple Captain, no Bench Boost, no Wildcards, no nothing. It would still be more than enough to win every league you’re in, overall included.

So what can we do to re-create this magical formula and win everything there is to win in FPL? Let’s go through this 17/18 FPL Champion squad, player by player and see if we can find their 18/19 counterparts!

Goalkeepers

17/18 GKs: Pope (Elliot)

Last year was kind of an anamoly and I think the perfect storm of the unknown Pope taking over from an injured Heaton and having a £4.0 GK to start the season won’t be repeated. It wasn’t the highest scoring GK pair however. Pairing De Gea with any £4.0 GK would have scored 10 more points, but would obviously cost more. I think we need to bite the bullet and spend the extra money to get a premium GK to take us through the season.

So how about De Gea? His price has gone up to £6.0, as the only goalkeeper to reach that mark in FPL. He had his best season ever last year, with a surprisingly high 115 saves. He had a terrible World Cup and probably won’t match his historic 17/18 season, but is he still the best GK option?

Neither Lloris, Courtois or Ederson needed to make many saves last season. Lloris had the most out of the three with 87 saves and even that was just 10th most in the whole league. They did rack up a lot of clean sheets however, with 15, 15 and 16 respectively. Not as many as De Gea however, who had the Golden Glove winning 18.

Jose Mourinho is no stranger to parking the bus and his teams get more clean sheets as a result. That will likely keep happening. We’ll go with De Gea.

None of the £4.0 GKs are all that interesting, but it won’t matter with De Gea playing from the get go. Hamer from Huddersfield has a history playing for Charlton, just like Nick Pope, so he gets the nod.

18/19 GKs: De Gea (Hamer)

Defenders

17/18 Defenders: Azpilicueta, Otamendi, Davies, (Lascelles, Mariappa)

The defence is easier to replicate.

Azpilicueta is one of the most consistent players in FPL and he is priced like he always is at £6.5, so why not pick him this year as well?

He gets competition from teammate Alonso, who also costs £6.5, down from £7.0 last season. Some people have speculated that with Sarri introducing a back four, Alonso won’t be quite as effective or even nailed. That’s not necessarily true however. Assuming Sarri uses Alonso and Azpilicueta like he did Ghoulam and Hysaj in Napoli, Alonso is the one who will be getting forward and collecting points. For that reason, we’re getting Alonso.

Otamendi ended up being a certain starter for a top team, costing only £5.5. Now he’s worth £6.5 and out of the picture, but his new centre back partner Laporte is £5.5 and is their best centre back in my eyes. Pep Guardiola might not feel the same way and there is a better, more sure starter for £5.5 and you don’t have to travel far to find him.

Bailly was Jose Mourinho’s main man in defence to start last season, but a freak ankle injury and botched recovery hampered the rest of his season. When he returned, he didn’t get playing time as Mourinho tried to help out his other defenders prepare for the World Cup. This is probably why he’s only a £5.5 defender. He should be nailed on this year, unless Mourinho wants to ruin another promising talent.

Davies stood out as rampaging left-back last season, who chipped in with goals and assist when he got to play. The same could be said for Robertson, who took over a clear starting role later on in the season. He costs £0.5 more than Davies did, but in return, you get a more certain starter.

Lascelles chipped in whenever Davies didn’t play last season, and at least one good bench player is important if you want to keep the same team throughout the season. Lascelles was a nailed on £4.5 starter for a team supposed to battle relegation, but ended up safely in mid-table. Newcastle have been a mid-table team historically and so has Southampton, who have a sure starter for £4.5 in Cedric.

Cedric played as a wing-back in Mark Hughes’ new 3-4-3 system, which they likely will continue to trot out this season. Cedric’s is an offensive minded side-back, so this formation fits him. Even with his offensive tendencies, he had to wait a while for his first assist last season. At the end of the season, he added two more.

Our final bench spot is a cheapie, just like Mariappa last season. Many potential £4.0 defenders have come and gone, namely Bednarek, Peltier and Schelotto, but either through new signings, injury or not being nailed, they’ve all fallen through.

The only constant £4.0 defender through pre-season has been Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace. They have consistently played with the same back four in pre-season, and Wan-Bissaka has slotted in at right back next to the other starters every time. After Roy Hogdson took over, Palace were solid defensively and with the promising Wan-Bissaka a sure starter, he is our final pick in defence.

18/19 Defenders: Alonso, Robertson, Bailly, (Cedric, Wan-Bissaka)

Midfielders

17/18 Midfielders: Salah, Sterling, Mahrez, Groß, (Milivojevic)

We won’t see another performance like Salah, especially not for £9.0.

So who could be our 18/19 version of Salah? Well.. Salah himself I guess, but he’s £13.0 this season. I have a cheaper candidate, who can feature as both our 18/19 version of Salah AND Sterling.

That man is Sané. Somehow left out of Germany’s World Cup squad, Sané has Ballon D’or potential. The 22 year old, pacey winger was fantastic for Man City last season, but still has another gear or two in him. If he reaches another level as a player, he will start in almost every match, even with Pep as manager. He has a good chance to impress at the start of the season, with de Bruyne, Mendy and Sterling coming back late from the World Cup giving him a better chance of starting right off the bat.

Speaking of Sterling, who exploded onto the scene after years of not quite maximizing his potential, only cost £8.0 at the start of last FPL season. The same could possibly be said a year from now about Pogba.

Pogba has all the talent in the world and could be doing a lot better than the 134 points he got last season. With the addition of Fred next to Matic, Man Utd have shored up their central midfield enough to let Pogba roam forward, which is where he becomes a dangerous Fantasy player. As long as the rumored tension between Pogba and Mourinho is only that, rumored, then Pogba will get close to 200 points, guaranteed.

Mkhitaryan for £7.0 is way too low. He broke onto the FPL scene to start last season, but got dropped quite quickly by Mourinho, who was never his biggest fan. Mkhitaryan’s connection with Aubameyang is well known and will be a great source of goals and assists for both of them. Arsenal players in general are underpriced, after a disappointing last season under Wenger. I even considered Leno in goal and Kolasinac for this defence, but defensively Arsenal still have a way to go. On their day offensively however, Arsenal might play the best offensive football of anyone outside of Man City.

Groß was the brightest star among the promoted teams and finding which newly promoted player to get, can give you an edge against your competition. There are some interesting players from Wolves, Fulham and Cardiff. Sessegnon is the most known out of all of them. One of the brightest young talents in the UK now playing on the wing after being a left back, similarly to Gareth Bale. Cardiff have some interesting defensive options, namely Morrison and Bamba in their backline. Neves from Wolverhampton was the player of the season in the Championship last season and is on set pieces, but as a defensive midfielder he’s won’t set the league on fire, even at £5.0.

I’d rather go with his teammate, Jota. Jota was Wolverhampton’s top scorer and while it was “only” 16 goals, they came from midfield, where he’s listed at £6.5. Only 21 years old, there is a lot of room to improve for the former Atletico Madrid prospect. He took the Championship by storm along with his teammates and Wolves have the best chance of succeeding in the Premier League.

The final pick for midfield, playing the Milivojevic role, is also someone from a promoted team. Cairney takes set pieces and quite possibly penalties for Fulham, which makes him very very interesting for only £5.0. After months of speculation about his departure, he newly signed a 5 year contract with Fulham, meaning he’ll stay and likely play every game for them. He’s not even a defensive midfielder like Neves, as he likes to go forward and play a killer through ball. He had 5 goals and 5 assists last season, despite some injury issues, but through a full season before that, he had 12 goals and 11 assists. I almost feel bad leaving him on the bench.

18/19 Midfielders: Sané, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Jota, (Cairney)

Forwards

17/18 Forwards: Kane, Firmino, Vardy

Kane continues to produce goals, now even for England at the big stage. He thoroughly outscored the other premium strikers last year, in Lukaku and Aguero who were priced at £11.5 and £11.0 respectively. It wasn’t quite the monster season Kane had in 16/17, but it was pretty darn close, so Kane keeps his £12.5 price tag.

Lukaku and Aguero are now both priced at £11.0, but there is a third, new contender for the same price that we’ll go with as our main man this season, Aubameyang.

Brought in as Arsenal’s big January signing, Auba only got half a season in FPL, but made his mark instantly. He ended up with 10 goals and 4 assists for a pretty lackluster Arsenal team, which netted him 87 points in only 1056 minutes! Kane in comparison, got 3074 minutes, almost three times as much. Aubameyang had a higher points per match than Kane and with the same amount of playing time, he’d outscore him by some odd 40 points. Not bad for a £11.0 striker.

We’re not gonna get fancy when it comes to finding this season’s Firmino, because our 2nd forward is in fact Firmino himself. He’s still only £9.5, even after the outstanding year that made him the 2nd highest points getter among forwards. He really came into his own after Coutinho left, which bodes well for this season. Some regression from Salah is expected, which means Firmino has to step up and get some more game winning goals, because Liverpool will look to challenge Man City for the title.

Finally, we’re going with another player who impressed after Christmas. David Moyes wasn’t West Ham’s future as a manager, but he made a move that might help shape it; putting faith into Arnautovic as a striker. Looking like a flop before the Christmas period, Arnautovic ended up being West Ham’s player of the season. It wasn’t even close. New manager Pellegrini will likely play him in a striker partnership with Chicharito, so expect some more tasty assists from Arnie. He didn’t have a single goal or assists after 15 gameweeks last season! He still ended up 6th for all our current options at forward, more than Jesus, Zaha and Lacazette.

So that’s our best bet for 2018/19 FPL Team of the Season. Our captain will be Sané, who we are backing to have a breakout year and become one of Guardiola’s most trusted disciples. While I don’t expect him to come close to the season Salah just had, I wouldn’t be surprised if he passed the 229 points Sterling got. If Sané is ever benched, you can rest easy with Aubameyang as your vice captain.

It’s no exact science, and you need a lot of luck with subs coming in at the right time, but with solid planning, you can win your own mini-league without doing a thing. Good luck!

Full Team:

When Should You Use Your Chips?

If you do plan on staying active on FPL throughout the season, then you need to figure out when to use the extra tools at your disposal. If it’s your first time playing FPL you’ll also need to know what your extra tools – chips – can do for you.

Along with the standard 1 free transfer per gameweek, you’ll get five more helpful ways to either change or enhance your squad. Two wildcards, a free hit, triple captain and bench boost.  Here’s the quick rundown on what all of those chips do:

The Wildcard allows you to make unlimited transfers for the week you’re using it to permanently change your squad. Free Hit does the same thing, except the squad you pick out using the Free Hit only lasts the gameweek you use it for before it reverts to your old squad the gameweek after. Triple Captain does what it says; it triples the amount of points your captain gets instead of just doubling them. Bench Boost allows you to get points for your whole 15 man squad the gameweek you use it. PS: You cannot use two chips in the same gameweek, regardless of how tempting it is to use a Wildcard and Bench Boost at the same time.

Now that you know what each of the chips do, you need to figure out when to use them for maximum effect:

First Wildcard:

The most popular option for when to use your first wildcard is during the first international break of the season, which is scheduled between Gameweek 4 and 5 this year. Normally, with the transfer window closing around this time, you’d get the upper hand in selecting the hottest new PL signings. Seeing as the transfer deadline has been moved up to before the season even starts, that advantage has been taken away now.

The advantage it still gives you is using the extra information collected from the first four gameweeks to get a full squad of sure starters and in-form players. It’s always hard to predict how the new season will pan out, so this extra intel is extremely helpful.

Personally, I had a lot of success last year by waiting an extra couple of weeks until Gameweek 9 before I used my first wildcard. Coming out of the international break, I already had three essential Man Utd players, Salah, and the at the time productive Kolasinac and David Silva, while avoiding guys like de Bruyne and Willian who were looking like duds at that point.

It didn’t make sense for me to use the wildcard early, so I stuck with my squad. It paid off when I really needed the wildcard in GW9, getting rid of out of form Man Utd players, while getting in Richarlison and Groß who had proven themselves after the international break.

So the point is, don’t just use the wildcard at the first opportunity just for the hell of it. If you do, then at least plan accordingly and follow “The Wildcard Team” template I suggested above. If you plan on using your first wildcard in gameweek 4, you might as well make the most of it. Sometimes, good things come for those who wait however and holding out on using your first wildcard will make the wait for the second one less agonizing.

Second Wildcard:

While it’s tempting to use your first wildcard early on, your second wildcard might be best saved for the last couple of gameweeks, where both blank gameweeks and double gameweeks are more common. Sure, you can use it right after the January transfer window and get some big new stars in like Aubameyang last season, but it will leave you very vulnerable towards the end of the season.

Using it in conjunction with your other remaining chips like Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost at the end is optimal, but of course, the wildcard is a safety option, so use it if you are ever in a pinch. Saving it for around Gameweek 30-34 however, is the most popular and probably smartest option.

Free Hit:

Last year there were two gameweeks most experienced FPL managers used their Free Hit, Gameweek 31 and Gameweek 35. Those gameweeks happened to be when the most teams in the league had a blank gameweek. I’d highly advice against using your Free Hit any other week, as we’ll be sure to get similarly blank gameweeks when some PL teams will be pre-occupied with the latter stages of the Carabao Cup.

After being dead set on using my Free Hit in Gameweek 31 last season, I decided against it once I realized the mostly blank gameweek in GW35 came right after a double gameweek in GW34. I ended up stocking up players who actually had a fixture in GW31 and used my second wildcard to get rid of them the following week as I prepared for the final stretch of matches.

It worked out alright, but the weeks leading up to GW31 were dire, as I was limited to bringing in players who would feature that gameweek. It was all moot anyway, as most players blanked except an explosion from obvious captain choice Salah, who earned 29 points all by himself. The lesson I learned is that it’s not that important to have a lot of players for blank gameweeks, just make sure to get the essential ones.

Triple Captain:

The only prerequisite for using your Triple Captain chip, is using it in a double gameweek. Salah getting last season’s highest score in a mostly blank gameweek 31 is an anamoly. Most double gameweeks are later on in the season, even though some FPL managers wasted it on Kane in his double gameweek in GW22. Again, that kind of result is not normal, as Kane scored 5 goals and had 1 assist when he was the most popular Triple Captain option in GW37 in the 16/17 season.

Look for double gameweeks from the best FPL options likely towards the end of the season and burn your Triple Captain chip then. You will almost certainly at the very least get a goal, or you might get lucky and choose the right option, like the managers who got 19 points from Aubameyang’s double gameweek last season.

Bench Boost:

Yet again a chip you should reserve for a tasty double gameweek, we’re you can hopefully have 15 players with 2 matches each. You’ll more likely get that if you use your second wildcard the gameweek prior, providing you yet another reason to save your wildcard.

I did however, flirt with the option of using my bench boost in GW1 to start last season on a high. In my projected “Bench Boost squad” I would’ve had players like Hegazi and Zanka coming off the bench, two of the highest GW1 scorers last season.

While that missed opportunity stung, I managed to get  the points I lost back, when I finally did use Bench Boost in GW34. Burnley’s Long and Gudmundsson got into double digits and Watford GK Karnezis managed to get a clean sheet. Like I said, good things come to those who wait and waiting for a double gameweek to use Bench Boost will always be preferable.

tl;dr:

1st Wildcard: After GW4 if you need to, wait a couple GWs more if you don’t.
2nd Wildcard: Hold off until double and blank gameweeks between GW30-36.
Free Hit: High risk of a blank gameweek before a double gameweek, use it then.
Triple Captain: When a star player gets a favourable double gameweek.
Bench Boost: After your 2nd Wildcard with as close to 15 double gameweek players you can get.

Fred – Manchester United

If you play either Football Manager or FIFA, you will know exactly what Frederico Rodrigues de Paula Santos (or Fred) is all about. If you don’t, let’s just say that he will fit seamlessly in a three-man midfield with Pogba and Matic, providing excellent passes, dribbles, tackling and shooting. He can shoot a mean free kick as well.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 26
Goal projections: 2-6
Assist projections: 4-8
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Some free-kicks

Price: £6.0

Naby Keita – Liverpool

No more ex-wingers at CM for Liverpool. They now have the real deal in Naby Keita, who is potentially one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League despite being 23 years old. He’s quick, an amazing tackler, great dribbler, decent long-shots and finishing. The kid can do it all!

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 31
Goal projections: 4-7
Assist projections: 5-9
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £7.5

Fabinho – Liverpool

Oh my. Liverpool are really fixing their issues from last season by signing both Fabinho and Keita! AS Monaco might have had a terrible season, but Fabinho was great as always and notched 7 goals and 3 assists for Monaco last season. Techincally gifted, great set-piece play and a very decent tackler, Fabinho is nearly as all-round as his new team-mate Keita, but has the edge over him offensively as he’s also a great penalty shooter too!

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 29
Goal projections: 3-8
Assist projections: 2-5
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Possibly penalties

Price: £6.0

Alisson – Liverpool

FINALLY… Liverpool have bought a solid goalkeeper. The 25 year old Brazil #1 was highly sought after for his shot stopping abilities and command of the box. Along with Virgil van Dijk for a full season and Robertson as a trusty left-back, Liverpool’s defensive woes might finally be behind them.

FPL Position: Goalkeeper
Projected games started: 36
Clean Sheet Projections: 11-18
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low

Price: £5.5

Mateo Kovačić – Chelsea

One of The VideoScope’s favorite underutilized players. After showing major promise as a talent with Inter, Real Madrid decided to swoop in and retain the services of the talented Croatian. Until now, the former heir apparent to Luka Modric for Croatia and Real Madrid, has just been his backup on both teams. As the likely most attacking midfielder in Chelsea’s new fantastic trio, Kovačić might finally show what he can do.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 29
Goal projections: 3-6
Assist projections: 5-7
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £6.0

Kepa Arrizabalaga – Chelsea

Chelsea had to make a goalkeeper switch with Thibaut Courtois not showing up and forcing a move to Real Madrid. Chelsea acted swiftly and made Kepa the world’s most expensive keepah. Kepa is not as tall as Courtois, but that might account for more save points. His passing, which fits well with Sarri, makes him a stronger bonus candidate as well, even if Chelsea might not match the 16 clean sheets they got last season.

FPL Position: Goalkeeper
Projected games started: 38
Clean Sheet Projections: 10-16
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low

Price: £5.5

Jorginho – Chelsea

Chelsea and new manager Maurizio Sarri wrestled Jorginho away from Man City, angering Pep Guardiola in the process. Jorginho is a deep-lying playmaker and is very important in Sarri’s “vertical tiki-taka” system, racking up a number of completed passes all around the park, giving him a decent chance at bonus points. In other departments it doesn’t get much better than the 3 goals and 4 assists he had last season.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 37
Goal projections: 0-3
Assist projections: 2-5
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Sokratis Papastathopoulos – Arsenal

Maybe one of the most difficult surnames to spell/pronounce, but make no mistake, Papastathopoulos will be exactly what Arsenal need. Papastathopoulos will also be a massive threat in the box because…. well… he is massive!

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 28
Goal projections: 2-4
Assist projections: 0-1
Clean Sheet projections: 11-17
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: High
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.5

Bernd Leno – Arsenal

Arsenal have not had a goalkeeper in their prime since Jens Lehmann. So what do Arsenal do? Get a German goalkeeper in Bernd Leno. Arsenal still have a lot of fixing to do in the back, but Leno is a step towards the right direction, and will be an interesting FPL goalie option as he’s known for saving penalties too!

FPL Position: Goalkeeper
Projected games started: 34
Clean-sheet projections: 11-17
Injury risk: Low
Bonus potential: High

Price: £5.0

Bernard – Everton

Possibly the biggest free agent on the market this season ended up with Everton, and makes their daunting attacking force even stronger. Bernard replaced Mkhitaryan for Shakhtar back in 2013, where he played well enough to become a part of Brazil’s 2014 World Cup squad. The 5’5″ winger and attacking midfielder is fast with a soft touch and likes to operate between the wing and the middle of the field, perfect for Everton with overlapping full-backs. Unfortunately for FPL purposes, Bernard might too often assist the assister.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 28
Goal projections: 3-5
Assist projections: 5-7
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £6.0

Andre Gomes – Everton

2 years ago, Barcelona bought Andre Gomes from right under Real Madrid’s nose, but Gomes’ stock has dropped significantly since then. Often the scapegoat for Barcelona fans, Gomes struggled under the enormous big club pressure at Barcelona and never showed the skills he had in Valencia that made him so interesting in the first place. He’ll likely up his game with Everton, but for FPL purposes he won’t do much other than the odd goal and assist.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 27
Goal projections: 1-3
Assist projections: 2-4
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.5

Yerry Mina – Everton

Everton finally got their man in central defence, and Yerry Mina is a name that should be fresh in everyone’s memory. The Colombian who joined Barcelona back in January, dominated in the World Cup, scoring 3 goals including the one against England. Mina is a beast in the air and this skill in particular will be a benefit for both Gylfi Sigurdsson and Mina himself in FPL. It should also strengthen Everton’s defence, which has looked shaky in pre-season.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 33
Goal projections: 3-7
Assist projections: 1-3
Clean Sheet projections: 8-14
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.5

James Maddison – Leicester

Leicester will hope that James Maddison can recover some of the flair, assists and goals they lost with Riyad Mahrez leaving. The 21 year old English set piece wizard was a standout player for Norwich last season, earning their “Player of the Season” award as well as being crowned the Championship’s “Young Player of the Season”.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 33
Goal projections: 4-8
Assist projections: 6-11
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Some free kicks and corners

Price: £6.5

Rachid Ghezzal – Leicester

When replacing Mahrez, Leicester didn’t exactly get creative when they brought in fellow Algerian right winger Ghezzal. Somewhat of a poor man’s Mahrez, Ghezzal is a very creative player himself with quick feet and ability to beat his man. If he can return to the form he had for Lyon in the 15/16 season (8 goals and 8 assists in 29 appearances) Leicester might have found another gem.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 28
Goal projections: 3-6
Assist projections: 3-5
Bonus potential: Low
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: Some free kicks and corners

Price: £5.5

Ricardo Pereira – Leicester

This Portuguese right-back made his World Cup debut in Portugal’s 1-2 loss against Uruguay after working his way up the ranks for both Portugal and Porto. Reuniting with manager Claude Puel, Pereira looks like a sure starter who likes to go forward, but is not afraid to get stuck in with a tackle either.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 32
Goal projections: 0-2
Assist projections: 2-5
Clean Sheet projections: 8-13
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Yoshinori Muto – Newcastle

The 2014 J-League Player of the Year is making his way to the Premier League after a couple of years as Mainz’ main striker. The quick and hard-working striker likes to play off the shoulders of defenders and is a good option to have on counter-attacks.

FPL Position: Forward
Projected games started: 22
Goal projections: 4-8
Assist projections: 3-5
Bonus potential: Low
Injury risk: High
Set Pieces: None

Price: £?.?

Fabian Schär – Newcastle

As one of the first names on the team sheet for Switzerland, Fabian Schär will be able to step into a similar role next to Jamaal Lascelles in Newcastle’s defence, after Florian Lejeune’s untimely injury. While he is a hard-nosed defender who can be prone to yellow cards, Schär intercepts the ball quite a lot.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 30
Goal projections: 0-2
Assist projections: 0-2
Clean Sheet projections: 9-14
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: High
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Max Meyer – Crystal Palace

Max Meyer has the potential to become one of the leading players in the world, but a lot of people are worried after his lackluster play with Schalke last season. With his great vision, ability to pick out a pass and for being able to create his own shot, the #MeyerOfLondon will fill the gap left by Yohann Cabaye.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 30
Goal projections: 3-6
Assist projections: 2-5
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £6.0

Vicente Guaita – Crystal Palace

Yet another season, yet another attempt at finding a new goalkeeper for Crystal Palace. Like World Cup Winner Steve Mandanda, Guaita might find himself benched by Wayne Hennessey, as they have been sharing goalkeeping duties in pre-season. If Guaita gets to play, Palace will have a solid GK who has saved a couple of penalties the last few years, including 2 out of 3 last season.

FPL Position: Goalkeeper
Projected games started: 12
Clean Sheet Projections: 6-12
Bonus potential: Low
Injury risk: Medium

Price: £4.5

Diego Rico – Bournemouth

Not a lot of people will know who Diego Rico is, but he was part of the Leganes team that knocked Real Madrid out of the Spanish Cup at the Bernabeu! The Spanish left-back might not make the biggest impression in an FPL sense, but his crazy stamina and sprint speed will surely be a boost for Bournemouth.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 30
Goal projections: 0-2
Assist projections: 2-3
Clean Sheet projections: 5-8
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £4.5

Felipe Anderson – West Ham

West Ham broke their transfer record yet again, this time on the highly rated Brazilian winger Felipe Anderson. While not a prominent goalscorer, Anderson’s ability to get by defenders and play key passes will earn him plenty of assists and bonus points.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 29
Goal projections: 4-8
Assist projections: 7-10
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: High
Set Pieces: Some free kicks and corners

Price: £7.0

Andriy Yarmolenko – West Ham

West Ham are so lucky that Yarmolenko got a serious injury last season. If it weren’t for the injury, he would have for sure still have been a Dortmund player. With scintillating skill, great shooting ability and a crazy amount of flair, Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson could be one of the most exciting wing pairs in the Premier League.

FPL Position: Midfield
Projected games started: 23
Goal projections: 5-9
Assist projections: 6-8
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £7.0

Ryan Fredericks – West Ham

Pacey Ryan Fredericks gained promotion with Fulham, but is joining Fantasy Premier League with a different London team, as West Ham’s likely starting right back. Dubbed as a new Kyle Walker, Fredericks is an attacking full back who will get forward quite a bit.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 30
Goal projections: 0-2
Assist projections: 2-6
Clean Sheet projections: 7-12
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Fabián Balbuena – West Ham

The least known West Ham signing this summer is well known in South America, captaining juggernaut Corinthians to several titles. The Paraguayan international is nicknamed “The General” for being a leader of men and has also shown some goal-scoring abilities for a defender.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 20
Goal projections: 0-3
Assist projections: 0-1
Clean Sheet projections: 4-11
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £4.5

Ken Sema – Watford

Do you guys remember the man-mountain who scored against Arsenal in the Europa League for Östersunds? Well that was none other than Ken Sema, the wickedly strong winger, who has a powerful left footed shot. If there’s a player that he could compare to, it would be Michail Antonio. Keep an eye out for the Swedish international!

FPL Position: Midfield
Projected games started: 23
Goal projections: 4-6
Assist projections: 3-7
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Some corners and free kicks

Price: £5.0

Alireza Jahanbakhsh – Brighton

Brighton’s record signing and Iranian superstar Alireza Jahanbakhsh was the top goalscorer and third highest assister in the Dutch Eredivisie last season. While he will be busy with Iran’s Asian games in January and February, Jahanbakhsh will likely be a prominent member of their squad whenever he plays; dribbling, shooting and making key passes as he cuts inside from the wing.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 31
Goal projections: 5-11
Assist projections: 4-6
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £7.0

Florin Andone – Brighton

Not the best striker in the world, but certainly not the worst, Florin Andone will be an interesting addition to a Brighton side who just about made an impression last season in the Premier League.

FPL Position: Forward
Projected games started: 24
Goal projections: 4-10
Assist projections: 2-5
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Mohamed Elyounoussi – Southampton

The hard-working and quick Norwegian left winger had a breakthrough season with FC Basel, with 13 goals and 17 assists. The 23 year old has improved every year and will hope to perform as good regularly against PL competition as he did when he earned Man of The Match honors last season in a Champions League win over Man City.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 30
Goal projections: 5-9
Assist projections: 5-9
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Some free kicks

Price: £6.5

Jannik Vestergaard – Southampton

Ever since Virgil van Dijk left, Southampton have had a 6’4″ shaped hole in their central defence. Vestergaard fills this hole and then some, with his 6 foot 7 inches of muscles, making him a dominant set piece threat like his Dutch predecessor. He’ll slot into Mark Hughes’ 3 man backline that shored up Southampton’s defence as they secured their spot in the Premier League.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 31
Goal projections: 1-4
Assist projections: 0-2
Clean Sheet projections: 7-12
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Diogo Jota – Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton’s top scorer last season looks likely to become a good FPL prospect. Benefitting from a classification as a midfielder, Jota might continue playing in a forward role, possibly even as a striker, filling a role similarly to a Paulo Dybala type player.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 33
Goal projections: 7-14
Assist projections: 3-7
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Possibly penalties

Price: £6.5

Adama Traoré – Wolverhampton

Whether Adama Traoré ends up being a success or not, it will be fun to witness it happen. Adama jumps off the screen immediately with amazing physical capabilities, and dribbles past anything and everything. Those who had him in FPL 16/17 for Villa might bemoan his lack of an end product, but the 22 year old significantly improved on this last season, even if it’s still a weakness. If he continues to develop, he’s a steal for £5.5.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 26
Goal projections: 3-5
Assist projections: 4-7
Bonus potential: Low
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.5

Joao Moutinho – Wolverhampton

Moutinho is an underrated beast, as he’s capable of doing everything as a midfielder, paring up perfectly with his compatriot, Ruben Neves. With a natural knack for long shots, passing and good set-pieces, Moutinho could be an interesting option for FPL.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 31
Goal projections: 4-6
Assist projections: 6-8
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: Some free kicks and corners

Price: £5.5

Raul Jimenez – Wolverhampton

Never understood the hype around Raul Jimenez. His numbers are poor, he’s never scored more than 7 league goals in the top flight in Europe and I honestly think he’s a pointless transfer in the FPL.

FPL Position: Forward
Projected games started: 19
Goal projections: 4-7
Assist projections: 2-4
Bonus potential: Low
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.5

Ruben Neves – Wolverhampton

If you kept track of Wolves last season, you will know that Ruben Neves was the star behind their record breaking Championship season. While he might not be the most obvious fantasy pick, he sure has a lot of X-Factor, as he could literally score from anywhere, pick out a pass from anywhere and is the heart and soul of Nuno Espírito Santo’s Wolves side.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 35
Goal projections: 3-6
Assist projections: 6-8
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Some free kicks, corners and possibly penalties

Price: £5.0

Ryan Sessegnon – Fulham

Ryan Sessegnon is the next big thing since Gareth Bale. Just like Gareth Bale, he went from being an awkward left-back to an absolute tenacious wing-wizard. The teenager got 16 goals and 7 assists in the Championship, including the assist to Fulham captain, Tom Cairney, which took them to the Premier League. Don’t sleep on Ryan Sessegnon, he will take the league by storm and will be a tasty option on FPL.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 33
Goal projections: 6-11
Assist projections: 5-8
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Some corners

Price: £6.5

Andre Schürrle – Fulham

Schürrle is a weird one. If people remember him at the 2014 World Cup, they will remember a winger who had a lethal shooting ability and who racked up the assists. Unfortunately for Schürrle, injuries and multiple manager changes has plagued his career. Fulham could be the perfect place for Schürrle to show what he can do!

FPL Position: Midfield
Projected games started: 32
Goal projections: 4-7
Assist projections: 2-5
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: High
Set Pieces: None

Price: £6.0

Tom Cairney – Fulham

Cairney will look to spearhead a midfield three for Fulham, playing in a more advanced role than Seri and McDonald/Johansen. Cairney has been a prominent figure for Fulham the last couple of years, at least whenever he has been fit. If he plays a full season he will surely get some goals and assist from both open play and set-pieces.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 31
Goal projections: 3-7
Assist projections: 4-8
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: Free Kicks, some corners and possibly penalties

Price: £5.0

Bobby Reid – Cardiff

As a former midfielder turned striker, Bobby Reid finally broke out last season scoring 19 goals for his Bristol City, 3rd best in the Championship. Among interest from other PL clubs like Everton and Bournemouth, Cardiff secured who they hope can be the main striker they lacked last season.

FPL Position: Forward
Projected games started: 25
Goal projections: 5-11
Assist projections: 2-5
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Possibly penalties

Price: £5.5

Sean Morrison – Cardiff

Morrison was named Cardiff City Player of the Year as he captained the side to second place in the Championship last season and rightfully so. This strong centre-back has been with Cardiff for 4 years now, and will be doing everything in his power to ensure Cardiff’s stay in the BPL isn’t a short one. Man, Myth, Captain.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected games started: 36
Goal projections: 3-5
Assist projections: 1-3
Clean Sheet projections: 7-11
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Joe Ralls – Cardiff

Joe Ralls figures to be one of Cardiff’s most prominent members, should they be able to stay up this season. Ralls is a regular fixture in at the heart of Cardiff’s midfield and will take and probably score any penalties they’ll get.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected games started: 34
Goal projections: 5-7
Assist projections: 2-4
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury risk: Low
Set Pieces: Penalties

Price: £5.0

Starting Lineups:

NB:

1. These are not GW1 lineups, but predicted XI’s for the whole season.

2. The number on the kit is predicted starts/nailed-on-ness on a scale from 0-38.

3. This article will be updated every day until the FPL deadline arrives.

4. Any tips/help welcome. Take a look at your favorite team and tweet me @Maefteda if you find any errors.

Arsenal:

XI Contenders (Starts): Ramsey (27), Mustafi (24), Kolasinac (16)

Other Potential Starters: Cech

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness (Wenger): 27.72 out of 38 matches

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness (Emery, PSG): 25.54 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Emery rotates more than Wenger, even when PSG finished 2nd behind Monaco.
• Koscielny a sure starter when he returns from injury (late December).
• Pay attention to Ramsey’s contract situation, awkward fit for Emery’s tactics.

Bournemouth:

XI Contenders (Starts): Fraser (25), A. Smith (22) and D. Gosling (20)

Other Potential Starters: Daniels

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 28.09 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Injury prone Stanislas already injured, doesn’t start more than 20 but makes the most of it.
• With Lewis Cook staying and Jefferson Lerma coming in, central midfield is finally sorted.
• Expect Eddie Howe to experiment defensively, after a leaky 17/18 season.

Brighton:

XI Contenders (Starts): Knockaert (22), March (19), and Murray (16)

Other Potential Starters: Balogun

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 31.09 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Dunk and Duffy a major reason they stayed up last season, but new signing Balogun lurks.
• Striker woes with Murray getting old. They hope Andone is their answer, but hard to tell.
• Expect rotation with March and Knockaert, but the 3 behind the striker are super talented.

Burnley:

XI Contenders (Starts): Lennon (24), Barnes (22) and Gibson (20)

Other Potential Starters: Pope, Westwood

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 28.27 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Back 4 should be more consistently available after poor injury luck last season.
• Gibson won’t replace Tarkowski or Mee, but takes some starts from them, most likely Mee.
• Pope/Heaton reversed roles from last year, with Pope out for 3 months this time.

Cardiff:

XI Contenders (Starts): Gunnarsson (23), Zohore (21) and Ecuele Manga (20)

Other Potential Starters: Jazz Richards, Smithies

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 36.27 out of 46 matches

Additional Notes:

• When Etheridge is busy with Asian Cup at the start of 2019, Smithies will get his chance.
• Peltier starter last season, but Jazz Richards might be more suited to PL.
• Always a chance of panic buys in January if they expectedly are fighting relegation.

Chelsea:

XI Contenders (Starts): Christensen (22), Pedro (20) and Batshuayi (18)

Other Potential Starters: Fabregas

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness (Conte): 28.36 out of 38 matches

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness (Sarri, Napoli): 33.11(!) out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• 10/11 players started in 30+ matches for Sarri last season, only Ghoulam (injuries) didn’t.
• Luiz, Rudiger and Christensen fighting for the 2 CB spots, all suit Sarri’s style.
• Pay attention to who wins out of the CBs, Morata/Giroud and Willian/Pedro, 30+ starts likely.

Crystal Palace:

XI Contenders (Starts): McArthur (25), Kouyaté (24) and Ward (17) 

Other Potential Starters: Guaita, Sørloth

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 27.00 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Hennessey kept World Cup winner Mandanda out of the Palace GK spot. Guaita too?
• Zaha will likely rotate between striker and forward, if he stays.
• If Benteke finds his form, he can be nailed, Sørloth has impressed in pre-season though.

Everton:

XI Contenders (Starts): Bernard (25), Davies (22) and Schneiderlin (15)

Other Potential Starters: Baines, Holgate

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness (Koeman/Allardyce): 26.45 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Bernard’s two best positions are filled by Everton’s two most expensive signings ever.
• Baines will be phased out by Digne eventually, but the Everton legend might start for now.
• Keane was a big signing a year ago, but several Everton fans would rather play Holgate.

Fulham:

XI Contenders (Starts): McDonald (21), Chambers (20) and Le Marchand (20)

Other Potential Starters: Vietto

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 36.45 out of 46 matches

Additional Notes:

• Fulham could hardly field the 5 at the back 30 days ago, but now have a plethora of options.
• 7 out of 11 projected starters are new. It might take some time for them all to adjust.
• After deadline day, I think it’s safe to say that Sessegnon won’t play any left back this year.

Huddersfield:

XI Contenders (Starts): Hadergjonaj (22), Durm (22) and Diakhaby (18)

Other Potential Starters: Löwe, Depoitre

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 29.18 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Durm, Smith, Löwe, Kongolo and Hadergjonaj will share a lot of games between them.
• Mounié is developing while Depoitre had a good patch in 17/18. Mounié plays more in 18/19
• Sobhi has been looking to break out for a while. With Ince gone, he’ll get his chance.

Leicester:

XI Contenders (Starts): Ghezzal (22), Gray (22) and Albrighton (18)

Other Potential Starters: Morgan, A. Silva

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 29.00 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• They will switch between 3-5-2, 3-4-3 and 4-2-3-1. 3 CB signings points me towards 3-5-2.
• If Gray develops and Ghezzal finds his best form, the formation should accommodate them.
• Defence should be a lot more settled than last year with new signings and Chilwell ready.

Liverpool:

XI Contenders (Starts): Shaqiri (25), Wijnaldum (23) and Milner (22)

Other Potential Starters: Clyne, Matip, Lallana

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 25.45 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Unusual amount of rotation last year with big transfers and the rotation at GK/RB.
• Matip unlucky to miss out behind one of the world’s best defenders and Dejan Lovren.
• Mané, Firmino and Salah were rock solid starters, but expect more rotation with Shaqiri.

Man City:

XI Contenders (Starts): Sané (26), Jesus (25) and Silva (22)

Other Potential Starters: Otamendi, Gundogan

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 28.54 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Pep has mentioned that we need to get used to David Silva not playing as much as before.
• Bernardo Silva can continue in his #10 role with de Bruyne dropping into midfield.
• Otamendi not a sure thing in central defence, all 4 CBs will rotate often.

Man Utd:

XI Contenders (Starts): Rashford (22), Jones (22) and Martial (20),

Other Potential Starters: Shaw

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 28.45 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Bailly should be a sure starter without injuries and WC, 2nd CB spot up for grabs.
• Luke Shaw can win the LB spot if he starts well, but likely to be a sub after one bad game.
• Despite pleas, Martial and Rashford will have a tough time becoming regular starters.

Newcastle:

XI Contenders (Starts): Atsu (22), Diamé (18) and Muto (16)

Other Potential Starters: None

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 24.72 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Rondon not likely to get more than 10 goals, but he might open up space for Perez
• Schär steps right into the spot vacated by the unfortunately injured Lejeune.
• Benitez tends to rotate a lot, last season’s numbers were not a coincidence.

Southampton:

XI Contenders (Starts): Armstrong (24), Højbjerg (20) and Ings (18)

Other Potential Starters: Bednarek

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 25.90 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Forster is linked away, so expect McCarthy to start. Gunn is a future GK for them.
• Mark Hughes played with a back 3 to end last season, Cedric, Bertrand and 3rd CB benefits.
• Austin always struggles with injuries, but should be nailed when fit. Ings a capable backup.

Tottenham:

XI Contenders (Starts): Sanchez (23), Aurier (20) and Rose (20)

Other Potential Starters: None

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 30.45 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Pocchettino fields a strong 11 and doesn’t rotate much except full-backs.
• Alderweireld has a year left on his contract and might get sold, Sanchez ready to step in.
• Lucas Moura and Lamela will fill in when Son is occupied with Korea in August and Jan/Feb.

Watford:

XI Contenders (Starts): Sema (23), Cleverley (22) and Kiko Femenía (18)

Other Potential Starters: Holebas, Prödl

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 24.54 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• A lot of players in the squad, a lot of rotation and a lot of possible starters.
• Kabasele a sure thing in defence, hard to know who accompanies him through the season.
• Pereyra/Hughes/Deulofeu could very well start, but Sema has impressed in pre-season.

West Ham:

XI Contenders (Starts): Yarmolenko (25), Antonio (20) and Masuaku (18)

Other Potential Starters: Diop, (Reid and Lanzini when fit)

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 26.36 out of 38 matches

Man City (15/16) Nailed-on-ness under Pellegrini: 27.09 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Ogbonna a likely starter but either one of Diop/Balbuena/Reid/Rice could start next to him.
• Lanzini will for sure start when/if he returns. Yarmolenko and Wilshere cover for him.
• Chicharito will play a bigger part than last season, even with Lucas Perez coming in.

Wolves:

XI Contenders (Starts): Saïss (24), Costa (22) and Cavaleiro (20)

Other Potential Starters: Bennett

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 35.36 out of 46 matches

Additional Notes:

• Jota a likely candidate to play up front should Jimènez not pan out.
• Adama Traore steps right into the other wing, Costa and Cavaleiro also capable.
• Dendoncker’s best position is CDM, but their biggest need was a 3rd CB.

Follow @OfficialFPL

The first and most obvious place to start when finding FPL accounts to follow is FPL’s own official account. Whenever new players are added or a fixture is officially re-scheduled to a different Gameweek, this account is the first one that will let you know.

Follow @FFScout

Going hand in hand with FPL, is the fantastic Fantasy Football Scout. It’s the FPL site everyone checks out for FPL articles, pre-season updates and weekly picks. If you want a place to start when it comes to helpful FPL tips and dialogue, this is the place to start:

Follow @BenDinnery

Staying up to date on injuries is vital when keeping up your FPL squad. Injury info used to be hard to come by and often you’ll need people who can figure out what “indefinitely” possibly means. Ben Dinnery is the man to do it. An expert on injuries and injury data who will be more helpful than you can imagine, trust me.

Follow @https://twitter.com/physioroom

If Ben Dinnery isn’t enough and you want a 2nd opinion on an injury or illness, then follow physioroom as well. Breaking down injuries, recovery time and match availability, they are always on top of things.

Edit: It has come to my attention (after Ben Dinnery tweeted me himself) that Ben is in charge of physioroom as well. Make sure to follow him twice!

Follow @FPLStatus

Do you wanna know the latest FPL status updates? Match updates, bonus points, statistics and availability, then this account should help keep you up to date:

Follow @BenCrellin

Yet another helpful Ben, this time by the name Crellin. When everyone were confused about where we’d get double or blank gameweeks, Ben Crellin and his spreadsheets got us all on top of things. He has already looked at potential gameweeks late in the season that you have to look out for.

Follow @FPLPriceChanges

FPL player prices are stagnant now before the season, but once it starts on August 10th, the prices will fluctuate. FPLPriceChanges keeps you up to date on all the prices that have gone either up or down. To keep up with potential price changes in real time, make sure to visit fplstatistics.co.uk as well and stay on top of things.

Follow @_FPLtips

FPL isn’t quite the same without this man’s voice and background music. FPLTips is a helpful and user friendly YouTuber who goes through his thought process before every gameweek. I guarantee the background music will be stuck on your mind.

Follow @FFPundits

If you prefer his FPL tips and more in written form however, FFPundits is the way to go. As well as collaborating with FPLTips himself, FFPundits create interesting articles on all things FPL. It’s worth checking out.

Follow @YusufsTeam

Why not aim for the top and follow last season’s FPL winner, Yusuf Sheikh. Yusufs Team won the whole damn thing last season and to be the (wo)man, you have to beat the man, so why not listen to the best? The best for now at least… We’re all coming for you Yusuf.

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Lastly, why not follow the fine folks who made and will continue to update this FPL guide? As well as providing thoughts and analysis for FPL throughout the season, we will be posting more FPL articles leading up to launch, in addition to our usual batch of football, gaming, basketball, wrestling and other articles on this very site.

Follow @Maefteda

Follow @KevNissanka

Last Update: August 9th, 9:27PM(BST)

Post Deadline Day Update:
New Players Review: Kovačić, Kepa, Bernard, Gomes, Mina, Traoré
Starting XIs: Brighton, Chelsea, Cardiff, Everton, Fulham, Leicester, Wolverhampton