The 2021/22 Fantasy Premier League Guide

Last Update: August 12th (6:40 PM BST)
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Here are a couple of The VideoScopes suggestions for how you can build your first squad of the season:

Once again, most of the squads presented here have some sort of gimmick, so the best suggestion is probably to mix and match some players from each selection of players. A popular way of selecting a squad is sticking pretty close to the template squad with 2-3 differential picks, but there are plenty of ways to be a successful FPL manager.

Like last season’s guide we’ll update the suggested squads as we get closer to the deadline.

So read up on some of the suggestions, mix and match with the suggested squads and find a GW1 team that suits you. However, if you are too lazy to do the work yourself and swear on just picking either one of these teams, then you might want to consider:

The Template Squad

If you can’t beat them, copy them

Finally the template has been shaken up a bit! Some things stay the same however and Robert Sanchez is probably going to stay as the template GK throughout pre-season. He became the early frontrunner to be the latest set and forget goalkeeper at £4.5 and he’s still survived as FPL experts’ favorite option, despite Ben White going to Arsenal and with Tariq Lamptey and potentially Lewis Dunk lost to injuries. With kind opening fixtures, Sanchez looks like a perfect pick to start your season. Former Man Utd GK and avid FPL player Ben Foster is an early favorite among the £4.0 goalkeepers, despite he fact that he’s got not shot at starting over Daniel Bachmann.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is not surprisingly an FPL favorite yet again. Luke Shaw is kindly priced at £5.5 after a really impressive season for both him and Manchester United. Many managers lost interest in Lucas Digne once Everton lost 0-4 to Manchester United and the frenchman giving up set pieces, so in comes Vladimir Coufal. The West Ham’s right back has good fixtures, is 100% nailed and gets involved offensively. Ben White is a safe bet to play for an Arsenal defence that has looked solid. Last but not least, we got the latest bandwagon, Kostas Tsimikas. He’s close to what you’d get with the now injured Andy Robertson, but for £4.0. All aboard the bandwagon!

Mohamed Salah once again starts the season against a newly promoted team and looks likely to be the best captaincy option in GW1, despite his hefty price of £12.5. Bruno Fernandes has finally been priced fairly at £12.0, but that hasn’t scared away FPL managers looking for a great start to the season. His teammate Mason Greenwood looks likely to play more with Marcus Rashford sidelined with shoulder injury and Greenwood finishing last season strong. A guy who has been underpriced is Raphinha. Leeds’ Brazilian magician might even move to a bigger Premier League club, but even at Leeds he’ll produce the goods. He’s on all kinds of set pieces and was an FPL goldmine last season despite being hard done by. Josh Brownhill looks to have unseated Yves Bissouma as the £4.5 midfield favorite.

Danny Ings shocked us all by going to Aston Villa and unseated Ollie Watkins in this Template Squad. Ings scored for Villa in pre-season, while Watkins had to go off with a knock. Only thing missing was Ings taking the pen that El Ghazi took, but Ings will take penalties the many times El Ghazi isn’t on the pitch for Villa. Michail Antonio is getting more popular by the day and has so far avoided injury or having to fend off new strikers at West Ham. “Antonio when fit” is a good rule to live by. Ivan Toney was probably the biggest star in his first ever Championship campaign at Brentford. He could very well replicate the FPL starts of Teemu Pukki, Patrick Bamford and Watkins from years past.

If you like to stand out and go for differentials, if you wanna get a player hardly anyone has and create your own bandwagons, then the following team’s players might be more suited for you:

The Gambler Squad (Below 10% owned)

The biggest gamble truly is to have three Arsenal players

Sanchez is the template pick because he’s a 4.5 goalkeeper for a resurgent and resilient defensive team, so why not pick a different 4.5 goalkeeper who had an impressive spell at the end of last season? Enter Daniel Bachmann. Watford were a defensive juggernaut after Xisco took over as manager and Bachmann became the clear #1. He kept a clean sheet in 13 out of 23 matches to end the season. Bench fodder Angus Gunn is the only £4.0 GK with a prominent transfer this summer, returning to Norwich where he was the starting GK in 2017/18. He has a better shot at usurping Tim Krul as the #1, than Foster has at taking over from Bachmann.

At the end of last season, there were two defenders who were considered template, who are under 10% owned before this season: João Cancelo and Antonio Rüdiger. Sure, Liverpool and Man Utd might have the easier fixtures, but Man City and Chelsea were the much better defensive sides last season. Both should be fairly nailed as well. Kiernan Tierney is an explosive FPL prospect, but you never know when he’ll get injured. Good thing he starts the season fit. Another offensive left back who has a lot more potential to show, is Sergio Reguilon. Playing under Nuno Espirito Santo could unlock the firepower we saw from Reguilon in Sevilla. Tyrick Mitchell is nailed with Patrick van Aanholt gone and rotates really well with Tierney. He’s an underappreciated FPL asset.

As always in FPL, Salah is the safe option, while risk takers might opt for Sadio Mané. Mané could easily strike back from a season he described as the worst in his career. Riyad Mahrez has looked really lively for City this pre-season as one of the teams few senior players. Expect the magnificent Mahrez to get some consecutive starts in the first few matches. This Gambler Squad has depth so we can afford to take a punt on Nicolas Pépé. Is this the season he shows why he cost Arsenal £72 million? Saïd Benrahma also needs to live up to his potential and has looked really good in pre-season. Jack Harrison was amazing last season, but goes under the radar on a Leeds team with more popular options like Raphinha and Stuart Dallas around him. He’s still top quality and a good middle way.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back where he belongs as a FPL striker and got a price drop as well. Arsenal’s star man struggled with several issues last season, but has shown time and time again that he’s one of the best strikers in the world. Wolverhampton got their favorite target back and that man is Raul Jimenez. The trusty FPL option looks set to make his comeback from his horrific injury and we hope he can return to his old amazing form. We cross our fingers for him and this differential team. Callum Wilson came out of the gates scoring last season and there’s no reason he can’t do the same this year, once again with a season opener against his favorite opponent, West Ham. Wilson was lethal when fit last season and is fit to start this one too.

Kevin’s No Bench Squad

Bench, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing

The VideoScope’s esteemed co-writer Kevin (@KevNissanka) knows what he wants. All the heavy hitters. Take it away Kevin:

We don’t care about having a bench, so welcome to the 21/22 edition of Kev’s No Bench Squad! My strategy almost every year has been to not have a strong bench, but to maximize the starting XI as much as I can.

Let’s get to the midfield as quickly as possible. No need to introduce the cheap goalkeepers, as you all have them already. Robert Sanchez and the cycling GK himself Ben Foster

Lucas Digne is a certified boss and great pick at £5.5m and is Leighton Baines rightful successor. Luke Shaw is no surprise inclusion given his fantastic form in the English National Team. It wouldn’t surprise me if everyone end up having him in FPL. Who needs Trent Alexander-Arnold when you can have “The Greek Freak” Kostas Tsimikas for £4.0? He might not be the MVP like compatriot Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he’s now the MVP for FPL managers. Daniel Amartey is another £4.0 option that will play with Leicester’s other centre backs injured. Finally, Norwich’ Andrew Omobamidele has been playing all pre-season and is the best remaining £4.0 fodder.

Holy moly, this midfield is insane as per usual! Mohamed Salah is the Egyptian King and proves that he has to feature in your FPL team every year as he’s a shoo-in for the Golden Shoe every single god damn year. Bruno “Penandes” Fernandes is of course included once again. I’ve been a huge fan since his Sporting Lisbon-days. I don’t care what Harry Kane says, he’s leaving Spurs for Man City. That will be a huge boost for Heung-min Son, who will play up front and be on pens. Some say Son will struggle without Kane, but I say to hell with that! Why choose between Son and Riyah Mahrez when you can have both? On top of Salah and Fernandes! Have I told you this midfield is sick? Ismaila Sarr rounds out the amazing midfield. The Watford star will soon be a “big 6” star in the Premier League and be a premium asset in FPL in a season or two as well.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has proven that he’s an established striker in the Premier League. Expect goals thanks to him normally performing well during the early parts of the season. Richarlison might be back earlier than usual, but Everton will only benefit as HE’S BRAZILIAN. Ivan Toney is not Brazilian, but he was the Championship equivalent of Brazilian “El Fenomeno” Ronaldo for Brentford last season. The final piece of the puzzle is Michael Obafemi. Southampton are garbage and we just needed someone for the bench. No harm, no foul. Let’s go, gang!

The Wildcard Squad

The key to a good FPL season is a good start. Here it is.

Bachmann is a fun alternative, but with his first three games before the wildcard, Robert Sanchez has to be included in this squad as well. He is the template GK for a reason. The Brighton stopper was tremendous in his first season in the Premier League, racking up 10 clean sheets in just 27 starts. Not only that, but xG kings Brighton seem to have been unlucky to not concede even less and might get that luck this season. As far as his £4.0 backup goes, we have a bit more freedom knowing we can wildcard him out after 3 games, so let’s go with Leicester’s Danny Ward, who has the highest potential out of the £4.0 backup goalkeepers.

It’s fun to flirt with Andy Robertson, who has been fit all pre-season, but Trent Alexander-Arnold is still the most explosive Liverpool defensive option. Ben Chilwell is also explosive. Chelsea can keep a clean sheet against anyone and the opener against a toothless Palace is a great starting point. Luke Shaw is the most highly owned player in FPL for a reason and has to be included. Kostas Tsimikas’ ownership isn’t as high as Shaw’s (yet), but the Greek full back is a Godsend for anyone wanting a good 4.0 defender. Daniel Amartey isn’t quite at that level, but has a good chance of being a starter for Leicester the first three gameweeks after impressing in the Community Shield.

Mohamed Salah is obviously in as well as the likely captain in the first two fixtures. For his tough match against Chelsea in GW3 you can just transfer him out for a one week punt before wildcarding in GW4. Bruno Fernandes is pricy, but also a safe starting option to start. He’ll hope to replicate the 17 points he got against Leeds at home last season when he plays them again in the opening. Riyad Mahrez is always good when he starts and he looks likely to start in the first three matches. Regardless of who starts up front for Villa out of Ollie Watkins or Danny Ings, Emiliano Buendía will assist them. Morgan Gibbs-White has an outside shot to break through under Bruno Lage’s first campaign with Wolverhampton. If the youngster is given the chance (as Lage tends to give young players), MGW is by far and away the best £4.5 option.

Danny Ings has become the go-to option for FPL managers after he scored on his pre-season debut for Aston Villa. Villa have such good fixtures and Ings is a natural goalscorer and potential penalty taker. Michail Antonio has been lively in pre-season and West Ham don’t look like signing another striker before closer to the deadline at August 31st. Antonio when fit. With a wildcard in hand for GW3 and almost a full squad of potential starters, we can save money by having bench fodder Dane Scarlett to round out the bench at £4.5. Harry Kane is leaving, so what the heck, maybe Spurs give the promising youngster a chance up front.

If you don’t like to keep up with FPL as much and tend to forget deadlines and possibly FPL entirely, then this next team might be what you seek:

The Whole Season Squad (Zombie 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 your mini-league in Fantasy Premier League without doing a damn thing. Does that sound appealing to you?

In the end, “Teddy Bears United” won Fantasy Premier League last season, with 2680 points. With this following team (courtesy of Reddit user u/Vinny-Fucillo) through the whole season, you would’ve gotten really close to #1, with 2659 points and ended up on 4th place in total:

Total Cost (Start of season): £100m

2343 points from the starters, 280 points coming off the bench, and 36 sweet Vice-Captain points from Salah in the gameweeks Fernandes didn’t play. No Triple Captain, no Bench Boost, no Wildcards, no nothing. It would still be more than enough to win practically every mini-league and almost the whole damn thing.

So how can we replicate this astounding Zombie Squad?

Before we dive into the squad, we gotta set up some ground rules. Setting up a squad for the whole season, a set and forget squad, comes with certain guidelines about what to look out for. There is no planning for bench boost, captain changes or getting in players for an easy run of fixtures. Instead, there are some precautions you need to take:

1. Avoid too many injury-prone/January Transfer players

2. Have a strong bench with explosive players

3. fixture proof Potential blank gameweeks

You lose the advantage of being able to sell players who get injured or get sold in January, which means that injury-prone players like Michail Antonio, James Rodriguez and soon to be FPL legend Nathan Ferguson are less enticing options, while a popular transfer target like Wilfried Zaha or someone who might get buried on the bench if a new arrival comes in, like Timo Werner, might not be the best bets either.

Injuries and strange omissions will happen though, so you can’t go with the cheapest possible bench and hope it works out. The bench for the 2020/21 Zombie Team accounted for a grand total of 40 appearances, which netted 280 extra points. That is a whole lot.

Preparing for which gameweeks Alexander-Arnold will get rested or what Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola are up to week to week is impossible to do before the season, but what you can do is prepare for the likely blank gameweeks in GW17, GW18, GW27, GW30 and GW33. Players from teams with easy fixtures in these gameweeks will probably be good bench options for this Zombie Team.

With that out of the way, let’s see if we can learn from the zombie teams of the season from 17/18, 18/19, 19/20 and 20/21. Maybe we can replicate them and win everything there is to win in FPL without doing a single transfer:

Goalkeepers

17/18 GKs: Pope (Elliott)
18/19 GKs: Ederson (Pickford)
19/20 GKs: Henderson (Pope)
20/21 GKs: Martinez (Guaita)

If you play Fantasy Premier League like normal every week, you have the option of either having a cheap rotating GK pair or a more expensive set and forget shot-stopper. Seeing as this is a set and forget team, the decision is already made.

That doesn’t mean that your backup should be a £4.0 goalie without a chance to play, because there is a good chance your starting GK won’t play all 38 gameweeks as we can see from the best zombie teams from the past four seasons.

Last season’s hero, Emi Martinez, started at 4.5 and was the best GK in the game last season. Apart from Ederson in 18/19, all the starting Zombie Team goalkeepers have cost £4.5. There’s usually no reason to go for a pricier option in a set and forget team and with some great £4.5 options this season, we can start off this team with a cheap pair.

Robert Sanchez was a revelation for Brighton last season and earned himself a call up to the Spanish national team squad for the Euros. We’re only two years removed from Sanchez going on loan to the likes of Forest Green and Rochdale, but the Spanish shotstopper showed why he’s worthy of playing in the Premier League last season, for a Brighton team that shored up defensively after he replaced Mat Ryan.

Martin Dúbravka will miss the start of the season, but the Newcastle shot stopper is a bargain over the course of the whole campaign. He’s always among the highest rated in terms of saves and will be useful for the GWs Brighton might miss because of League Cup and FA Cup fixtures.

21/22 GKs: Sanchez (Dúbravka)

Defenders

17/18 Defenders: Azpilicueta, Otamendi, Davies, (Lascelles, Mariappa)
18/19 Defenders: Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Van Dijk, Alonso, Laporte
19/20 Defenders: Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Lundstram, Alonso, Boly
20/21 Defenders: Dallas, Cresswell, Stones, (Chilwell, Bellerin)

It’s tempting to go for a Liverpool defender yet again, but they are just too pricy. Chelsea were fantastic defensively after Thomas Tuchel came in and Ben Chilwell is ready to reap the rewards for a full season. Antonio Rüdiger is also worth a shout, but Chilwell is the more attacking, explosive asset in a Chelsea defence that will surely be a contender for the team with the most clean sheets. Chilwell made the Zombie Team of the Season last season and a Chelsea full-back has made it every year the last four seasons.

Luke Shaw is the most highly owned FPL asset at the moment and there’s a reason for that. The attacking England left back played really well in the Euros, to top off a fantastic season under Ole Gunnar Solskjær in Manchester Utd. That same Man Utd team are strengthening at the back with Raphaël Varane, while Shaw will continue to play his part offensively. He was among the best chance creators last season and would have been a good pick even if he was £6.0, like he should have been.

Another attacking full back who had a fantastic Premier League season and Euros, is West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal. Like Shaw, the Czech international is rock solid defensively, but is among the best chance creators among defenders in the Premier League. West Ham struggled defensively at times last season, especially for a period without Declan Rice, but with the England midfielder healthy and staying and the huge upgrade at centre back with Nikola Milenkovic coming in, West Ham could be tougher to break down, as David Moyes continues to develop this team.

Time for some cheap options for our bench and luckily there are many good £4.5 defenders to choose from. The likes of Kostas Tsimikas and Daniel Amartey at £4.0 won’t be viable for the whole season. Rayan Aït-Nouri however, might very well get his breakout season under Bruno Lage, a manager known to trust his young players. Aït-Nouri showed from GW1 last season that he can haul in FPL and with more regular starting time this season, he should be a beast.

Another player who will be given the chance to shine this season is Tyrick Mitchell. With Patrick van Aanholt gone, Mitchell will be free to bomb up and down the left hand side for Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace. Anyone would jump on the chance to have van Aanholt for only £4.5 and Mitchell is almost as good going forward, while being a better defender. Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen significantly strengthen the back line too.

20/21 Defenders: Chilwell, Shaw, Coufal, (Aït-Nouri, Mitchell)

Midfielders

17/18 Midfielders: Salah, Sterling, Mahrez, Groß, (Milivojevic)
18/19 Midfielders: Sterling, Hazard, Pogba, (Deulofeu, Milivojevic)
19/20 Midfielders: De Bruyne, Salah, Martial, (Traoré, Cantwell)
20/21 Midfielders: Fernandes, Salah, Son, Gündogan, (Harrison)

Mohamed Salah is a mainstay in the Zombie Team of The Season and gets the nod once again. The Egyptian king is showing no signs of stopping and comes into the season fresh and ready for a Liverpool team looking to avenge a poor last season. You just can’t go wrong with Salah in FPL and he has to make the Zombie Team.

There’s no reason to complicate this. Jack Grealish is one of the best players in the Premier League and he just joined the best team and defending champions. Yes, he could suffer from Pep roulette, but as a £100 million signing who can play everywhere in attack, Jacky boy will get plenty of time to deliver the goods. Remember when you could get Kevin de Bruyne for £10.5? This is about as good of a deal as that. Easy choice.

Raphinha obviously has to be included, whether he bangs in points the whole season for Leeds or if he gets his big move before the season or in January. He was a revelation and huge part of Leeds’ success last season and has yet another level to go to. Leeds will continue to attack and be fun to watch, with Raphinha being their best player and biggest attraction. Can’t go wrong with this guy.

Jack Harrison, Adama Traoré, Gerard Deulofeu and Pascal Groß, there’s always value to be had around the £6.0 price point. First up of our pair of £6.0 steals, is Saïd Benrahma. The former Brentford talisman struggled in his first season with “The Hammers”, but has shown in pre-season that he is a force to be reckoned with. Jesse Lingard set the FPL world alight in his role last season and while Benrahma is a very different player, he could have a similar impact on West Ham this season.

Lastly, as the first person coming on from the bench, we have Watford’s Ismaila Sarr. The Senegalese Superman gave FPL managers a taste of what he has to offer last time he was in the Premier League, especially when he put an end to Liverpool’s hope of an invincible season. Despite Watford not being the most potent offensive side, Sarr will probably have a lot of hauls over the whole season. The 23 year old is coming into his own and could have a breakout year.

21/22 Midfielders: Salah, Grealish, Raphinha, Benrahma, (Sarr)

Forwards

17/18 Forwards: Kane, Firmino, Vardy
18/19 Forwards: Jimenez, Wilson, (King)
19/20 Forwards: Vardy, Jimenez, (Ings)
20/21 Forwards: Kane, Bamford, Calvert-Lewin

He’s not an option for your regular GW1 squads, but considering this squad will last a whole season, you can’t leave out Harry Kane. Everyone knows Kane will end up with Manchester City and when he does he’s gonna be a no brainer in every team. A fully fit, mostly rotation proof (come on Pep…) Man City striker who takes penalties has been a wet dream for FPL managers every time Sergio Agüero has been injured and we more than likely get that dream realized with Kane this season.

Honest work is back on the menu boys! What a pleasure to welcome Raul Jimenez back into the fold. The two time Zombie Team of The Season striker returns after a horrendous head injury. You have to assume Wolverhampton have taken all necessary precautions and that Jimenez safely can play the whole season without any issues. With Aït-Nouri providing him crosses and Pedro Neto eventually back for an attacking Bruno Lage side, Jimenez could have his best season yet.

Prolific Championship strikers have lit up the Premier League after getting promoted in recent years and despite the allure of both João Pedro and Teemu Pukki, we’re hoping the top striker from last year’s Championship is Ivan Toney. He’s full of confidence for a Brentford team that will be rearing to go in their first Premier League campaign. Pen taker, shot maker, set and forget later.

21/22 Forwards: Kane, Jimenez, Toney

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 one 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 of what all of those chips do:

The Wildcard allows you to make unlimited transfers for the week you’re using it, without getting punished with minus points, 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 number 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, with your 11 starters and your bench both accumulating points. PS: You cannot use two chips in the same gameweek, regardless of how tempting it is to use a Wildcard/Free Hit and Bench Boost at the same time.

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

First Wildcard:

After three seasons where the transfer window shut when the new FPL season started, last season’s transfer window was open for almost a full month after the new FPL season started, meaning plenty of new arrivals after Gameweek 1. This season the transfer window once again shuts a couple of Gameweeks into the season at August 31st, right after Gameweek 3 has ended and we have our first week of international break.

This means that it will be very tempting to use your first wildcard between Gameweek 3 and 4, with all the new players on board and after you’ve managed to gauge which players are worth having or not through the first three gameweeks. Not many people have Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku in their drafts for Gameweek 1, but once they are settled and starting for Man City and Chelsea, you’d want to get them quickly and that can be done with an early wildcard.

The early wildcard strategy has proven to be pretty popular, with several of last season’s top 10 FPL managers electing to use their wildcard for GW5 last season, which was when the transfer window had just ended and players had been on an international break.

When you choose to use your first wildcard, is obviously dependent on how good your GW1 squad is. There is no point in using your first wildcard early if you have a squad full of great players. Last season’s winner, Michael Coone’s Teddy Bears United, used his wildcard in GW15, right before the deadline for using the first wildcard was up in GW16.

This season the deadline for using your first wildcard is GW21, meaning you have an extra couple of weeks you have to account for before you get your second wildcard of the season. This means that saving your wildcard just a little bit longer might be ideal if you can afford to do so.

The second wildcard of the season is usually best saved towards the final stages of the season, so keep that in mind when you wildcard the first time. The African Cup of Nations returns to the middle of the FPL season this year, and will at the very least affect GW22 and GW23, as per Ben Crellin’s wonderful season calendar.

Here’s why you’d probably be best served to use your 2nd wildcard that late in the season:

Second Wildcard:

While it’s tempting to use your first wildcard early on, your second wildcard should probably be saved for the last couple of gameweeks, where both blank gameweeks and double gameweeks are more common.

Using it in conjunction with your other remaining chips like Free Hit, Triple Captain, and/or Bench Boost at the end is optimal, but of course, a wildcard is a safety option, so use it if you are ever in a pinch.

Saving it for around Gameweek 30-36 however, is the most popular and probably smartest option. A couple of teams will blank in GW27 because of the league cup final, while GW30 and GW33 looks set to be blank gameweeks because of the quarter- and semifinals of the FA Cup.

Free Hit:

GW33 is especially interesting when it comes to the Free Hit chip, as it seems like that gameweek will be partially blank and partially double. This might be the best time to use Free Hit, when you can remove players that blank and replace them with players that have a double gameweek.

Last season the most popular time to use your Free Hit chip was for the now abandoned winter break in GW18 and 19, where a blank gameweek was leading into a double gameweek. That’s not the case anymore this season, as the winter break is nowhere to be seen, except for the European internationals who don’t have games to play during the international break and during African Cup of Nations.

Speaking of in a pinch, the Free Hit chip comes in very handy for the gameweeks where you are suddenly left with a squad with only 6-7 players involved in the action.

That means that we most likely can go back to using the chip with full effect towards the end of the season around GW33, when your team value should be higher as well.

Fingers crossed, the coronavirus won’t have any affect on the schedule this season and we get more predictability when it comes to using the Free Hit chip this season, than the two previous corona-ridden campaigns.

Triple Captain:

The best way to maximize your Triple Captain chip is by using it in a double gameweek or as we saw last season, a triple gameweek.

Whoever saved their Triple Captain chip for as long as possible last season, got the fortunate opportunity to Triple Captain Bruno Fernandes in the very rare occurence of a triple gameweek in GW35. Fernandes ended up with 19 points that gameweek, which was enough for a huge triple captain haul of 57 points!

Personally I did almost as well by using Triple Captain for Kevin De Bruyne’s double gameweek in GW27, scoring a total of 48 points as my Triple Captain. In an otherwise terrible FPL season for me, finally hitting a big score with my Triple Captain kickstarted a decent ending to the season.

If you don’t get to use your Triple Captain chip at a triple gameweek or even a double gameweek, some managers opt to use it in the final gameweek of the season, GW38, where there are usually more goals scored. Last season this could have been done with great effect with Mané, redeeming his putrid score when many Triple Captained him in the 19/20 season and were “rewarded” with a 3 points, as Mané was subbed off injured in the first game of a double gameweek.

Bench Boost:

Yet again a chip you should reserve for a tasty double gameweek, we’re you can hopefully have close to 15 players with two 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 always flirt with the option of using my bench boost in GW1 to start the season on a high, but last season that wasn’t even a possibility with 4 teams blanking.

I might as well have wasted my bench boost last season, as I used it with three Leeds players on the bench for their match against Aston Villa. That game ended with a 0-1 loss for Leeds and 2 points for each of my bench boosted Leeds players. The lesson I learned is that it’s risky to bet on a bench with players all from the same team.

This time around, with hopefully a more predictable schedule than last season’s corona-impaired schedule, we get to take full advantage of the Bench Boost chip with double gameweek players earning points from the bench.

Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time. Unlike the busy bastards who skipped right to this tl;dr chip guide right here:

tl;dr:

1st Wildcard: Either for GW4 after the transfer window shuts or hold onto it for as long as possible.
2nd Wildcard: Hold off until double and blank gameweeks between GW30-36.
Free Hit: Possibly GW33 where there’s potential for a combined blank and double gameweek.
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.

Jadon Sancho – Man Utd

Pep Guardiola sucks at identifying certain talent within his squad. Not Mourinho at Chelsea bad, but bad enough considering Jadon Sancho just left Dortmund to join arch-rivals Manchester United for £73 million. We are huge fans of Sancho and know that the player is capable of double-digit goals and assists in league play alone. There should be zero doubt for people, Sancho is a certified boss. Amazing dribbler, great at picking his shots, wonderful football IQ, Jadon Sancho could become a Manchester United legend.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 28
Goal Projections: 9-16
Assist Projections: 8-15
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £9.5

Ibrahima Konaté – Liverpool

Do you know who Ibrahima Konaté kept getting compared to during his time in Germany? It was none other than Virgil Van Dijk. While Joe Gomez might be back in action, expect Konaté to get some playtime as the young French center-back doesn’t have concerning injury problems like the whole backline of Liverpool does. Konaté is strong in the air, a freak athlete, and great at passing plus is always positioned correctly, similar to the Premier League’s best CB, VVD. Keep an eye out on this French wunderkind!

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 16
Goals Projected: 1-3
Assists Projected: 0-3
Clean Sheets Projected: 6-13
Bonus Potential: High
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.5

Patson Daka – Leicester

Patson Daka is immense. The former RB Salzburg striker won the Austrian league, became the MVP and was the top scorer with his 27 goals in 28 games. Whilst many thought he would be going to RB Leipzig this summer, Leicester were fast to snatch him up. While this seems like a weird signing after Kelechi Iheanacho’s season, it makes sense in the long-term as Jamie Vardy is not getting any younger. The goals are certainly there, we just hope Brendan Rodgers deploys him correctly!

FPL Position: Forward
Projected Games started: 22
Goals Projected: 5-14
Assists Projected: 3-7
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £7.5

Boubakary Soumaré – Leicester

While we think Boubakary Soumare is a wonderful signing for Leicester, avoid signing him in FPL at all costs. Soumare has one senior goal in his career and is extremely defensively minded. The Frenchman is mainly cover for Wilfred Ndidi. Avoid, avoid, avoid. (Though admire his solid play in the Premier League!)

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 16
Goals Projected: 0-1
Assists Projected: 0-2
Bonus Potential: Low
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Cristian Romero – Tottenham

The 23 year old Argentinian centre back was a big reason Argentina went on to win the Copa America by beating Brazil in the final this summer. Romero was deservedly placed in the Copa America team of the tournament. He’s an interception machine who will probably do well in terms of bonus points, but priced at £5.0 he’s probably just a better reason for people to get the more attacking Reguilon, who will be boosted with a few clean sheets from Romero’s arrival.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 33
Goal projections: 0-3
Assist projections: 0-2
Clean Sheet projections: 8-16
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Junior Firpo – Leeds

Crazy to think that Junior Firpo is the newest addition to the Left-Back graveyard at Barcelona. Whilst he might not become the crazy asset that Lucas Digne currently is, expect Junior Firpo to provide some stability for Leeds and show a bit more of what he was like at Real Betis (a nimble, attack-minded left-back!).

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 33
Goal projections: 1-4
Assist projections: 3-7
Clean Sheet projections: 7-14
Bonus potential: High
Injury risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Nuno Tavares – Arsenal

While Nuno Tavares has obvious talent (he also scored in Arsenal’s pre-season game against Rangers), Benfica fans are delighted that they were able to sell him for a decent fee. He’s a decent backup to Kiernan Tierney and could breakout for Arsenal due to his versatility and being able to play at right-back too! One to keep in mind for when Tierney gets injured, but Ben White for the same price is probably safer.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games Started: 12
Goal Projected: 0-2
Assist Projected: 0-3
Clean Sheet Projected: 2-12
Bonus Potential: High
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £4.5

Leon Bailey – Aston Villa

In terms of transfers in, Aston Villa have won the summer transfer window. Leon Bailey is a wonderful talent and is severely underrated. The Jamaican international is rapid, has awesome left-footed strikes, and is a crazy good dribbler. Seriously, that type of flourish/skill can’t be taught and he’ll be an entertaining watch next season.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games Started: 28
Goals Projected: 5-10
Assist Projected: 4-10
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: Possibly free kicks

Price: £6.5

Trincão – Wolverhampton

Wow. Barcelona was quick to give up on Trincão, after only his first full season at the club. Whilst Trincão has all the talent in the world, Barcelona fans never got to consistently see what the Portuguese winger could do. Trincão is excellent at passing, racking up assists during his Braga days, and was even a half-decent shooter. Maybe under a new environment and with a bunch of Portuguese influence at Wolves, we could see just why Barcelona signed him in the first place. It should also be noted that Trincão and Pedro Neto are childhood friends, which could lead to some fun link-ups in the future!

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 26
Goals Projected: 4-9
Assists Projected: 3-7
Bonus Potential: Low
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £6.0

José Sá – Wolverhampton

19 clean-sheets in 41 games for Olympiacos. What a hell of a way to make a statement, José Sá! While he might not be at the level Rui Patricio was at, he certainly has the potential. It might be quite the bold prediction but I think Wolverhampton are in safe hands with José Sá!

FPL Position: Goalkeeper
Projected Games Started: 38
Clean Sheets Projected: 7-14
Bonus Potential: High
Injury risk: Low

Price: £5.0

Michael Olise – Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace is in trouble. Eze is out for several months, Wilfried Zaha wants out, and Roy Hodgson has left the club. That’s exactly why Vieira needed a player like Michael Olise. Creative, ambitious, and calculated is the perfect way to describe Olise. Michael Olise also took most free-kicks and became the penalty taker towards the end of last season with Reading, scoring both attempts from the spot kick. If he can take over as a set-piece and penalty taker in the absence of Eze and possibly Zaha, he’ll make an interesting FPL choice!

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games Started: 32
Goals Projected: 3-10
Assists Projected: 4-8
Bonus Potential: High
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: Potentially free kicks and penalties.

Price: £5.5

Marc Guéhi – Crystal Palace

Oops. Seems like Chelsea has yet again let go of a young talent in Marc Guehi. The Ivorian center-back played very well for Swansea on loan which made Crystal Palace snap him up. Several fans who got to see him play feel that he’s criminally underrated so Crystal Palace should be delighted that they were the ones who were able to sign him!

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 31
Goals Projected: 0-2
Assists Projected: 0-2
Clean Sheets Projected: 6-11
Bonus Potential: High
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £4.5

Adam Armstrong – Southampton

Can’t think of a more like for like swap for Danny Ings. Adam Armstrong is always at the right place at the right time, ambidextrous and is very much a complete forward thanks to his heading ability. It also should be mentioned that Adam Armstrong got 28 goals and 5 assists in last year’s Championship campaign! Five of those goals were penalties, but we’ll have to wait and see if James Ward-Prowse ends up leaving Southampton or will let Armstrong take penalties at Southampton. One to watch after the initial tough fixtures for Southampton.

FPL Position: Forward
Projected Games started: 32
Goals Projected: 9-18
Assists Projected: 3-6
Bonus Potential: High
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: Possibly penalties

Price: £6.0

Romain Perraud – Southampton

Bye bye, Ryan Bertrand. Hello, Romain Perraud! This French left-back impressed at Stade Brest last season! Known for being a well-positioned and dynamic defender, this left-back likes to be a part of the counter-attack, something his predecessor before him loved to do at Southampton. Genuinely intrigued by this signing, could be exactly what the Saints are looking for!

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 31
Goals Projected: 1-4
Assists Projected: 2-6
Clean Sheets Projected: 6-12
Bonus Potential: High
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Enock Mwepu – Brighton

Man, what a player. Brighton have done some interesting deals throughout the summer and, signing Enock Mwepu seems like a winner. He’s similar to Naby Keïta, just not as attack-minded as Keïta was during his time at RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig. The Zambian international is great at making interceptions, passes the ball well, and likes to take big runs into space. If Mwepu unlocks his attacking potential, he could very much become a star player in the making. £6.0 is a bit steep for a box to box Brighton midfielder though.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 28
Goal Projections: 2-6
Assist Projections: 2-6
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £6.0

Milot Rashica – Norwich

Norwich sold their best player Emiliano Buendía to Aston Villa after getting promoted and had to replace him. They’ve done well to replace him with Milot Rashica, who instantly takes over as Norwich’ premier set piece taker. Rashica has a lethal right foot and on top of that he has a burst of speed to him that Buendía didn’t have. He comes off not the best of seasons with the relegated Werder Bremen, but he has plenty to offer and is exactly what Norwich needed to replace in Buendía.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 30
Goals Projected: 3-7
Assists Projected: 5-9
Bonus Potential: Low
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: Free kicks, corners and possibly penalties

Price: £5.5

Pierre Lees-Melou – Norwich

Pierre Lees-Melou was one of the shining stars of OGC Nice last season. He’s a spectacular tackler, a great passer and has the ability to score from long range, although doesn’t use that ability as often as he should! While he might not be the greatest prospect due to being so well-versed in the defensive aspect of the game, he certainly has the potential to get fantasy points.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 30
Goals Projected: 3-5
Assists Projected: 3-9
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: Possibly penalties

Price: £5.5

João Pedro – Watford

He’s Brazilian. While Watford hopes that Pedro ends up becoming a Richarlison regen, it’s safe to say the young 19-year-old certainly has the talent but needs to explode. With nine goals in 40 Championship matches, it leaves more questions, but generally speaking, Pedro has played quite decently as he defends very well and gives it his all. The wunderkind can score with both feet, takes penalties, and has more than enough talent to explode in the Premier League. Let’s hope he realizes his potential.

FPL Position: Forward
Projected Games started: 29
Goals Projected: 6-14
Assists Projected: 4-8
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: Penalties

Price: £5.5

Imran Louza – Watford

We don’t want to hype him up too much, but Imran Louza reminds me so much of his national teammate, Hakim Ziyech. Maybe not as gifted technically, but holy hell, there are a lot of similarities. Decent goalscorer, great at passing, a fun dribbler, and is just generally a fun player to watch. Watford fans will be hoping he fills the Roberto Pereyra role and we believe he has all the potential to do just that.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 28
Goals Projected: 3-7
Assists Projected: 3-7
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.5

Juraj Kucka – Watford

Many might wonder why Watford signed a 34 year old Juraj Kucka, but his club history speaks for itself. What they’ve gained is a player with a lot of experience in the highest division (Serie A) and is more than capable of helping out his midfield partners to run the show. While Kucka might not be the best FPL option, he’s a great addition to Watford and has some cheeky goals in him!

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 26
Goals Projected: 1-5
Assists Projected: 0-3
Bonus Potential: Low
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.5

Francisco Sierralta – Watford

Chilean Van Dijk. You would think that we’re exaggerating but the towering Chilean is one of the big reasons Watford played so well in the latter half of the season and why they were so sound defensively. Sierralta’s defensive prowess will be up against some of the best attacking players in the world, but the Chilean is ready!

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 34
Goals Projected: 0-2
Assists Projected: 0-2
Clean Sheets Projected: 8-14
Bonus Potential: High
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £4.5

Ivan Toney – Brentford

As possibly the greatest Championship striker of all time, Ivan Toney wants to kick off his Premier League start in style like Patrick Bamford and Teemu Pukki have done in seasons prior. As a late bloomer, the former Newcastle talent finally showed his skills as the main man for Brentford last season. With 33 goals and 10 assists in 48 matches, Toney showed that he can contribute in every facet of attacking play, while being a threat from both open play and as a target on set pieces as well as their trusted penalty taker.

FPL Position: Forward
Projected Games started: 34
Goals Projected: 9-17
Assists Projected: 4-8
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: Penalties

Price: £6.5

Yoane Wissa – Brentford

Yoane Wissa is the newest addition to the newly promoted Brentford team, and he is a welcome one. Wissa can play behind the striker, on the wing or up front and could potentially be another out of position player should he be classified as a midfielder. Wissa usually gets his goals playing off of the shoulders of his defenders, but he can also whip in curled crosses or shots from range. He could take penalties when Toney doesn’t play too.

(Projected) FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 28
Goals Projected: 4-10
Assists Projected: 3-6
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £6.0

Bryan Mbeumo – Brentford

Bryan Mbuemo is such an interesting player. If he can take the next step up, he could become a really interesting winger to follow. Fast-paced, ambidextrous, and a great dribbler, Mbuemo has all the tools to become spectacular in the Premier League. As long as Brentford stays true to their game, they will be able to get the best out of this fascinating winger.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 31
Goals Projected: 3-9
Assists Projected: 5-8
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: Some free kicks and corners

Price: £5.5

Frank Onyeka – Brentford

While Brentford might have done a great deal of business bringing Frank Onyeka to the club, he’s not worth it as an FPL asset. He’s too defensively minded and doesn’t contribute that much in terms of offense. Through 6 matches in the Champions League last season, he got only 2 yellow cards and no goal involvements. He might have scored 4 goals regularly in the Danish Superleague, but he’s not an option for £5.0.

FPL Position: Midfielder
Projected Games started: 30
Goals Projected: 0-2
Assists Projected: 0-2
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low
Set Pieces: None

Price: £5.0

Mads Roerslev – Brentford

Young Danish full backs are on the rise after the Euros this summer and while Roerslev is no Mæhle, he could become an enticing option in FPL this season. Brentford might still get a RWB in his place, but for now Roerslev is the favorite to start there. He got two assists in the nine games he started there to end the season and is only improving at age 22. One to watch.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 25
Goals Projected: 0-1
Assists Projected: 0-6
Clean Sheets Projected: 4-11
Bonus potential: High
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £4.5

Pontus Jansson – Brentford

Pontus Jansson’s magic, he wears a magic hat! While Jansson screws up too often on the big occasion, when the big Swede is playing at his best, you get a very sturdy and tall center-back who wins his headers and can score on corners. Might be one to pick up if he stays injury free, unlike last season.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 30
Goals Projected: 0-3
Assists Projected: 0-2
Clean Sheets Projected: 5-12
Bonus potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £4.5

Kristoffer Ajer – Brentford

Ajer was once thought to be one of the best up and coming centre backs, almost ending up in Milan as he was dominating for the Scottish champions Celtic. After a season where both he and Celtic had a down year, his value is down and he went to FPL debutants Brentford for cheap. As a former midfielder he has some offensive qualities on top of his height and tall head, making him a decent option if you want to go for a Brentford defender.

FPL Position: Defender
Projected Games started: 35
Goals Projected: 0-2
Assists Projected: 0-2
Clean Sheets Projected: 5-12
Bonus potential: High
Injury Risk: Medium
Set Pieces: None

Price: £4.5

David Raya – Brentford

David Raya is a classic Spanish shot-stopper, capable of really good saves but can also make mistakes, as seen in the 19-20 Championship Play-Off Final. Many Brentford fans wanted him gone after that match, but David Raya showed why he’s a force to be reckoned with after helping the Bees get promoted. The Spaniard could be a fun alternative if Brentford hit the ground running.

FPL Position: Goalkeeper
Projected Games started: 38
Clean Sheets Projected: 5-12
Bonus Potential: Medium
Injury Risk: Low

Price: £4.5

Bruno Lage – Wolverhampton

For the first time since they got promoted during the Portuguese revolution prior to the 2018/19-season, Wolverhampton are going into a Premier League campaign without Nuno Espirito Santo on the sidelines. Of course he had to be replaced by another Portuguese maestro, in Bruno Lage. The man who took over for Benfica, gave João Felix a chance and revitalized Adel Taarabt’s career. As a result, the team went on to win 18 of their last 19 games to secure the title ahead of Porto. Welcome to the Premier League Bruno Lage!

Formation(s):

4-4-2 (4-2-3-1)

As soon as Lage took over Benfica, he implemented a 4-4-2 system with a high press that worked wonders straight away. As one of the more dominant teams in Portugal, Benfica played free flowing attacking football and scored 73 goals on their way to 18 wins, a draw and a league title. Lage tried to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation when his team’s good fortunes changed, but he had much more success with his trusted 4-4-2 formation.

Rotation

While he’s not as rotation proof as his predecessor Espirito Santo, new boss Lage tends to stick with his team in general. While he’s also far from afraid to play the youth, Lage has his 3-4 favorites who play basically every week, while a further 10 or so players fill in the rest. Wolverhampton have a pretty strong squad with 13-14 contenders for the 1st team, with probably more signings to come.

Goalkeepers:

During his whole time with Benfica, Lage put faith in Odisseas Vlachodimos. The Greek shotstopper ended up being replaced midway through last season, the first full season without Lage in charge. Rui Patricio has been rock solid for Wolves, but there’s a transfer to Roma looming with José Sa expected to replace him. Whether it’s Patricio or Sa, you can expect the Wolves #1 to stay as the #1 throughout the season.

Defenders:

Alex Grimaldo, André Almeida and of course the superb Ruben Dias started practically every game for Benfica under Lage, with the final centre back spot divided between Jardel and Ferro. In Wolverhampton’s squad, Conor Coady, Willy Boly and Nelson Semedo seem nailed, while there are some questions about the left back spot. Lage could surprise us and play either Max Kilman or his first signing Yerson Mosquera at CB, but it might be a year too early for especially the latter.

Midfielders:

The midfield for Bruno Lage’s Benfica was more of a question mark, where the manager famously turned the showboating Taarabt into a hard nosed tackling centre mid. Lage was in charge of Benfica B when Taarabt was demoted to the B-team, before Lage brought him with him and made him a vital player. Wolverhampton’s midfield is stronger than Benfica’s however, with Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho mostly share the honors, but could easily be challenged by the young Vitinha. The latter seems like a natural fit with Lage’s playstyle.

Forwards:

Lage gave both João Felix and Carlos Vinicius the chance in consecutive seasons, with Haris Seferovic of Euros 2020 fame as his other striker option. Towards the end of his tenure, Lage switched to a single striker formation with Rafa Silva playing as an attacking mid behind the blossoming Vinicius. Lage could switch between playing Fabio Silva alongside Raul Jimenez up front, or have skillful players like Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence or Trincão play behind the Mexican striker. Expect Lage to experiment with different iterations up front.

Conclusion

Bruno Lage can shake things up with Wolverhampton, just like he did with Benfica. While he might not go on to win the league, it would be no surprise if Wolves bounced back from a very disappointing last season. There’s a nice mix of veterans, up and coming stars and youth with a lot of potential in this squad, so Lage can go on to do great things. He tends to go all out against weaker teams and play quite defensively in tight games, so expect Wolverhampton to have some huge scores against the bottom 10 in the league and make things difficult for the top 10 teams in the league. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a breakout star from Wolverhampton this season either.

Patrick Vieira – Crystal Palace

Patrick Vieira might be one of the greatest midfielders of all time but has been inconsistent as a manager. You have to feel for Crystal Palace as Roy Hodgson stepped down, Eberechi Eze is long-term injured, and Wilfried Zaha wants to leave the Eagles. With such a depressing state to start things off, let’s see how Patrick Vieira could steer the Eagles in the right direction.

Formation(s):

4-3-3 (3-4-3)

Vieira has used the classic 4-3-3 formation at every club he’s managed. When his teams are on the weaker side or just want to be more defensive, he has deployed both 3-4-3 and 3-5-2. The Frenchman loves to play with offensive fullbacks which could be the perfect thing, as Crystal Palace have a talented pair of full-backs in Tyrik Mitchell and (once he’s finally fit) Nathan Ferguson. Vieira also likes to use inverted wingers, with right-footed players on the left and left-footed players on the right, something that could benefit Jeffry Schlupp, Eze, and Zaha.

Rotation

Patrick Vieira for the most part kept playing his favorite players when he was at Nice, so expect to see all the regular Crystal Palace players, with a heavy inclusion with youngsters which bodes well for cheap FPL assets being involved.

Goalkeepers:

Walter Benitez played every game for OGC Nice last season. So if Vieira finds a goalkeeper he likes, expect them to play the entire season. Vincente Guaita played 37 matches last season so expect him to play all 38 under Vieira.

Defenders:

As mentioned previously above, Vieira loves playing attacking full-backs. If Youcef Atal had been healthy all season, Vieira’s stint at OGC Nice might not have been cut short in December. Aside from Atal, players like Hassane Kamara, William Saliba, and Jean-Clair Todibo all featured prominently. After Vieira got sacked, players did get rotated into the starting XI, but expect Vieira not to rotate too much once he finds his strongest defense.

Midfielders:

Midfielders are the ones who get the most rotated in a Vieira side, however, when he has favorites, they feature all the time. Rony Lopes, Morgan Schneiderlin, and Hichem Boudaoui all featured several times throughout the season, so expect new signing Michael Olise and classic mainstays like Luka Milivojević and Cheikou Kouyaté to get a lot of minutes.

Forwards:

As mentioned before, Patrick Vieira loves his wingers so expect Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze to get a lot of minutes on the field. The only place where there could be a lot of rotation is the striker position because there’s no established striker at Crystal Palace. Give it time because once Vieira found his preferred striker, he will get to play a lot, as we saw with Kasper Dolberg at OGC Nice.

Conclusion:

Crystal Palace have a couple exceptional talents, some of which are sadly struggling with injury. Now they have an interesting manager in Patrick Vieira. It is a bit concerning that they’ve done very little to make changes to their defenders, a lackluster department to say the least. If Crystal Palace manages to survive the drop, it would be a great season. After so many years of a set defensive system under Hodgson, the Arsenal-legend will have his work cut out for him if he wants his team to defend as well as Vieira himself did back in the day.

Xisco Muñoz – Watford

The Hornets are back in the Premier League… in the first time of asking! A lot of the credit has to go to Xisco Muñoz who revolutionized the team with attacking flair and getting the absolute best out of Senegalese star, Ismaïla Sarr. Xisco Muñoz is no stranger to success, having been part of the legendary 03-04 Valencia side that won three trophies with fellow Spaniard, Rafa Benitez. While Watford might have big ambitions this season, let’s take a deep dive into what made them tick last year.

Formation(s):

4-3-3

In a huge percentage of Watford’s matches, they used the 4-3-3 formation which helped to get the best out of Ismaïla Sarr, Joao Pedro, and Ken Sema who were all able to navigate the attack more frequently and with more freedom. The Hornets can now balance out the entire team, from midfield and attack whilst also ensuring that the defenders stay in check and don’t falter. The 15 clean sheets in 26 matches since the Spaniard took over speaks for themselves.

Rotation

Xisco Muñoz for the most part kept playing his favorite players when he took over in January. Players like Ken Sema, Ismaïla Sarr, and Joao Pedro kept getting playtime week in and out, but the midfielders kept getting rotated but saw Nathaniel Chalobah, Will Hughes, and Tom Cleverley playing all the time. Defensively Muñoz quickly found his preferred guys with Francisco Sierralta taking over next to Troost-Ekong, with FPL veteran Kiko Femenía operating as the right back in front Watford’s new #1 goalkeeper, Daniel Bachmann.

Goalkeepers:

Bachmann has established himself as the starting goalkeeper of Watford after keeping 13 clean-sheets in 23 appearances, taking over Ben Foster’s position as the starting goalkeeper. While Austria might have not been great defensively in the euros, Bachmann has received several plaudits, with the Hornets wanting to renew his contract. Should he choose to leave, however, Premier League veteran Ben Foster is ready to take the starting position.

Defenders:

Kiko Femenía has been very solid for Watford and has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to be a great Championship player and a solid Premier League player. Troost-Ekong has also shown great promise in the heart of their defense, looking like their get out of jail card. Sierralta had been stuck to the bench until the new manager arrived, while Kabasele played for the most part under Vladimir Ivic, but after the manager switch on December 19th, the centre backs switched roles too. Adam Masina was Muñoz’ preferred choice at left back, but as the weakest link in their defence, he seems to be replaced by the returning Danny Rose.

Midfielders:

Nathaniel Chalobah was phenomenal last season. Chelsea might have made a huge mistake in selling him, but considering they’re now Champions League winners, we doubt they’re mourning too much. Will Hughes has finally lived up to his hype under Muñoz and could light up the Premier League as previously hoped for. Ken Sema and Ismaïla Sarr are two fantastic wingers who have shown why Watford might be a fun watch this season. Tom Cleverley is a no-nonsense terrible midfielder but brings much-needed Premier League experience to Watford. However, Phillip Zinckernagel is looking to take Cleverley’s spot in the team.

Forwards:

Imagine having a player who has scored against Manchester United and Real Madrid in the Champions League. That’s exactly who Watford has signed in Emmanuel Dennis. While he has some obvious talent it has to be noted that he has only scored in double digits once in his career. Hilariously, Pedro will probably score 10 goals for Watford in the Premier League just to shut everyone up and burn us with previous predictions (Looking at you, Raúl Jiménez and Patrick Bamford). Watford also still has Andre Gray and the forever Watford Icon, Troy Deeney. It will be interesting to see how they get rotated but Dennis and Pedro are the certain starters.

Conclusion:

It will be interesting to see how Xisco Muñoz and his Watford will fare in the Premier League. While I think they don’t have the greatest squad, I am quite interested in seeing how the Spanish manager will handle the pace and hardship of the Premier League. As always with Watford’s managers, he’s on a short leash. While they’re the second favorite to get relegated behind Norwich, I think Watford fans will just be happy to give the Premier League another go. Good Luck, Watford!

Starting Lineups:

NB:

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

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

3. This will be updated until the GW1 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): Pépé (22), Holding (19), and Martinelli (17)

Other Potential Starters: Bellerin

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 25.27 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Smith-Rowe forced his way into the team last season and will be nailed with no Ødegaard.
• Lacazette and Pépé fighting for the final XI spot. Lacazette juuuust edges it.
• Bellerin on his way out and Chambers is ready to step up.

Aston Villa:

XI Contenders (Starts): Traoré (23), Nakamba (18), and El Ghazi (17)

Other Potential Starters: Young

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 31.90 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Dean Smith says he’s gonna continue to use Watkins up front, so he partners Ings
• Ashley Young returns to the side he left angry with him. Could play WB in a 3-5-2.
• Buendía a perfect replacement for Grealish and Bailey adds some spice. Fun lineup.

Brentford

XI Contenders (Starts): Janelt (22), Caños (19) and Jansson (19)

Other Potential Starters: Dasilva

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 34.54 out of 46 matches

Additional Notes:

• Ended the season with a 3-5-2 formation after Henry got injured. Set to continue?
• Wissa comes in to accompany Toney and Mbeumo in attack. Wissa and Mbeumo flexible.
• Could swap between 3 at the back and the regular 4-3-3 formation with Toney lone striker.

Brighton

XI Contenders (Starts): Burn (22), Moder (20) and Lallana (18)

Other Potential Starters: Mac Allister, Maupay

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 28.18 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Potter never nails down a formation/lineup, Maupay never nails down finishing chances.
• Still got strong centre backs even without White, but might strengthen.
• Lack a true LWB, but heavily linked with Marc Cuccurella. Would be a class signing.

Burnley:

XI Contenders (Starts): Pieters (20), Cork (18), and Rodriguez (16)

Other Potential Starters: Collins

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 30 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Good old Burnley, nobody beats that… Well, at least they are predictable.
• Left wing McNeil always a wanted man, at right wing Burnley wants a man.
• Vydra won out the striker battle next to Chris Wood.

Chelsea:

XI Contenders (Starts): Christensen (23), Werner (21), and Ziyech (21)

Other Potential Starters: Kovacic, Pulisic, Hudson-Odoi, Alonso

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 25.27 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Mendy, Rüdiger, Kanté, Mount aaaand Lukaku… the rest is up for grabs.
• Kai Havertz could still break out, even as a second striker behind Lukaku.
• Such a shame to see Ziyech injured. Hope he comes back soon and becomes a regular.

Crystal Palace:

XI Contenders (Starts): Riedewald (22), Schlupp (21) and Milivojevic (18)

Other Potential Starters: Ferguson, Ward, Eze, Tomkins

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 26.27 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Eze sadly out for a while. Will be nailed once he’s fit. Ayew fills in right ahead of Schlupp.
• With Patrick van Aanholt gone, Tyrick Mitchell will deservedly be their regular left back.
• Patrick Vieira has a lot of players to choose from, but lack star quality other than Zaha.

Everton:

XI Contenders (Starts): Gomes (20), Holgate (19), and Townsend (18).

Other Potential Starters: Iwobi, Gbamin

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

Additional Notes:

• James Rodriguez hampered by injuries and rumoured to leave. Vital at times last season.
• Doucouré playing in a more offensive role this season, like he did well at Watford.
• Lost out on Dumfries and are still fairly thin behind the ever-present Coleman at RB.

Leeds:

XI Contenders (Starts): Klich (22), Rodrigo (20), Koch (15)

Other Potential Starters: Shackleton

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 31 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Bielsas team is NAILED, but former favorite Klich juuust drops out and Rodrigo might get in.
• Young Strujik impressed as last season went on and is very versatile.
• Harrison has been kept permanently. Him and Raphinha were huge for Leeds last season.

Leicester:

XI Contenders (Starts): Evans (24), Daka (22) and Vestergaard (20)

Other Potential Starters: Soumaré, Bertrand, Justin and Fofana when fit

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

Additional Notes:

• Unfortunate injuries to talented youngsters Justin and Fofana. Vestergaard new CB.
• Daka, Soumaré and Bertrand in, means a lot more potential for rotation than last season.
• Vardy still nailed, but starting to wind down his career with younger talents around him.

Liverpool:

XI Contenders (Starts): Henderson (22), Keita (18) and Konaté (16)

Other Potential Starters: Jones

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

Additional Notes:

• Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip back from injury and Konaté in. No more Phillips and Kabak.
• Klopps tends to ease in new signings, so give Konaté time before he’s nailed.
• With Jota healthy, Liverpool have a new fab four. Jota and Firmino will rotate as strikers.

Man City:

XI Contenders (Starts): Gundogan (25), Jesus (22) and Torres (20)

Other Potential Starters: Laporte, Aké

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 26.18 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• No more room for Silvas in Man City, with Bernardo Silva on the out post Grealish.
• Foden is finally a solid starter for Man City, but will still get rotated after he gets fit.
• Kane still not close to signing as of season premiere. Will be a nailed striker if he comes.

Man Utd:

XI Contenders (Starts): Cavani (22), Fred (19) and Lingard (15)

Other Potential Starters: Martial

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 28.63 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Varane in and the backline is super solid. A better goalkeeper would be preferable though.
• Solskjær needs to figure out how to use Donny van de Beek.
• Sancho in and the striker spot is up for grabs. Martial seems out of it and Cavani starts 60%.

Newcastle:

XI Contenders (Starts): Hayden (23), Joelinton (20) and Clark (18)

Other Potential Starters: Krafth

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 23.36 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Willock in makes this team a lot more dynamic. Plenty of flair up front.
• Full-backs are a question mark, especially RB. Murphy in a back 5, Krafth in a back 4.
• With Lascelles back fit, the backline should be more secure. Dubravka starts when fit.

Norwich:

XI Contenders (Starts): Hernandez (22), Rupp (21) and Dowell (17)

Other Potential Starters: Gibson

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 33.54 out of 46 matches

Additional Notes:

• Sold the irreplaceable Emi Buendia, but got a couple of interesting signings.
• Oliver Skipp was vital on loan last season, Gilmour even better this season.
• Andrew Omobamidele played a lot in pre-season and the youngster might start regularly.

Southampton:

XI Contenders (Starts): Romeu (22), Walcott (20) and Redmond (19)

Other Potential Starters: Forster, Stephens

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 29 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Nate Tella is Southampton’s new favorite talent. Will get a chance this season.
• Losing Vestergaard hurts, but Salisu was really good in La Liga. Had a season to adjust now.
• With plenty of wingers, Stuart Armstrong gets put in midfield next to JWP.

Tottenham:

XI Contenders (Starts): Lo Celso (22), Bergwijn (20) and Winks (19).

Other Potential Starters: Rodon

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 27.09 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Nunu Espirito Santo needs to maximize Ndombélé, Lo Celso and Bergwijn’s potential.
• Aurier is on his way out and NES in, Doherty needs to step up and make the RB spot his.
• If Harry Kane leaves, they need to sign a replacement. Son temporarily fills in as striker.

Watford:

XI Contenders (Starts): Etebo (23), Cleverley (20), and King (19)

Other Potential Starters: Dennis, Cucho, Deeney

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 29.81 out of 46 matches

Additional Notes:

• Forwards: Pedro > King > Deeney > Dennis > Cucho > Fletcher > Gray > Success > Perica
• Bachmann took over as GK last season and is nailed. No chance for Foster.
• Will Hughes got demoted as he wants to leave the club. Plenty of CM options here.

West Ham:

XI Contenders (Starts): Masuaku (23), Yarmolenko (19) and Lanzini (18)

Other Potential Starters: None

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness: 29.63 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• Moyesiah has a pretty settled starting XI. Remains to be seen if Lingard comes back.
• Nikola Milenkovic close to signing, but not close enough for me to put him in over Dawson.
• Mark Noble’s last season at West Ham. Respect the legend!

Wolves:

XI Contenders (Starts): Moutinho (26), Traoré (24), Saïss (19)

Other Potential Starters: Marcal, Podence

Last Season XI Nailed-on-ness (Nunu Espirito Santo): 27.45 out of 38 matches

Additional Notes:

• New manager with Bruno Lage with a new system. Gives youth a chance.
• Fingers crossed for a fully healthy Raul Jimenez season, but who accompanies him up front?
• Jonny Otto once again out for months with an ACL injury. Aït-Nouri returning and is best LB.

Credit: Big shout out to buildlineup.com for providing a great XI maker. Several team subreddits, whoscored.com ++

Team:	Penalty	Free Kick (Shot)	Free Kick (Cross)	Corners (Left/Right)
Arsenal	Saka Martinelli Jorginho	Ødegaard Martinelli	Saka Ødegaard Trossard	Saka Martinelli Trossard
Aston Villa	Watkins Tielemans	Douglas Luiz Digne Bailey	Douglas Luiz McGinn Bailey	Douglas Luiz McGinn Bailey
Brentford	Toney Mbeumo Wissa	Toney Jensen Mbeumo	Mbeumo Jensen	(Jensen/Mbeumo)
Bournemouth	Solanke Christie	Billing Tavernier	Tavernier Christie	Tavernier Traoré Christie
Brighton	João Pedro Groß Welbeck	March Groß Dunk	March Groß	Groß March
Burnley	Amdouni Rodriguez Brownhill	Twine Gudmundsson Brownhill	Brownhill Gudmundsson	Brownhill Gudmundsson
Chelsea	Nkunku James	Nkunku James Enzo	Chilwell James Nkunku	Chilwell Nkunku James
Crystal Palace	Eze Edouard	Eze Olise	Olise Eze	Olise Eze Hughes
Everton	Danjuma Calvert-Lewin Gray	Gray McNeil	Gray McNeil	(Gray/McNeil) Garner Iwobi
Fulham	Mitrovic Andreas	Andreas Willian Wilson	Andreas Willian Wilson	Andreas Willian Wilson
Liverpool	Salah Mac Allister Szoboszlai	Alexander-Arnold Szoboszlai Mac Allister	Alexander-Arnold Robertson Szoboszlai	(Szoboszlai/Robertson) Alexander-Arnold
Luton Town	Morris Adebayo	Chong Doughty Lockyer	Giles Chong Doughty	(Chong/Giles) Doughty
Manchester City	Haaland De Bruyne	De Bruyne Foden	De Bruyne Foden	De Bruyne Foden
Manchester United	Fernandes Rashford Mount	Rashford Fernandes Mount	Eriksen Fernandes Mount	Eriksen Fernandes Shaw
Newcastle	Wilson Isak Schär	Trippier Tonali Schär	Trippier Tonali Targett	Trippier Tonali Targett
Nottingham Forest	Gibbs-White Johnson	Gibbs-White Neco Williams	Gibbs-White Neco Williams	Gibbs-White Neco Williams
Sheffield United	Norwood Berge Brewster	Norwood Berge	Norwood Fleck	Norwood Fleck
Tottenham	Kane Maddison Son	Maddison Son Kane	Maddison Son Pedro Porro	Pedro Porro Son Maddison
West Ham	Benrahma Paqueta	Benrahma Cresswell Paqueta	Emerson Bowen Cresswell	Bowen Emerson (Fornals/Cresswell)
Wolverhampton	Cunha Hwang Nunes	Matheus Nunes Neto	Neto Podence	Podence Neto

The first and most obvious place to start when finding FPL accounts to follow is FPL’s own official account. In the last few years, the account has also started posting FPL advice, along with being the first to let you know whenever a new player is added or a fixture is officially rescheduled to a different Gameweek.

Follow @OfficialFPL

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 it.

Follow @FFScout

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 @BenDinnery

Dinnery is also in charge of physioroom, which posts official news and statements regarding Premier League injury news.

Follow @https://twitter.com/physioroom

If you wanna win Fantasy Premier League, then why not follow last year’s winner Michael Coone? The Irish Liverpool-supporting Teddy Bear went all the way last season and deserves a follow just for that!

Follow @FPL_TeddyBears

When talking about last season’s top performers, we gotta give a mention to a fellow Norwegian/Scandinavian, Ola Hovde. Ola was the leader throughout most of last season and won the prestigious Norwegian league as well. Give him a follow!

Follow @OlaPeder

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 @FPLStatus

The deadline for FPL gameweeks has been moved 30 mins earlier than usual, which means Rockstar probably won’t spoil any starting lineups before the deadline this upcoming season. Still, give this man a legacy follow for his efforts last season when plenty a FPL manager refreshed his feed 5-10 minutes before the deadline.

Follow @FPL_Rockstar

You can’t prepare for the next gameweek without looking at what happened in the last one and that’s where AbuBakar Saddiq comes in. His gameweek reviews are top-notch and will catch you up on all the finer details from each game in the previous gameweek. Keep it up BigManBakar!

Follow @BigManBakar

Yet another helpful Ben, this time by the name Crellin. When everyone was confused about where we’d get double or blank gameweeks, Ben Crellin and his spreadsheets got us all on top of things. Essential for when you need to plan how to use your chips.

Follow @BenCrellin

FPL player prices are stagnant now before the season, but once it starts on September 12th, 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 @FPLPriceChanges

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 @_FPLtips

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 @FFPundits

He might not be an FPL champion, but he is the champion of FPL content. Let’s Talk FPL, or Andy as he is known among his loyal viewers, consistently puts out great FPL content with live streams and update videos each week throughout the season. That Harry Maguire goal will come soon Andy, just have some faith!

Follow @LetsTalk_FPL

—

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 the first deadline.

Follow @Maefteda

Follow @KevNissanka

Last Update: August 12th (6:40 PM BST)
Kevin’s No Bench Squad Updated
The Wildcard Squad Updated
Zombie Team Updated
New player reviews: Adam Armstrong, Juraj Kucka, Yoane Wissa, Mads Roerslev
All Starting XIs Updated!

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