The 50 most interesting players in FPL this season
Our rankings for Gameweek 1
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Welcome to Fantasy Gameweek’s player rankings for the new Fantasy Premier League season. This is our guide to the 50 most interesting players heading into Gameweek 1. These are not necessarily the best players, but those who are most likely to influence FPL - either because they are in a lot of teams, have big questions around them, or we think they will perform well. It’s our guide to who you need to watch. We have included key stats to go with each player, including metrics from FPL and our data partner Impect.
Let’s get straight into it…
Haaland, Man City, FOR, £14m - Who else? In more than 85 per cent of FPL teams ahead of Gameweek 1 after 36 goals in incredible debut season
Kane, Tottenham, FOR, £12.5m - May not even be a Premier League player by the time the season kicks off. But his status defines the outlook for other Spurs players and FPL as a whole. Kane ended last season with only nine points fewer than Haaland and could be a viable alternative to the Norwegian if he stays. Scored four in pre-season match against Shakhtar Donetsk
Salah, Liverpool, MID, £12.5m - Can you fit Haaland and Salah into your team? Remarkably the Egyptian isn’t one of the ten most popular players in FPL teams heading into the new season - he features in less than a quarter of teams. But the Egyptian has been productive in pre-season and not scored less than 230 FPL points in a season - that’s more than six points per match - since joining Liverpool in 2017
Saka, Arsenal, MID, £8.5m - 14 goals and 12 assists last season, still only 21-years-old and looked sharp again in pre-season. The world is at his feet. That is why Saka is in more than 55 per cent of FPL teams already. Potentially one of the stars of the season
Rashford, Man United, MID, £9m - A big price increase from £6.5m last season but still looks good value given only Haaland, Kane, Salah and Odegaard scored more FPL points last season
Estupinan, Brighton, DEF, £5m - Clearly underpriced. One goal, seven assists and ten clean sheets last season. Attacking threat underlined by the fact that Alexander-Arnold and Trippier were the only defenders to take more opposition defenders out of the game last season with their passing, crossing and dribbling, according to Impect’s bypassed defenders metric
Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool, DEF, £8m - Only De Bruyne played more threatening passes than the Liverpool man last season according to Impect. Set for a more advanced midfield role this season but Liverpool looked shaky at the back in pre-season - conceding 13 goals in five pre-season matches - and Szoboszlai has taken over some set-pieces
Fernandes, Man United, MID, £8.5m - Not scored fewer than eight goals or provided less than seven assists in any of his four Premier League seasons. Looks underpriced
Odegaard, Arsenal, MID, £8.5m - Only Haaland, Kane and Salah scored more FPL points last season. Arsenal’s answer to Kevin De Bruyne
Foden, Man City, MID, £7.5m - 14% of Man City’s goals from last season were scored by players who have since left - Gundogan and Mahrez. Can Foden fill some of that gap? There are concerns that Pep Guardiola is not a fan of Foden given the reduction in his minutes last season and during pre-season. But could be a bargain if he plays
Mitoma, Brighton, MID, £6.5m - One of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League given his dribbling ability. He ranked seventh for xG out of all Premier League players after the World Cup, behind only Haaland, Salah, Watkins, Kane, Rashford and Toney
De Bruyne, Man City, MID, £10.5m - Played only 26 minutes in pre-season due to injury (you can find the pre-season records for all players here). He also looks overpriced compared to Arsenal and Man United options. But this is still Kevin De Bruyne. He scored 6.5 points per start last season - more than Odegaard (5.7), Saka (5.5), Rashford (6.4) and the same as Salah (also 6.5)
Eze, Crystal Palace, MID, £6.5m - 10 goals and five assists last season + two more goals and five assists in preseason + Zaha gone and Olise future uncertain = Eze equals the main man for Palace this season
Watkins, Villa, FOR, £8m - Only Kane and Salah had a higher xG in the Premier League after the World Cup last season according to Impect. xG looks at the likelihood of a chance being converted into a goal, not taking into account the quality of the player or goalkeeper. Post-shot xG also measures the quality of the shot. Watkins was third for that metric as well after the World Cup behind Kane and Haaland. Villa should improve this season after high-profile summer signings
Havertz, Arsenal, MID, £7.5m - Underlying stats suggest he constantly found himself in threatening positions for Chelsea last season - he ranked seventh for bypassed defenders receiving (which looks at the quality of positions that a player gets himself into infront of goal with the ball) and 11th for xG according to Impect. But the quality of his finishing constantly let him down, which is why his post-shot xG ranking was way down in 23rd. Lots of excitement after he started upfront for Arsenal in Community Shield. Havertz is bound to get chances - but will he take them?
James, Chelsea, DEF, £5.5m - Elite talent and attacking full-back who is back from injury after disappointing year
Chilwell, Chelsea, DEF, £5.5m - See above
Trippier, Newcastle, DEF, £6.5m - Already owned by more than a third of FPL teams and would surely be in more if Newcastle didn’t have such a tough start to season (they play Villa, Man City, Liverpool, Brighton in first four matches). Nine assists and 16 clean sheets last season although faded after the World Cup
Gabriel, Arsenal, DEF, £5m - Popular pre-season pick in FPL (in more than a quarter of teams) because likely to start for Arsenal and had best xG among all defenders last season with 4.26, according to Impect, reflecting his threat from set pieces. Newcastle’s Schar (£5m) was second for xG and Liverpool’s Van Dijk (£6m) was third
Wilson, Newcastle, FOR, £8m - Only Haaland, Kane and De Bruyne ranked higher on Impect’s Offensive Impect measure over the whole of last season, which looks at the overall attacking effectiveness of a player for their team. Finished with 18 goals and six assists
Nunez, Liverpool, FOR, £7.5m - Can he improve on last season? A bargain if so. Only Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford got into more threatening positions over the course of last season according to Impect. But unlikely to start in Liverpool’s XI based on Jurgen Klopp’s pre-season teams
Bowen, West Ham, MID, £7m - One of a collection of midfielders priced at between £6m and £7m who could reshape FPL teams if they are productive in the early stages of the season. Bowen has 26 goals and 32 assists over the last three seasons
Luis Diaz, Liverpool, MID £7.5m - Forgotten about after injury last season but the Colombian is a top talent who Jurgen Klopp clearly rates highly. Was on pace for excellent season before injury in 2022/23, with 62 points in 11 starts, that’s 5.6 points per game, better than what Saka ended up with. Don’t sleep on Diaz
Richarlison, Tottenham, MID, £7m - Outlook for the season entirely depends on Kane. If England striker leaves then Brazilian instantly becomes one of the most attractive midfield options in FPL as will likely play as main striker
Gibbs-White, Forest, MID, £6m - An integral reason why Forest are still in the Premier League and why England won the U21 European Championship this summer. Still only 23 and likely to improve again this season
Flekken, Brentford, GK £4.5m - David Raya was Brentford’s number one last season and ended up being the top-scoring goalkeeper in FPL. Raya is now going to Arsenal. This means Flekken will be Brentford’s goalkeeper. Go and get him in your team…
Onana, Man United, GK, £5m - De Gea kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League last season and Onana, his successor, kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the Champions League
Joao Pedro, Brighton, FOR, £5.5m - Exciting young talent playing in an exciting young team. Two goals in pre-season but unclear who plays out of Welbeck, Ferguson, and Pedro. The same applies to his teammate Ferguson, who is priced at £6m
Morris, Luton, FOR, £5.5m - This year’s Mitrovic? 20 goals in Championship last season and three more in pre-season. Takes penalties. Talking of Mitrovic, after 14 goals last season he should be higher up this list but has been linked with move to Saudi Arabia
Martinelli, Arsenal, MID, £8m - Took FPL by storm at start of last season but was eventually overshadowed by teammates Odegaard and Saka. Time on the pitch surely threatened by Trossard and Havertz
Jota, Liverpool, MID, £8m - Classed as midfielder in FPL but could play as centre-forward based on Liverpool’s pre-season. Registered seven goals and four assists last season but only started 12 matches. Hugely productive when plays
Isak, Newcastle, FOR, £7.5m - Exciting 23-year-old talent who instantly looked at ease in Premier League. His price in FPL could look ludicrously cheap by the end of the season although underlying Impect data suggests teammate Wilson was more effective when on the pitch
Maddison, Tottenham, MID, £7.5m - An FPL favourite at Leicester now playing for one of the best attacking teams in the Premier League… if Kane stays
Barnes, Newcastle, MID, £6.5m - Same as above minus £1m in price and the Kane complication…
Jackson, Chelsea, FOR, £7m - Injury to Nkunku means that new signing from Villarreal likely to start the season as main striker. Has impressed in pre-season with two goals and three assists but Chelsea are a big unknown this season
Anderson, Newcastle, MID, £4.5m - A break-out season beckons for 20-year-old local lad with four goals and three assists in pre-season
Gakpo, Liverpool, FOR, £7.5m - Reclassified as forward this season after registering seven goals and three assists from central role once he joined Liverpool in January move. But played in midfield role in Liverpool’s final pre-season match. Has the potential to explode in second season in Premier League, but one to watch for now
Mbeumo, Brentford, MID, £6.5m - With Toney suspended there is expectation on Mbeumo to step-up. Nine goals and nine assists last season but has thrived as a partner to Toney, not his replacement
Schade, Brentford, MID, £5.5m - Exciting 21-year-old talent who could be the true beneficiary of Toney’s absence
Diaby, Aston Villa, MID, £6.5m - One of the most coveted players in Europe this summer after nine goals and eight assists in the Bundesliga last season for Bayer Leverkusen
Botman, Newcastle, DEF, £4.5 - Popular pre-season pick as offers a cheap option into the joint-best defence in the league last season. Botman is in more than a fifth of FPL teams at time of writing. Seems to pose little attacking threat with no goals and only two assists last season, although is a threat from set pieces and Impect data shows he ended the season ranked 14th for xG among defenders at 1.68, which was actually better than Alexander-Arnold and Arsenal’s Ben White
Udogie, Tottenham, DEF, £4.5m - Looks likely to start season as an attack-minded left-back, which could make the Italian a bargain at this price, although Spurs have conceded plenty of goals in pre-season. Ranks ahead of his teammate Porro (£5m), who we also like and got three goals and three assists after joining last January, because unclear if the Spaniard will start at right-back ahead of Emerson Royal (£4.5m)
Colwill, Chelsea, DEF, £4.5m - Only Alexander-Arnold ranked higher for Offensive Impect among defenders after the World Cup last season. That metric tracks the attacking effectiveness of a player for their team. Colwill achieved that while on loan on Brighton, now could start for Chelsea
Shaw, Man United, DEF, £5.5m - Perennially underrated full-back who has earned the support of his manager. Offers an attacking threat and plays in one of league’s best teams
White, Arsenal, DEF, £5.5m - See above, but with more of a threat to his place in the team over the longer-term because of Timber (£5m), who we also like and played at left-back in the Community Shield. Timber got two goals and two assists for Ajax in the Eredivisie last season
Hojlund, Man United, FOR, £7m - Signed by Man United for £72 million and expectations are high for the Danish striker. Unlikely to play much initially due to a back injury but cheaper than other starting strikers for big teams
Son, Tottenham, MID, £9m - Looks revitalised following departure of Antonio Conte. Has not scored fewer than 10 goals in a Premier League season since 2016. Even in a down year last season he still ended up with ten goals and six assists. If Tottenham are as good going forward as their pre-season form suggests then Son will quickly become popular. Keep your eyes on Kulusevski at £7m too. He has spoken glowingly about the impact of new manager Ange Postecoglou
Areola, West Ham, GK, £4m - Most popular goalkeeper ahead of new season due to low-price and chance that he starts ahead of Fabianski
Stones, Man City, DEF, £5.5m - Man City conceded the joint-fewest goals in the Premier League last season along with Newcastle (33). Stones’ more advanced midfield role offers a reliable route into their defence and some attacking upside, with two goals and two assists last season thanks to his threat from set-pieces
Mubama, West Ham, FOR, £4.5m - 18-year-old striker has three goals in impressive pre-season and could play a role in opening-day match at Bournemouth
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Graham