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The new season in England’s top flight starts tonight and that means the long-awaited return of Fantasy Premier League.
Many players will have already picked their squads for the opening gameweek of the 2024-25 campaign, though even at this stage, new signings and potential injuries might change things - or just a sudden hit of inspiration after reading a list of the best signings, perhaps.
The usual suspects — the likes of Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah — will be among the most popular picks. But there are plenty of other players across the Premier League who might offer genuine value this season.
And most importantly, with a Friday night kick-off, the deadline for gameweek 1 is fast approaching - so remember to join your mini-leagues beforehand!
Here is everything you need to know on the deadline plus 30 players we think might solid additions to any FPL side.
When is the FPL GW1 deadline?
Man United vs Fulham kicks off at 8pm BST on Friday 16 August. From this season, Premier League sides submit their starting line-ups 75 minutes (not one hour anymore!) before the match starts.
As such, the FPL deadline is an hour and a half before the first match of a gameweek kicks off. That means for GW1, the deadline for changes and transfers is 6:30pm BST on Friday.
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford - Everton (£5.0m)
Still slightly below the most expensive tier of goalkeepers that includes David Raya, Ederson and Alisson, Pickford is always likely to be a sensible pick. He is fresh off the back of an excellent Euro 2024 with England and racked up the most FPL points of any goalkeeper last season (153).
Bernd Leno - Fulham (£5.0m)
Only Pickford and David Raya got more FPL points than Fulham’s Leno last season (133). He is a key man for the Cottagers and his tendency to produce match-winning performances makes him a shrewd pick.
Mark Flekken - Brentford (£4.5m)
Flekken, after a shaky start to his Brentford career, proved to be the perfect replacement for Raya. He racked up 119 FPL points in 2023-24 and could well get even better this season.
Nick Pope - Newcastle (£5.0m)
Something of a forgotten man after his long absence with a shoulder injury, Pope could be one that goes under the radar this season. He is back to full fitness and, assuming he returns to the starting XI, is likely to keep plenty of clean sheets.
Dean Henderson - Crystal Palace (£4.5m)
A slightly left-field pick, since Henderson didn’t start the season as Crystal Palace’s No.1 but he ended the campaign in impressive form after Oliver Glasner transformed the Eagles, and that momentum could continue into 2024-25.
Jose Sa - Wolves (£4.5m)
Wolves’ form dipped towards the end of last season after a largely positive campaign under Gary O’Neil, but Jose Sa remained consistent throughout. He is an affordable option for those who don’t want to splash out on a goalkeeper.
Defenders
Josko Gvardiol - Manchester City (£6.0m)
Those who stuck with Gvardiol throughout last season were rewarded by his unexpected flurry of goals towards the end. Whether or not he will replicate that remains to be seen, but the left-sided defender should keep plenty of clean sheets in Pep Guardiola’s team.
Jarrad Branthwaite - Everton (£5.0m)
Amid rumours of interest from Manchester United, Branthwaite is likely to be a popular pick for FPL players this season. Still an affordable option, he racked up 124 points last term.
Gabriel - Arsenal (£6.0m)
While many FPL players will be drawn towards William Saliba for obvious reasons, his defensive partner Gabriel could be an equally wise selection. The Brazilian scored four league goals last season and accumulated 149 points.
Pedro Porro - Tottenham (£5.5m)
Tottenham were occasionally porous defensively last season, but right-back Porro was given the freedom to thrive in attack under Ange Postecoglou. The Spaniard got seven assists and three goals and an impressive return of 136 points.
Marc Cucurella - Chelsea (£5.0m)
While Cucurella may not be hugely popular among England fans at the moment, his performances at Euro 2024 suggested he might be set for a strong season with Chelsea. The Spain left-back might be worth a shot for the start of the new campaign.
Marcos Senesi - Bournemouth (£5.0m)
Bournemouth defenders might go under the radar in FPL, but Senesi may well be a shrewd pick. He scored four goals and provided five assists last season for a team growing in confidence under Andoni Iraola.
Marc Guehi - Crystal Palace (£4.5m)
Another Marc and another player whose stock rose considerably at Euro 2024, Guehi is as rock solid as centre-backs come. How long he will remain a Crystal Palace player remains to be seen, but he should be keeping plenty of clean sheets wherever he plays.
Leny Yoro - Manchester United (£4.5m)
For the FPL players who like to gamble occasionally, new Manchester United defender Leny Yoro could be a good option. The 18-year-old comes with plenty of hype and huge potential, even if he might not start every game for Erik ten Hag’s side - and a summer injury may in fact lower his price further.
Midfielders
Anthony Gordon - Newcastle (£7.5m)
Another player who has been subject to transfer speculation this summer, Gordon will be aiming to build on an excellent 2023-24 season. He totalled 183 FPL points last term, bettered by just six other midfielders.
Phil Foden - Manchester City (£9.5m)
While his Euro 2024 campaign was disappointing, Phil Foden remains one of the best players in the Premier League. And at £9.5m, he is a cheaper option than the likes of Salah, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Son Heung-min.
Jarrod Bowen - West Ham (£7.5m)
One notch below the midfield heavyweights in terms of price, Bowen usually offers plenty of return on investment. With 182 FPL points last season, picking him is almost a no-brainer.
Eberechi Eze - Crystal Palace (£7m)
After breaking into the England squad and putting in some lively cameos at Euro 2024, big things are expected of Eze in this season. Expect the tricky winger to have another excellent year especially if he remains with the Eagles.
Savinho - Manchester City (£6.5m)
New Manchester City winger Savinho will have stiff competition to get into the starting XI, but he could make a big impact in the Premier League. He certainly impressed at Girona, scoring nine goals and providing 10 assists last season.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - Chelsea (£6.0m)
Another new signing, Dewsbury-Hall is a midfielder who knows where the net is. He scored 12 times for Leicester last season and racked up 14 assists, and in a strong Chelsea side his numbers could be high again.
Andreas Pereira - Fulham (£5.5m)
Though not an especially popular pick, Andreas Pereira was among the best value midfielders in FPL last season. The former Manchester United man got an impressive total of 127 points.
Anthony Elanga - Nottingham Forest (£5.5m)
Elanga was one of Nottingham Forest’s key players last season, scoring five goals and providing nine assists in the Premier League. At 22, he has plenty of room to improve and could enjoy a fruitful 2024-25 campaign.
Forwards
Alexander Isak - Newcastle (£8.5m)
It’s no surprise that Isak has been linked with several top clubs this summer. The Newcastle striker netted 21 goals in just 30 Premier League appearances last season.
Jean-Philippe Mateta - Crystal Palace (£7.5m)
Mateta was, inarguably, the best striker in the Premier League for the last few weeks of last season. He netted nine league goals in the final six matches, and if he continues where he left off plenty of FPL players will be happy.
Ivan Toney - Brentford (£7.5m)
Last season was a disrupted one for Toney, who didn’t quite get up to speed after returning from his long suspension. But with a full pre-season, he should be a reliable goal scorer in 2024-25, even if rumours persist about his future.
Cody Gakpo - Liverpool (£7.5m)
Gakpo has blown hot and cold at Liverpool but he was superb for the Netherlands at Euro 2024. If he can bring that form into the new Premier League season, the Dutchman could be a shrewd FPL choice.
Joshua Zirkzee - Manchester United (£7.0m)
There is plenty of excitement around Manchester United’s new striker Joshua Zirkzee, who netted 11 Serie A goals for Bologna last season. Settling in may take a few weeks, but the Dutchman is capable of scoring freely in a stronger team.
Matheus Cunha - Wolves (£6.5m)
After an excellent first full season in the Premier League — he scored 12 goals and provided seven assists — Cunha will be aiming to perform even more consistently in 2024-25.
Joao Pedro - Brighton (£5.5m)
Joao Pedro was a good cheap attacking option for FPL players last season, scoring nine goals and racking up a useful haul of 104 points. And the 22-year-old should be even better in 2024-25 following a year adjusting to England’s top flight.
Erling Haaland - Manchester City (£15m)
FPL managers will cringe at the price tag for Man City’s star forward but there’s a reason he’s priced so high. 35 goals and assists led to an impressive tally of 217 points last season and he underperformed! At least in comparison to his debut season in the Premier League which saw hit 45 goals/assists for 272. Now that Julian Alvarez has departed City as well Haaland is Guardiola’s go-to and, having missed Euro 2024 this summer, he should hit the ground running.
