🚨 GW1 FPL Preview

📌 Fixture runs to target

📌 Budget gems

📌 Differentials to target

📌 Haaland and/or Salah

📌 My current team

FIXTURE RUNS TO TARGET

There are 3 teams in particular that have fantastic fixture runs to start the season.

Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Aston Villa.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

🟠 BRE (H)

🟠 CRY (A)

🟢 WHU (H)

🔴 ARS (A)

🟢 BUR (A)

🟢 SUN (H)

🟠 NEW (A)

Players to target:

🥇 Murillo

🥈 Williams

🥉 Wood

TOTTENHAM

🟢 BUR (H)

🔴 MCI (A)

🟠 BOU (H)

🟢 WHU (A)

🟠 BHA (A)

🟢 WOL (H)

🟢 LEE (A)

Players to target:

🥇 Porro

🥈 Solanke

🥉 Van de Ven

ASTON VILLA

🟠 NEW (H)

🟠 BRE (A)

🟠 CRY (H)

🟠 EVE (A)

🟢 SUN (A)

🟠 FUL (H)

🟢 BUR (H)

Players to target:

🥇 Watkins

🥈 Rogers

🥉 Konsa

BUDGET GEMS

Niclas Füllkrug - £6.0m

£6.0m isn’t as cheap as some of the midfield and defender options but the forward pool doesn’t offer many options for £5.5m or lower.

The German international was bought by West Ham last summer but struggles with injuries and only managed 3 goals last season.

He’s now fully fit and has had a fantastic pre-season whilst playing up front with Bowen.

West Ham have also just signed Callum Wilson who may share some minutes with Füllkrug but at just £6.0m, he may be worth the punt.

Elliot Anderson - £5.5m

Anderson wasn’t much of an FPL option last season as he finished the season with 2 goals and 6 assists.

Due to the introduction of defensive contribution points, he is a much more viable option this year.

Last season he averaged 12 defensive contributions per game and would have earned an extra 36 points.

He also got most of these against the lower teams in the league so it’s not even necessary to play him in the tough fixtures.

Wan-Bissaka & Diouf - £4.5m

Wan-Bissaka is, unsurprisingly, one of the most popular defenders in the game currently at just under 30% ownership.

He played 36 out of 38 games last season and provided more assists than any of the other £4.5m defenders.

Diouf has been brought in this summer for around £20m and is rated very highly.

He’s a very attacking LWB that will get forward at any opportunity and has already shown glimpses of this in pre-season.

West Ham’s defensive numbers weren’t great last season but with defensive contributions and attacking threat, these two wing backs have multiple routes to points this year.

DIFFERENTIALS TO TARGET

Joachim Andersen - £4.5m - 1.8%

The £4.5m defenders are very popular and for good reason, there is some great value at this price point.

One that is going overlooked is Joachim Andersen who is also good for defensive contribution points.

Last season he averaged 9.53 defensive contributions per game and would have racked up an extra 26 points based on this.

Fulham’s defence also massively underperformed their expected numbers.

They were 6th in the league for xGC but 12th for actual goals conceded.

Andersen could be one of the better £4.5m defenders this season and I think he’s being slightly overlooked as he’s in just 1.8% of teams.

Jhon Arias - £5.5m - 1.0%

Jhon Arias is Wolves’ new signing from Fluminese.

He plays as an attacking midfielder and impressed during the Club World Cup.

In Fluminese’s opening game he got 1 goal, 1 assists and created the most chances of any player at the tournament.

Arias should fill Cunha’s shoes and be the creative force for Wolves this season and is nicely priced at just £5.5m.

Igor Thiago - £6.0m - 1.1%

Brentford signed striker Igor Thiago last summer after he scored 18 goals in 34 games for Club Brugge.

He spent most of last year injured but made a few sub appearances towards the end of the season.

He’s now fit and has started 2 games in pre-season so far, scoring in one of them.

With Mbeumo gone and Wissa on the way out, Igor Thiago will be Brentford’s starting striker.

Mbeumo leaving means that Brentford also need a new penalty taker and Thiago 8 of his 10 at Brugge so could assume that role.

Brentford have been gutted with Frank, Norgaard, Flekken, Mbeumo and now Wissa leaving but at £6.0m, Thiago could be a nice option if he’s on pens.

HAALAND AND/OR SALAH

This has been a burning question in our GW1 teams for the last few years and this year is no different.

For me, both is not an option.

The main reason for this is that I definitely want Palmer in my team.

Of course, you can make a team with all 3 but I think you have to make too many sacrifices elsewhere.

Neither is also not an option for me.

Again, I’ve seen some great drafts with neither as you can almost cover all other bases but I want one of them.

I currently have Salah and no Haaland in my team as you’ll see later in the thread.

I think both will be great and City’s fixtures are arguably better in the short term.

However, I think that Salah is the best captain in so many of the early weeks that it makes sense to start with him.

MY CURRENT TEAM

This is my current team at the time of writing this.

I talk through some of the other players that I’m considering in the below YouTube video.

If you want to see my final team before the deadline then check the tweet below this.

👉 youtu.be/UgrhCozxbpI

If you have any specific questions on anything in this preview or anything related to your team then drop me a message on Instagram or X @BradMayorFPL.

Best of luck!

Brad