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Despite significant rule changes for FPL this season, it’s still attackers who are the hot property in the game, with goals and assists the key currency.
Getting the balance right between the premiums priced over £9.0m and cheaper options is the biggest quandary. There’s some variety considering the potential of the AI predictions over the first four gameweeks.
With just one day left until Friday's 6.30pm deadline, Fantasy Football Hub's HOLLY SHAND takes a look at five attackers you should consider for your 15-man squads.
5th Place: Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m)
23.8 predicted points
Bruno Fernandes is set to be a key pick in FPL this season, with the addition of defensive contribution points to the scoring matrix providing him with more routes to points. He would have netted an additional 22 points last season, earning him a £0.5million price increase.
How to win at FPL: Daily Mail Sport takes a look at the top attackers you should consider
Bruno Fernandes is forecasted to score plenty of FPL points in the opening four gameweeks
Despite Viktor Gyokeres' arrival, Bukayo Saka is expected to do best from Arsenal's attack
Manchester United have had a promising summer transfer window, with a new look front three of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. That means a deeper role for Fernandes, controlling the play and dominating on set pieces, including penalties.
Expect Fernandes to be among the defensive contribution points for games against Arsenal in Gameweek 1 and Manchester City in Gameweek 4. He has been in great form this pre-season, where he’s amassed three goals and two assists.
4th Place: Bukayo Saka (£10.0m)
26.4 predicted points
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is somewhat of a differential pick in FPL this season, with just 17% of teams backing the Gunners star boy for Gameweek 1. An injury hit season has dampened his appeal, where he failed to score ten goals for the first time in four seasons.
The arrival of Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) in the summer transfer window has seen Arsenal fans flock to start with him in Gameweek 1, with a quarter of managers backing the striker. Mikel Arteta has hinted that he could take penalty duties away from Saka.
Saka has two goals and one assist in pre-season. It’s an unpredictable Gameweek 1 fixture at Old Trafford. A home game against promoted Leeds United in Gameweek 2 carries plenty of appeal, with Saka the best captain pick in that gameweek, on 7.7 predicted points.
How Cole Palmer and Chelsea's new forward Joao Pedro compared in the league last season
Chelsea's star man Palmer is owned by an astonishing 57% of teams heading into Gameweek 1
3rd Place: Cole Palmer (£10.5m)
26.8 predicted points
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer has made a late claim to be the most owned player in the game for Gameweek 1, in 57% of teams at the time of writing. He overtakes team-mate Joao Pedro and Mohamed Salah to take this crown.
Speaking of crowns, it was an emphatic summer at the Club World Cup for the Chelsea talisman, with a decisive brace in the final seeing him win the Player of the Tournament. He’s remained key to the Blues goals in their shortened pre-season.
Chelsea don’t leave London for their opening four games, with home games against Crystal Palace and Fulham plus trips to West Ham and Brentford. Expect him to hit double digits for goals and assists once again this season.
2nd Place: Erling Haaland (£14.0m)
27.1 predicted points
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is a slightly unfashionable pick in FPL to start the season, despite a £1.0 million price reduction from last campaign. It would be unwise to overlook the Norwegian striker, who has won the Premier League Golden Boot in two of three seasons.
He’s averaging over 28 league goals per season in a Manchester City shirt, with Pep Guardiola bringing in some key midfield faces in this transfer window to improve the service for Erling Haaland. He has already scored four goals in pre-season.
Haaland typically starts the season in red hot form, with five goals in three Gameweek 1 appearances. Last year he raced to 10 goals in five games. However, a shorter pre-season may mean Haaland isn’t quite as fresh, following the Club World Cup in the summer.
Despite his disappointing Community Shield, Mo Salah is still tipped to score the most points
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are in the top 10 for predicted points at the start of the season
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1st Place: Mohamed Salah (£14.5m)
31.1 predicted points
Mohamed Salah is the most expensive midfielder in FPL history, having broken his own record in 24/25 to produce the highest scoring season in the game, with 344 points. The £2.0million price increase hasn’t deterred owners, backed by 54% of managers.
It’s been a quiet pre-season for the Egyptian, scoring just one goal and missing from the penalty spot on two occasions, including in the shoot-out of the Community Shield. However, he’s predicted to be the best captain pick in three of the opening four gameweeks.
Liverpool have an enticing Gameweek 1 game against Bournemouth, who have lost key defenders in this transfer window. Salah has never blanked for Liverpool in an opening day fixture, averaging 12.25 fantasy points per game.
