FPL experts have picked the best 15-player team for the upcoming Premier League season!
Fantasy Premier League fans are gearing up as the deadline quickly approaches, and experts have teamed up to pick the ultimate 15-man squad. In just a few hours, Arsenal will start their title defense at home against newly promoted Coventry City, while millions of FPL players rush to finalize their teams before the 6:30pm deadline on August 21.
Every season, managers face tough choices and need to avoid costly mistakes when building their squads. They have to decide which big-name stars to pick and which cheaper players to include within their £100 million budget.
Unsurprisingly, Erling Haaland (£15.5m) is the most popular player, owned by nearly 70% of managers despite being the most expensive. Close behind is Chelsea forward Joao Pedro (£7.5m), picked by 63.5% of players after scoring seven goals in pre-season.
Haaland and Pedro will be in most teams once the deadline hits, but they’re not the only favorites for gameweek one. A group of FPL experts has come together to choose the best 15-man squad to start the season.
Fixtures play a big role in picking players, so many managers are eyeing players from top teams with easier opening games. Manchester United are a great example—they start with two matches against newly promoted teams, visiting Hull City on August 22 and then hosting Ipswich Town the next week. For this reason, the experts have chosen three Man United players: defender Harry Maguire (£5m) and midfielders Bruno Fernandes (£12m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£8m).
Fernandes is the third most popular player after a fantastic season, with many expecting him to keep providing assists.
The experts have also picked two budget goalkeepers, Tottenham’s Antonin Kinsky and Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen (both £4.5m), who can be rotated to always have a home game.
Even though popular defenders like Gabriel Magalhaes (£8m), Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m), and Nico O’Reilly (£6.5m) are well-liked, the experts went for cheaper options instead. Alongside Maguire, they chose Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori (£5.5m), Spurs’ Jan Paul van Hecke (£5m), Leeds’ Joe Rodon (£4.5m), and Coventry’s Bobby Thomas (£4m).
Splurging on defenders has paid off in recent seasons, but this time the experts are saving money for midfielders and attackers. Along with Fernandes and Mbeumo, they picked Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai (£7m), the second most popular midfielder, plus two budget picks: Pascal Gross and Mamadou Sangare (both £5.5m). Gross has gained attention after Danny Welbeck left for Chelsea, as he looks set to take set-pieces and penalties. Sangare impressed last season with strong defensive stats playing for Lens in Ligue 1.
Up front, Haaland, Pedro, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6m) are the top picks, and the experts agree they’re the best options.
Here’s the full expert squad:
Goalkeepers: Verbruggen (£4.5m), Kinsky (£4.5m)
Defenders: Calafiori (£5.5m), Maguire (£5m), Van Hecke (£5m), Rodon (£4.5m), Thomas (£4m)
Midfielders: Fernandes (£12m), Mbeumo (£8m), Szoboszlai (£7m), Gross (£5.5m), Sangare (£5.5m)
Forwards: Haaland (£15.5m), Pedro (£7.5m), Calvert-Lewin (£6m)
With the deadline so close, now’s the time to get your team ready and join the excitement of the new season!