Here we are then, the stage of the fantasy football season which can best be described as PANIC STATIONS.
Why? Because we're circa 24 hours away from the deadline, the end of the unlimited transfers and near endless amount of changes with the aim of finding that perfect combination.
The FPL game itself continues to evolve. Some significant changes have been made for the new campaign which are absolutely vital to remember when it comes to building a team.
The first of those is defensive contribution points. This rewards players for blocks, clearances, interceptions and tackles, bringing a whole load of other options into play when building your side.
For defenders, hitting a combined ten of the above will score them an additional two points. For midfielder and forwards, ball recoveries are added to the other four options, meaning they need a combined total of 12 to score the extra two points to their tally.
You also have two sets of chips this time around. The first lot of Bench Boost, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Wildcard will be in play until Gameweek 19, with the second lot then coming in following that deadline until the end of the campaign.
So, just who on Earth do you bring in as you aim to conquer the work mini-league? Here's a few of my suggestions.
The big hitters
I won't waste time by telling you about the big hitters. They are big hitters. They have big price tags. It's obvious enough.
In my opinion though, you need at least two of the following in your side:
- Erling Haaland - FWD - £14.0m
- Mohamed Salah - MID - £14.5m
- Cole Palmer - MID - £10.5m
They carry big fees and will use at least a quarter of your budget but they'll be worth it. Adding all three really then limits what else you can do but, hey, if you fancy it, you go for it.
But, taking two of the three still gives you plenty of funds to add quality around the squad.
Tijjani Reijnders
- Position: MID
- Club: Manchester City
- Price: £5.5m
Uh ohhhh, are we falling for another Manchester City trap? The latest victim of the feared Pep Roulette which has haunted fantasy players for generations? (Well, not that long, but you get my point).
IF things go as we hope, Tijjani Reijnders could prove to be a bargain option who delivers in a team expected to go well.
He should occupy one of the central midfield spots, playing either in front of Rodri or slightly ahead. If he can repeat his showings for Juventus last season, he'll massively outperform his price tag on the game.
Reijnders netted ten goals alongside five assists in 37 Serie A games, with three hitting the net in the Champions League too.
Elliot Anderson
- Position: MID
- Club: Nottingham Forest
- Price: £5.5m
Another solid, cheaper midfield option to give you money to use elsewhere, while also delivering some points throughout the course of the campaign.
Even if Nottingham Forest are expected to regress following a great season last time out, Elliot Anderson should prove to be another solid fantasy option for those who fancy taking the chance.
The 24/25 campaign returned two goals and six assists with his presence of corners and free-kicks an important factor to consider.
Oh and those new defensive contribution points we were on about? Anderson should be a regular for these - averaging 13.44 of the required metrics on a per 90 basis last time out.
Jorgen Strand Larsen
- Position: FWD
- Club: Wolves
- Price: £6.5m
There's a few good forward options to go at this season with the prices meaning we should see plenty of different combinations, rather than everyone having the same front line.
Jorgen Strand Larsen sits 16th in terms of selection so we can certainly categorise him as a differential in this department. His selection rate feels harsh considering the returns of last season.
The Norwegian striker netted 14 and saw an upturn in form following Vítor Pereira's arrival. Sure, Wolves will struggle this season but that doesn't mean Strand Larsen should be avoided.
Some of those carrying a similar price tag aren't even guaranteed starters. This selection percentage should increase as the season goes on.
Thierno Barry
- Position: FWD
- Club: Everton
- Price: £6.0m
This feels like a transfer that a lot of people may have missed in the summer. But, Everton have a new striker and his name is Thierno Barry.
The 22-year-old netted 11 goals and contributed a further four assists in 35 LaLiga outings for Villarreal last season and he should have a decent bit of support around him given the other attacking additions the Toffees have made.
Beto is also there and he saw a revival under David Moyes, so there may well be some minutes shared but Barry's selection rate of just 0.9%, sitting 33rd among forwards, makes him a great little gamble if anyone fancies it.
He's also cheap enough to give you funds to invest in big hitters elsewhere.
Viktor Gyökeres
- Position: FWD
- Club: Arsenal
- Price: £9.0m
A popular pick but still, I expected Viktor Gyökeres' selection rate to sit at above 26.0% at the time of writing.
Arsenal were desperate for a striker and they've added someone who has been prolific in recent years. He scored 54 goals, alongside providing 13 assists, in 52 appearances across all competitions for Sporting last season.
They are just insane numbers. The Gunners returned 69 goals, the third-highest in the league last season, with their 71.66 expected goals (or xG) figure the fourth-highest.
Adding Gyökeres to this front line should see both numbers increase.
Omar Marmoush
- Position: MID
- Club: Manchester City
- Price: £8.5m
Another City asset worth going for, even with the Pep Roulette threat.
Omar Marmoush scored seven in 16 following a January switch from Eintracht Frankfurt and he should have a role within this side, even with Haaland fit and available again.
He could play out wide or through the middle but it feels like his versatility will be crucial enough to make him a fantasy option.
I'm taking the gamble of having him in straight away, but there's little issue in monitoring the situation either. However, with Wolves, Tottenham and Brighton in their first three, they could see goals.
Gabriel Gudmundsson
- Position: DEF
- Club: Leeds
- Price: £4.0m
Carry a defender at £4.0m to free up budget to use elsewhere, unless you are planning to go for a mad 5-4-1 approach.
From the options at the lowest end of the scale, Gabriel Gudmundsson certainly stands out for Leeds. He may have only seen two goal involvements for Lille in Ligue 1 last time out but he should have an advanced role in Daniel Farke's side.
Junior Firpo - who Gudmundsson replaces - scored four and assisted ten in 32 appearances as Leeds won the Championship title last season.
The Sweden international will do well to get anywhere near that but, at this price, I'm much happier settling for a nailed-on starter than a centre-back who will contribute little.
Adrien Truffert
- Position: DEF
- Club: Bournemouth
- Price: £4.5m
Bournemouth's new left-back. Adrien Truffert replaces Milos Kerkez who has departed for Liverpool.
Kerkez's 24/25 campaign delivered six assists alongside two goals and Truffert has all the potential to be an assists machine considering some of his showings for Rennes.
It's a surprise to see he only returned two assists in 33 Ligue 1 outings too when we consider the numbers.
Truffert created 39 chances for teammates throughout the course of the season. Repeat that here and he should deliver some FPL points.
Robert Sanchez
- Position: GK
- Club: Chelsea
- Price: £5.0m
The more I look at it, the more I think Robert Sanchez is the goalkeeper to carry in your team this season.
He's going to be starting for a Chelsea side expected to be in the top four picture and his recent form has been good, even if previous performances would be categorised as 'questionable'.
He made six saves from six shots on target as the Blues beat PSG in the final of the Club World Cup, with the win over Fluminense in the round before also delivering a clean sheet alongside four saves from five shots against Benfica.
I did think Sanchez might have been bumped up to the £5.5m tag given the side he plays for.
Jeremie Frimpong
- Position: DEF
- Club: Liverpool
- Price: £6.0m
No defender is more expensive and no defender has been picked in more teams either, but it feels like Jeremie Frimpong will justify both.
The right-back replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield and it's fair to say that the attacking side of his game is far better than the defensive - expect goals and assists from the Dutch international.
He returned five goals and 12 assists in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen last season and Liverpool's expected role in the title race should see them scoring plenty.
I'm also interested in Frimpong's potential to play on the wing when Salah's at AFCON in a couple of months' time too.
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