The Premier League season is so nearly upon us and with it comes the vital decision-making process behind a fantasy football team. A well-balanced team is vital to success and, with the captain of that team having the ability to earn triple points this year, a consistent goalscorer is now more essential than ever before.
Fantasy Premier League Tips: Five Players You Should Pick
1. Petr Cech (£5.5m) — Perhaps an obvious choice but also a logical one. Arsenal have waited too long to find their ideal goalkeeper, but now he has arrived there’s no reason he shouldn’t arrive in most fantasy teams. Not only is he an excellent addition with a track record of success, but a player who now has a much improved Arsenal defence in front of him.
With Petr Cech costing £5.5m, the same as his old goalkeeper counterpart Thibaut Courtois, there are certainly reasons to consider selecting the current Chelsea ‘keeper above him.
However, there are two reasons why Cech is a good, if not better choice. Firstly, one can select only three players from any given club. Despite Arsenal’s depth, many will favour selecting more outfield players from Chelsea’s squad. Secondly, Petr Cech, by his own right, is an outstanding player and seems re-energised with the prospect of guaranteed first team football at this stage in his career.
2. John Terry (£7.0m) — The stand-out defender in the world of fantasy football and indeed the Premier League itself last year. An invaluable asset to Chelsea, not only defensively, but in occasionally having the ability to find the net at the vital time too.
The market price for the Chelsea defenders in Fantasy Football reflects the expectance of the minimal goals they will concede. Three out of four of the most expensive defenders are Chelsea players, with Ivanovic and Terry himself being the two most expensive defensive players to choose. Alongside what surely has to be the best defence in the league, John Terry is a sensible choice and guarantees a steady flow of points across the course of the season.
3. Raheem Sterling (£9.0m) — Raheem Sterling will certainly have a lot of eyes on him during the first game week and most probably throughout the entire season. There are those who believe Sterling could spend a lot of time on the bench — a big no in terms of the selection process of players in fantasy football. In rational terms, it seems unlikely Manchester City would part with close to £50 million and simply make him watch games. Sterling will surely be given a significant chance to prove himself.
David Silva deserves some serious thought too. Silva will cost you a precious extra £1.0m, but with a tally of 191 points last year, similarly to John Terry, he’s a safe bet in adding points to the team. There’s no denying it’s tough to choose between the two. Sterling has everything to prove whereas Silva only can further enhance his reputation — a testament to the fantastic consistency of his performances in England.
Why risk picking Sterling? To put it simply, at 20, Sterling still has unfulfilled potential. The glimpses he showed at Liverpool were impressive and with the likes of Nasri, Aguero, Toure and of course Silva too, Sterling can certainly thrive at Manchester City. A risk, but one that may very well be worth taking.
4. Eden Hazard (£11.5m) — The easiest choice by some distance, Eden Hazard simply has to be in your team this year. The Player of the Year last season, a vital contributor to a title-winning Chelsea side, and the scorer of 233 points in fantasy football last year. What’s not to like? The likes of Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero will be keen to take away his player of the year award this time around, but for now, Eden Hazard remains the best player to have in your fantasy team from the very start.
5. Wayne Rooney (£10.5m) — Wayne Rooney will always be on the mind of any FPL manager. His 2014-15 campaign saw him manage 132 points, a respectable figure but one that many would like to see improve if they place him in their team. In truth, other young and to an extent unproven Premier League, English players outdid him. Danny Ings, Saido Berahino and Charlie Austin all scored more points and could be purchased at the start of the last campaign for far cheaper prices. However, things are changing in the red half of Manchester this year.
A host of new signings, including Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin are enough to excite any United fan. Rooney himself can take heart from the new signings but perhaps more importantly the expectation that he will now take the central striking role at United, after the departures of Radamel Falcao and Robin Van Persie this summer. Although this doesn’t guarantee a flourish of goals, Rooney will now have much more of a chance to be involved in the final product of Manchester United attacks this year. As well as this, Rooney’s opening games are against teams he has a favourable goal record against and this makes him seem a good player to have during the opening few weeks.
The Wildcard: Calum Wilson (£5.5m) — New boys Bournemouth enter the league as something of a surprise package. Their remarkable turnaround from the brink of going out of the football league, to top flight football, all in the space of a few years, is quite remarkable. Calum Wilson, who managed 20 goals last year, seems like one of many new faces in the league to watch out for. At just £5.5m, he is a cheaper alternative to the above players and if you find yourself strapped for cash, he may very well be a player worth turning to.
The Captain’s Pick: Eden Hazard — With Sergio Aguero still striving for full fitness, Eden Hazard seems as sensible choice as any for captaincy in game week 1. Chelsea face a strong Swansea side at home, but Hazard will be very difficult to stop if he picks up where he left off. With Costa’s fitness still in question, Hazard will be looked to to produce goals early on in the season and should be a fairly consistent point scorer yet again this year.
With many players still battling hard to be fit for the first game of the season it’s always worth delaying your choice of captain until as late as possible, but if all stays the same, where better to start than last season’s player of the year?
