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Spoiler alert: it’s in a 3-5-2 formation, with Mohamed Salah as its premium selection.
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Goalkeeper: Alisson
- Club: Liverpool
- GW1 fixture: Bournemouth (H)
- Predicted points: 4.3
Liverpool were the outstanding defensive team in the Premier League last season, keeping 14 clean sheets, with goalkeeper Alisson collecting 10 of those. Alisson has a good track record in this fixture, with Liverpool beating Bournemouth to nil home and away last season, providing two of those clean sheets. He’s kept a clean sheet on opening weekend in four of seven seasons with Liverpool.
Defender: Pedro Porro
- Club: Tottenham
- GW1 fixture: Burnley (H)
- Predicted points: 5.2
Tottenham Hotspur have some excellent fixtures to open their campaign, facing promoted Burnley at home on opening weekend and then entertaining Bournemouth in Gameweek 3. Full-back Pedro Porro has registered a minimum of six goal involvements in three seasons at the club. And he’ll also take a significant number of their set pieces given that James Maddison faces a lengthy absence with an ACL injury.
Defender: Nikola Milenkovic
- Club: Nottingham Forest
- GW1 fixture: Brentford (H)
- Predicted points: 5.1
Nottingham Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic would have been the highest-scoring defender in the game last season if the new defensive contribution points had been added. He certainly has a varied route to points, with seven goal involvements and 13 clean sheets last campaign. His side have a kind run of opening three fixtures, facing Brentford, Crystal Palace and West Ham, with two home games in this spell.
Defender: Micky van de Ven
- Club: Tottenham
- GW1 fixture: Burnley (H)
- Predicted points: 4.8
The strength of Tottenham’s early fixtures and the presumed defensive solidity of the side under new manager Thomas Frank sees the AI back a bold double up. Defender Micky van de Ven is among the best defenders in the game, priced at £4.5 million. The arrival of midfielder Joao Palhinha (£5.5m) in the summer transfer window to sit in front of the back four and provide protection bolsters their clean sheet hopes.
Midfielder: Mo Salah
- Club: Liverpool
- GW1 fixture: Bournemouth (H)
- Predicted points: 8.2
Even the AI cannot ignore Mo Salah’s remarkable 2024-25 campaign, where he broke plenty of fantasy records for delivering 37 goal involvements in 38 games. He’s the best captain pick for opening weekend, where he’s never blanked and faces a new-look Bournemouth defence who have lost some key personnel in this transfer window, including Dean Hujsen and Milos Kerkez.
Midfielder: Bukayo Saka
- Club: Arsenal
- GW1 fixture: Man Utd (A)
- Predicted points: 6.3
The arrival of Viktor Gyokeres in the summer transfer window improves Arsenal’s attack, but may take spot-kick duty away from Bukayo Saka. Despite this, he is expected to remain an option in most dead ball situations and look to improve on a 2024-25 season which was hampered by injury. A trip to Old Trafford in Gameweek 1 is difficult to predict, but the Gunners then host promoted Leeds United in Gameweek 2.
Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes
- Club: Man Utd
- GW1 fixture: Arsenal (H)
- Predicted points: 5.7
Manchester United have had a significant transfer window, which has seen the fantasy stock of their assets increasing. It’s impossible to ignore captain Bruno Fernandes, who has the routes to points, with goal and assist threat. He is also on set pieces, including penalties and a deeper position for this season should also see him rack up a significant number of points for defensive contributions.
Midfielder: Yankuba Minteh
- Club: Brighton
- GW1 fixture: Fulham (H)
- Predicted points: 5.2
Brighton midfielder Yankuba Minteh is the necessary budget enabler in this lineup to afford the stacked midfield, with good prospects for the early season. He managed 11 goal involvements from 20 starts last season, with minutes his biggest hindrance to points. A more prominent role in this Seagulls attack could see him be excellent value, with a promising opening two fixtures against Fulham and Everton.
Midfielder: Youri Tielemans
- Club: Aston Villa
- GW1 fixture: Newcastle (H)
- Predicted points: 4.6
Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans has the promise of being a great all-round player for this campaign. He produced 10 goal involvements last season and has a chance of being on penalties. He will also be in the mix regularly for defensive contribution points, picking up the two point bonus in a quarter of his appearances last season. Aston Villa have great fixtures stretching over the first eight gameweeks.
Forward: Ollie Watkins
- Club: Aston Villa
- GW1 fixture: Newcastle (X)
- Predicted points: 6.0
Aston Villa’s promising early fixtures sees a double up on their attacking options to start the campaign, with striker Ollie Watkins another worthy inclusion. He’s also in the mix to have penalties, as we wait with baited breath for his team to be awarded one. Watkins produced 24 goal involvements last campaign, with a remarkable 37 goal involvements in 38 appearances the season before.
Forward: Chris Wood
- Club: Nottingham Forest
- GW1 fixture: Brentford (H)
- Predicted points: 5.5
Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood was the surprise package of last season, helping himself to an impressive 20 goals before injury hampered the latter stages of his campaign. With a full pre-season under his belt, he will be hoping to emulate his high shot conversion rate from last campaign. Forest crucially retained playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White in the window which helps their attack.
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