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Top Forwards for Official Fantasy Premier League 2018-19

The strikers whom you should own this season.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Arsenal - Premier League
I’ll get you twenty!
Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Straight to the point: It’s less than a week to go, and you’ve overhauled your team eight times already. You can’t decide on your formation, and new positions for some players have added to the confusion, and Kun Aguero played one game that made you change your team for a ninth time.

My intention this season is to invest heavily in the midfield, but the forwards I’ll discuss today might change those plans. We have a wealth of options to choose from, so let’s have a look at the men leading the line and aiming for places in our squads.

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Premium £10.0-£12.5

We shall begin with the three kings (OK I know that won’t catch on), the men I believe guarantee twenty goals for the season if fit. Ownership and investment in one of these players at all times may be a good strategy, they will each have periods where the goals don’t stop going in.

Harry Kane

25+ goals in each of the past three seasons, no competition for his place, penalties, World Cup golden boot. Kane = goals. You could survive without him, but you won’t sleep well.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Ten goals in a half season, now with a preseason under his belt. Things will only get better from here on, especially without Champions League football (Salah, Kane, etc won’t have that respite). No other striker has had more shots on target since his introduction to the Arsenal starting eleven.

Sergio Aguero

Did you watch the Community Shield? It’s pretty much guaranteed that he will start the season with more than the current 13% ownership he currently has. Aguero has scored twenty goals in each of the past four seasons, and I don’t see signs of that changing, even with the presence of Gabriel Jesus.

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Mid-Tier £7.0-£9.5

We should expect the men in this price range to provide us with 15-20 goals apiece. Not quite the 20+ of the premium options, but good enough to consistently help our teams.

Roberto Firmino

A top-three point total among all forwards last year makes his price a pleasant surprise. The Brazilian led all strikers in the assists department, and he was second only to Kane in the bonus standings. This is a player Jurgen Klopp loves, and it’s not hard to see why. Even with a deeper squad this year, he will be a regular starter.

Jamie Vardy

Another shocking pricing that I am happy to see. It may not be a bad strategy to ignore the premium strikers and possibly go with Firmino and the Leicester man who scored twenty goals last year. Riyad Mahrez is in Manchester now, which hurts the supply lines, but Vardy is sure of starts despite what the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho have done in preseason.

Marko Arnautovic

The most in form player of the preseason, I think he can get to fifteen goals this season. The Austrian is also a source of assists and a pretty safe pick at his price. His 25% ownership will surely increase further if he gets off to a good start despite difficult opening fixtures.

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Low-Budget £4.5-£6.5

Eight to twelve goals would be about what we expect from our third striker. This is someone who may be on our bench at times but put into the lineup based on fixture. The good news is that we have a wealth of options in the low price range. I currently have two such forwards in my team, but that may change because of what Aguero did (stay tuned).

Joshua King

This is a player whom I have high expectations for. He did not reach the heights last season, but this could be a huge bounce-back year. My hope is evidenced by the place he occupies in my squad at present, and I don’t see that changing before we kick off the season on Friday. I’m saying it now: King will provide twelve goals.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Forwards on promoted teams are usually placed in the wait-and-observe pile. The Fulham striker does not belong there; he will score goals for Slavisa Jokanovic. Blessed with Premier League experience and a point to prove, you can feel safe including him in your plans.

Andre Gray

This should be the season he comes good... not what you want to hear when reading about someone you should get in. Watford can’t depend Troy Deeney to get the goals much longer, and this is going to be the year the torch is passed.

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Also keep an eye on...

Alvaro Morata: His confidence looks shot, but a Sarri team will score goals.

Cenk Tosun: Read above, insert Marco Silva for Sarri.

Raul Jimenez: If given the central role for Wolves, he could surprise defences.

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HEY, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER POSITIONS?

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out our player picks ahead of the 2018-19 season for keepers, defenders, and midfielders.

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WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

To read our primer with all the vital information regarding Official Fantasy Premier League rules, scoring and strategy, click here.

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HOW TO JOIN THE NEVER MANAGE ALONE LEAGUE

Go ahead and sign into the Official Premier League 2018-19 fantasy game. If you don’t already have an account, create one.

You will want to join the Never Manage Alone “Beat the Bloggers” league and test your mettle against our crack staff as well as our wonderful community members. To join the league, first you need to pick a team name and fill out your team with all 15 players. Once you have created your team, simply click on this link to join our league and enter the code below.

LEAGUE NAME: Never Manage Alone “BTB”

LEAGUE CODE: 84492-17509

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Who are the forwards keeping you up at night trying to fit them into your squad? Remember not to overlook the lower priced players; we have been given good options this year like Zaha and those mentioned above. Let me know the three strikers in your team.

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