Fantrax EPL GW-1 Player Picks

The 2023-24 season will kick off this Friday, newly promoted Burnley hosting reigning champion Man City at Turf Moor. For those of you who have yet to join NMA’s Fantrax leagues, you can find info and links to NMA-11 and NMA-17 in NMA’s Fantrax EPL 2023-24 Leagues Are Open!.

As usual, due to the active summer transfer window activities, there are plenty of choices for fantasy managers to peruse as the season begins. If you want to purchase this season’s stars at entry level prices, it’s crucial that you identify them now!

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Goalkeepers

Andre Onana ( $7.00, Man United vs Wolves )

Wolves scored the fewest goals last season, and their only “new” attacker is converting Mattheus Cunha to permanent. That’s after losing several key players such as Raul Jimenez, Diego Costa, Adama Traore and Ruben Neves — rendering Wolves an early candidate for relegation. Onana should be able to kick start his EPL career comfortably.

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Aaron Ramsdale ( $13.07, Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest )

Although he is much more expensive than Onana, at least Ramsdale has the advantage of a bona fide track record in the EPL. Arsenal’s acquisition of Brentford’s David Raya seems imminent, and Ramsdale seems to have responded to this threat by putting in a peach of a performance in the win over Manchester City in the Community Shield. It’s possible that Raya could ultimately usurp him if he joins, but Ramsdale seems a lock for at least for GW-1, and Fantrax’s format lends itself to week-to-week squad management. Bottom-line: don’t shy away from Ramsdale for Arsenal’s opener, as a clean sheet could well be in the cards when the Gunners host Forest.

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Defenders

Reece James ( $5.73, Chelsea vs Liverpool )

Mauricio Pochettino returns to the EPL with his four-defender formation when all other top teams were employing a three-defender system last season. Reece James’s salary is a bargain, and with the new manager’s tactics, James should be productive at both ends this season, provided he can stay away from injury.

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Jurrien Timber ( $7.00, Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest )

This new addition to the league has been impressive in all pre-season games, including the Community Shield match against Man City. His versatility to play on either side of a back four, plus his ability to invert into midfield, means he could turn out to be a long term fixture in your Fantasy Squad!

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Pedro Porro ( $5.05, Brentford vs Tottenham )

If you are looking to invest more resources in attack, then Pedro Porro is definitely one of the players you should have in your defense. He offers tremendous value at this price point, considering that he averaged nearly 10 points per game last season.

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Midfielders

James Maddison ( $13.76, Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur )

Maddison has always been an top asset in Fantrax, and with his opponents distracted by teammates such as Kane and Son, he’ll now have even more space to exploit. Plus he’ll have Kane and Son! All signs point to even more productivity this season than last.

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Phil Foden ( $11.33, Burnley vs Man City )

Nobody knows who will be starting for Man City in the opening match. Foden was a substitute in the Community Shield, which might be a step to keep him fresh for the league’s opening match. Playing against a promoted team means all of City’s attackers are good candidates in Fantrax, and Foden will definitely have a bigger role in this campaign after the departure of Riyad Mahrez.

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Marcus Rashford ( $14.58, Man Utd vs Wolves )

Marcus Rashford has been improving under the management of Erik Ten Hag. Home against low-morale Wolves, he’s a good option. Of course, if you have more budget, Bruno Fernandes is also compelling.

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Dominik Szoboszlai ( $7.00, Chelsea vs Liverpool )

Another new face in the league, Szoboszlai as an attacking midfielder who was impressive in the pre-season match against Leicester. The former RB Leipzig man will have a big role to play after the departure of several key players during the summer transfer window. Playing away at Chelsea is the only drawback of this selection; the going could be tough.

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Forwards

Moussa Diaby ( $7.00, Newcastle vs Aston Villa )

Unai Emery’s Villa side is one of the dark horses this season; fantasy managers should not neglect the Villans’ improvement in the second half of the last campaign plus their activities in the summer transfer window. Mousa Diaby needed no time to adapt in his new team, scoring game after game in preseason. His partnership with Ollie Watkins will definitely cause chaos in Saint James Park this weekend!

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Kai Havertz ( $9.26, Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest )

Gabriel Jesus’ surgery leaves an open slot for Kai Havertz to start even though he is new to the team. Havertz wasted some chances in the Community Shield, but his off-ball runs and attitude on the pitch are definitely positive. And even if Arteta elects to play someone else as the stand-in for Jesus this weekend, I would still expect Havertz to start in midfield. My spidey-senses are telling me that he opens his Arsenal goal-scoring account at home to the Tricky Trees this weekend.

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Stats and info for this article were sourced from premierleague.com and fantrax.com.

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Get registered at Fantrax now! Those new to Fantrax should also know that the first salary adjustment can be crazy (about 10 hours after the last match of the weekend), so stay tuned to the comments here and in our live-chat article this weekend.

With unlimited transfers, you’ll want to wade in before that recalculation to snag a few high-performers whose salaries are liable to explode — locking in preseason prices that could give you a season-long advantage (barring injury etc).

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So who looks like a Fantrax EPL GW-1 must have? And who’s on your watch-list? Please register here at NMA and then post your Fantrax thoughts and questions in the comments below.

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