EPL GW-1 FPL Player Picks

The wait was tough and boring but we finally have a deadline to worry about. The 2023-23 season offered lots of exciting results, and new talents were unearthed. 2023-24 offers a lot more. The summer transfer window has witnessed many incomings and outgoings, which means some players from last season will no longer be available (or might vanish during the first few game-weeks!), but there are also many new ones to select from.

Without further ado, let’s look at some exciting options from GW-1.

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Goalkeepers

Aaron Ramsdale - (£5.0m, Arsenal v Nottingham Forest)

Rumors of impending competition have done Ramsdale a whole world of good, as the goalkeeper seems to have raised his standard in recent weeks. The England international was pivotal to the Gunners’ Community Shield victory last week, making several key stops during the match, including a penalty kick save. With the arrival of David Raya looking like a formality, expect Ramsdale to be at his best against Nottingham Forest.

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Jason Steele - (£4.5m, Brighton v Luton)

Steele proved a popular choice among FPL managers in the latter stages of the 2022-23 Premier League season as the shot-stopper replaced Sanchez as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper. Sanchez is now gone and Bart Verbruggen has arrived, but Steele still started three of Brighton’s four preseason matches, including the most recent one against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. Consequently, we expect to see Steele in goal for the Seagulls’ season opener.

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Defenders

John Stones - (£5.5m, Burnley v Man City)

Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy makes Man City defenders difficult for FPL managers to predict. However, Stones has proven to be a mainstay in Guardiola’s back line. His hybrid role that includes some midfield involvement makes him almost irreplaceable. An opening-day fixture against newly promoted Burnley bodes well for a clean sheet.

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Pervis Estupinan - (£5.0m, Brighton v Luton)

Estupinan offers a good entry point into an impressive Brighton back line. Plus, the Ecuadorian’s attacking sensibilities mean he presents an opportunity for points from both halves of the pitch.

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Luke Shaw - (£5.5m, Man United v Wolves)

Uncertainty on the right side of Man United’s defense means Luke Shaw is the most secure choice among the Red Devils fullbacks, and there is good clean sheet potential at home to listless Wolves.

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Kieran Trippier - (£6.5m, Newcastle v Aston Villa)

Last season’s top-producing FPL defender, Trippier will be eager to start the new season with a bang when the Magpies host Aston Villa. Trippier’s ability on set pieces has been crucial to Newcastle’s attacking play, and we expect him to pick up right where he left off.

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Trent Alexander Arnold - (£8.0m, Chelsea v Liverpool)

Jurgen Klopp’s decision to utilize TAA as an inverted fullback led to a purple patch for the Englishman last season. TAA’s freedom to move around saw him become even more involved in his team’s attacking play, and he rounded off the season with a couple of goals and assists.

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Midfielders

Kevin De Bruyne - (£10.5, Burnley v Man City)

De Bruyne showed his importance to Pep Guardiola’s star-studded team with an impressive cameo in the Community Shield against Arsenal FC. The Citizens struggled to create chances, but De Bruyne grabbed an assist just 13 minutes after coming on. The Belgian was also involved in a number of other threatening situations. (And let’s just let that missed PK go, shall we?)

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Mo Salah - (£12.5m, Chelsea v Liverpool)

Salah’s famous GW-1 record makes for good reading — He has always been a thorn in the flesh of opposition defenders on the opening weekend of the EPL. The Egyptian has recorded 12 points, 17 points, 20 points, and 12 points in previous starts to a season.

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Bryan Mbuemo - (£6.5m, Brentford v Tottenham)

Mbuemo took on most of the Bees’ goal-scoring burden after the suspension of Ivan Toney towards the end of last season. The Cameroonian combined well with Wissa upfront and the two will be expected to keep up their impressive partnership when they take on newcomers Luton this weekend.

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Bukayo Saka - (£8.5m, Arsenal v Nottingham Forest)

Fourteen goals and eleven assists last season showed how crucial Saka is to the Gunners’ attack. Most Gunner attacks are built from his side of the pitch, taking advantage of his impressive understanding with Odegaard and right back Ben White.

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Eberechi Eze - (£6.5m, Sheffield United v Crystal Palace)

Three assists plus one goal in the Eagles’ last three pre-season games tell you everything you need to know about the red-hot Eze. The midfielder has successfully stepped into the shoes vacated by Zaha, becoming central to all of the Eagles’ attacking thrusts. His set piece deliveries have proved difficult for opposition defenders to handle.

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Julio Enciso - (£5.5m, Brighton v Luton)

Enciso ended 2022-23 in sublime form, with his screamer against Man City the most memorable among his highlight reel of goalscoring contributions. In the absence of the departed McAllister, Enciso will be expected to play a more significant role in the Seagulls’ set-up this season.

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Strikers

Harry Kane - (£12.5m, Brentford v Tottenham)

England skipper Kane scored four goals in just 41 minutes against Shakhtar Donetsk to cap off Tottenham’s pre-season fixtures. And despite a very underwhelming team performance last season, the striker was among the few Spurs who maintained high standards, rippling the net 30 times in the EPL.

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Erling Haaland - (£14.0m, Burnley v Man City)

It’s Haaland again. Need I say much more? Last season’s record-breaking FPL top scorer, Haaland will be eager to start banging in the goals again after suffering through a dry run that started back in April and includes blanks in the Champions League final, the FA Cup final, and the Community Shield. I fear for Burnley here.

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How is your GW-1 FPL roster shaping up? Which of the highlighted picks makes your team? Whom do you think we left out but should have mentioned? What questions do you have for us? Please login and tell us in the comments below.

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