Who are our Fantasy Premier League best picks ahead of the deadline? Read on to find out!
This is the final week where FPL managers get to tinker with their teams before the Gameweek 1 deadline at 18:30pm BST on Friday evening, just 90 minutes before the first Premier League game kicks off with Manchester United hosting Fulham at Old Trafford.
After Friday’s opener, the likes of Manchester City's Erling Haaland (£15m) and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) are expected to score a lot of points, but there are some cheaper gems that can be unearthed to make up the rest of your 15-man squad.
Top 5 Fantasy Premier League best picks for Gameweek 1
Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) – £4.5m
We had to include a goalkeeper in this list, and we think that Crystal Palace's Dean Henderson could potentially prove to be a bargain at just £4.5m. At present, £4.5m seems the cheapest price to pay for a starting ‘keeper in our teams, and Henderson is the best pick in our opinion.
Signing such cheap goalkeepers often comes with the risk of them being benched, but Henderson should be nailed with reports that Palace are willing to sell Sam Johnstone in this summer transfer window. The Eagles have a relatively kind set of opening fixtures, as they do not face any of last season's top five teams until Gameweek 7.
Valentin Barco (Brighton) – £4m
£4m is the cheapest price for any player in the FPL game when it first launches, and Valentin Barco could offer plenty of value. The left-back should start the season at Brighton and Hove Albion with Pervis Estupinan currently injured, and offers plenty of attacking threat.
He has even been taking some corners in pre-season for Brighton, which is a potential extra route to FPL points. The Seagulls have a couple of tricky opening fixtures with Manchester United at home and Arsenal away to play in Gameweeks 2 and 3 respectively, but Barco is likely a player that FPL managers can just hold on their bench and use in case of an emergency.
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) – £7m
Another Palace player makes the list given their kind opening set of fixtures in the form of Eberechi Eze. With Michael Olise joining Bayern Munich, there will be more onus on the England international to dictate the Eagles' attacking play and be the central hub of the team.
Eze is likely to be on most set-pieces for Palace, including penalties, which is a great route to FPL points. £7m represents good value for him considering some of the other players priced in and around that bracket.
Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea) – £6.5m
A player that featured in our most surprising FPL Price Changes piece, Christopher Nkunku has perhaps been undervalued considering the explosive potential he has in FPL. Indeed, he is listed as a midfielder but could start in Chelsea's frontline, maybe even as the central striker.
Nkunku suffered from an injury-plagued campaign last season, but there is no doubting his ability given how impressive he was in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig. If he can stay injury-free, the Frenchman could be a great pick for Gameweek 1 with Chelsea's relatively kind opening set of fixtures bar reigning champions City in Gameweek 1.
Alexander Isak (Newcastle) – £8.5m
At the time of writing, Alexander Isak is the most owned player in the game, and it is easy to see why. Priced at £8.5m, the striker could easily justify the tag.
Isak scored 21 goals in the Premier League last season, and Newcastle United boast one of the most dangerous attacks. The Magpies have a relatively kind set of opening fixtures, including hosting newly-promoted Southampton at St. James' Park in Gameweek 1.
