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It’s almost that time of the year again for Fantasy Premier League enthusiasts. The English Premier League is edging closer, with the first round of matches less than 3 weeks away. The FPL window has opened, as football fans across the world begin to figure out their lineups, adjusting and altering their favourite and not so favourite players to get the perfect mix.
The number of people that play the game is stunning, with figures growing year on year. 3,14,982 players have already registered at this early stage and a slew of others will follow soon.
Several Premier League footballers play the game as well, with Harry Kane famously saying he decided to drop himself after a period of bad form and a Head of State admitting to calling up the Liverpool owners to enquire whether a certain player would be in the starting lineup or not, so that he could adjust his FPL team.
Here we take a look at 5 early picks for the Fantasy Premier League season, who might prove to be worth more than their current price tags.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (£9.5m)
Mkhitaryan isn’t priced cheaply at £9.5m but it’s a measure of his talent that he still finds himself on this list. He took some time to adjust to the Bundesliga, but once he did, boy did he deliver. Jose Mourinho might just be the manager to get the best out of him in his first season in England and if he is able to do that, Mkhitaryan will score points left right and center.
Capable of playing anywhere across the forward line, he’s an extremely intelligent player and finds space with ease. With 19 goals and 15 assists for Borussia Dortmund last year in 39 appearances, if he can replicate that form he could be one of the highest scoring players in the game.
Erik Lamela (£7m)
The Spurs midfielder got a lot of criticism after his first season in England, but won over Spurs fans last year with his consistent and tenacious performances. Still quite not the skillful player we saw at Roma, this could be the season Lamela shows what he can really do.
The Argentine has admittedly taken some time to adjust to a new culture, and perseverance has been the key. He was a crucial cog in a Spurs team that did so brilliantly last year.
With 5 goals and 9 assists in the 2015-16 season, this season should only get better for the 24-year-old winger.
Alvaro Negredo (£6m)
Negredo is back to the Premier League after making a swashbuckling entry in England with Manchester City. He’s not had the best of times with Valencia, but the 23 goals in 48 appearances he bagged with The Citizens will be fresh in the memory of City fans.
Powerful in the air, a good finisher and priced at a paltry £6m, he might be the firepower Middlesbrough need to stay in the Premier League, and can be excellent value for his fee. Middlesbrough face Stoke, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and West Brom in their opening 4 fixtures, so if Negredo settles quickly he could well bag a few goals in those games.
Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7m)
Sigurdsson will still have the euphoria of a memorable Euro 2016 with Iceland, but should still be back to his consistent best with Swansea. He scored 11 Premier League goals last year, the majority of those in the second half of the season and also gives excellent value for money. His consistency should mean that he’s a safe bet in midfield.
Sigurdsson is excellent at set pieces, so look for him to score a few free kicks and get a few assists through the course of the season at the very least. Swansea should improve under their Italian manager Guidolin as well, and Siggy will be at the heart of their play.
Sofiane Feghouli (£5.5m)
Feghouli must be the riskiest choice on this list, but he may well be worth it. He’s priced way below his ability, and though they are doubts on the game time he will get at West Ham, he’s a very talented footballer. Technically proficient with an eye for a pass and the knack to score plenty of goals, Feghouli could be an asset for West Ham.
You could use him in your squad to accommodate your more expensive purchases, and if he comes good for West Ham, his price will rocket upwards.
