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Finally she is back, and she is as beautiful as ever. The object of our desires, one which made the weekends worth getting excited about, and the one thing that calms the nerves of many football fans, the English Premier will resume today in all its beauty and glory, kickstarting its 22nd season.
This also ushers the beginning of the much awaited Sportskeeda Football Fantasy, a game that challenges your skills of being the great fortune-teller like no other.
If you’re having trouble assembling your team to have a go at the 52 prizes up for grabs in this competition, you can remove that frown off your face, and that wince off your forehead as we are here to give you a heads-up on where you might land your jackpot for the first gameweek.
The Goalkeepers
Joe Hart would be the best bet for goalkeeping duties at the start of the season. But the 8 million price tag with a salary slotted in the gold category might make you look elsewhere. If you want someone on a similar level, you can look to Petr Cech to get you some points with the double gameweek to start things off.
Simon Mignolet
And that’s what brings us to Simon Mignolet, who is a not only 1.5m cheaper than Hart, but also has a bronze level salary. If you are looking for the absolute bargain to accommodate your big hitters upfront, then start off with Vito Mannone at a knockdown price of 5.5m.
The Defenders
The first name on the lips of any fantasy fanatic when it comes to defenders, is Leighton Baines. The Everton man is the costliest on the list and will be entrusted with set-piece and spot-kick duties. With a favourable matchups early and playing in Martinez’s expansive system, it should offer great opportunities for the left-back.
There are always the double gameweek Chelsea defenders up for grabs. Branislav Ivanovic and Ashley Cole seem to be the favourites to feature in both the games in the double gameweek and are priced at 8m and 8.5m respectively.
Pablo Zabaleta can be your third big defender if you want to go with 3 big names at the back. With Newcastle, Cardiff and Hull as his first 3 tests, the Uruguayan can be inducted for the long haul.
For the cheeky ones, you can look towards Liverpool. Brendan Rodger’s side had been defensively astute last season. Kolo Toure, priced at 6m can be the one you were looking for, on the cheap. Another man you can hit a sixer with is Tottenham’s left back, Danny Rose.
The Midfielders
With Chelsea having a double gameweek and uncertainty reigning over who would lead the line for the Blues, the safe bet has been to include two midfielders. The choice majorly revolves around their three prime midfielders, Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard. With questions over Mata’s match-fitness still looming, the other two can be coined in as sure starters.
Two other big hitters that you may look at are David Silva, who has a relatively easy schedule to begin with this season and Philippe Coutinho, who has been ever-impressive since arriving in England in January. With the Brazilian costing a whole 3.5m less than his Spanish counterpart, the balance may tilt towards the Liverpool man.
Philippe Coutinho
Other midfielders to look at include:
Stephen Sessegnon, who has been in prime form in the pre-season and has a nice schedule starting the season off. (Price: 7.5m, Salary: silver)
Kevin Mirallas, who has been impressive playing down the right in Martinez’s three-pronged attack. The Belgian scored 4 of Everton’s 12 pre-season goals. (Price: 9m, Salary: bronze)
Robert Snodgrass, perennially underrated but a fantasy team owner’s dream midfielder. Modestly priced and with added responsibilities from set-pieces gives you more than you can bargain for. (Price: 8m, Salary: silver)
Alexander Tonev, a debutante but has a double gameweek while playing in the hole behind Benteke. (Price: 6, Salary: bronze)
The Forwards
Romelu Lukaku is likely to make one start in this double gameweek and play at least 120 minutes. With games against the back four of Aston Villa and Hull, chances of him scoring a goal are quite bright.
Two debutantes who look odds on favourites at favourable prices are Roberto Soldado and Wilfred Bony. The Spaniard Soldado, who has an impeccable record in the La Liga, should be the main focus of the Spurs’ attack and should get plenty of opportunities to wield his goal-scoring magic against Cardiff.
Bony on the other hand would go up against it, whilst facing Manchester United at home. Shaky can be the word to best describe the Red Devils’ form of late and the ex-Vitesse striker, who has been in hot form coming into the season, would look continue in his fine form.
Other interesting choices would be:
Edin Dzeko: Manuel Pelegrini’s first choice to start the season. With a dossier of easy games, he might be worth the punt. (Price: 9m, Salary: silver)
Nicolas Anelka: Priced at a paltry 7.5m, the former EPL golden boot winner hasn’t missed a beat in the pre-season. With a salary slated in the bronze category, he surely looks tempting. (Price: 7.5m, Salary: bronze)
Daniel Sturridge: Can he continue his fine form and lead the Liverpool attack in the absence of the mercurial Suarez? (Price: 11m, Salary: silver)
Have you picked your best XI yet? Make your team at Sportskeeda Football Fantasy here.
