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Fantasy expert David Munday says why 2017/18's record points scorer Mohamed Salah is a must-have this season
After a record-breaking 2017/18, Mohamed Salah has seen his price rise £4.0m to £13.0m in Fantasy Premier League but can managers afford to exclude the Liverpool star from teams?
Salah earned a record 303 FPL points and remains the most-owned player in the game, despite his price rise, with the backing of more than half of managers.
Speaking on the first FPL Show of the season, Fantasy Football Scout editor David Munday says not to include the Egyptian is a risk too far.
"I don't think I can sleep at night if I don't have him in my team because I'd just be worried that he's going to punish me," Munday said.
One manager willing to buck the trend is Ben Crabtree, the 2016/17 FPL champion.
An Everton fan, Crabtree is sticking to his rule of not picking Liverpool players.
"My hopes on Salah are that because Liverpool have so many options this season across defence, midfield and attack, they'll actually cause a lot of confusion over where the points are going to be," Crabtree said.
Fantasy Premier League is back, and competition will be more fierce than ever with so many options to select ahead of the 2018/19 season. Deadline Day is over and fans will now focus their full attention on the start of the new Premier League season, with a keen eye on FPL developments. Squads are filled, transfers are complete and every player has returned to training following extended World Cup breaks – whether they play in GW1 or not is a different matter. Express Sport have rounded up the hottest tips for strikers, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers to sign before the first deadline of the season at 7pm on Friday.
Fantasy Premier League: Who are the top FPL players to sign in 2018/19?
Goalkeepers Every successful Fantasy Premier League team needs a solid goalkeeper at the back racking up a steady flow of clean sheets and bonus points. Manchester United star David de Gea is more costly than any other stopper this season, and if you can afford him without harming the rest of your team, he will produce big numbers once again. There are plenty of strong cheaper options too, including Lukas Fabianski who enjoyed a terrific FPL campaign with Swansea despite their relegation. Jordan Pickford has also picked up a stack of additional fans following his World Cup exploits, with Everton set for a resurgent season. Take a look through the gallery below for the top goalkeeper tips ahead of FPL 2018/19.
Fantasy Premier League tips: Best FPL goalkeepers to sign Sat, August 4, 2018 Express Sport takes a look at the best Fantasy Premier League goalkeepers to sign ahead of the 2018/19 season Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 6 Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham United): £4.5m – Expected to be No 1 at the London Stadium. Played every minute last season
Defenders Stacking your team with goalscoring defenders is a solid way to consistently bring in big points every week, even when your strikers fire blanks. There is a strong class of full-backs to pounce on this season, including Kieran Trippier and Cesar Azpilicueta. Chelsea defender Azpilicueta comes with a premium cost, but Trippier is a notch down and could rank at the very top of the defensive points table in 2018/19. Liverpool offer one of the best bargain shouts this year, although he may miss the start of the season due to his World Cup efforts. Take a look through the gallery below for the top defender tips ahead of FPL 2018/19.
Fantasy Premier League tips: Best FPL defenders to sign Sat, August 4, 2018 Express Sport takes a look at the best Fantasy Premier League defenders to sign ahead of the 2018/19 season Play slideshow Liverpool FC via Getty Images 1 of 8 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool): £5.0m – Breakthrough campaign in 2017/18. On set-pieces if he plays
Midfielders Middle men don't often come with the top-tier price tag of most elite strikers – but they can rack up just as many points for your team. If you look beyond Mohamed Salah, there are some fantastic options available to sign, including a string of bargain choices who will be vital this season. Leroy Sane and Sadio Mane look set to tear the Premier League apart for Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, and neither touch the £10.0m marker. Everton new boy Richarlison could also provide your team with a kick, while Paul Pogba remains a strong option without taking a huge chunk out of your budget. Take a look through the gallery below for the top midfielder tips ahead of FPL 2018/19.
Fantasy Premier League tips: Best FPL midfielders to sign Sat, August 4, 2018 Express Sport takes a look at the best Fantasy Premier League midfielders to sign ahead of the 2018/19 season Play slideshow Tottenham Hotspur FC 1 of 9 Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur): £9.5m – The main creative force for Spurs and also bagged 11 goals last year
Strikers The top priority for every Premier League team should be a set of strikers who can be relied on to burst nets across the country on a regular basis. Consistent stars can be hard to come by, but there are several front men lining up to take the top flight by storm in 2018/19. Arsenal will be rejuvenated under Unai Emery this season and his main man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could mount a serious challenge for the Golden Boot. Roberto Firmino is another popular shout for many teams due to his ability to score goals and create them for partner-in-crime Salah. Take a look through the gallery below for the top striker tips ahead of FPL 2018/19.
Fantasy Premier League tips: Best FPL strikers to sign Sat, August 4, 2018 Express Sport takes a look at the best Fantasy Premier League strikers to sign ahead of the 2018/19 season Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 8 Roberto Firmino (Liverpool): £9.5m – A viable alternative to Salah
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With the World Cup done and dusted, it's time to look closer to home.
The 2018/19 Premier League kicks off on Friday August 10, a day after the transfer window slams shut - so you should probably start thinking about your fantasy football team.
If you're determined to claim bragging rights - or even hard cash - from your friends and family, you'll need to identify the must-haves, bargains and potential flops.
But how can you get the most bang for your buck?
Well, players from newly promoted sides, rising stars and under-the-radar signings often come with modest transfer fees, so they're always worth a look.
Those whose managers favour a squad rotation system, though, should probably be avoided along with those whose teams have some tricky early fixtures to contend with.
Here, with a little help from the Mirror's data unit, we've provided our top tips, bargains and players to steer clear of when selecting your line-up...
5 bargains
Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham)
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
Position: Goalkeeper
Price: £4.5m
New West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has been busy in the transfer market, making several savvy buys - including experienced goalkeeper Fabianski.
The big Pole, 33, has joined the Hammers in a £7m deal from Swansea, for whom he shone despite often having a leaky defence in front of him.
Unsurprisingly, he's proving popular with players of the official Premier League fantasy football game, with 25.5% sticking him in their side.
Charlie Daniels (Bournemouth)
(Image: AFC Bournemouth)
Position: Defender
Price: £4.5m
You can usually rely on Daniels to chip in with a few goals and assists from left-back.
His knockdown fee is based on the 61 goals Bournemouth shipped last season, but if Eddie Howe can add defensive reinforcements this summer, it could aid Daniels in the clean sheets stakes.
Ademola Lookman (Everton)
(Image: Everton FC)
Position: Midfielder
Price: £5.5m
Ignored by Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce, Lookman joined RB Leipzig on loan in January.
The move was the making of him. He started seven games for the Bundesliga side, scoring five goals and assisting three.
Still only 20, he looks set to get his chance under new Toffees boss Marco Silva. Moreover, he is likely to be used as a wide forward, meaning he could end up becoming your team's bonus striker.
Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield)
(Image: Tony Marshall)
Position: Midfielder
Price: £5.5m
Huddersfield's best player last season, Australian Mooy contributed four goals and three assists.
Rarely injured or suspended, he should start most games for the Terriers.
If a bigger club swoops, his point scoring potential could be given a further boost as he may end up with more clean sheets to his name too.
Cenk Tosun (Everton)
(Image: Everton FC/Getty)
Position: Forward
Price: £7m
Playing in an Allardyce side devoid of creative spark, Tosun somehow managed to score five goals in 14 appearances for Everton after joining in a £27m January transfer from Besiktas.
With attack-minded Silva now in charge at Goodison Park, the chances in front of goal should come thicker and faster for the Turkey international.
3 must-haves
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
Position: Midfielder
Price: £13m
Midfielder? Really? Salah, operating in a wide forward position, was quite simply sensational in his debut season for Liverpool.
The Egyptian scored a mightily impressive 32 goals in the Premier League, earning him the Golden Boot.
You can't even think about leaving him out, can you?
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
(Image: Getty)
Position: Forward
Price: £12.5m
A quick glance at Kane's statistics for the past four seasons will tell one thing - he guarantees goals.
And in the world of fantasy football, goals mean points.
His track record suggests he'll score anything between 21 and 30 goals. Expensive, but surely worth it.
Pierre-Emerick Abuameyang (Arsenal)
(Image: Stuart MacFarlane)
Position: Forward
Price: £11m
Thirteen appearances, 10 goals, four assists - Aubameyang had a very good start to life at Arsenal.
The Gabon striker, signed from Borussia Dortmund for £56m in January, took to the Premier League like a duck to water.
Now fully up to speed and with a full pre-season under his belt, he should be even better next time out.
A genuine contender for the Golden Boot - and a full £2m cheaper than Salah.
4 players on the up...
Picking up the best players from newly promoted sides can be key in fantasy football.
It’s a good way of finding cheap players who will will grab you bucket loads of points, giving you an advantage over your less clued-up rivals.
To help you, our data unit has worked out how many points they would have won based on the number of goals and assists they had in the Championship last season.
Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)
(Image: PA)
Position: Midfielder
Price: £6.5m
Still only 18, Sessegnon scored 16 goals and registered eight assists in the Championship last season.
He would have earned 104 points - the most of any player coming up with a newly promoted team.
Diogo Jota (Wolves)
(Image: David Rogers)
Position: Midfielder
Price: £6.5m
The Portuguese scored 17 and set up another five for Wolves in the Championship.
No other midfielder coming up with a team this season found the net more last season.
His goals and assists would have been worth 100 fantasy points.
Ivan Cavaleiro (Wolves)
(Image: Robert Hradil)
Position: Midfielder
Price: £5.5m
Nine goals and 12 assists would have earned Cavaleiro 81 points last season.
Junior Hoilett (Cardiff)
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
Position: Midfielder
Price: £5.5m
The former Blackburn and QPR player, 28, scored nine and set up 11 for the Bluebirds last season.
That would have been worth 78 fantasy football points.
3 players to avoid
Petr Cech (Arsenal)
(Image: David Price)
Position: Goalkeeper
Price: £5m
You might see Cech's meagre price and be tempted to stick him in your team.
He is, after all, a four-time Premier League winner, four-time FA Cup winner and Champions League winner.
There's a reason why his price is low, though.
Now 36, he's past his peak and looks set to play second fiddle to the Gunners' new £22.5m signing Bernd Leno in Unai Emery's first season in charge.
Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
(Image: Darren Walsh)
Position: Defender
Price: £6.5m
Dead-ball specialist Alonso has enjoyed a couple of good seasons at Chelsea, scoring 13 goals and making five assists in 64 appearances. Not bad for a left-back.
The Spaniard, 27, also contributed to 27 clean sheets. But just how much of his success for the Blues has been down to Antonio Conte's system?
If new Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri doesn't play with wing-backs or afford him the same freedom to get forward, the goals and assists could dry up.
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)
(Image: Mike Hewitt)
Position: Forward
Price: £10.5m
Granted, Jesus' record in the Premier League is pretty good.
The Brazilian, 21, has scored 20 goals in just 39 appearances - but he isn't guaranteed to start.
Pep Guardiola tends to play with one striker, meaning both Jesus and Sergio Aguero are likely to spend time warming the bench.
And if the World Cup was his audition for your team, he surely failed.
