With the Gameweek 1 deadline now just days away we now turn our attentions to the best players worth considering for our Sky Sports Fantasy squads.
We’ll start with goalkeepers and defenders today before moving on to midfielders and forwards later in the week.
Each classification has been broken down into premium, mid-price and differential options.
It’s worth noting that, although this article is for potential picks throughout the season, there will also be a slight lean towards those initial picks leading up to the first Overhaul.
GOALKEEPERS
In Sky Sports Fantasy it is generally a good idea to pick a goalkeeper that doesn’t require a transfer. Sometimes there may be exceptions, and with overhauls that does limit the amount of games to look at, but with transfers at a premium its best to try and pick a keeper you are happy to hold on to for a long time.
Also worth considering with this position is that they get an extra two points for a clean sheet compared to defenders which may further promote the premium options in our minds. It also often makes you favour a goalkeeper over a defender for captaincy. Goalkeepers also get their very own bonus category where they will receive an extra two points for five or more saves, and three points for seven or more. Naturally you would expect more saves from the goalkeepers of so-called smaller clubs, so it’s a matter of choice for the Fantasy manager.
Premium (£7.5m+)
David De Gea (£8m)
The top scoring goalkeeper from last season with 218 points outperformed many other top picks from all other positions including Marcos Alonso, Eden Hazard, Sadio Mané and even Sergio Aguero. His market leading clean sheet count of 18 was a massive help in racking up the points but what is probably more surprising is that he was in the top five for goalkeeper save points (17), which is usually an honour reserved for the whipping boys. With eye-catching displays he also had a penchant for the man of the match award. All of these combined factors make him the obvious premium keep choice for 2018/19. Even at £8m it’s definitely not a waste of money and, add in a couple of Manchester United captaincy games, David De Gea will no doubt deservedly be a popular pick.
Ederson (£7.9m)
Directly on the heels of De Gea last season was Manchester City’s new goalkeeper Ederson. With 16 clean sheets he was the second best goalkeeper but still 30 points off his United counterpart. His lack of save bonus points (he only got two in total) was his Achilles’ heel and one I don’t envisage being improved on this season. He is the cheapest way into the Man City defence though and could be a good cover if you fancy them to continue to dominate and shut out teams.
Mid-Price (£7m+)
Alisson (£7.3m)
Alisson has come into the Sky Sports Fantasy game at a kind price and has to have some consideration. Following after the arrival of Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool were amongst the tightest teams in the league meaning even Loris Karius kept 10 clean sheets in 19 starts. Last season, Alisson was statistically the best goalkeeper in the Italian league registering considerably more saves than was expected, making him the perfect recruit for Liverpool. Having a solid goalkeeper behind what now looks like a strong back-line can only result in points, and Alisson is the cheapest and probably most assured way into that defence.
Jordan Pickford (£7.2m)
Jordan Pickford, fresh from England heroics, will be looking to continue his form into the Premier League with a new look Everton side. It remains to be seen how defensively solid they are and there is a slight doubt over some centre-backs but with great fixtures to start and a good bonus haul from last season (he equalled De Gea’s 17) he could be a shrewd pick. An extra little bonus for Pickford is the fact he is a World Cup hero and when its a less obvious decision the Man of the Match awards are often given out to young English heroes and he fits that bill.
Budget (<£7m)
Rui Patricio (£6.6m)
Signing Rui Patricio was a major coup for the big-spending Wolves this summer. A European champion and current Portuguese number one, he is a dominant presence between the sticks. Although slightly unknown in the Premier League, Wolves are expected to settle into top-flight life pretty well and some have even talked about Europe possibilities for them. Although that may be a step to far you would expect some clean sheets and with a history of penalty saves Patricio may also pick up points that way, and with penalty saves comes Man of the Match awards.
Ben Foster (£6.3m)
Ben Foster has retained his Premier League status after signing for Watford. At a kind price with three home games in the first four weeks, the former West Brom man may be a good initial pick. Although its unclear how well Watford will fare, they were more solid defensively after Javi Gracia took over, and at 6.3m Foster is very kind on the pocket.
Martin Dubravka (£6.6m)
Since Martin Dubravka’s arrival Newcastle picked up four clean sheets in 12 games and only conceded 11 goals. Add in a penalty save and the Magpies looked a much better prospect defensively with him between the sticks. Signing on permanently after the season ended was a piece of business Rafa Benitez made sure of early and he is the assured number one shot-stopper there. Newcastle do have a tough start fixture-wise, but Dubravka can really benefit from the save points during this tricky run. However, things ease up after a few week and, as mentioned previously, Newcastle really tightened up after his arrival and, assuming they keep Jamaal Lascalles fit they may be harder break down later in the season.
Sleeper
Danny Ward (£5.7m)
Although Kasper Schmeichel is currently the Leicester number one, Danny Ward cannot be ignored leading up to transfer deadline day. With the Danish international linked with amove to Chelsea a spot could open up at the King Power Stadium. If this is the case then the pre-purchase of Danny Ward would give us a great ultra-budget option, so is therefore one to keep an eye on.
DEFENDERS
When it comes to defenders clean sheets are their bread and butter and will be the main contribution of points. However, bonus points are also available for tackles and passes the most likely depending on the playing-style of the defender. With bonus for three tackles and 60 passes it is always worth looking at statistics in the Members’ Area to see which players specialise in those areas. Furthermore, defenders score a large seven points for a goal, so getting those attacking defenders is definitely worthwhile.
Premium (>9m)
Cesar Azpilicueta (£10.3m)
With the second highest bonus points last season with 76, Azpilicueta picked up extras for tackle and passing regularly. Add in two goals, six assists and 15 clean sheets he was a player that did it all. Legitimately at a premium price, the Chelsea man has been one of the top defensive assets in Sky Sports Fantasy for a few seasons now. With Sarri now managing Chelsea and seemingly favouring a possession based game his passing potential may increase. It is worth keeping an eye on where he’ll be playing though and how this may impact his bonus. He was deployed as a right-back in the Community Shield on Sunday.
Nicolas Otamendi (£10.2)
From the second highest bonus points to the highest. In 33 starts Otamendi picked up passing bonus in 30 of them with the majority (26) being the maximum three points. Picking him was the equivalent of already having an assist before a ball is kicked. Adding four goals to the mix and some tackle bonus too, Otamendi was a much loved mid-price player last season. This season he has rightly been placed in the premium bracket, but if you are sure he will be getting the starts he still presents good value as City’s playing style is unlikely to change.
Virgil Van Dijk (£9.9m)
As previously mentioned, Liverpool looked much more secure at the back following Van Dijk’s arrival. A regular on the passing bonus in the games Liverpool dominated, he was a steady stream of points after his move. A surprisingly low return of zero goals and assists can only be bettered this season given his goal threat, and with Liverpool making defensive midfield additions and a new goalkeeper I only expect them to increase their clean sheet count in 2018/19.
Mid-Price (£7-9m)
Andrew Robertson (£9m)
The Scottish left-back finally made the position his own in the Liverpool defence after Christmas last year. With that came bonus, a goal, five assists and 10 clean sheets. With Liverpool expected to continue their defensive upturn and his only competition being Alberto Moreno, Robertson is a great buy for any backline at a kind 9m.
Aymeric Laporte (8.8m)
One of the most expensive defenders in the world didn’t really make a large impact on the Premier League last season, but I expect this season to tell a different story. One statistic that is telling is that in his nine starts of 2017/18 he picked up passing bonus nine times. With the expectation that he’ll get more gametime this season he could very well become a must-have almost guaranteeing at least five points per game. However, it’s worth watching to make sure he’s assured a spot in the Man City defence, but as soon as he is bring him in.
Luke Shaw (7.8m)
I’ve added Luke Shaw into this list because at 7.8m he could be the cheapest way into the Manchester United defence. He is also a potential captain option for a couple tricky games in the first four matches. The big concern is whether he keeps his starting place. With Ashley Young soon to be available again, no one can be quite sure of him, but with a steady stream of clean sheets and table bonus potential if Shaw does keep his spot he could be the defensive bargain of the season.
Patrick van Aanholt (7.6m)
Priced nicely and the second highest scorer from defence last season, behind Alonso, Patrick van Aanholt always is a threat down the left hand side. Nailed on in the Palace team and with very limited threat of rotation, he could be a nice pick, if you can manage to hold him for his goals. With only six clean sheets last season you’ll be wanting the goals to supplement his points but we all know he can provide them.
Budget (<7m)
Ryan Fredericks (6.7m)
West Ham have been busy doing business and the former Fulham full-back gained 7 assists for the Cottagers last season and with arguably better players to look for now that may be improved on in 2018/19. With some defensive additions, the Hammers will be looking to be a bit tighter and Manuel Pellegrini will be looking for his full-backs to provide width which will hopefully bring attacking threat. At a fair price Fredericks could be a great pick when West Ham have a kinder run of fixtures slightly further down the line.
Willy Boly (6.1m)
With Barry Douglas moving on from Wolves, who with an extraordinary defensive goal/assist count would have been our first choice Wolves defender, Willy Boly is my next favourite pick from the Premier League newcomers. If Wolves continue to play a possession game he was their top defensive passer last season averaging over the magic 60 pass mark. Boly was also top for tackles per game, so he has chance of both sets of bonus. With Wolves adding Rui Patricio and Joao Moutinho to the squad the backline should get a little more protection so I would not be surprised to see some clean sheets too.
Lee Peltier / Greg Cunningham (5.4m)
Two Cardiff defenders are priced very nicely at 5.4m. Both are expected to be first choice, although this definitely needs to be kept an eye on with the transfer window still to shut. Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds have a nice run of fixtures and were quite reliant on defence in the Championship last season. Obviously the Premier League is a big step up, but who can forget Huddersfield giving us three clean sheets out of three last season?
Sleeper
Callum Patterson (5.2m)
Down as a defender the central midfielder was Cardiff’s top scorer last season with 10 goals, an additional four assists could make this out of position bargain the greatest pick of the season. However, there are still big question marks over whether he is nailed on in the centre of midfield for Cardiff and naturally the Premier League is a completely different beast, so there is no way that level of output can be expected this season. But assuming he starts and he could provide some value for our Sky Sports Fantasy squads.
You can hear Mark’s weekly thoughts on the Sky Sports Fantasy podcast – listen to it HERE.
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Pick your FPL team for 2018/19 using our list of best available players, sorted for your convenience by position and price:
Goalkeepers | Defenders: Budget | Defenders: Mid-Price and Premium | Midfielders: Budget | Midfielders: Mid-Price | Midfielders: Premium | Forwards: Budget | Forwards: Mid-Price |Forwards: Premium
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