While the Gameweek 1 deadline of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is still well over a week away, we thought it was about time for a very early Scout Picks ‘bus team’.
The ‘2024/25 Team of the Season’ graphic has probably reached the end of its shelf life…
A lot can change between now and the deadline, of course. There’s Community Shield action, numerous pre-season friendlies and 20 press conferences to come.
The upcoming Scout Squad nominations will also help shape the final Scout Picks.
But this early selection, at the very least, gives a bit of a flavour of the players and teams we’ll be considering.
ABOUT THE SCOUT PICKS ‘BUS TEAM’
This ‘bus team’ selection is essentially a first draft of what we will finalise a week on Thursday.
There are, as ever, certain restrictions for our squad:
- An £83.0m budget for our starting XI
- An overall squad limit of £100.0m
- No more than three players per team
GAMEWEEK 1 FIXTURES
Above: The Gameweek 1 fixtures sorted by difficulty on our Season Ticker.
THE LIKELY LADS
Throughout the 2024/25 season, Mohamed Salah (£14.5m) was rarely missing from the Scout Picks, and it is highly likely that he will feature once more in Gameweek 1 of the upcoming campaign.
The Egyptian smashed the all-time FPL points record last time around and will host Bournemouth a week on Friday. The Cherries have lost Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.5m), Dean Huijsen, and, of course, Milos Kerkez (£6.0m) to Liverpool this summer.
Salah has a history of starting strong, too, having delivered a return on the opening day of every campaign since his arrival on Merseyside in 2017.
Cole Palmer (£10.5m) may feature in our Scout Picks selection, too.
Despite a poor period in early 2025, the 23-year-old bounced back at the FIFA Club World Cup, contributing three goals and two assists in six matches.
He has also returned in each of his last three appearances against Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace. Indeed, Palmer created more chances against the Eagles than any other side in the 2024/25 season (10).
Nottingham Forest defensive representation, be it through Matz Sels (£5.0m), Nikola Milenkovic (£5.5m) or Murillo (£5.5m), also looks on the cards, with Brentford up first at the City Ground.
Keith Andrews’s side have, of course, sold Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) this summer, with Yoane Wissa (£7.5m) expected to join him through the exit door. The pair accounted for 39 of Brentford’s 66 Premier League goals last term.
For the time being, we have opted for Sels; however, it is worth noting that both Milenkovic and Murillo would have recorded defensive contribution (DC) points in the corresponding fixture last season.
Further forward, Chris Wood (£7.5m) carries obvious appeal.
IN CONTENTION
It is possible that we will include additional Liverpool players in the final Scout Picks.
Florian Wirtz (£8.5m) and Cody Gakpo (£7.5m) are very much on our radar. We will also consider Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m), should he be fit for Sunday’s Community Shield match against Crystal Palace.
And what about Jeremie Frimpong (£6.0m)? The attack-minded right-back netted five goals and provided 12 assists for Bayer Leverkusen last season and could start against Bournemouth, given the doubts currently surrounding Conor Bradley’s (£5.0m) fitness.
However, midfield anchor Ryan Gravenberch (£5.5m) is suspended for this clash. That could be a setback for Liverpool’s clean sheet prospects.
As you can see, we’ve targeted the three newly-promoted teams in our early draft.
This year’s newcomers, Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland, will surely fare better than last year’s group. Still, there are legitimate concerns, given how big the step up to the Premier League is.
Iliman Ndiaye (£6.5m), Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m) and Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m) subsequently make the cut.
They are joined by James Tarkowski (£5.5m), Pedro Porro (£5.5m) and El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.5m).
No player in any position would have gained as many DC points as Tarkowski last season, with 44. Now back after injury, he should be ready to start in Gameweek 1.
Porro, meanwhile, has retained set-piece duties in pre-season and should fit well with Thomas Frank’s approach.
As for Diouf, he scored seven goals and provided four assists for Slavia Prague last season. After a wobbly showing against Everton in the Premier League Summer Series, he bounced back with a superb display against Bournemouth on Sunday, claiming the assist for Bowen’s second-half strike with a wicked delivery from the left. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m) could be a neat alternative in the West Ham United ranks.
Other backline options in the Gameweek 1 mix include Robert Sanchez (£5.0m), Marc Cucurella (£6.0m), Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m), Rayan Ait-Nouri (£6.0m) and Maxim De Cuyper (£4.5m), who you can read more about here.
Representation from Aston Villa and Newcastle United’s attack may be a goer. This fixture has produced plenty of goals in recent times, with 25 (!) across their previous six encounters:
Above image from 11 v 11
Morgan Rogers (£7.0m) and Ollie Watkins (£9.0m), perhaps even Donyell Malen (£5.5m), are viable candidates. Notably, Watkins inspired Villa to a statement win over Newcastle in April.
However, Emiliano Martinez (£5.0m) is suspended in Gameweek 1, so a Newcastle attacker isn’t out of the question. Anthony Gordon (£7.5m) is perhaps the most likely; he could be on penalties if Alexander Isak (£10.5m) isn’t involved.
Elsewhere, Kaoru Mitoma’s (£6.5m) 198.8 minutes per expected goal involvement (xGI) in 2024/25 was the best of any Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder. He’s probably the most secure attacker, too, with Danny Welbeck (£6.5m), Georginio Rutter (£6.0m) and Matt O’Riley (£5.5m) potentially competing for two starting spots.
That said, Albion have struggled to break down Fulham’s defensive shape in recent times, scoring just five goals in their last eight meetings.
Manchester City are playing away at Wolverhampton Wanderers in Gameweek 1, so Erling Haaland (£14.0m) won’t be far from our thoughts, yet there might be better uses of the funds. There are cheaper alternatives in Pep Guardiola’s squad, like Omar Marmoush (£8.5m), Rayan Cherki (£6.5m) and Tijjani Reijnders (£5.5m). Hopefully, Saturday’s friendly against Palermo will offer insights into Pep Guardiola’s starting line-up.
THE LONGER SHOTS
You wouldn’t bet against Bukayo Saka (£10.0m), Kai Havertz (£7.5m) or Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) finding the net against Manchester United, but there are probably better picks elsewhere in Gameweek 1.
The same applies to Arsenal’s backline options, such as David Raya (£5.5m), William Saliba (£6.0m) and Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.0m), given that there were some promising glimpses of United’s new-look attack against Everton in the Premier League Summer Series on Sunday.
However, Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m) and co remain outsiders for selection, given the strength of Arsenal’s defence in recent times.
If we do decide to switch up the forwards, Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m), Joao Pedro (£7.5m) and Jorgen Strand Larsen (£6.5m) could become possible shouts, although it feels unlikely at this early stage.
Finally, Harry Wilson (£5.5m) could be a cheeky differential against Brighton. He’s scored five goals and provided one assist in pre-season.
GAMEWEEK 1 EARLY SCOUT PICKS
