As the first four player prices are revealed in Fantasy Premier League, The Scout looks at players who enjoyed a superb 2024/25 season and could rise in price.
Mohamed Salah’s performances in 2024/25 suggest that Fantasy managers ought to prepare for a price rise.
The Egyptian started at a cost of £12.5m and subsequently shattered the all-time FPL points record, accumulating a total of 344 points thanks to 29 goals and 18 assists.
Those exploits will undoubtedly lead to a price hike for the 2025/26 season.
However, Salah should still justify the investment, having produced 211+ points in each of his eight Fantasy seasons with Liverpool.
His new team-mate, Milos Kerkez, also justifies a jump in cost.
The attack-minded left-back was initially priced at a mere £4.5m in 2024/25, but went on to deliver 134 points for AFC Bournemouth, the sixth-most of any FPL defender.
Playing in a Liverpool team that topped the 2024/25 Premier League for both goals scored and clean sheets should only enhance that output.
Kerkez was handed his first minutes for his new club during a pre-season friendly on Sunday, where he immediately established a good rapport with Cody Gakpo down Liverpool’s left.
Other FPL defenders such as Marc Cucurella and Daniel Munoz are also likely to climb in price after their impressive campaigns.
Cucurella cost £5.0m at the start of 2024/25 but went on to score five goals in his final 22 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, a period in which he averaged 4.5 points per start.
He should remain a sought-after selection, particularly with the Blues’ favourable opening schedule.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), where the easiest possible matches are ranked as number one and the most challenging as number five, none of Chelsea’s first six matches score more than three.
Chelsea's first six fixtures
| Gameweek | Opponent | FDR |
| 1 | Crystal Palace (H) | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | West Ham (A) | 2 |
| 3 | Fulham (H) | 3 |
| 4 | Brentford (A) | 3 |
| 5 | Man Utd (A) | 3 |
| 6 | Brighton (H) | 3 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Similar to Cucurella, Munoz also experienced a slow start to last season, as Crystal Palace failed to win any of their first eight league matches.
However, the wing-back emerged as the highest-scoring Fantasy defender from Gameweek 9 onwards, having combined four goals and five assists with 10 clean sheets.
Budget no more
Elsewhere, in midfield, Morgan Rogers, Antoine Semenyo and Amad should climb out of the budget bracket.
Rogers cost just £5.0m at the start of 2024/25 but quickly established himself as a key player for Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, as he delivered eight goals and 11 assists to finish eighth in the midfield standings on 161 points.
Semenyo, meanwhile, was priced at £5.5m but went on to score 11 goals and supply five assists, claiming 165 points.
The underlying statistics indicate that Semenyo can continue to be a strong pick, as his 125 shots and 85 shots in the box both placed third among all players last season.
Regarding Amad, his average of 6.0 points per start suggests that he will more than merit a price rise from £5.0m in 2025/26.
However, his appeal for the upcoming campaign may depend on his role in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation, with Fantasy managers favouring a No 10 position over that of a wing-back.
Hikes for Bryan Mbeumo and Enzo Fernandez feel warranted, too.
Mbeumo more than justified his rise in cost of £0.5m in 2024/25, as he racked up 20 goals and seven assists to total 236 points, the most of any player except Salah. While a price hike will surely reflect that form, the Brentford midfielder can still appeal if he maintains his momentum into the upcoming campaign.
Fernandez’s tally of 14 attacking returns was the second-best in the Chelsea squad last season, with his role developing into more of an attacking No 8/10 role under Enzo Maresca.
Further forward, Joao Pedro is likely to cost more after moving from Brighton & Hove Albion to Chelsea.
He is expected to give up penalty-taking duties with the Blues, but after starting the 2024/25 season at only £5.5m for Brighton, his potential will surely earn him a price rise.