The Scout assesses the form, fixtures and player prices to select a squad which can help managers navigate the opening Gameweeks of 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League.
Robert Sanchez (Chelsea) £5.0m
Chelsea have one of the best schedules to start the season, avoiding all of last season’s top seven over the first six Gameweeks. At a cost of £5.0m, Sanchez offers a significant saving of £1.0m over the Blues’ left-back Marc Cucurella (£6.0m).
Murillo (Nottingham Forest) £5.5m
Nottingham Forest’s centre-back is another player whose prospects have been greatly increased by defensive contributions. Murillo would have collected 38 points from this metric last season and finished as the second top-scoring defender.
Pedro Porro (Spurs) £5.5m
The Spaniard’s 39 shots and 57 chances created both ranked among the top four defenders in 2024/25 Fantasy. Porro is also likely to be handed a big share of free-kicks and corners for Tottenham Hotspur due to an injury to playmaker James Maddison (£7.0m).
James Tarkowski (Everton) £5.5m
Everton’s centre-back would have been the top-scoring defender for the brand new defensive contribution metric in each of the last four seasons. Indeed, the 44 extra points Tarkowski would have earned in the previous campaign was more than any other player in Fantasy.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) £14.5m
The Egyptian delivered a record-breaking 344 points last season, more than 100 ahead of any other player. Liverpool's home encounter with AFC Bournemouth in Gameweek 1 means Salah will be one of the best options for the captaincy.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea) £10.5m
Chelsea’s midfielder looked back to his very best in their recent FIFA Club World Cup triumph. Palmer is the most-owned player in Fantasy, found in 59 per cent of squad, compared with the 53 per cent of Salah, and is the Egyptian’s main challenger for the captain's armband when the Blues entertain Crystal Palace.
Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) £9.0m
The Manchester United star is another player whose prospects will be lifted by the defensive contribution points this season. Despite a host of new arrivals, Fernandes remains the go-to pick among the Red Devils if you’re looking to invest from the outset.
Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) £5.5m
His 38 points for defensive contribution last season would have placed joint-second among midfielders. Add in his two goals and six assists and Anderson offers multiple routes to returns as a cost-effective pick.
Tijjani Reijnders (Man City) £5.5m
The Dutchman has emerged as a popular budget pick after scoring two goals against Palermo in Manchester City’s final pre-season match. Reijnders is owned by 13.5 per cent, more than any other midfielder in the sub-£6.0m bracket.
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) £9.0m
Aston Villa’s forward was joint-top scorer among all players during pre-season, finding the net on five occasions. According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), where the difficulty of each fixture is ranked from one to five - with one being the easiest possible match and five being the hardest – NONE of Villa’s first eight matches score more than three.
Joao Pedro (Chelsea) £7.5m
Five goals in as many matches since joining Chelsea have made the Brazilian a must-have for many managers’ frontlines. Joao Pedro can be found in 55 per cent of squads, more than TWICE the total of any other forward.
Substitutes
Martin Dubravka (Burnley) £4.0m
A cost of just £4.0m allows you to sit the Burnley goalkeeper on your bench and call upon him in emergencies.
Marc Guiu (Sunderland) £4.5m
Owning Guiu allows you to move to a 3-5-2 formation for the start of 2025/26 and spend more of your budget on premium midfielders.
Joe Rodon (Leeds) £4.0m
A centre-back from each of the three promoted clubs last season finished among the top 10 defenders for defensive contribution points.
Marcos Senesi (AFC Bournemouth) £4.5m
A run of four home matches in six from Gameweek 2 makes the AFC Bournemouth centre-back a handy rotation pick in defence.