As Fantasy Premier League managers can now select their 15-man squads, The Scout analyses standout budget and premium players in each position.
Ivan Toney (BRE) £6.5m
Brentford's early run of opponents can give them the chance to settle quickly after their promotion from the Championship.
The playoff winners face only one of last term’s top 10 sides over the first five Gameweeks, hosting Arsenal on the opening day of the campaign.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), all five of those encounters score no more than three.
Brentford’s first five Gameweeks
| GW | Opponent | FDR |
| 1 | ARS (H) | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | CRY (A) | 2 |
| 3 | AVL (A) | 3 |
| 4 | BHA (H) | 2 |
| 5 | WOL (A) | 3 |
Toney arrives in the Premier League on the back of a record-breaking campaign for the Bees.
The striker scored 31 Championship goals last term, the most in a single campaign in the division's history.
He also supplied 10 assists, meaning he was directly involved in 41 of his side’s 79 league goals in 2020/21.
Toney's hat-trick v Wycombe
The underlying statistics show Toney’s major all-round potential as the focal point of the Brentford attack.
His 135 shots and 90 shots in the box both ranked third in the Championship. Indeed, that latter total was at least 43 more than any team-mate.
The 25-year-old also made 47 key passes, ranking fourth for Thomas Frank’s side.
Toney’s displays in 2020/21 have made a big impression on opening squads in Fantasy.
He is the most popular forward in the game, selected by 35.5 per cent of managers.
Brentford's talisman has the schedule to immediately reward those backers, establishing himself as the go-to promoted player for the season ahead.