A huge drop in price of £3.0m can bring Son Heung-min (£9.0m) back into contention as a key figure in 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean disappointed in Antonio Conte's last season in charge in 2022/23, producing only 10 goals, six assists and 152 points.
The tactics of Ange Postecoglou can help Son get back to his best, however, with the new head coach expected to deploy an attacking 4-3-3 formation.
See: Every FPL price announced so far
Son produced 228 and 258 points in the two campaigns prior to last season, scoring 23 goals to earn a share of the Golden Boot in 2021/22.
FPL expert Sam Bonfield believes Son's cheaper price tag could make him the go-to Spurs attacker.
"I think that makes him a really attractive option," she said in the FPL Show earlier. "If Son is at £9.0m I'd be really intrigued to see what James Maddison's price is going to be. But [Son] is a viable alternative to having Harry Kane."
Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (both £8.5m) will offer strong competition to Son in the sub-premium bracket.
Odegaard jumps £2.0m from last season, when he was the Gunners’ top-scoring player in Fantasy on 212 points.
His 76 key passes and 15 big chances created were also team-leading totals.
While Fernandes drops £1.5m after claiming just 176 points, his underlying numbers remain very encouraging.
The Portuguese's 119 key passes and 32 big chances created both ranked among the top two players in Fantasy.
Reclassified Mbeumo a budget enabler?
Nonetheless, with big-hitters Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah priced at £14.0m and £12.5m respectively, seeking out value in attack will be vital.
Handily, a change of position for Bryan Mbeumo (£6.5m) boosts his appeal as a midfield option, with the Brentford star having been listed as a forward in 2022/23 Fantasy.
Mbeumo has the schedule to make an immediate impact on the new season, with the Bees facing only one of last season’s top-seven sides in the first seven Gameweeks.
Brentford’s first seven matches
| GW | Opponent | FDR* | GW | Opponent | FDR* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOT (H) | 3 | 5 | NEW (A) | 4 |
| 2 | FUL (A) | 2 | 6 | EVE (H) | 2 |
| 3 | CRY (H) | 2 | 7 | NFO (A) | 2 |
| 4 | BOU (H) | 2 | |||
*Fixture Difficulty Rating (1= easy, 5= hard)
Kaoru Mitoma and Eberechi Eze also provide strong midfield solutions at £6.5m.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Mitoma costs £1.5m more than his debut campaign last season. He was a huge success in home matches, averaging 6.0 points per start at the Amex Stadium.
Crucially, the Seagulls are among only six sides to have four home fixtures in the first six Gameweeks, hosting Luton Town, West Ham United, Newcastle United and AFC Bournemouth.
Despite a rise from £5.5m last season, Eze’s form for Roy Hodgson indicates he can thrive under the veteran manager’s guidance once again in 2023/24.
His total of 67 points after the return of Hodgson in Gameweek 29 ranked second only to the 85 of Salah among midfielders.
Avoid Trippier and Watkins?
Elsewhere, a price rise of £1.5m, combined with a poor early schedule, limits the appeal of Kieran Trippier (£6.5m).
Newcastle’s right-back was the top-scoring defender in 2022/23 Fantasy, amassing 198 points.
But Trippier will face five of last season’s top-nine sides in the first five Gameweeks.
Ollie Watkins (£8.0m) is another of last season’s top performers who has risen in price and has an unfavourable run of opponents.
The Aston Villa forward climbs from £7.5m after his exploits under Unai Emery. He was the joint-sixth top-scoring player in 2022/23 Fantasy following the Spaniard's arrival as head coach in Gameweek 15.
Villa, however, have just one home match in the first four Gameweeks of 2023/24, which includes trips to both Newcastle and Liverpool.
Also in this series
Part 1: Haaland equals record while Salah drops
Part 3: New role key to Alexander-Arnold rise
Part 4: Big changes for Rashford and Sterling
Part 5: Saka to cost the same as Odegaard
Part 6: Kane a tricky pick among premiums