Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling’s contrasting seasons have made a huge impact on their prices for 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League.
Manchester United’s Rashford climbs from £6.5m to £9.0m after recording his career-high haul of 205 points last time around.
The England international produced 17 goals and seven assists in his first campaign under Erik ten Hag to finish fifth in the overall standings.
Rashford is the latest addition to a very strong sub-premium midfield bracket this season.
He is identically priced to Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, while his team-mate Bruno Fernandes and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard both cost £8.5m.
See: Tricky decisions in midfield
Sterling, meanwhile, has suffered a sharp drop from £10.0m to £7.0m after a disappointing first season for Chelsea.
The winger managed a mere 101 points in Fantasy on the back of six goals and four assists.
However, the arrival of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino can help revive Sterling’s prospects in Fantasy.
He produced 150+ points in each of his last five seasons at Manchester City, claiming 200+ points on three of those occasions.
See: Every FPL price announced so far
Chelsea also have a very kind opening schedule to help Sterling make a fast start to 2023/24.
In the first eight Gameweeks, the Blues face five of the six teams who have been promoted to the Premier League over the last two seasons.
Chelsea’s first eight matches
| GW | Opponent | FDR* | GW | Opponent | FDR* |
| 1 | LIV (H) | 4 | 5 | BOU (A) | 2 |
| 2 | WHU (A) | 3 | 6 | AVL (H) | 3 |
| 3 | LUT (H) | 2 | 7 | FUL (A) | 2 |
| 4 | NFO (H) | 2 | 8 | BUR (A) | 2 |
*Fixture Difficulty Rating (1= easy, 5= hard)
That fixture list also raises the appeal of their defenders, with both Reece James and Ben Chilwell dropping £0.5m to £5.5m.
James’ set-piece duties give him the edge as their go-to pick at the back.
He averaged 6.3 points per start in 2021/22 Fantasy thanks to five goals, nine assists and seven clean sheets, and he could get back to his best under Pochettino.
Luke Shaw is also priced at £5.5m, earning a slight rise of £0.5m on the back of one goal, four assists and 12 clean sheets last season.
Despite his many routes to returns, visits to both Spurs and Arsenal in the opening four Gameweeks suggest that premium outlay could be better spent elsewhere.
Pick Botman over Trippier?
Kieran Trippier’s (£6.5m) appeal has suffered another blow after his fellow Newcastle United defender Sven Botman was priced at £4.5m.
Trippier was the top-scoring defender in Fantasy last season, amassing 198 points.
Although he clearly boasts a far greater attacking threat that Botman, the £2.0m price difference may prove decisive for many managers.
Indeed, Botman was the eighth top-scoring defender last season, combining two assists with 13 clean sheets.
Bowen given price drop
Finally, a cost of £7.0m gives Jarrod Bowen a chance to emerge as a value option in midfield.
The West Ham United star drops £1.0m after a 145-point season but he has the all-round potential to offer value.
Indeed, Bowen’s 75 shots, 55 shots in the box and 48 key passes all placed first among team-mates last season.
His early schedule, however, is likely to deter early investment. The Hammers face Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, Man City and Liverpool in their first six matches.
Also in this series
Part 1: Haaland equals record while Salah drops
Part 2: Tricky decisions in midfield
Part 3: New role key to Alexander-Arnold rise
Part 5: Saka to cost the same as Odegaard
Part 6: Kane a tricky pick among premiums
