The Scout is using the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) to determine the sides with the most favourable opening schedules in 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League.
Crystal Palace
The Eagles finished last season in outstanding form, winning six and drawing one of their final seven matches.
They have every chance of maintaining that momentum in the early stages of 2024/25, too. According to the FDR, three of their first four fixtures score a mere two.
Oliver Glasner’s side visit Brentford and entertain both West Ham United and promoted Leicester City in that spell.
Meanwhile, their home match against Manchester United in Gameweek 5 also look encouraging – Palace won the corresponding fixture 4-0 in Gameweek 36 last season.
Crystal Palace’s opening five matches
| GW | Opponent | FDR* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRE (A) | 2 |
| 2 | WHU (H) | 2 |
| 3 | CHE (A) | 4 |
| 4 | LEI (H) | 2 |
| 5 | MUN (H) | 3 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Here are three Palace players backed to make a flying start thanks to their fixtures.
Daniel Munoz
Glasner’s change to a 3-4-2-1 formation helped get the very best out of the winter signing.
Playing as a right-sided wing-back, Munoz supplied four assists and collected five clean sheets in Crystal Palace’s final 14 matches of the last campaign.
The Colombian’s creativity was a big feature of those displays, with his 18 key passes being bettered by only three other defenders in Fantasy.
Munoz’s impact at both ends of the pitch can help him make a major impact in his first full season in Fantasy.
Jean-Philippe Mateta
The forward was Crystal Palace’s most-improved player in Fantasy following the arrival of Glasner as head coach in Gameweek 25.
Mateta scored 13 of his 16 goals last season in that period, as well as supplying three assists. Indeed, his tally of 105 points was more than any other forward over the final 14 Gameweeks.
As the focal point of the Eagles’ attack, the Frenchman had 18 big chances across that run, at least 13 more than any team-mate.
If Mateta can repeat his late-season output, he will prove a very popular asset for managers’ forward lines this campaign.
Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze
Managers could have a big decision on their hands when it comes to the Eagles' midfield, with both Olise and Eze meriting attention.
Olise was certainly the more consistent of the pair last season, producing a goal or an assist in 10 of his 14 starts in an injury-hit campaign.
He scored 10 goals and supplied six assists in those matches, averaging 8.6 points per start last season compared with the 5.4 of Eze.
But with reports suggesting Olise could be heading to Bayern Munich, he may not be an option for 2024/25.
Eze, meanwhile, was a huge influence on his side’s attack under Glasner.
His 35 shots and 21 key passes were both team-leading totals, underlining his all-round prospects for the campaign ahead.
