The Scout compares players' statistics, prices and fixtures in each position to help managers pick their opening squads for 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League, ahead of the Gameweek 1 deadline at 18:30 BST on Friday 16 August.
Premium midfielders (£7.0m and over)
There’s no shortage of premium midfielders in 2024/25 Fantasy, with as many as six of them priced at £9.5m or over.
Five of those players – Cole Palmer (£10.5m), Phil Foden (£9.5m), Bukayo Saka (£10.0m), Son Heung-min (£10.0m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) – surpassed the 200-point mark in the previous campaign, with all but Foden also boosted by penalty duties.
A comparison of all six players shows that Salah – despite suffering his worst Fantasy season in 2023/24 - remains peerless in terms of goal threat.
Per 90 minutes, the Liverpool star's 4.01 shots, 3.24 shots in the box and 1.16 big chances were all better than his rivals. Salah’s drop in input in 2023/24 Fantasy essentially coincided with a lowly 15.8 per cent goal conversion, only the fourth-best in the analysis.
Palmer’s numbers in his breakout Fantasy campaign certainly suggest he will be Salah’s successor. Not only did the Chelsea star rank top for goal conversion, his 3.70 shots and 0.75 big chances per 90 minutes make him “the best of the rest” here.
Saka claimed third place for shots, shots in the box and big chances per 90 minutes and a relatively lowly 14.8 per cent goal conversion rate shows where there is room for improvement.
Son and Foden, by contrast, were among the best finishers on show, converting 20.0 and 18.1 per cent of their shots respectively.
Goal threat per 90 mins 2023/24
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Goal conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salah | 4.01 | 3.24 | 1.16 | 15.8% |
| Palmer | 3.70 | 1.76 | 0.75 | 20.2% |
| Saka | 3.33 | 2.47 | 0.65 | 14.8% |
| Son | 2.62 | 2.03 | 0.59 | 20.0% |
| Foden | 3.30 | 1.85 | 0.44 | 18.1% |
| De Bruyne | 3.21 | 1.31 | 0.07 | 9.1% |
De Bruyne’s appeal is clearly in his creativity, with his 1.53 big chances created per 90 minutes nearly double the 0.77 of his nearest rival, Salah. However, the Belgian's pitch time is far more at risk than his rivals and it's likely he'll play the role of differential in Fantasy this season.
Combined with his goal threat, Salah's overall involvement in big chances does suggest he could be the best option, although a change of head coach and tactics may result in a revision of the Reds’ attack.
While Palmer, Son and Saka are all similar here, the Chelsea attacker was by far the most reliable asset in 2023/24 Fantasy and looks just as vital as Salah.
Palmer blanked once in 13 home starts and ranked second for attacking returns in away matches, despite only making his full debut for Chelsea in Gameweek 7.
Certainly, Foden’s overall big chance involvement – the least of last season’s big five midfielders – indicates he could be the most dispensable, particularly if you plan to own his team-mate Erling Haaland (£15.0m).
Creativity per 90 mins 2023/24
| Player | Key passes | Big chances created |
|---|---|---|
| De Bruyne | 4.31 | 1.53 |
| Salah | 2.32 | 0.77 |
| Son | 2.09 | 0.62 |
| Palmer | 2.44 | 0.58 |
| Saka | 2.81 | 0.49 |
| Foden | 2.29 | 0.31 |
Eze and Gordon can be value picks
Eberechi Eze (£7.0m) and Anthony Gordon (£7.5m) have to be among the best contenders in the £7.0m-£8.5m category.
Eze’s 35 shots and 21 key passes were both team-leading totals after Oliver Glasner took charge of Crystal Palace in Gameweek 25 last season. He is also expected to be the Eagles’ first-choice penalty-taker in 2024/25.
Newcastle United's Gordon, meanwhile, was the second top-scoring midfielder in home matches in Fantasy last season, claiming 133 points thanks to nine goals and 13 assists.
He blanked just TWICE in 18 appearances, suggesting he can be a key figure in managers’ midfields if he can improve his output on the road.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli’s (both £7.0m) battle for the left wing role at Arsenal could also be a big factor in this price bracket, as might Diogo Jota (£7.5m) if can make his mark under Arne Slot at Liverpool.