As managers in Fantasy Premier League wrestle with difficult decisions over which premium players to pick, our panel of FPL experts rank them in order of priority and explain their reasoning.
Experts' picks
| Pick 1 | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pranil Sheth | Haaland | Palmer | Salah |
| Lee Bonfield | Haaland | Salah | Saka |
| Holly Shand | Haaland | Saka | Palmer |
| Nick Harris | Haaland | Saka | Palmer |
| Gianni Buttice | Haaland | Saka | Watkins |
| FPL General | Haaland | Palmer | Saka |
| Az Phillips | Haaland | Salah | Palmer |
| Sam Bonfield | Haaland | Saka | Watkins |
Pranil Sheth (@lateriser12)
Erling Haaland (£15.3m) is the best captaincy option for the foreseeable, which is why he's the No 1 premium pick.
I've always felt Cole Palmer (£10.7m) is very explosive and just elite in a functional Chelsea attack, which is why he's at No 2.
My third pick would be Mohamed Salah (£12.8m), who just wins for reliability.
Lee Bonfield (@FPLFamily)
Haaland still gets top spot for me. A blank against Newcastle isn't enough to put me off following his superb start to the season.
Next up, Salah. Four double-digit hauls out of six demonstrates perfectly why he's the king of consistency in FPL.
Bukayo Saka (£10.1m) gets third place for me, with an attacking return in every Gameweek so far bar one - and with decent fixtures to come.
Holly Shand (@HollyShand)
Haaland is a must-have given his excellent goalscoring form so far this season. He remains the go-to captain pick in all of the next three Gameweeks.
Saka is the second best premium. He continues produce lots of shots and key passes, showcasing his multiple routes to points from set-pieces, including penalties. Arsenal had an incredible 36 shots against Leicester last weekend.
Palmer was the third premium on my Wildcard last week and that really paid off. Given that he isn't in Chelsea's Conference League squad, I imagine he will come close to replicating his output from last season.
Nick Harris (@WGTA_Nick)
Haaland is still the key premium to have and to go without him for the next five would constitute a huge risk.
While Saka hasn't been in the goals recently, he's been instrumental in terms of chance creation, particularly from set-pieces, with five assists so far. Southampton at home looks the perfect fixture for him up next and the goals will follow soon.
Finally, Palmer banged in four goals this week, and with Nottingham Forest at home up next, many managers will be eyeing him up. It is worth mentioning that his fixtures do get tougher after that game, though.
Gianni Buttice (@GianniButtice)
Haaland is the best player in the game and I can't see that changing anytime soon.
At No 2 is Saka. The chief creator in a well-functioning attack and his price point allows you to own three premium attackers.
Finally, Ollie Watkins (£9.1m) deserves more respect. He did after all outscore Haaland last season. His attacking returns have been consistent since Gameweek 3 and he always offers a high ceiling. I'm surprised he's only owned by 29 per cent of managers.
Mark McGettigan (@FPLGeneral)
Haaland is the must-have premium for captaincy over the coming Gameweeks.
Next is Palmer. He was sensational in Gameweek 6, and while Salah might be the king of FPL, Palmer is the heir to his throne.
My final pick is Saka. He is just so consistent. He could be a set and forget for the season.
Az Phillips (@FPLBlackBox_Az)
Despite the blank last weekend, you can't be going without Haaland, who is arguably the best captain for the next five Gameweeks. I expect a minimum of five to 10 goals over this period.
Salah is second for me and remains an incredible option, on the back of his fourth double-digit haul of the season. His price can be restrictive, but concerns around Luis Diaz (£8.0m) and Diogo Jota's (£7.5m) minutes mean he's still the main man at Liverpool.
Saka and Palmer are the key men at their respective clubs, and there's little to separate them. In the longer term, I'd rather have Palmer, who seems to generate higher individual Gameweek scores and is therefore an interesting captain alternative to Haaland from Gameweek 12.
Sam Bonfield (@FPLFamily)
Haaland feels like a must-have. He might have blanked in Gameweek 6, but the fixtures moving forward for Haaland and Man City are excellent.
Saka is Arsenal's main man, and despite not registering an attacking return in Gameweek 6, he feels vital for Arsenal's great run of fixtures.
In the short term, Watkins is my third pick. He has returned in each of the last four Gameweeks and seems to be finding his groove again.
