The Scout looks at players with strong initial fixtures for Fantasy Premier League managers to consider in their squads.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson (BUR) £6.0m
The Burnley midfielder can carry his fine FPL form into 2018/19.
Only one of Gudmundsson’s first eight opponents finished in the top half of last season's table.
And that one match, against Manchester United in Gameweek 4, is at Turf Moor.
Burnley’s first eight Gameweeks
| GW | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southampton | A |
| 2 | Watford | H |
| 3 | Fulham | A |
| 4 | Man Utd | H |
| 5 | Wolves | A |
| 6 | AFC Bournemouth | H |
| 7 | Cardiff City | A |
| 8 | Huddersfield Town | H |
Five-star performance
Gudmundsson started last season at a cost of £5.0m and ended as Burnley’s top-scoring outfield player with 117 points.
He finished the campaign with two goals and nine assists.
His total of 67 chances created was top among Burnley players, while his 54 shots were the second-most within the squad.
Set-piece creator
Gudmundsson's set-piece delivery was key last season for the Clarets.
No FPL player created more chances from set-plays than the Icelander's 36.
He will compete with Robbie Brady for corners and free-kicks next season.
Brady return?
Brady created 19 chances from set-pieces before he was injured in Gameweek 15 so whether he resumes those duties will need to be monitored.
But Gudmundsson could be priced at £6.0m or under in FPL this season.
If he remains on set-plays ahead of Brady, he can offer strong opening value for Fantasy managers.
Also in this series
Part 1: FPL early ones to watch: Begovic
Part 2: FPL early ones to watch: Mee
Part 3: FPL early ones to watch: Coleman
Part 4: FPL early ones to watch: Van Aanholt
Part 5: FPL early ones to watch: Otamendi
Part 6: FPL early ones to watch: Sane
Part 7: FPL early ones to watch: Hazard
Part 9: FPL early ones to watch: Sigurdsson
Part 10: FPL early ones to watch: Zaha
Part 11: FPL early ones to watch: Firmino
Part 12: FPL early ones to watch: King