The Scout looks at players with favourable early fixtures for Fantasy Premier League managers to consider in their squads.
Gylfi Sigurdsson (EVE) £7.5m
A combination of factors can help Sigurdsson play his way into FPL midfields.
In the first nine Gameweeks of 2018/19, Everton face only one of last season's top seven teams.
Everton's first nine Gameweeks
| GW | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolves | A |
| 2 | Southampton | H |
| 3 | AFC Bournemouth | A |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town | H |
| 5 | West Ham | H |
| 6 | Arsenal | A |
| 7 | Fulham | H |
| 8 | Leicester City | A |
| 9 | Crystal Palace | H |
After signing for Everton last summer, Sigurdsson was priced at £8.5m following an outstanding final season for Swansea City.
He produced nine goals and 13 assists for the Welsh club in 2016/17 and was one of the most reliable midfielders in Fantasy.
The Icelander got 150 or more FPL points in three successive seasons.
But injury limited him to 25 starts last season and he managed only four goals, four assists and 96 points.
Those returns mean a drop in price looks likely for 2018/19.
Tactics boost
Sigurdsson's FPL potential was hampered by Everton's tactics under former manager Sam Allardyce.
After Allardyce was appointed from Gameweek 15 the Toffees attempted only 213 shots, fewer than any other side.
The new man in charge, Marco Silva, has vowed to bring back an attacking style of play to Goodison Park.
He is expected to play Sigurdsson in a central support role behind lone striker Cenk Tosun in a 4-2-3-1 set-up.
Combine that with a promising set of opening fixtures and a cost of £7.5m or less, Sigurdsson can be a big favourite in Fantasy this season.
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 8: FPL early ones to watch: Gudmundsson
Part 10: FPL early ones to watch: Zaha
Part 11: FPL early ones to watch: Firmino
Part 12: FPL early ones to watch: King