As Fantasy Premier League managers can now select their 15-man squads, The Scout analyses standout budget and premium players in each position.
Gylfi Sigurdsson (EVE) £7.5m
The arrival of Marco Silva can reignite Sigurdsson’s prospects in Fantasy Premier League.
Signed by Everton last summer, the Icelander managed just four goals, four assists and 96 FPL points during an underwhelming campaign.
His impact was limited by the tactics of former manager Sam Allardyce.
After Allardyce was appointed in Gameweek 15, the Toffees’ total of 213 shots was fewer than any other side.
But Silva’s more attack-minded approach can promote Sigurdsson as a source of goals and assists again.
He is expected to occupy a central support role behind Cenk Tosun (£7.0m) in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
And he is also likely to be handed set-piece duties.
That can help him rediscover the form that produced at least 150 points in three successive seasons before his Goodison Park switch.
Sigurdsson has been largely ignored since this summer's FPL launch.
He is owned by just 2.9 per cent of managers, compared with Tosun’s 12.1 per cent and the 4.9 per cent who have picked Theo Walcott (£6.5m).
A kind opening run of opponents makes Everton players attractive options.
Eight of their opening nine matches score three or less in the Fixture Difficulty Ranking (FDR).
Everton's opening nine Gameweeks
| GW | Opponent | Venue | FDR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolves | A | 2 |
| 2 | Southampton | H | 2 |
| 3 | AFC Bournemouth | A | 3 |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town | H | 2 |
| 5 | West Ham | H | 2 |
| 6 | Arsenal | A | 4 |
| 7 | Fulham | H | 2 |
| 8 | Leicester City | A | 3 |
| 9 | Crystal Palace | H | 2 |
That should help Sigurdsson prosper. And a price drop from £8.5m last season to £7.5m can re-establish him as a top target in midfield.