The big decision that Fantasy Premier League managers have to make ahead of Gameweek 1 revolves around Erling Haaland. To buy? Or not to buy? That is the question.
At £15m, the Norwegian is comfortably the most expensive asset in the game and some bosses are talking themselves out of getting him. For others, there is no decision to be made. Haaland is the first name on the team sheet.
Whether you sign or snub Haaland will have a knock-on effect on the rest of your frontline. Buying the Manchester City goal machine makes it harder to get to other premium forwards, considering he is £6m more expensive than anyone else.
On the flip side, leaving him out gives you greater flexibility. Ollie Watkins and Rodrigo Muniz cost the same amount of FPL pounds combined as the Norwegian commands on his own.
Haaland obviously features in our list of forwards to consider, but there are a few others to add to your watchlist before the first deadline on Friday 16 August.
Here are i‘s pick of them:
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
There is some merit to selecting a squad without Haaland in it but just be warned that it is bound to cause some pain if you decide to go down that route.
Since joining City in 2022, Haaland has scored 63 goals and provided 19 FPL assists in only 66 games. That works out at 1.2 goal involvements per match. In FPL currency, he averages just over seven points per game.
The fact that there is even a debate over Haaland shows that FPL have got their pricing spot on this year. It was too easy to squeeze him in with other big-hitters and there will be more variety to people’s teams this year as a result.
At least until he registers his first 20-point haul…
Price: £15m Points in 2023-24: 217
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
It was a campaign to remember for Watkins who recorded a career-best tally of 19 goals and 13 assists in a Premier League season to inspire Aston Villa’s Champions League charge. An iconic 90th-minute goal for England in the semi-final of the Euros was another moment to savour for the 28-year-old.
The one-time Weston-super-Mare frontman is at the peak of his powers and has another big year ahead of him as Villa take on Europe’s elite. Unsurprisingly, he is proving to be a popular man in FPL with over 50 per cent of managers snapping him up as the new season approaches.
Only one rival currently boasts a higher ownership…
Price: £9m Points in 2023-24: 228
Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
… and that man is Alexander Isak. Newcastle’s main man is not only the most selected forward in FPL right now, but he is the most selected player in the entire game.
The Swede has no doubt hoovered up some of Haaland’s previous backers but he is at the top of the standings on merit after a mightily impressive season in an inconsistent Newcastle side. Isak scored 21 goals and provided four assists in 30 appearances.
Injuries have disrupted Isak’s rhythm during his spell on Tyneside, but he will have fewer fixtures to play this season with Newcastle out of European competition. That could work nicely in his and FPL managers’ favour.
Price: £8.5m Points in 2023-24: 172
Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
A cold, blustery Saturday afternoon at Turf Moor in February proved to be the turning point for Kai Havertz’s Arsenal career. The German had scored only four goals in his first 23 league matches for the Gunners, but a goal in a 5-0 rout of the Clarets kickstarted a supreme run of form.
From that fixture until the end of the season, Havertz scored nine goals and provided eight assists in only 14 matches, primarily from a centre-forward position.
His total of 117 points in that period was only surpassed by Cole Palmer, who ended up finishing top of the FPL standings across the campaign.
Cheaper than Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, Havertz offers a cut-priced route into Arsenal’s attack.
Price: £8m Points in 2023-24: 180
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)
What a glow-up the Frenchman has had this year. If you had told Crystal Palace supporters at the start of February that Jean-Philippe Mateta would outscore Haaland until the end of the season before spearheading France’s gold medal charge under Thierry Henry, most would have assumed you had suffered a concussion.
But Mateta has been reborn under Oliver Glasner’s high-flying Eagles. The 27-year-old scored 13 goals in as many games under the Austrian, including a first Premier Lague hat-trick on the final day destruction of Aston Villa. He also supplied the highest points tally in FPL across a single gameweek last season with 29.
Price: £7.5m Points in 2023-24: 165
Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth)
Fresh from enjoying the best season of his career, Dominic Solanke is a man in demand. Tottenham are being strongly linked with a big-money move for the Bournemouth frontman as they look to add some much-needed firepower to Ange Postecoglou’s squad. Only Haaland, Cole Palmer and Watkins bettered Solanke’s tally of 19 league goals.
If Solanke joins Spurs, expect his FPL popularity to surge given the volume of chances that Spurs create. If he doesn’t, he remains a great pick given how important he is to the Cherries.
It is probably worth holding off on buying him before his future is resolved, however.
Price: £7.5m Points in 2023-24: 175
Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham)
Considering how budget-friendly his price tag is it is surprising that not more FPL managers have picked Muniz in their squads.
The Brazilian is owned by fewer than 10 per cent of bosses, at the time of writing, but is arguably the standout second forward for those building their attacks around Haaland.
Muniz, who has been given the No 9 shirt by Marco Silva as a reward for his recent progress, scored nine goals in his final 16 league games of 2023-24. Mateta, Haaland and Isak are the only forwards who can top those numbers in that timeframe.
Price: £6m Points in 2023-24: 97
Adam Armstrong (Southampton)
The pick of the promoted forwards, based on last season’s numbers. Adam Armstrong had a superb year in the Championship, scoring 24 goals and providing 13 assists in 49 appearances.
He was the match-winner in the play-off final too, his composed finish edging the Saints back up to the big time at Leeds United’s expense.
It’s a massive season for the 27-year-old who will be eager to prove that he doesn’t belong in the group of strikers deemed to be too good for the Championship, but not quite good enough for the Premier League. He has scored 49 goals in his last two seasons in the second tier but only netted four times in his last two in the top-tier.
Price: £5.5m Points in 2023-24: N/A
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