Fantasy Premier League managers struggling to find the cash to spend on premium players may want to consider options from Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton as they assemble their squads for Gameweek 1.
The trio of clubs all achieved promotion from the Championship last season, with Leicester and Southampton bouncing back up after relegation and Ipswich securing their long-awaited return to the Premier League after 22 years away.
Such is the chasm that has opened between the top two tiers of English football, newly promoted sides are generally tipped to struggle which means their FPL assets are invariably nice and cheap. Plenty have proven to offer exceptional value down the years.
Here are nine players to consider featuring three players from each club:
Ipswich Town
If their summer business is anything to go by, the Tractor Boys are not content to just make up the numbers in the top-flight.
Ipswich’s most crucial business was tied up at the start of the window when highly-rated young manager Kieran McKenna committed his future to the club amid interest from Chelsea, while around £70m has been spent on six new players.
Attack may be the best form of defence for McKenna’s men as they were the second-highest scoring team in England’s top four divisions last season, only behind League Two champions Stockport County.
Leif Davis
Luton Town’s left wing-back Alfie Doughty provided more direct goal contributions (12; two goals, 10 fantasy assists) than any other defender in FPL last season and there is a chance that Ipswich’s left wing-back could emulate his efforts this term.
Leif Davis has a phenomenal record of 32 assists and five goals in 86 league appearances for Ipswich and is a regular set-piece taker from both corners and free-kicks. He is potentially excellent value at £4.5m given his attacking quality.
Position: Defender Price: £4.5m
Omari Hutchinson
Ipswich spent a club-record £20m to buy Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea after the winger impressed on loan at Portman Road.
The 20-year-old featured in all but two of Ipswich’s Championship fixtures, and while he made more appearances as a substitute than as a starter, he became increasingly influential in the last few months of the campaign.
Hutchinson scored 10 league goals, including one on the final day to help Ipswich secure automatic promotion, and provided five assists.
Position: Midfielder Price: £5.5m
Arijanet Muric
One of the new arrivals. Arijanet Muric joined following Burnley’s relegation with Vaclav Hladky – an ever-present for Ipswich last season – heading in the opposite direction.
After losing his place to James Trafford, Muric regained his starting place at Burnley for their final 10 games of 2023-24 and although he made a couple of high-profile errors he otherwise impressed, averaging 4.7 points per game in FPL.
Position: Goalkeeper Price: £4.5m
Leicester City
The Foxes secured an immediate return to the Premier League by winning the Championship, but two key departures have defined their pre-season.
Manager Enzo Maresca jumped ship to join Chelsea and swiftly brought the influential Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall with him to Stamford Bridge.
Steve Cooper is a savvy appointment as Maresca’s replacement, while exciting signings have been made with last season’s loanee Abdul Fatawu joining permanently from Sporting Lisbon and Facundo Buonanotte set to follow on loan from Brighton.
Wout Faes
Cooper’s teams like to play open, expansive football which could leave Leicester vulnerable to one or two hidings. They may not keep many clean sheets but sometimes it’s handy to have a cheap regular starter as a bench option in FPL.
Wout Faes started 43 of 46 league games last season and should keep his place under Cooper considering he is a good passer of the ball and more mobile than Jannik Vestergaard. He poses an occasional goal threat too, scoring twice in 2023-24.
Position: Defender Price: £4m
Stephy Mavididi
Stephy Mavididi proved to be an astute recruit after joining Leicester from Montpellier last summer, playing an integral role as Leicester finished the season in first place.
The No 10, who came through the ranks at Arsenal, scored 12 goals and registered six assists in 46 games. Mavididi also took and scored two penalties last season which could come in handy given the evergreen Jamie Vardy is no longer an automatic starter.
Position: Midfield Price: £5.5m
Abdul Fatawu
A livewire of a left winger, Fatawu became a fan’s favourite at the King Power during a productive loan spell and supporters will no doubt be delighted that he is now a full member of the Foxes family.
The 20-year-old was a creative force in the Championship, with his 13 assists bettered only by the aforementioned Davis at Ipswich and former teammate Dewsbury-Hall. The Ghanaian also chipped in with six goals.
Position: Midfield Price: £5.5m
Southampton
Like Leicester, Southampton sealed a return to the Premier League at the first attempt after beating Leeds 1-0 in the Championship play-off final.
Russell Martin managed to galvanise the squad and usher in a possession-based style of play that proved successful. The Saints put together a memorable club-record 25-game unbeaten run from September to February.
Southampton have been the busiest of the three clubs in the transfer market, buying 12 new players including Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes, who were key players under Martin last season.
Yukinari Sugawara
There are cheaper Southampton defenders to look at, including the nailed-on starter Harwood-Bellis at £4m, but summer signing from AZ Alkmaar Yukinari Sugawara could be a shrewd differential given his attacking pedigree.
The Japanese right-back scored 12 goals and registered 20 assists in 110 appearances in the Eredivisie and will have a license to get forward in Martin’s 4-3-3 system.
Position: Defender Price: £4.5m
Adam Armstrong
The pick of the promoted forwards, based on last season’s numbers. Adam Armstrong netted 24 goals and laid on 13 assists in 49 appearances, including the winning goal against Leeds at Wembley.
Armstrong, who will likely rotate with Ben Brereton Diaz in the left wing and striker positions, will be eager to show he can make the step up after previously struggling in the Premier League. At £5.5m he could be worth a punt.
Position: Forward Price: £5.5m
Ben Brereton Diaz
Another eye-catching addition on the south coast is Brereton Diaz, who was bought from Villarreal after enjoying a productive loan stint at Sheffield United during the second half of last season.
The Chile international scored six goals and produced an assist in 14 games for the Blades and found the net on his Southampton debut against Lazio in pre-season. Listed as a midfielder in FPL, expect to see the 25-year-old pop up in a centre-forward position.
Position: Midfield Price: £5.5m
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