A solid start – this is what's required in FPL in order for you to be ahead of most, even before the season half time whistle is blown. Ensuring you get your squad selection correct from the start will make all the difference, so here is a guide on the best players to pick and avoid. You can also follow our Fantasy Premier League Football Tips throughout the season for gameweekly insights and opinions.

Our experts have already begun their deep dives for the new season so be sure to check out our Premier League predictions ahead of the start of the season for fresh content.

Throughout the 24/25 action, our signature selection of Premier League accumulator tips will be available every week, as well as covering all the other European football action in our football betting tips & predictions, available on the site every day.

👏🏻 Goalkeeper Tips

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jordan Pickford - Everton (£5m, 18.5%) AVOID

We start with last season’s top points scorer. With a huge overhaul this season of the Bonus Points System (BPS), goalkeepers are just not favoured, with the consensus most will score less than last season. Everton have not strengthened in any department, even allowing a few squad players to leave, already piling pressure on them before the season begins.

With a tough opening three fixtures against Brighton, Tottenham and Bournemouth, I don’t see many clean sheets or shining lights for the Toffees. Factor in his almost premium price of £5m, Pickford should be at the bottom of your list.

🇦🇷 Emiliano Martinez - Aston Villa (£5m, 13%) PICK

With arguably the best opening set of fixtures including two games against newly promoted teams in Leicester and Ipswich, this will be budget well spent. Martinez was at times the match-winner for Aston Villa last season, resulting in a number of MOTM performances, accruing a sizeable amount of points, including bonus points along the way.

By outscoring Man City’s Ederson (115 pts) and Aston Villa further bolstering their defensive unit, he should have your firm attention and be within your top three goalkeeping picks to start the season.

Top Tip – Try to spend your budget elsewhere in the squad. Even the promoted teams often score goals, resulting in most goalkeepers finishing on similar points. They won’t be the deciding factor in winning you those mini-leagues.

⚔️ Defender Tips

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Trent Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool (£7m, 21%) PICK

Don’t let his price put you off, Trent Alexander-Arnold is the real deal. The most expensive defender in the game by £0.5m and though costing an eye-watering £7m, I assure you he is more than worth the spend. Right back is his starting position but he will play mostly in midfield, having more involvement in build-up play, ultimately resulting in more points. With his specialist dead-ball delivery skills, a reinvigorated Liverpool squad and many clean sheets, TAA could and should have some monster scores.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Kyle Walker - Man City (£5.5m, 9.4%) AVOID

The veteran right back is not a bad player at all, there are just too many better options. Though he was the eighth-best-performing defender last season, I expect his game-time to be reduced with the vast talent currently surging through the club. Couple this with a world-class manager seemingly able to play most players wherever he wants, he will likely miss several games and come off early when Manchester City dominate. A further important, often overlooked, aspect is ‘Pep Roulette’. Pep Guardiola changes players on a whim with no warning, often to the detriment of our teams.

Look instead to the more attacking, pragmatic and exciting Josko Gvardiol (£6m), currently selected by 35% confirms he is the much better option for close to the same price.

Top Tip – With the current desired formation of 3-5-2, pick up two to three premium defenders maximum. The two remaining spots should be a value pick ensuring a good amount of points for the price (£4.5-6m) and finally, a cheap asset costing no more than £4m.

⛹ Midfielder Tips

🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah - Liverpool (£12.5m, 35%) PICK

Last season, he was the fifth-highest player in the game overall, amassing 18 goals and 12 assists resulting in 211 pts; amazingly his worst season performance since he joined Liverpool. Salah is looking tip-top in pre-season already, showcasing why he is so pivotal within a reinvigorated team under a new manager. With a great opening fixture track record against newly promoted Ipswich, he is in my team because I expect him to be devasting on day one.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Harry Winks - Leicester (£4.5m, 11.4%) AVOID

The former Tottenham player returns with newly promoted Leicester. He is an out-and-out defensive midfielder, (another position the bonus points system doesn’t reward), and with 2 goals in 45 appearances last season, this cements the fact not many points will come his way. In pre-season the Foxes have lost a key player alongside Winks in the midfield and also their manager to Chelsea, less than optimal after being promoted is an understatement.

These two factors mean Leicester are a far less desirable pick and add a tough start to their campaign by playing Tottenham, Fulham and Aston Villa in the first three, results in staying clear of this selection – even for budget reasons.

Top Tip – This is where that freed-up budget needs to be spent. The majority of your points this season will come from midfield - splash out on some quality.

⚽️ Forward Tips

🇳🇴 Erling Haaland - Man City (£15m, 39%) PICK

What can I say? It's Erling Haaland. Finishing a close second only to Ollie Watkins (£9m, 52%) the goal-scoring machine sees no sign of slowing down. He is the most expensive player in FPL history and for good reason. No matter the opponent, two or three goals are a staple diet of one of the most ruthless finishers in the world, amassing points for fun. Man City play Ipswich Town at home in GW2 and a huge victory is expected - it could be a cricket score. Must NOT leave out.

🇫🇷 Jean Philippe Mateta - Crystal Palace (£7.5m, 8%) AVOID

The Frenchman is currently on international duty with France competing at the Olympics and has already confirmed he will return late ahead of the new season. Though a fairly decent season with 16 goals scored and 7 assists (165 pts), you don’t want to start the season behind the curve clawing points back. A desirable frontline attack of two premium forwards (£9-15m) and one cheap forward (£4.5-£6m) leaves no room for Mateta’s price point.

Top Tip – Choose proven Premier League goalscorers. Utilising this strategy results in constant points with less need to transfer them out, saving them up for a more optimal play.

Conclusion

As FPL kicks off, stay tuned for more fantasy football insights and analysis throughout the 2024-2025 season. Follow me on X @FplVeteran_ for daily fantasy football content.