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Welcome to the 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League season, RotoBallers! This is the third year covering FPL on the site, and we are bringing you more coverage than ever before. We will publish the Gameweek Preview consisting of a Staff Roundtable and our weekly rankings every week. Then, once a month, we will publish our newest article: The Watchlist, a review of the previous month and a look ahead to the upcoming fixtures.
It's finally here! Another season of Fantasy Premier League. Gameweek 1 kicks us off with the defending Champions, Manchester City, traveling to newly-promoted Burnley. Then, we have games on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as Manchester United and Wolves round out the first weekend of football.
The Gameweek 1 deadline is 1:30 PM EST on Friday, August 11, for the Burnley-Man City game. Also, look out for the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League, Major League Soccer, and UEFA Champions League slate from a DFS and betting perspective.
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 1 Preview
The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the mind of our FPL staff. Our top soccer writers will answer questions each gameweek to give you an idea of how they view the games. So without further ado, let's kick off Gameweek 1!
Last Year's Fantasy Premier League High Scorers
- Goalkeeper: David Raya, Brentford - 166 points
- Defender: Kieran Trippier, Newcastle - 198 points
- Midfielder: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool - 239 points
- Forward: Erling Haaland, Manchester City - 272 points
It’s been a busy summer season. Which signing will have the most significant impact on Fantasy Premier League?
- Euan Leith: James Maddison staying in the Premier League and going to Spurs from Leicester City looks like the cream of the crop. Linking up with Harry Kane (if he stays), Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski should be a lethal quartet for the North London side. Plus, with no European commitments, this season could be the first time since the 2018/19 campaign that the 26-year-old makes at least 30 starts.
- Jamie Steed: After many underwhelming transfers last season, Chelsea looks to have addressed their striker issues, and Nicolas Jackson could be a real FPL asset. We know what Pochettino teams are capable of, and Jackson’s ability to play wide or centrally could help him outscore Christopher Nkunku.
Does James Maddison (£7.5m) tempt you #FPL managers? 🤔 https://t.co/8A67VejNhz
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 6, 2023
On the opposite end, what signing may be overrated in the FPL world?
- Euan: Rasmus Hojlund joins a striker-needy Manchester United squad, but I doubt he will make a huge FPL impact in his first season. He's already out for a few weeks due to match fitness, and the Man United offense still runs through Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernades. Hojlund will have the chance to make that a deadly trio at Old Trafford, but not in his debut campaign.
- Jamie: I love the signing of Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool, but I fear his FPL value may be taking a hit. Liverpool’s central midfielders have seldom provided much value. Given six of Mac Allister’s ten goals last season came from the penalty spot, with Mo Salah on penalty duties, it’s unlikely he will reach double digits again this season. Mac Allister’s 86 shots last season were third-most among all midfielders, and that’s also something I don’t see him repeating.
Welcome to #FPL, Rasmus Hojlund! 👋 pic.twitter.com/bamhBrC5Ie
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 7, 2023
Who do you predict to bounce back after a disappointing campaign last year?
- Euan: Bruno Fernandes, the new Captain for Man United, is looking to get back in our FPL good graces. He will never replicate that 244-point year in the 2020/21 season, but he has a good chance of cracking 200 points this year. The Portuguese midfielder is on penalties for the Red Devils, plays every minute of every game, and underperformed his expected Goal Involvement (xGI) by 3.03 last year.
- Jamie: Jarrod Bowen finished as the 16th highest-scoring midfielder last season, but I anticipate a top-10 finish this season. He was ninth at the position with a 15.38 xGI. Bowen also hit the woodwork three times, so he could’ve had a better season than he did with more luck.
And who do you think will fail to meet expectations?
- Euan: Trent Alexander-Arnold was in every one of my FPL drafts to begin preseason, but I don't think he'll be in my Gameweek 1 squad. Liverpool looks leaky in the preseason, and it could be more of the same in the Premier League. Plus, newly signed midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has been taking a lot of corners in the preseason to lessen TAA's appeal even more. At £8.0m, the England right-back has gone from must-own to differential in a few weeks.
- Jamie Steed: Because he’s the third most rostered midfielder (37.8%), I think Kaoru Mitoma could be a let-down. Six of his seven goals last season came in the 12 games immediately after the World Cup, and he then failed to score in his final 12 games. As much as I like Brighton, I don’t foresee a repeat this year and feel Mitoma won’t be as worthwhile as such a highly rostered player.
Who is your favorite minimum-priced asset at any position?
- Euan: There's a non-zero chance Steffen Ortega starts between the sticks for Man City on Friday night, but that's not the best long-term option. If Matt Turner remains the only goalkeeper that Nottingham Forest signs, he's a great option to rotate with a £4.5 million goalkeeper when Forest plays at home.
- Jamie: Assuming the transfer goes through, Matt Turner is set to be Nottingham Forest's number one and, at £4.0m, could be a great value play. Three ‘keepers started for Forest last season, totaling 133 points. That would’ve been enough to finish eighth at the position, so rostering Turner has significant value.
🧤 £4.5/£4.0 KEEPER ROTATION
🟦 Pickford (EVE)
🟥 Turner (Should be sign for NFO)🗓️ Fixtures (CS%)
GW1: 🟦 FUL (36%) 6th
GW2: 🟥 SHU (33%) 6th
GW3: 🟦 WOL (26%) 11th
GW4: 🟦 shu (28%) 9th
GW5: 🟥 BUR (26%) 9thJust need to wait for the 'Matt Turner, Here we go' now! 📱 pic.twitter.com/weohJSN2tg
— FPL CORF 🏴 (@CORF_FPL) August 6, 2023
Who's keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 1?
- Euan: As long as he holds onto his starting spot for the weekend, Aaron Ramsdale has the best chance to start the 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League season with a clean sheet. Nottingham Forest scored a league-low 11 goals in 19 games away from the City Ground last year.
- Jamie: Manchester United’s new goalkeeper André Onana will get his campaign up and running with a clean sheet. He’s facing a Wolves side that managed only 31 goals last season (worst in the league) and is in financial difficulty, unable to improve the side. United’s ten goals conceded at home was the fewest last season, and all signs point to a comfortable home win without conceding on Monday.
Which defensive player is providing an attacking return?
- Euan: Ben Chilwell has been doing all the right things in all the right places during the preseason. At times, the wingback has been forming a front three with his advanced positions. Liverpool has had a preseason to forget regarding defensive setup, and I expect them to be exploited down their right flank.
- Jamie: I like his chances if Aaron Cresswell starts for West Ham. He faces a Bournemouth side that conceded the most goals from set pieces last season (21), and his deliveries from corners could see Cresswell already match last year’s assist tally of one.
Who's a midfielder or forward rostered on less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?
- Euan: Yoane Wissa is Brentford's starting forward and should play most of the minutes until Ivan Toney returns from his suspension in January. At £6.0m, he's an excellent choice if your squad currently contains Erling Haaland and one of Mohamed Salah, TAA, or Harry Kane. Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo are the most likely goalscorers for the Bees, and his 4.7 teams selected by percentage (TSB%) make him a massive differential for the first few games of the new season.
- Jamie: Pascal Groß seems to be the forgotten man at Brighton. Currently, on only 4.9% of teams, he had 17 goal involvements last season and will be expected to fill some of the gap left by Mac Allister. Brighton starts against Luton at home, and while newly promoted sides can be a mystery to begin the season, the Seagulls should have no problem starting with a win and a couple of goals at least.
Who are you most worried about not having in your Gameweek 1 squad?
- Euan: Whichever Arsenal midfielder I decide to leave out. Currently, Bukayo Saka is the only Arsenal attacker in my squad. It makes me incredibly nervous not to have Gabriel Martinelli or Martin Odegaard on the team, but sacrifices must be made. Arsenal's opponent, Nottingham Forest, had the worst away defense in the league during the 2022/23 campaign, conceding 44 goals in 19 games.
Which @Arsenal players are in your #FPL side? 🔴⚪️
Our experts reveal which Gunners they will be picking ahead of 2023/24 🧵 pic.twitter.com/1v9OQMXwqi
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 8, 2023
- Jamie: Any Manchester City midfielder. It’s hard enough to predict who starts for City most weeks, but with a Friday night game on the back of Sunday’s Community Shield and Kevin de Bruyne coming back from an injury, who knows who starts? There’s a chance you’re taking a blank to kick off the season by starting any of them.
Who's getting the Captain's armband?
- Euan: Fantasy Premier League can cause so many headaches with the weekly decisions you must make. Fortunately, captaincy is not one of those headaches for Gameweek 1. Erling Haaland plays a newly promoted side, Burnley, on Friday night. The Norwegian gets the armband for the first of many gameweeks in the 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League season.
- Jamie: Gabriel Martinelli will be getting the armband this week. He’s the least rostered of Arsenal’s attacking midfield trio (14.1 TSB%), and while I don’t think we see a repeat of the 5-0 scoreline we saw in this fixture last season, the Gunners will be buoyed by their Community Shield win. I expect them to get their campaign off to a solid start with Martinelli involved in the scoring.
What’s your bold prediction for Gameweek 1?
- Euan: Aston Villa continues its strong finish to last season and defeats Newcastle at St. James Park for the first time since 2005. And all three newly-promoted sides (Burnley, Luton Town, and Sheffield United) combine to score zero goals.
- Jamie: Chelsea and Liverpool played out two goalless draws last season, and their last six meetings in all competitions have been drawn. Maybe that changes this weekend, but regardless of the result, I fancy a bit of a goal-fest and will say we see five different scorers between the two teams.
Finally, what are predictions for Champions, Top-four, and relegation in the Premier League this year?
- Euan: With their incredible depth, Man City storms to another title. They won't leave it as late to make a charge as they did last year against Arsenal. Then, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United round out the top four. However, the Premier League will likely gain a fifth spot in the Champions League because of a new format. That spot will go to Aston Villa ahead of Chelsea and Newcastle. I'm backing Wolves, Luton, and Everton to go down for relegation.
- Jamie: It’s hard to bet against Manchester City winning another title unless the FA finally hands down a suitable punishment for the 100+ financial rules breaches. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United will round out the top four. Wolves and Sheffield United are my two leading picks for relegation, with the final spot being contested between Luton Town, Everton, and Fulham.
Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on Twitter @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
