With the Premier League season now upon us, fans up and down the country have gone to great lengths to pick what they feel is the best Fantasy Football team. Users can spend hours at a time tinkering with their squad in the hope of securing maximum points.
With that in mind, we here at WhoScored.com have selected five ‘Must Haves’ and five ‘Wildcards’ to help you in your Fantasy Football quest this campaign.
MUST HAVES
Prior to a thigh strain suffered on Boxing Day, Aaron Ramsey was in the form of his life. 8 goals and 6 assists in the months leading up to the problem had Arsenal fans believing they could finally lift the Premier League title for this first time since the 2003/04 season, though it was not to be.
It’s no coincidence that Arsenal’s form dropped in his absence, but the Wales international was on hand to guide the Gunners to glory following his return, netting the winner in the FA Cup final against Hull back in May. He has started the season with aplomb, scoring and providing an assist in Arsenal’s 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City on Sunday, and the dynamic midfielder is expected to be the driving force for the north London side in the upcoming campaign.
Only Martin Skrtel (7) scored more league goals of defenders than Seamus Coleman (6) last season and the Republic of Ireland international is tipped to have a barnstorming campaign once more. Having recently signed a new 5-year deal at Goodison Park, Everton fans are confident their marauding full-back can repeat his exploits.
Defensively, Coleman was an astute performer in the Toffees backline, helping them to 15 clean sheets in Everton’s 5th placed finish. He won’t come cheap, but the 25-year-old is deemed a ‘must have’ by fantasy football connoisseurs and is one player you will not regret picking.
Far and away Chelsea’s best player last season, Eden Hazard is expected to continue his development under the watchful eye of José Mourinho. The Belgian scored more league goals (14) and registered more assists (7) than any other Blues player in England’s top tier last term, but expect both figures to rise this time around.
While he failed to light up the 2014 World Cup, Hazard should be able to better his return in the upcoming season with Cesc Fàbregas providing the ammunition from midfield. Moreover, no player executed more key passes than Hazard (92) in the Premier League last season, but expect those to be turned into assists following Diego Costa’s arrival from Atlético. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (31) and Lionel Messi (28) scored more La Liga goals than the Brazil-born Spain international (27) last term.
A handful of goalkeepers may have kept more clean sheets than David de Gea (12) in the Premier League last season, but the Spaniard has come on leaps and bounds since joining from Atlético in 2011. He is the undisputed number 1 at Old Trafford and big things are expected of him and the 2012/13 champions in the upcoming campaign.
Now under the stewardship of Louis van Gaal, United are expected to tighten up defensively having shipped an unprecedented 43 league goals last term. Netherlands conceded only four times in seven games at the 2014 World Cup and if Van Gaal can strengthen the backline before the transfer window closes, De Gea could prove to be one of the best goalkeepers in the league this term.
While Wayne Rooney has his doubters, the England international continuously excels in and around the 18-yard box. The striker is the only player to reach double figures for both goals and assists in the last two league seasons and with Van Gaal at the helm, the frontman is tipped to enjoy a prolific season.
In a 3-4-1-2 formation, Rooney is expected to thrive alongside Robin van Persie up front and once again hit double figures for goals. With no European action to hinder his league form and having recently been handed the captains armband, Rooney’s confidence is likely to be sky high and there is no reason why he can’t show this on the pitch.
WILDCARDS
One of the more low key signings of the summer saw Bojan Krkic sign for Stoke City. The Potters became synonymous with the long ball approach under Tony Pulis, but have had a change of philosophy under Mark Hughes and Bojan will go a long way to realising the potential of this team.
The Spaniard has scored 3 of Stoke’s last 5 goals in pre-season and fans will be hoping he can replicate this form in England’s top tier. If Stoke can pick up where they left off last season, having lost only 2 of their last 11 league games, the Potters could well be considered a dark horse for a European finish, with Bojan a potential surprise package.
Like Ramsey with Arsenal, QPR’s Championship form dipped when Charlie Austin was sidelined with a shoulder injury. The 25-year-old was the R’s top goalscorer last term, having bagged 19 goals for the west London side. To put that into context, Ravel Morrison, a loan signing from West Ham, was the second highest goalscorer with 6.
At the time of writing, QPR are yet to sign another striker, though Loïc Remy is, at present, an option after his move to Liverpool fell through. Nevertheless, Austin is expected to spearhead Harry Redknapp’s attack in the upcoming campaign and his goals will be vital if the Hoops are to stave off relegation at the first time of asking.
The gutting of Southampton makes for hard viewing, but that is not to say Ronald Koeman has not invested wisely. Raiding the Eredivise for Dušan Tadić, the former Feyenoord boss has a player at his disposal who was a creative force in the Dutch league in the 2013/14 season.
Tadić played more accurate through balls (16), key passes (133), created more clear-cut chances (31) and registered more assists (14) than any other player in the Eredivisie last term and fans are hoping he can replicate these performances in England. He may not be as industrious as Adam Lallana, but if the Serb can hit the ground running, he should quickly begin to rack up fantasy football points.
It goes without saying Newcastle struggled after the sale of Yohan Cabaye in January and their failure to adequately replacement the Frenchman saw them lumber to a 10th placed finish. However, the Magpies have been busy in the transfer window so far, most notably with the acquisition of Rémy Cabella.
Only two players played more key passes than the 24-year-old (81) in Ligue 1 last term, while only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (24) created more clear-cut chances than Cabella (14). The Frenchman has the inventive qualities to make Newcastle a potent attacking force, especially if he can forge a lively partnership with fellow new recruits Siem de Jong and Emmanuel Rivière.
Brought in on a free after being released by Fulham, Brede Hangeland provides the necessary Premier League experience that will help Crystal Palace avoid the dreaded ‘Second Season Syndrome’. The 33-year-old is strong in the air, but capable of playing with the ball at his feet to reinforce his defensive credentials.
The Norwegian’s height and aerial strength means he will not only be a solid defensive option, but a goalscoring threat at the other end of the pitch. Palace may travel to Arsenal on the opening day of the season and Everton next month, but Hangeland could be a handy option on the bench, especially when the Eagles play at Selhurst Park.
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