Our Fantasy Premier League guru Holly Shand returns for the 21/22 season with her five player picks for Gameweek 1. The new season is just days away…
Salah has scored in all of Liverpool’s opening league games across the last four seasons.
The Headline Pick: Mo Salah – Norwich (A)
Mo Salah has been the standout premium option for Gameweek 1 right from when the Premier League fixtures were announced on June 16. It doesn’t get much better than a premium player facing a promoted side from the off and in a recent Twitter poll, he was the overwhelming captaincy favourite too.
Salah has been so consistent over the years in the Premier League and his record is impeccable in Gameweek 1: he’s scored in all of Liverpool’s opening league games across the last four seasons, including a hat-trick last September against promoted Leeds United.
He’s been a part of pre-season action for the reds and is also on penalties. He grabbed a goal and assist at home to Norwich in Gameweek 1 of the 19/20 season, but failed to deliver an offensive return in the away fixture.
Liverpool are available to back at 4/6 to beat Norwich City and score three or more goals in their opening Premier League game.
The Budget Pick: Emiliano Buendia (£6.5) – Watford (A)
Emiliano Buendia has been touted by many Premier League clubs since being relegated with Norwich City in 2020 and he’s finally got his big money move to Aston Villa. The Lions have an excellent start to the season, with a trip to promoted Watford.
Buendia is expected to be the playmaker of this side and has looked lively in pre-season, already showing a good relationship with his new teammates, delivering two assists. He’s become a more appealing fantasy asset now Grealish has departed for Manchester City.
He’s expected to dominate dead-ball deliveries for his new club. At Norwich last season he provided 15 goals and 17 assists, numbers he could emulate in the top flight this campaign. He scored his only Premier League goal against Watford at Vicarage Road in 2020.
The VAR Pick: Bruno Fernandes (£12.0) – Leeds United (H)
Bruno Fernandes has been sensational since arriving at Old Trafford, almost delivering an offensive return in every single game. He’s an excellent pick for Gameweek 1 against an attacking Leeds Untied outfit in what’s set to be a fiery affair with fans back in Old Trafford.
In this fixture last season, Manchester United dominated to win 6-2, with Fernandes scooping up two goals and 1 assist. Unsurprisingly, one go those goals came from the penalty spot.
Fernandes is on spot-kick duty for the Red Devils, which is always a huge advantage in FPL. They won 11 penalties last season, with Fernandes converting nine of them from the spot. 50% of his Premier League goals have been penalties.
You can back VAR and bet on Manchester United to score a penalty against Leeds United at odds of 11/4.
The Sleeper Pick: Harvey Barnes (£7.0) – Wolves (H)
Harvey Barnes was a surprise starter in the Community Shield last weekend, with both Leicester City and fantasy fans pleased to see him fit and ready to start the new Premier League season. He missed the last three months of last campaign with a knee injury.
Leicester City have an appealing fixture to start the season at home to Wolves, with this fluid Leicester attack likely to be a handful. They were the superior team at Wembley on Saturday against the current Premier League winners.
Barnes has 30 attacking returns across the last two seasons, despite missing significant periods through injury. Wolves has been a bogey fixture for the Foxes in recent campaigns, but with a packed King Power Stadium, expect them to have the edge.
The Wildcard Pick: Romelu Lukaku (£TBC) – Crystal Palace (H)
Our final pick this week is Chelsea’s not so new signing Romelu Lukaku, who is set to return to his former employers ten years after he first came to Stamford Bridge. He could be a rotation proof way into a solid Chelsea attack.
We don’t know for sure whether he will start this game, but it’s been reported in the press that Thomas Tuchel is pushing to get the deal done for him to be available in the Super Cup which comes the midweek before Gameweek 1. If he sees minutes in that one, a start against Crystal Palace will be inevitable. It is a risk though!
I normally avoid new signings to the Premier League, but Lukaku has a proven record of 113 league goals across seven seasons. The fixture against Palace couldn’t get much better!
Back Chelsea to beat Palace at 1/5 in Gameweek 1.
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Source: Betfair Premier League
