FPL 2024/25 tips: Best goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders & forwards to sign | OneFootball

The start of the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League season is less than one month away.

Last week the game was released and player prices were confirmed. Managers will have already started building and rebuilding their squads ahead of the opening weekend.

There are a lot of big decisions to be made in FPL this year, especially with the news that Erling Haaland will be £15m. We’re also seeing some changes with a new Mystery Chip to be revealed and the ability to save up to five free transfers.

The question is, which players should you be looking at, at this early stage? We’ve picked out a premium and budget option for all four positions for you to ponder.

Goalkeepers

Premium: David Raya

There isn’t much difference in prices when it comes to goalkeepers in FPL. David Raya is one of the host of goalkeepers at a max starting price of £5.5m. And he was the second-best goalkeeper in FPL last season per points, only trailing Jordan Pickford. The Spaniard is now a permanent Arsenal goalkeeper and kept a clean sheet in half of his Premier League appearance. Raya averaged 0.75 goals conceded per 90 minutes and 1.44 saves, while also preventing 2.03 goals. You’ll also have the bonus of him being available for all 38 games now, with no ineligibility due to loan.

Budget: Mark Flekken

If you want a cheaper goalkeeper so you can spend four funds elsewhere, Mark Flekken could be a good option. The Brentford man comes out on top in our analytics for goalkeepers based on bonus points potential — and last season he had 12 in total. Of course, there has been a change in bonus points this season. For goalkeepers, the number of bonus points received for saving a penalty is being reduced from 15 to nine. Conceding a goal will also be worth -4BPS. Last season, Flekken got one assist and kept seven clean sheets, while averaging 3.15 saves per 90 minutes.

Defenders

Premium: Ben White

It can be a risk to double up on the same team, especially in defence, so you might want to pick between Raya and an Arsenal defender. For your Arsenal defender pick, we suggest Ben White. It’s an easy pick to make on the face of it, considering he had more points than any other FPL defender last season. But the numbers back it up. White was directly involved in nine FPL goals, scoring four and providing five assists. He brought 14 bonus points and 72 of his 182 total points came from clean sheets.

Budget: Leif Davis

Leif Davis doesn’t have a Squawka FPL Score as he was playing in the Championship last season. But if he did, it’d be fantastic. The left-back was one of Ipswich’s stars as they gained automatic promotion to the Premier League. In 43 games for Ipswich in the Championship last season, Davis recorded 18 assists more than any other player. That came at an average of 0.43 per 90 minutes, or an assist every 210 minutes. He also sat top of the division for chances created (125), while Ipswich kept 10 clean sheets and conceded 56 goals while Davis was playing.

Midfielders

Premium: Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer is no longer a cheap option, with his starting price jumping up to £10.5m. That’s a jump of £5.5m from his starting price for 2023/24. It was to be expected too, with Palmer picking up more points than any other FPL player last season. And, despite the jump in price, Palmer is a player you’ll want in your squad. The Chelsea man was directly involved in more goals than any other Premier League player last season with 22 goals and 11 assists. FPL-wise there were another two assists, with a total Expected Assists tally of 8.17. And, let’s not forget, he’s Chelsea perfect penalty taker.

Budget: Abdul Fatawu

Another newly-promoted player, Adbul Fatawu is one to keep an eye on. The 20-year-old played 40 of Leicester’s 46 games in the Championship last season, amassing 2,826 minutes with 33 starts and seven substitute appearances. Since his signing, the only two games he missed were due to suspension for a red card against Coventry. On loan from Sporting CP — a move that was recently made permanent — Fatawu scored six goals and provided 13 assists in the Championship. He created 32 big chances, the most in the Championship, and had an xA of 10.75.

Forwards

Premium: Jean-Philippe Mateta

Erling Haaland is the premium option, but there is genuinely a case of planning a squad without him given the price. There are three (non-Haaland) more expensive forward than Jean-Philippe Mateta, but the Crystal Palace man could be your first choice. Among FPL forwards to have played last season, Mateta has the second-best Squawka Score, one ahead of Alexander Isak, Ollie Watkins and Erling Haaland. After scoring eight goals in his first 70 Premier League appearances for Palace, Mateta scored 16 in 23 from December onwards last season. He thrived in particular from the start of February, scoring in 10 of his final 16 matches, including two braces and a hat-trick. He also added five assists and out-performed his xG by 5.06, with a +2.45 improvement between his xG and Expected Goals on Target. That means his shot placement increased his chances of scoring.

Budget: Joao Pedro

The FPL forward with the highest Squawka Score last season was Joao Pedro. And he’s once again a cheaper option at just £5.5m, keeping his starting price from 2023/24. The Brazilian was directly involved in 12 goals last season scoring nine with three assists. He had an Expected Goal Involvement of 16.65 and scored six of his 15 big chances. One of the selling points for Pedro is the fact that he takes penalties, scoring all four of his spot-kicks last season. There is a risk of a lack of playing time with 12 of his 31 league appearances coming from the bench. But at his price, it’s worth it, especially to use funds elsewhere.