A new season of Fantasy Premier League is edging towards us and as always budding managers are scratching their heads over which stars to put in their squads.
With 36 goals last term, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland will cost a whopping £14 million and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah remains at a high price at £12.5m. As such, trying to add all the superstars to your side isn’t feasible when attempting to build a balanced squad.
You have to be smart and pragmatic. Everyone is going to have the likes of Haaland and Salah in their teams so you will need to get creative in a bid to get off to a flying start. Scouting for low-cost gems who have potential for a fruitful season is imperative. So to give you a helping hand, we at The Sportsman will give you a handful of players we feel fit this criteria.
Julio Enciso - Brighton & Hove Albion (Midfielder, £5.5m)
Teenage attacker Julio Enciso started to find form towards the end of last season for Brighton & Hove Albion. The 19-year-old made seven starts in the league and was able to finish with four goals and three assists to his name. He scooped up the Premier League Goal of the Season award for his stunning strike against Manchester City, and the youngster will be hoping to have an even greater impact for the Seagulls this term.
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Rico Henry - Brentford (Defender, £4.5m)
After another brilliant campaign in the Premier League, Brentford will be hoping to regroup and push for the European places after being in the running at one point last term. Rico Henry had another consistent year for Thomas Frank and many are still baffled that he is being overlooked for England. Henry helped the Bees keep 11 clean sheets last term as well as providing three assists. A haul like that in 2023-24 could be very beneficial.
Morgan Gibbs-White - Nottingham Forest (Midfielder, £6m)
It was mission accomplished for Nottingham Forest last season as they defied the odds to maintain their Premier League status. That was largely down to the influence Morgan Gibbs-White had on the pitch. The attacking midfielder provided five goals and 12 assists for Steve Cooper’s side to go down as the most successful signing of Forest’s many acquisitions last year. The England under-21 Euro 2023 winner is likely to improve his contributions this term.
Bryan Mbeumo - Brentford (Midfielder, £6.5m)
When it comes to FPL, managers love getting players in their team who tend to play in a different position to that listed. Bryan Mbeumo usually plays as a forward alongside Ivan Toney for the Bees, and will serve as the leading man until his partner returns from his suspension in January. Mbeumo was on hand to score nine goals and register nine assists in 2022-23. Having him in your team essentially means you can have four strikers to choose from.
Alexis Mac Allister - Liverpool (Midfielder, £6m)
After a stunning season with Brighton, coupled with winning the World Cup with Argentina, Alexis Mac Allister is hoping he can take his game to the next level at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp. The Argentine scored 10 goals for the Seagulls last term and also provided two assists. With the quality surrounding him at Liverpool, both those stats could be increased in 2023-24.
Andreas Pereira - Fulham (Midfielder, £5.5m)
After switching Manchester United for Fulham last summer, Andreas Pereira was a widely-chosen cheap option to flesh out players’ squads. It turned out to be a masterstroke for those who didn’t constantly bench him as the Brazilian scored four goals and grabbed 10 assists to go with it. Managers will certainly be looking at him differently this time around.
Pervis Estupinan - Brighton & Hove Albion (Defender, £5m)
He may currently be the highest selected defender in FPL for 2023-24 but Pervis Estupinan had an incredible year for Brighton last time out. Not only did he keep 10 clean sheets, he was able to score a goal and record seven assists. The Ecuadorian is likely to play another key role for Roberto De Zerbi this season and many are expecting the left-back to deliver the goods once again.
Pau Torres - Aston Villa (Defender, £4.5m)
Pau Torres is being viewed as one of the signings of the summer for Aston Villa. The Spaniard has regularly been linked with clubs at a higher level and it is seen as a real signal of intent for the club to get him on board. Villa kept 12 clean sheets in the top flight in 2022-23 and a defender of Torres’ quality can help them build on that.
Manuel Benson - Burnley (Midfielder, £5.5m)
Newly-promoted Burnley have so many low-cost gems to choose from as Vincent Kompany gets his first crack at the Premier League as a manager. Manuel Benson was the Clarets’ second-highest scorer in the Championship last term with 12 and, with Burnley’s exciting style of football, he could enjoy some more returns in the top flight.
Carlton Morris - Luton Town (Forward, £5.5m)
Carlton Morris played a starring role in Luton Town’s fairytale promotion to the Premier League last year. The striker scored 20 goals in the Championship to fire Rob Edwards’ side into the play-offs in which they defeated Coventry City in the final at Wembley. Like Luton, Morris will have a point to prove at this level and it is worth noting that he is their penalty taker too.
