How is it possible to know that something will happen for weeks, even months in advance… then it’s somehow just there, all of a sudden, and you’ve got the uncomfortable sensation you’re still not ready?
Well, that’s how it feels every year with Fantasy Premier League, and this year’s no different!
Whether we’re ready or not, the 24/25 season is indeed starting this Friday evening (UK time). So, that means it’s probably high time we finalised our FPL teams!
Earlier this week, James and I (Joe) published our final watchlists. They’re still worth checking out, for explanations of our general strategies.
Without further ado though, here are our actual FPL 24/25 teams.
Exciting!
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Quick Final Note: If you’d like to join the Full 90 FPL league for the 24/25 season, and demonstrate that you’re far better than us, the code is i2fdg3. Or, here’s the direct link).
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James’ 24/25 Team
I’ve been reasonably calm all pre-season but this week has been a bit flappy. So much so that Joe has been angry with me all day!
What is it about the final week before the season starts that causes this panic every year? Maybe it’s the fear of that annoying feeling that you will have at the end of gameweek 1, because you could have had all the top scorers in your draft… but you moved them out for another guy.
I have gone round and round this week, but I’m still settled on my ‘Haaland and Salah, go aggressive and wildcard in 6’ strategy.
Potentially that’s anchoring bias. But, every time I move Haaland or Salah out, I come back to this captaincy problem.
So, for those who haven’t been reading us all pre-season, my overall strategy is to pick high-upside players with great fixtures, in a bid to spike some early points. Then, I will wildcard in gameweek 6. By that time, we should know who is a good pick and who isn’t, and it’s a good moment to triple Arsenal. At that point, I will pick a more ‘boring’ team.
There is only one outstanding question in my team right now.
I started writing this on my commute on Thursday morning, only to change my team at lunch time, and finish writing this on my commute on Thursday evening.
So, that should tell you how on edge I am about it. Read on to find out more!
Goalkeepers
- Henderson – Palace are a good defence and Henderson is clearly the number one
- Iversen – I had Fabianski locked in this position until I looked at ownership. I’d rather have a guy less likely to lose me money when people sell him. Also I think it’s funny to own a previous nightmare of a keeper.
I’m keeping it cheap here and just getting a 4.5 and a 4.0. It fits my strategy to have a cheap keeper and spend the money up front.
If I was playing more safe, I would probably just take Pickford and be happy.
Defenders
Defence is where I have been struggling the most. This is the current draft:
- Robertson – Liverpool’s opening fixtures are the best among the top three, so I’m happy to have a slice of that for my defence. He isn’t as good as Trent, but it’s not that far off. Trent’s xGI per 90 was only 0.03 better than Robbo’s last year, and 0.06 better the year before. Trent’s actual output per 90 was 0.09 better last year and 0.12 better the year before.
- Porro – Spurs defence isn’t great, but he has high upside with 11 attacking returns last year. His actual returns per 90 were almost as good as Trent’s last year, and the best in the league the year before. The two opening fixtures are tasty, and I don’t even mind having the North London derby because it’s always a bit messy.
- Munoz – He is super attacking, and even though the underlying numbers aren’t amazing, his positioning is.
- Konsa – Good fixtures (apart from GW 2), and trust in Emery.
- Barco – 4.0 and on corners. Probably gets dropped when Estupinian returns, but that’s unlikely to happen before gameweek 4, and might even take longer.
The plan with this is to play Robbo, Porro and Munoz every game.
Konsa can come in if anyone is injured, or he can rotate with Munoz if Palace look worse than I expect.
Barco can come in (if he actually starts, or we think he starts) in 4 and 5, but mainly he is there because if he starts in gameweek 1 then everyone will buy him and his price will rise. I don’t actually need him.
Right then. My dilemma.
I have been going back and forth on is Robbo vs a 4.5. The 4.5 allows me to upgrade a midfield slot to a 7.0 or below. I’d probably go for a rotation of Mykolenko and Robinson if I did that, by selling Konsa too.
Midfielders
- Salah – The king of FPL plays a promoted side in gameweek 1 and goes on to have lovely fixtures.
- Gordon – Loves to score at home, and plays Southampton at home in gameweek 1. Good fixtures up to gameweek 6.
- Eze – A Crystal Palace talisman has never hurt me before… Seriously though, this guy’s underpriced by 0.5 or 1.0 based on what he did when fit last year. Nice run to start the season.
- Smith-Rowe – A great set of fixtures
- Winks – He is just here as an enabler, and will never see my first team. Hopefully…
Salah, Gordon, Eze and ESR will all start for me. ESR is clearly the weakest so he will be one to watch.
Regarding my dilemma, if I sold Smith-Rowe then I would probably buy Bailey and switch Rogers for Winks on the bench.
I don’t actually like Villa’s opening two games, but the next three are great. Bailey really has potential to step up, and I want to get on him before the Champions League ruins him.
Rogers could be great if he starts, I’m just not sure he will get enough minutes.
Forwards
- Haaland – The future king of FPL. I want to captain him in gameweek 2 against Ipswich.
- Isak – In underlying numbers, this guy challenges Salah and Haaland.
- Muniz – A fixtures pick. He is nailed on to start, and looked decent last year.
I’ll be playing all three of these (so 3-4-3 in case you haven’t kept up).
Haaland is basically there just for that gameweek 2 fixture home to Ipswich. If he scored 4 goals I wouldn’t be surprised. And that’s the reason I can’t go without him. But, he likely will be sold in gameweek 3 for Watkins, and ESR can then become Cole Palmer.
Best laid plans…
Joe’s 24/25 Team
I must say, I’ve really enjoyed making my team this year. It’s felt a lot less ‘template-y’ than usual.
Setting Haaland at 15.0 had a big part in this, obviously, and it’s a rare decision I fully approve of from FPL Towers!
I do think Gordon and Eze are underpriced, and are simply too easy to fit into your midfield alongside Salah.
But, overall, it still feels like there are fewer automatic picks than usual. That’s particularly true in defence, where I’d say there’s basically none (I think Mykolenko is, but he’s only 11% owned).
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Regarding my FPL 24/25 team, I’m pretty pleased with it!
As I wrote in our recent Watchlists piece, I’m prioritising talent over fixtures. Bowen – only 7% owned – is probably the biggest example, but I’m happy to roll with proven stars like Saka and Watkins from the start too, despite so-so fixtures.
The big change between my final draft and my actual team was in defence.
I did have Ben White as my premium defender, right up until… today. But that’s the one real spot where I am prioritising fixtures. Trippier’s are just so much better, and I can move him to White when Arsenal’s fixtures turn in GW 6. Saving 0.5 also lets me get Munoz, over a boring 4.5 centre-back.
My only real concern is flexibility.
I have no money in the bank, and a lot of mid-priced players that I won’t really want to bin. It’s all very well saying I want to move Trippier to White in GW 6… but right now, I’ve got no idea how I’ll actually do it.
That said, I don’t generally believe in planning further than four gameweeks ahead in FPL, at most. Who the hell knows what injuries or other misfortunes I’ll have suffered by GW 6.
On that cheery note, here’s why I picked my merry band of players!
Goalkeepers
- Pickford – I’m just hoping we get late-season Everton from last year, rather than early-season Everton. In theory they should be good at the back, and generally have fine fixtures… I also said all this last season, and they started terribly. Well, I guess I haven’t learnt my lesson, because I’m going back in!
- Turner – I don’t love any 4.5 keepers, or 4.5/4.5 rotations. So, I’m just rolling with Pickford every week, with Turner as my 4.0 enabler
Defenders
- Trippier – I wanted one premium defender. White was in here for a while, but it just makes too much sense to start with Trippier’s nice run, then try and switch to White from GW 6 onwards, when Arsenal’s fixtures turn (finding that 0.5 will be tricky though, since I’ve got 0.0 in the bank right now, and no obvious move… but that’s a future-me problem)
- Mykolenko – A lock, at this price, in this defence, with good fixtures for ages
- Munoz – I don’t love him as much as some. But I can’t resist the upside as an attacking full-back, and his fixtures rotate nicely with my other defenders through the start of the season. If he flops, I probably drop him for a 4.5 to get White for Trippier later on
- Konsa – I’m backing Villa’s defence to return to form, and they have nice fixtures for most of the first 10 weeks
- Castagne – Not an exciting pick, whatsoever… but Fulham should be fine, and I specifically need him in Gameweeks 2 and 3 for my rotation
Midfielders
- Salah – An easy-peasy lock, even if it means no Haaland. Ridiculous underlying numbers, good fixtures… what am I even explaining this for? It’s Salah
- Saka – I couldn’t care less about Arsenal’s up-and-down fixtures. He’s incredibly consistent, and can return against anyone. Injuries permitting, I just want him in my team all season
- Gordon – Strange pricing, at only 7.5… but it makes him nigh-on must-own, in my eyes
- Bowen – Similarly to Saka, I don’t particularly about his fixtures. He’s a class player, did well in a difficult season last year, and finally gets a proper centre-forward to play off
- Eze – Amazing player in real life. Amazing underlying stats last year, considering the minutes played. Vibes are high at Palace. And he’s only 7.0. Another very easy pick
Forwards
- Isak – Again, great in real life, great underlying stats. He’ll get injured at some point, but he’s a lock to start the season
- Watkins – Since I’m going no-Haaland, I definitely have to have Watkins. He’s not getting 18 assists again, but he should get around 20 goals, I’ve got full confidence in Villa until the Champions League starts, he has nice fixtures, and… he’s simply an excellent striker
- Fraser – Last… and very much least in my team. Plays for Wolves, apparently. He won’t get any minutes for them, or for me
Final Thoughts
Well, that just about does it. All that remains is… the actual opening fixture. How exciting, and terrifying!
Naturally, we’ll be here to guide/mislead you through the 24/25 FPL season. We do occasionally post on Twitter, when we remember, but following us on Reddit is a much safer bet.
Finally, don’t forget to join our FPL public league if you’d like to show us who’s boss.
Thanks for reading, everybody, and best of luck to start the season.