Fantasy Premier League: Key Picks and Traps for Each Team

The Fantasy Premier League deadline is looming on Friday 21 August, and with managers ripping up drafts by the hour, four of the game’s sharpest minds – Pras, FPL Heisenberg, Gianni Buttice and Holly Shand – have gone club by club to pin down three things for every side: the talisman you build around, the differential you gamble on, and the trap you swerve.

What follows isn’t a template. It’s a map of where the value and danger really lie.

Arsenal

Talisman: Gabriel (£8.0m, defender)
For Pras, there’s no debate. Gabriel is still the clearest route into the champions’ defence. Top-scoring defender last season with 209 points, nailed, and central to a backline that rarely cracks. Pricey, yes. But if you want Arsenal clean sheets and defcon points without overthinking it, you start here.

Differential: Ben White (£5.5m, defender)
Ben White offers a cheaper doorway. The England right-back carries attacking threat and, with Jurrien Timber still out, a strong chance of regular starts. He may not be a “set-and-forget” for the whole season, but as an opening-month pick he’s firmly on Pras’s radar.

Avoid: Christos Tzolis (£6.5m, midfielder)
Tzolis has flashed in pre-season, but Mikel Arteta’s rotation on the left wing is ruthless. Pras flags the risk: no guarantee of consistent minutes, and Arsenal are still hunting another left winger. A talented Greece international, but a dangerous FPL punt for now.

Aston Villa

Talisman: Ollie Watkins (£8.0m, forward)
Watkins drops £1m in price and, with Morgan Rogers gone to Chelsea, steps back into clear “main man” territory. Holly points to his reliability: an average of 16 league goals over his last four Villa seasons and potential penalties now Youri Tielemans is at Manchester United. At this price, that’s serious value.

Differential: Matty Cash (£4.5m, defender)
Nine clean sheets last season keep Villa’s defence firmly on the menu. Cash, in just around 8% of teams, is first-choice at right-back and offers more than simple clean-sheet hope. Six attacking returns (three goals, three assists), 30 shots, 30 key passes – Holly sees multiple paths to points.

Avoid: Alejandro Garnacho (£6.0m, midfielder)
The loan move from Chelsea will tempt managers, but Emi Buendia is a major obstacle. Garnacho logged only 1,261 minutes last season for one goal and four assists. Holly’s verdict: nice price, but there are steadier, more secure options in that bracket.

Bournemouth

Talisman: Marcus Tavernier (£6.0m, midfielder)
With Antoine Semenyo gone, Bournemouth lean even more into the collective. Gianni still picks out Tavernier as the heartbeat. He’s the main creator, heavily involved in set-pieces and coming off 11 attacking returns. When Justin Kluivert isn’t on the pitch, Tavernier is expected to step up for penalties too.

Differential: Adrien Truffert (£5.5m, defender)
Only 5% owned, yet Truffert posted 165 points last season – second-best at the club. Gianni loves his all-action style: advanced positions, threat from open play, defensive contributions and bonus points. A left-back with multiple scoring routes is fantasy gold.

Avoid: Evanilson (£6.0m, forward)
Six goals in 32 league games last season doesn’t cut it in a crowded £6.0m forward pool. With alternatives like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Igor Jesus and Brian Brobbey on offer, Gianni sees little reason to gamble here.

Brentford

Talisman: Igor Thiago (£8.0m, forward)
Heisenberg doesn’t hesitate. Thiago is Brentford’s focal point after a 22-goal league campaign and 181 FPL points. The price jump is steep, but the upside is obvious: a striker who can explode in favourable fixtures and will be constantly targeted in the box.

Differential: Dango Ouattara (£6.5m, midfielder)
More than five points per start last season and four double-digit hauls. At £6.5m, Ouattara doesn’t need to become elite to offer value. Heisenberg highlights his low ownership: if he starts quickly, he can rocket your rank.

Avoid: Callum Wilson (£5.5m, forward)
A former FPL darling, but the pathway is blocked. With Thiago leading the line and other wide and central options available, Heisenberg sees Wilson’s minutes as too uncertain, even in the event of an injury to the Brazilian.

Brighton

Talisman: Pascal Gross (£5.5m, midfielder)
Pras calls Gross the safest Brighton pick. He’s on almost every set-piece, including penalties, and churns out steady returns. At £5.5m he’s also an enabler, freeing cash for premiums elsewhere.

Differential: Luka Vuskovic (£5.0m, defender)
The new signing from Spurs should slot straight in at centre-back. Brighton kept 10 clean sheets last term – only six teams managed more – and Vuskovic offers defcon and clean-sheet potential at low ownership.

Avoid: Georginio Rutter (£5.5m, forward)
Reclassified as a forward and now battling Charalampos Kostoulas for minutes, Rutter’s appeal has dipped. Pras underlines the double blow: less secure starts and fewer points per goal from his new position.

Chelsea

Talisman: Joao Pedro (£7.5m, forward)
Cole Palmer might cost more, but Joao Pedro is the people’s choice, sitting in over half of FPL squads. Fifteen goals, nine assists last season, plus a summer off to sharpen up – capped by a pre-season hat-trick. Holly sees a striker ready to go again.

Differential: Levi Colwill (£5.0m, defender)
£1m cheaper than Maxence Lacroix and well placed at the heart of Chelsea’s defence. Injury ruined last season, yet Colwill looks set to collect defcon points if he stays fit. Holly also circles a home tie against promoted Hull in gameweek four as an early opportunity.

Avoid: Enzo Fernandez (£7.0m, midfielder)
A strong World Cup ended with a red card in the final, but that’s not the only cloud. Persistent transfer rumours and a late return mean Holly sees too much uncertainty heading into gameweek one.

Coventry City

Talisman: Haji Wright (£5.5m, forward)
Seventeen Championship goals last season make Wright Coventry’s clear spearhead. Gianni notes his appeal for those eyeing a gameweek two bench boost, with Hull at home on the slate. One caveat: he’s often withdrawn around the 70–80 minute mark.

Talisman (budget angle): Carl Rushworth (£4.5m, goalkeeper)
At just 1% ownership, Rushworth is a shrewd part of a rotating keeper strategy. Gianni likes his pairing with Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) of Brighton, whose fixtures dovetail neatly.

Avoid: Milan van Ewijk (£4.0m, defender)
Eight assists in the Championship and 15% ownership scream bandwagon. Gianni urges caution: there are cheaper, lower-owned defenders such as team-mate Bobby Thomas (£4.0m) who look better placed for regular defcon returns.

Crystal Palace

Talisman: Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m, midfielder)
Sarr drove Palace’s attack last season, ranking highly for shots and big chances. Heisenberg sees him as slightly underpriced, especially with some penalty upside when Jean-Philippe Mateta is off the pitch. If Palace keep funnelling transitions through him, he could become a standout mid-priced midfielder.

Differential: Daniel Munoz (£5.5m, defender)
One of the most attacking full-backs under Oliver Glasner, Munoz offers a rare blend: clean sheets, defcon, assists and goals. Pierre Sage’s arrival adds a tactical question mark, but Heisenberg still has him firmly on the watchlist – and notes that even a Premier League transfer wouldn’t dent his appeal.

Avoid: Jorgen Strand Larsen (£6.0m, forward)
A solid striker, but behind Mateta in the pecking order. For Heisenberg, £6.0m is too much to spend on a forward without secure minutes when players like Calvert-Lewin offer near-90-minute certainty and penalties.

Everton

Talisman: James Tarkowski (£6.0m, defender)
Fifth-highest scoring defender last season with 170 points, Tarkowski is a defcon machine. Pras labels him almost fixture-proof: he grinds out points regardless of opponent. Pick him, then stop worrying.

Differential: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.5m, midfielder)
Eight goals and seven assists last season tell their own story. On some set-pieces and central to Everton’s play, Dewsbury-Hall is a mid-priced option with multiple scoring routes, according to Pras.

Avoid: Beto (£5.5m, forward)
Minutes shared with Thierno Barry and an inconsistent Everton attack cap his ceiling. Seventeen starts, nine goals last season – respectable, but Pras suggests spending the extra £0.5m for a more reliable striker.

Fulham

Talisman: Rodrigo Muniz (£5.5m, forward)
With Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez gone, Fulham’s talisman pick is thin. Holly lands on Muniz, one of the club’s priciest FPL options, but notes the competition from new signing Gonzalo Garcia (£6.0m). One goal and one assist from 10 starts last season doesn’t scream must-own.

Differential: Antonee Robinson (£4.5m, defender)
Ten assists two seasons ago, a quieter year last time, but the potential remains. Nine clean sheets for Fulham last season and a possible outside shot at penalties post-departures make Robinson a very interesting value pick in Holly’s eyes.

Avoid: Sander Berge (£5.0m, midfielder)
Three assists and five defcon-point games across 34 starts brought him to 91 points. Transfer links away from Craven Cottage make him a risky gameweek one inclusion, Holly warns.

Hull City

Talisman: Oli McBurnie (£5.5m, forward)
Heisenberg acknowledges McBurnie’s appeal: 17 goals, eight assists in the Championship and the stoppage-time winner that sealed promotion. Priced £0.5m cheaper than popular options like Calvert-Lewin and Brobbey, he looks tempting on paper. Yet Heisenberg plans to avoid Hull assets entirely at the start.

Differential: Ryan Giles (£4.0m, defender)
Eight assists in the promotion campaign show his delivery from left-back. But competition from Matty Targett and limited clean-sheet potential make him a shaky pick. Even as a £4.0m option, Heisenberg is wary.

Avoid: Liam Millar (£5.0m, midfielder)
Heisenberg is blunt: almost any Hull player could be on the avoid list. With limited attacking opportunities and few clean sheets expected, he’d rather save £0.5m and, if forced into a Hull midfielder, punt on Regan Slater at £4.5m instead.

Ipswich Town

Talisman: Emersonn (£5.5m, forward)
Signed for a then-club record fee from Toulouse, Emersonn is expected to lead the line. Gianni sees him as the man Gary O’Neil will build his attack around, with clear talisman potential if he settles quickly.

Differential: Daizen Maeda (£5.5m, midfielder)
A wide forward listed as a midfielder and owned by just 0.4%. Maeda arrives from Celtic with 50 goals in 149 Scottish Premiership games and an impressive World Cup with Japan behind him. Gianni marks him as a low-owned asset to monitor closely.

Avoid: Chuba Akpom (£5.0m, forward)
A familiar name from his Middlesbrough heroics in 2022–23, but the role is very different now. Gianni expects Akpom to be an impact sub rather than a starter, which kills his FPL appeal.

Leeds United

Talisman: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m, forward)
Fourteen goals, two assists last season and now at a very friendly price. Holly notes his 35 appearances in his debut Leeds campaign, a rare injury-free run, and the added bonus of penalties. No wonder he’s dominating the budget forward category.

Differential: Harry Wilson (£6.5m, midfielder)
Nineteen goal involvements for Fulham last season – 10 goals, nine assists. If he nails a starting spot in the Leeds attack and takes a share of set-pieces, he could be crucial. The slight snag, Holly says, is that £6.5m tag being £0.5m above Calvert-Lewin.

Avoid: Jaka Bijol (£5.0m, defender)
Leeds kept eight clean sheets last season and will look to improve that with James Trafford arriving in goal. But with Joe Rodon at £4.5m and his minutes looking secure after 20 defcon points last year, Holly sees little reason to pay extra for Bijol.

Liverpool

Talisman: Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m, midfielder)
Pras picks Szoboszlai as Liverpool’s standout FPL option. He offers reliable minutes, set-piece involvement and strong all-round output, which explains his high ownership already.

Differential: Florian Wirtz (£7.5m, midfielder)
A system under new boss Andoni Iraola that pushes Wirtz closer to goal could unlock a big ceiling. Pras expects him to comfortably surpass last season’s five goals and four assists if the tactical fit is right.

Avoid: Jeremy Jacquet (£5.0m, defender)
Long-term injury recovery, limited pre-season and the loan arrival of Ronald Araujo all point to a slow introduction. Pras sees no reason to rush in when minutes are so uncertain.

Manchester City

Talisman: Erling Haaland (£15.5m, forward)
A record-breaking starting price, and still the most-owned player in the game. Gianni accepts there’s some doubt over 90 minutes against Bournemouth due to his limited pre-season, but with Crystal Palace and Coventry to follow, going without the game’s ultimate talisman takes serious nerve.

Differential: Phil Foden (£7.0m, midfielder)
A full pre-season and a likely start in gameweek one. At just 7% ownership, Foden offers a high ceiling, but Gianni underlines the ever-present risk: one poor game and City’s depth could see him rotated.

Avoid: Marc Guehi (£6.0m, defender)
Fourth most popular defender in the game, yet no guarantee to start under Enzo Maresca. With Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol both at £5.5m and firmly in the conversation, Gianni sees Guehi as an unnecessary risk.

Manchester United

Talisman: Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m, midfielder)
Twenty-four assists, 235 points last season and now priced accordingly. Heisenberg highlights his set-pieces, penalties, creative responsibility and bonus magnetism. Early fixtures against Hull and Ipswich only strengthen his case as a premium captaincy option.

Differential: Matheus Cunha (£8.0m, midfielder)
Four goals and an assist in his final seven games last season underline his form. Able to play across the frontline, Cunha is a dangerous differential in just 12.7% of teams, compared with Bryan Mbeumo’s 23.9%. The only concern is possible minutes sharing with other attackers.

Avoid: Benjamin Sesko (£7.0m, forward)
Eleven goals in his first Premier League season show clear potential. But Heisenberg’s main worry remains: minutes. With Champions League fixtures piling up and competition up front, Sesko looks a rotation risk. For now, Fernandes and Cunha are the safer routes into United’s attack.

Newcastle United

Talisman: Nick Woltemade (£6.0m, forward)
A turbulent summer at St James’ Park leaves Woltemade as Newcastle’s primary fantasy hope. Eight goals and four assists from 24 starts last season show promise, and he’ll aim to keep Yoane Wissa behind him in the pecking order.

Differential: Malick Thiaw (£5.0m, defender)
Only seven clean sheets last season, yet Thiaw still emerged as Newcastle’s top-scoring defender. Four goals in 33 games and 12 defcon-point outings underline his threat at both ends. Holly believes he can justify his price again if he repeats that output.

Avoid: Lewis Hall (£5.0m, defender)
Forty-seven fewer points than Thiaw despite similar minutes. Hall’s style doesn’t mesh as well with the scoring matrix, and transfer links away from the club make him a risky early-season pick.

Nottingham Forest

Talisman: Morgan Gibbs-White (£8.0m, midfielder)
Fifteen goals and four assists made him the third-highest scoring FPL midfielder in 25–26. Pras expects him to thrive in Oliver Glasner’s system as the left-sided number 10. The big question: can he hit those heights again?

Differential: Neco Williams (£5.0m, defender)
Wing-back in a Glasner system is always worth a look. Williams offers attacking potential, defcon returns and some set-pieces. Pras likens his potential impact to Daniel Munoz’s under Glasner last season – high praise.

Avoid: Chris Wood (£6.0m, forward)
Now 34 and coming off an injury-hit season, Wood faces fresh competition from in-form Igor Jesus (£6.0m). Pras sees his minutes, and therefore his FPL appeal, fading.

Sunderland

Talisman: Enzo Le Fee (£6.0m, midfielder)
Five goals, six assists and steady defcon points in his debut Premier League season. At £6.0m, Le Fee offers a blend of price, guaranteed minutes and multiple scoring routes, including possible penalties. Heisenberg views him as Sunderland’s most consistent attacking contributor.

Differential: Granit Xhaka (£5.5m, midfielder)
One goal, six assists and a hefty 26 defcon points from 32 starts. Xhaka won’t blow games apart, but his reliability and Sunderland’s opening run – Ipswich away, Fulham at home – make him a smart early differential.

Avoid: Wilson Isidor (£5.5m, forward)
A classic trap. Isidor’s price and scoring record tempt, but Brian Brobbey stands in his way for the central striker role. With so many cheap forwards available, Heisenberg sees no reason to force this pick.

Tottenham Hotspur

Talisman: Pedro Porro (£5.5m, defender)
Gianni calls Porro the closest thing Spurs have to a talisman. Their highest-owned asset, he was outstanding last season and shone at the World Cup for Spain. With Dominic Solanke and James Maddison carrying injury question marks, Porro is the safe Spurs starting point for gameweek one.

Differential: Mathys Tel (£6.0m, midfielder)
Under 0.5% ownership and a favourite of Roberto De Zerbi. Tel finished last season in excellent form, operating high and wide on the left, and capped pre-season with a 30-yard direct free-kick against Sydney FC. Gianni sees genuine upside if his minutes hold.

Avoid: Marcos Senesi (£6.0m, defender)
One of last season’s FPL heroes at Bournemouth, but now a clear avoid. Uncertainty over De Zerbi’s defensive setup and Tottenham’s depth at centre-back leave Senesi at real risk of being benched. At £6.0m, that’s a luxury few managers can afford.

The template picks are obvious. The traps are already being laid. With the deadline closing in, the real question is simple: which of these calls are you brave enough to back – and which big names are you ready to leave out?