Is Haaland worth £15.5m? Rogers or Palmer — five key FPL questions
With three days remaining until the start of the Fantasy Premier League season, BBC Sport's FPL experts Pras, Holly Shand, Gianni Buttice and FPL Heisenberg debate five key questions to help managers prepare; you can join the BBC Sport League on the official Fantasy Premier League game using the code bbcfpl before Friday's 18:30 BST deadline.
Erling Haaland finished last season as the top FPL scorer with 239 points, four more than Bruno Fernandes, and his total was 33 shy of his best season in 2022-23; his FPL price has risen from £14m to £15.5m, making him the most expensive player in the game and prompting debate over his value this season.
Holly: Haaland carries the potential to justify his high price tag. Pras: At a record £15.5m he still looks essential because captaincy matters so much early on. Gianni: Captaincy is such a major part of this game and more often than not, Haaland will be the best candidate. Heisenberg: At £15.5m, it is a huge commitment, but I still think he's worth it.
Bruno Fernandes was the second highest-scoring FPL player last season and is in nearly 50% of teams this time round. Gianni: Since the moment I drafted my team, I've had Bryan Mbeumo (£8m) alongside Fernandes to target the first couple of games, against Hull and Ipswich. Pras: Hull away and Ipswich at home offer genuine clean sheet potential, so Harry Maguire (£5m) and Shaw both look viable, along with Senne Lammens (£5m) in goal. Heisenberg: Both Mbeumo and Cunha got 14 attacking returns last season, but the Brazilian edges it for me, given his versatility to play in numerous positions across the front line.
Chelsea have a new manager in Xabi Alonso and have spent £117m on Morgan Rogers. Holly: I'm expecting Xabi Alonso's Chelsea side to line up in a 3-4-3 formation, with Palmer and Rogers in the middle and Joao Pedro (£7.5m) ahead of them. Heisenberg: Alonso makes Chelsea one of the most intriguing teams to watch. Pras: This situation feels like one to monitor rather than go all in.
Heisenberg: The Premier League deliberately pushed the season back to 21 August, giving players more than a month between the World Cup final and the start of the campaign, which should provide enough of a break. Holly: I think the World Cup will have a huge impact on the early parts of the season, with a significant number of players from Manchester City, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Liverpool going deep into the competition. Pras: Anyone who logged 50 minutes of more there should be fine for gameweek one.
Arsenal kept 19 clean sheets in 38 games last season and will start the campaign without injured defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. Gianni: They're super consistent and I can't see them slowing down. Heisenberg: The concern for me is Saliba's long-term injury - Arsenal could concede more goals per game while he's out. Holly: Goalkeeper Raya has secured the Golden Glove for three consecutive seasons - it's the kind of consistency we can believe in. Pras: Even with Saliba sidelined for the short term, the unit still looks strong enough that holding one or two Arsenal defenders feels like good practice.
Pras: The plan is simple: if Palmer or Rogers start showing clear upside, add one or both then. You can join the BBC Sport League on the official Fantasy Premier League game using the code bbcfpl or by clicking this link before Friday's 18:30 BST deadline.
