Premier League Fantasy Football: Who's Hot and Who's Not in Gameweek 1
It's been a long, long summer but we're finally ready to celebrate the return of the Premier League and, more importantly, fantasy football.
Arsenal and Leicester kick things off with a tasty fixture on Friday evening, while on Saturday champions Chelsea host Burnley, Manchester City visit newly-promoted Brighton before Manchester United entertain West Ham on Sunday in some of the weekend's standout matches.
You all should have been casting an eye over pre-season form and drafting and re-drafting your line-ups, but for those of you who still need a helping hand and a nudge towards the right direction, here are our first round of tips for the opening gameweek.
Goalkeepers
Who's Hot
David de Gea - United's start to the season looks very promising, with a match against West Ham followed up with fixtures against Swansea, Leicester and Stoke, so expect the Spain international to rack up some clean sheets.
Ben Foster - If you're looking for a slightly cheaper alternative in goal, look no further than the West Brom shot-stopper, who also has a favourable start to the new campaign with games against Bournemouth, Burnley, Stoke and Brighton.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/GettyImages
Who's Not
Claudio Bravo - After a horrorshow of a first season in English football, the Chile international is unlikely to feature frequently thanks to the arrival of new City goalie Ederson.
Jordan Pickford - The Toffees have a pretty horrible start to the campaign after their first match against Stoke, taking on the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.
PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages
Defenders
Who's Hot
David Luiz - Their pre-season may not have gone too well, but Chelsea will be stubborn at the back again this season and Luiz is the cheapest option in that Blues rearguard.
Kyle Walker - With a trip to Brighton first up for City, Walker won't be expected to do too much defending and could definitely end Saturday's match with an assist and a clean sheet.
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Who's Not
Shane Duffy - Brighton are a pretty compact unit and drafting one of their defenders into your team isn't the worst idea in the world, but don't have Duffy starting for their first match, a tough game against Manchester City.
Kurt Zouma - Stoke's transfer window has been less than impressive and Zouma has a hefty price tag attached to his name, so it's probably best to avoid the France international.
Bryn Lennon/GettyImages
Midfielders
Who's Hot
Mohamed Salah - The Egyptian had a brilliant pre-season with Liverpool and could easily net on his Premier League debut for the Reds against Watford.
Dele Alli - With a haul of 18 league goals last season, it's difficult to look past the former MK Dons ace as he continues to assert himself as one of Spurs' most important players.
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Who's Not
Alexis Sanchez - The former Barcelona forward's illness probably wasn't a proper threat to his wellbeing but now he reportedly has an abdominal strain, so stay well clear of Arsenal's main man.
Marko Arnautovic - He may have cost West Ham an arm and a leg but do not be fooled, the Austria international is not worth your investment.
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Forwards
Who's Hot
Christian Benteke - With a match against Huddersfield followed by a trip to his former employers Liverpool, back the big Belgian to make a top start to the new campaign under new manager Frank de Boer.
Romelu Lukaku - Lukaku opened his United account during the UEFA Super Cup loss against Real Madrid and is likely to grab another during the home tie against West Ham on Sunday.
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Who's Not
Saido Berahino - The former England Under-21 striker looks a cheap option but failed to score a single goal during his first 13 goals for the Potters following his transfer from West Brom.
Alvaro Morata - He may well prove to be an inspired signing in the later weeks of the season, but Morata has looked off the pace so far at Chelsea and there are better alternatives to consider instead of the Spaniard.
