Fantasy Premier League Players To Watch As English Football Returns

After a three-month layoff, we’re finally back.

The English Premier League returns Wednesday with Aston Villa desperately needing a win at home against Sheffield United to try and escape relegation and Manchester City hosting Arsenal in a marquee matchup the Gunners need to move up from a disappointing 9th place.

With so many multi-game weeks on the Prem schedule and midweek games abound, being nimble and picking the right fantasy players during this hectic stretch is crucial. And with unlimited transfers before the game week begins, setting your lineup correctly is massive. Here are some players to watch out for to improve your club as we return to play for nine or 10 matches in six crazy weeks.

Goalie

Bernd Leno, Arsenal, £5.0

He’s certainly not the cheapest option out there, but was on a strong stretch of three clean sheets in four matches before the coronavirus pandemic suspended play. After City, Southampton, Brighton & Hove and Norwich will be appealing matchups for the 28-year-old German keeper.

Break The Bank: Dean Henderson, Sheffield United, £5.3

Budget Move: Matthew Ryan, Brighton & Hove Albion, £4.7

Defenders

Federico Fernandez, Newcastle, £4.6

With clean sheets in two consecutive matches and only owned by 3.1% of FPL users as of Tuesday, he might be a good value snag if you’re behind in the standings. Three of Newcastle’s four next opponents, Sheffield, Villa and Bournemouth, are all in the bottom half of the league in goals scored.

Jack O’Connell, Sheffield United, £4.6

Unlike popular teammate John Lundstram, who’s owned in 40.8% of leagues, O’Connell flies under the radar and is only in 4% of lineups despite getting the same clean sheets Lundstram gets. Sheffield has Villa and Newcastle in this game week, and the team’s more than capable of fending off some of the top clubs. That ability will be soon put to the test, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs coming up.

Break The Bank: Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool, £6.5

Budget Move: Craig Cathcart, Watford, £4.3

Midfielders

James Maddison, Leicester City, £7.5

Maddy hasn’t had a goal or an assist since Game Week 21 against Newcastle, but perhaps this long layoff is just what the 23-year-old needs to get back on track. With the Foxes’ next three matches coming against poor defensive teams in Watford, Brighton and Everton, now is the time for Maddison to shine and help secure a Champions League slot for Leicester.

Anthony Martial, Manchester United, £8.0

With goals in three of this last four Premier League matches, Martial needs to continue to shine if United wants to catch Chelsea for fourth place. After Spurs and Sheffield, the Red Devils get friendly opponents in Brighton, Bournemouth, Villa and Southampton.

Break The Bank: Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City, £10.6

Budget Move: Youri Tielemans, Leicester City, £6.1

Forwards

Raul Jimenez, Wolverhampton Wanderers, £8.1

The third-top scorer among forwards this season is owned by more than 30% of users, so it’s not the biggest secret out there. But with Wolves just two points behind ManU for fifth, they can sniff Champions League qualifying. Tasty matchups to begin the stretch run against West Ham, Bournemouth and Villa means that opposing FPL competition should be afraid of this big, bad wolf.

Break The Bank: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal, £11.1

Budget Move: Troy Deeney, Watford, £6.2

h/t Adam and Maxwell