Who to pick, who to avoid - your team's FPL assets analysed
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- Gabriel (£8m) is Arsenal's standout FPL pick after finishing as last season's top-scoring defender with 209 points, while teammate Ben White (£5.5m) is flagged as a value differential with Jurrien Timber sidelined.
- Ollie Watkins (£8m) is Aston Villa's talisman following a £1m price drop and the departure of Morgan Rodgers to Chelsea; Watkins averaged 16 goals across his last four Villa seasons and could inherit penalty duties after Youri Tielemans left for Manchester United.
- Igor Thiago (£8m) earned Brentford's talisman tag after a 22-goal league campaign and 181 FPL points last season, though the article notes the Brazilian now carries a significant price-rise risk.
- Joao Pedro (£7.5m) is the most-owned Chelsea asset going into Gameweek 1, sitting in over half of FPL teams, with 15 goals and 9 assists last season plus a pre-season hat-trick boosting his appeal over the pricier Cole Palmer.
- Pascal Gross (£5.5m) is Brighton's safest option, involved in all set-pieces including penalties at a price that frees budget elsewhere; new Spurs signing Luka Vuskovic (£5m) is flagged as a low-owned differential.
- Haji Wright (£5.5m) leads Coventry after scoring 17 Championship goals last season, while goalkeeper Carl Rushworth (£4.5m, 1% owned) is highlighted as a rotational pairing option with Brighton's Bart Verbruggen.
- Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m) tops Crystal Palace's list with high shot volume and penalty upside when Jean-Philippe Mateta is off the pitch; full-back Daniel Munoz (£5.5m) is flagged as potentially the most exciting asset thanks to multiple routes to points.
Why it matters: FPL managers have until the August 21 deadline to set their squads, and the four-expert panel identified price-point leverage plays — like Pascal Gross at £5.5m or Carl Rushworth at £4.5m — that free budget for premium picks such as Gabriel or Watkins. Several recommended differentials (Munoz, Vuskovic, Ouattara) carry sub-10% ownership, meaning a strong start could deliver major rank gains against the field for managers who pick them.
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