13 August 2024

Who are the most popular picks in Fantasy PL for the 2024/25 season?

Cole Palmer’s (£10.5m) record-breaking price rise for 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League has not stopped managers from rushing to own him.

The Chelsea star has climbed £5.5m in cost this season after topping the overall player standings last campaign with 244 points.

Palmer has quickly established a significant advantage in ownership over any other midfielder since Fantasy was launched on Wednesday afternoon.

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: Cole Palmer of Chelsea in action during the pre-season friendly match between Chelsea and FC Internazionale at Stamford Bridge on August 11, 2024, in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

Just over 24 hours after the game went live, more than one million managers have already entered their squads – and Palmer can be found in more than 53 per cent of them.

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NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring during the ‘Sela Weekender’ pre-season friendly fixture between Newcastle United and Girona at St James’ Park on August 09, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

When looking at the ownerships per position, Palmer has been selected by over 16 per cent more managers than the second most-popular midfielder, Anthony Gordon (£7.5m) of Newcastle United.

Most-owned midfielders 2024/25

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: Cole Palmer of Chelsea during the pre-season friendly between Chelsea and FC Internazionale at Stamford Bridge on August 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
  • Cole Palmer: cost – £10.5m owned – 53%
  • Anthony Gordon: cost – £7.5m owned -36%
  • Eberechi Eze: cost – £7.0m owned – 33%
  • Phil Foden: cost – £9.5m owned – 32%
  • Mohamed Salah: cost – £12.5m owned – 31%

There is far more indecision in the other three positions.

Less than two per cent separates the two top-owned goalkeepers and forwards, and there is only a nine per cent disparity between the top two defenders.

FPL managers overlook Haaland

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 10: Erling Haaland of Manchester City reacts during the FA Community Shield 2024 match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

While Palmer already appears irresistible, the same cannot be said for Erling Haaland (£15.0m) after he was handed a starting price of £15.0m, the highest of all time in Fantasy.

The Manchester City forward sits in only 30 per cent of squads as managers look to spread those funds throughout their line-ups instead.

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BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – MAY 13: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Liverpool FC at Villa Park on May 13, 2024 in Birmingham, England.(Photo by James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images)

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak (£8.5m) have proved the most-popular Haaland alternatives for managers’ frontlines. Indeed, they are the two most-owned players in the game so far, found in 56 per cent and 54 per cent of squads respectively.

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Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak attempts a shot on goal during the pre-season friendly match at St James’ Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Picture date: Friday August 9, 2024. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Similarly to Haaland, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) is around the 30 per cent ownership mark, which makes him only the fifth most-popular midfielder.

If this trend continues, both Haaland and Salah would take on the unusual roles of differential captains in the early stages of 2024/25.

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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool in action during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Liverpool and Sevilla at Anfield on August 11, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

For the Norwegian, in particular, this would represent a huge turnaround from last season, when his ownership – which started around 80 per cent and rose to over 92 per cent at one point – made him the runaway favourite in the vast majority of Gameweeks.

Haaland owners looking for bargains

It’s fair to say that Haaland’s ultra-premium cost is having an impact all the way through managers’ opening squads.

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BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 9: Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley FC at American Express Community Stadium on December 9, 2023 in Brighton, England. (Photo by David Horton – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro (£5.5m) is the most-chosen budget forward to play alongside Haaland, with more than 22 per cent of Fantasy managers backing the Brazilian.

That immediately marks out Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz (£6.0m) as a great cut-price differential. He costs just £0.5m more than Joao Pedro and has a far kinder opening run of opponents.

Most-owned forwards 2024/25

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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa controls the ball under pressure from Nathaniel Clyne of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park on May 19, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
  • Ollie Watkins: cost – £9.0m owned – 56%
  • Alexander Isak: cost – £8.5m owned – 54%
  • Erling Haaland: cost – £15.0m owned – 30%
  • Joao Pedro: cost – £5.5m owned – 22%
  • Kai Havertz: cost – £8.0m owned – 14%

Haaland’s £15.0m price tag has also had a knock-on effect at the back. Those who are going without Haaland are investing in premium defenders instead.

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: William Saliba of Arsenal celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 with Gabriel Magalhaes of Arsenal during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at Emirates Stadium on August 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

Arsenal’s William Saliba (£6.0m) offers the most secure route into the league’s meanest defence, with the Gunners keeping 18 clean sheets last campaign.

Saliba is currently in 39 per cent of squads, while both Man City’s Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m) and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro (£5.5m) are found in more than a quarter of squads.

Among the cut-price contenders, Newcastle’s Dan Burn, Crystal Palace’s Joachim Andersen and Villa’s Ezri Konsa all have the early fixtures to justify their popularity at £4.5m apiece.

Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis is among a host of ultra-low £4.0m starters for the promoted clubs who can help free up cash for owners of Haaland, with more than 15 per cent of managers already bringing him into their squads.

Most-owned defenders 2024/25

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: William Saliba of Arsenal looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at Emirates Stadium on August 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
  • William Saliba: cost – £6.0m owned – 39%
  • Josko Gvardiol: cost – £6.0m owned – 30%
  • Pedro Porro: cost – £5.5m owned – 25%
  • Dan Burn: cost – £4.5m owned – 22%
  • Joachim Andersen: cost – £4.5m owned – 18%
  • Trent Alexander-Arnold: cost – £7.0m owned – 18%
  • Ezri Konsa: cost – £4.5m owned – 18%

Between the posts, Arsenal’s defensive exploits in 2023/24 mean that David Raya (£5.5m) is the most popular goalkeeper at present.

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: David Raya of Arsenal looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at Emirates Stadium on August 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Nonetheless, managers should be looking for value here, with save points and bonus points just as crucial as clean sheets.

Pairing Brentford’s Mark Flekken (£4.5m) with his deputy Hakon Valdimarsson (£4.0m) offers a solution at a mere cost of £8.5m, for example.

Most-owned goalkeepers 2024/25

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: David Raya of Arsenal warms up prior to the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at Emirates Stadium on August 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
  • David Raya: cost – £5.5m owned – 21%
  • Matt Turner: cost – £4.0m owned – 20%
  • Jordan Pickford: cost – £5.0m owned – 18%
  • Mark Flekken: cost – £4.5m owned – 14%
  • Alphonse Areola: cost – £4.5m owned – 12%

All information has been sourced from Premier League Productions

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