Greetings fans of fantasy football! It’s that wonderful time of the year again!

FPL have rung the changes this season. Gone is the redundant ‘All Out Attack’ chip that nobody cared about, and in its place arrives the ‘Free Hit’ chip, which is sure to be invaluable if used wisely. We also have the introduction of ‘FPL Draft’, which promises to add an extra dimension for those of you looking for something a little different.

Gameweek 1 is almost upon us, and for the first time in Premier League history the season will kick-off on Friday night, when Arsenal entertain Leicester City. If you ask us, this is nothing more than a ploy by the Premier League to catch FPL players out, as the deadline to create your team/make last-minute changes is the rather unusual time of 18:45 on Friday evening…you have been warned!

To join our free FPL league, where the winner gets £100, go to fantasy.premierleague.com and enter our league code:

116530-159755

This gameweek’s fixtures are as follows:

Accumulator Tips have picked out a team of 11 players you should be considering for this gameweek:

Goalkeeper

Jordan Pickford – £5.0m

Despite guarding the net for relegated Sunderland last season, Jordan Pickford was a firm favourite amongst fantasy managers in the second half of the season due to his consistency in picking up save points. Tipped as a future England number one, Pickford is now plying his trade at Everton after a big-money summer move, and with a sturdier defence ahead of him, he is sure to pick up more clean sheets this time around. Stoke come to town in gameweek 1, and if last season is anything to go by, Pickford will be confident of shutting out the Potters.

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Defenders

Marcos Alonso £7.0m

When Chelsea switched to a back three last season, Alonso became a fantasy ‘must have’ due to the fact he was afforded the opportunity to attack from his wing-back position, which resulted in six goals and five assists over the course of the 16/17 campaign. To some surprise, FPL have retained the Spaniard’s status as a defender, meaning that he can pick up clean sheets alongside his attacking returns once more. With his fixture is against Burnley at home, which could result in a giant points haul.

Charlie Daniels – £5.0m

Another defender who enjoys getting forward is Bournemouth’s Charlie Daniels, who last season notched four goals and three assists to accompany his ten clean sheets. The Cherries open their campaign with a trip to West Brom followed by a home game against Watford – with both fixtures representing good clean sheet value.

Sead Kolasinac – £6.0m

As we saw in last weekend’s Community Shield match, Arsenal new-boy Sead Kolasinac will represent an attacking threat for the Gunners this year, and his equalising goal against Chelsea is sure to give him a confidence boost heading into the league campaign. Priced at 6.0m, your FPL season could get off to a flying start on Friday night if you plump for the Bosnian against Leicester.

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Midfielders

Sadio Mane – £9.5m

During the 2016/17 campaign, it became a bit of a lottery as to which of Liverpool’s midfield players to include in your team, but the one who has caught our eye with some blistering pre-season performances is Sadio Mane. The Senegalese winger took German giants Bayern Munich to the cleaners recently, and with Watford up first, it could be a profitable gameweek for Mane owners.

Back Sadio Mane to score a brace vs Watford – 9/2 with Sky Bet

Leroy Sane – £8.5m

Continuing with the theme of rapid wingers, we’re tipping the 21-year-old to continue the development which saw him return five goals and seven assists last season. Most of those came when he broke into the team in the latter half of the campaign, and the German is likely to figure strongly in Guardiola’s plans going forward. With newly-promoted Brighton the opponents in gameweek 1, we feel that Man City coverage is a must in your fantasy team early doors.

Wilfried Zaha – £7.0m

In terms of ownership levels, Zaha has been the most popular player in the mid-priced range, and it is not difficult to see why. Costing just 7.0m, Zaha’s attacking threat makes him a real tempter in the midfield, especially when you consider the fact he scored seven goals and assisted 11 times in the league last season. Palace entertain Huddersfield on their Premier League debut this Saturday, and Zaha could be the player to show them what the top flight is all about.

Anthony Knockaert – £6.0m

If Brighton are to survive their debut Premier League season then Knockaert is undoubtedly one of the players they will be relying on throughout the season ahead. The Frenchman found the net 15 times in the Championship last term and was integral to The Seagulls’ eventual promotion. Priced at just 6.0m, Knockaert is certainly worth considering for your squad against a Man City side who struggled to defend throughout last season.

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Forwards

Harry Kane (Accumulator Tips Vice-captain pick) – £12.5m

Well and truly in the ‘premium’ bracket at 12.5m, Harry Kane justifies his fantasy price tag with his unbelievable scoring record since bursting onto the scene at Spurs. Surpassing the 20-goal mark in three consecutive seasons is no mean feat, and you can expect the England striker to be chomping at the bit come Sunday afternoon when his side take on Newcastle. You get what you pay for.

Romelu Lukaku (Accumulator Tips Captain pick) – £11.5m

Manchester United appear to have hit the jackpot with the acquisition of Lukaku. The Belgian striker has been on prolific pre-season form, and also scored in the Super Cup against Real Madrid on Tuesday evening. With 25 goals to his name last season in Everton colours, the striker should be at the forefront of your thoughts, particularly as his side host West Ham in the last game of the weekend. What better way to sign off gameweek 1 than with a monster haul from your star man?

Back Romelu Lukaku to score first vs West Ham – 11/2 with Paddy Power

Jermain Defoe – £8.0m

Bournemouth have quite simply done excellent business with the signing of Defoe, as the poacher brings with him a wealth of Premier League experience and an eye for goal that few players share. The 34-year-old has scored 15 goals in each of his last two seasons, despite the fact this was as part of a struggling Sunderland side where he was starved of service for long periods. With a more-than-reasonable price tag, Defoe is a viable fantasy option to fill your third striker berth.