Ben Davies

With Danny Rose’s knee injury keeping him MIA for a bit longer, Davies seems to be the starting left back. Tie that with Spurs’ impeccable defensive record last season, and their great squad in general, and you could be looking at a lot of points. As Davies is a full back, he can get TIR points as well as assists (and the odd cheeky goal) to back up the clean sheets Spurs are going to collect as they go. However, Rose will come back eventually, so beware of this when choosing him on a weekly basis.

 

Tammy Abraham

This youngster scored 23 goals on loan at Bristol last season, and has recently been tipped by team-mate Fer to make an impact at Swansea. An impressive prospect, Abraham is looking to increase his already impressive goals tally for such a young player. Since Llorente is looking likely to miss the first couple of weeks (as he broke his arm during pre-season) Abraham is set to start for the Swans. He may have missed two games in pre-season but he still managed to score 3 goals, so his form is looking like it will continue. Pick him up if you need a striker.

 

Nathan Aké

The defender so good Chelsea recalled him from his loan. He was playing for Bournemouth last term and was keeping clean sheets, knocking in goals, and generally making a good impact on the field. But then Chelsea started preparing for the climax to the title race, and needed all the backup they could get, so they recalled him, and we didn’t get to see as much of this lad as we should have. But Bournemouth have signed him back, and I’m betting he is going to make another positive impact this year. If you can, pick him up, I’m sure he will be worth it.

 

Xherdan Shaqiri

Now, Shaqiri isn’t exactly a small player (unless speaking literally). However, his measly 88 points last season may deter most. He was unfortunate in terms of injury over the course of the year, but he was remarkable when he did play. I expect him to come out guns blazing this season to prove that he can do well. Hopefully there won’t be another injury problem, because he can get a lot of points if he stays fit. If you need an extra midfielder, consider this guy.

 

Marco Arnautović

Ex-Teammate of Shaqiri, Arnautović has recently made a move to West Ham. The reason I think Arnautović will do even better with West Ham than with the Potters is because with the likes of Ayew and Lanzini (and now Hernández), West Ham have a sublime strike force. I expect this guy to fit in really well and both score and create goals. If he’s free, get him.

 

Marc Albrighton

Not always the star man for Leicester, Albrighton can go unnoticed. But he is often at the centre of attention in terms of influence on the play. He will get assist, a few goals, and a decent portion of TIR points too. If you want a reliable player who not everyone will think of, get Albrighton. He managed 144 points last season which is nothing to be sniffed at. He isn’t an out-and-out goalscorer, but they’re all snapped up straight away. There’s a chance this guy will go under the radar, and if so, he’s worth your consideration.

 

Cuco Martina

Playing backup for Cédric Soares last term at Southampton, we didn’t see too much of Martina. However, after Coleman’s horrific leg break against Wales, Everton were in need of a new RB. Enter Koeman to sign another player for the summer. Martina’s contract had run out, and so they snapped him up on a free. He may have played a bit-part role last year, but when Soares was injured, we saw glimpses of what he can do, and I think he’s worth putting on your team if you need a spare defender to get points. Koeman will surely profit from this signing, so why shouldn’t you too?

 

Charlie Austin

Another good player riddled with injury problems last season, Austin really didn’t get much of a chance to shine. However, he still managed to bag 6 goals despite not even totaling 1000 minutes. I don’t want to jinx it, but I reckon he’ll manage to stay fit for this season, and keep up the form he’s currently showing in pre-season. Pellegrino is trying out a new formation with both Gabbiadini and Austin that may improve Southampton’s goals tally, and so expect big things from Austin.

 

Asmir Begović

It must have been hard to play understudy to Courtois all of last season, but Begović has now moved to Bournemouth. Quite a similar situation to Aké’s, he has moved in search of first team football. And even though Bournemouth have Boruc, I think Begović’s skill will help win him the first team place. He has already proven himself to be a great keeper, and so it’s time for him to keep up that reputation. He would be a great back-up keeper to utilise when your main has a bad match-up.

Ander Herrera

Some would call him the heart of the United team. Others wouldn’t. With Ibra there last season, Herrera wasn’t really the centre of attention. But now, with the TIR bonus, even if he isn’t the centre of attention, he will get you points every week. I don’t think the Matić signing will effect his game time, i merely think it will usher out Carrick. Since the stock of centre midfielders has grown exponentially this season (if you are using the Kanté rule), Herrera is a lot more valuable to us fantasy managers this season, and so you should get him if you can.

 

And so, those are 10 of my best bets for good starts to the season. I’m pretty sure they will get points for your team. The good news is, even if you pick them up and they don’t perform to a high enough standard, you can blame me and not take responsibility. The perfect loophole. But definitely think about these players if you need a spare and they’re free. They could really be worth it. Good luck fantasy managers – I hope you win.