The Salah Conundrum: Premium Pick or Overpriced Risk?

Mohamed Salah (£14.5m) enters the season as FPL's most expensive midfielder ever after his record-breaking 344-point campaign. Our panel weighs in:

• Gianni Buttice: "Liverpool's attack remains elite - Salah stays essential for captaincy rotations against Bournemouth (H), Burnley (A), and Everton (H) in the first five GWs."
• Holly Shand: "While AFCON disruption looms, his GW1 pedigree (12.25 PPG average) makes him a must-start despite the price hike."
• Statman Dave: "Ownership under 20% creates differential potential - his floor remains higher than any midfielder in the game."

Manchester United's New Era: Mbeumo & Cunha Under the Microscope

With Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha (both £8.0m) joining United's revamped attack:

⚠️ Key Concerns:

• Loss of penalty duties to Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m)
• Adaptation to Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system
• Tough opening fixtures (MCI, ars, LIV in first 6 GWs)

Pras notes: "Their xGI/90 dropped 35% in preseason compared to last season's club roles. Fernandes remains the only United essential."

Beyond Haaland: Navigating Pep's Puzzle

While Erling Haaland (£14.0m) remains the City cornerstone, our experts identify potential value:

Heisenberg's Verdict: "Marmoush offers OOP potential if Haaland misses time, but early weeks demand caution."

Chelsea's Club World Cup Hangover: Threat or Opportunity?

Despite limited recovery time after their July triumph:

✅ Positive Signs:

• Cole Palmer (£10.5m) averaging 9.2 PPG in preseason
• Joao Pedro (£7.5m) leading xG charts (0.78/90)
• Defense allowed just 0.8 xGA/90 in final 10 GWs last season

❌ Red Flags:

• Only 23 days between competitions
• New manager Enzo Maresca's system adaptation

Defensive Revolution: How New Rules Reshape FPL

The 2-point defensive actions system creates new meta:

Top 5 Defensive MID Targets:

1. Moises Caicedo (CHE) - 3.1 tackles/90
2. Carlos Baleba (BHA) - 2.9 interceptions/90
3. Bruno Fernandes (MUN) - 2.7 recoveries/90
4. Declan Rice (ARS) - 4.1 duel wins/90
5. João Palhinha (FUL) - 4.8 tackles/90

Holly Shand advises: "4-4-2 formations could outscore traditional 3-5-2 setups. Target CBs like Gabriel (£5.0m) and Tarkowski (£5.5m) for bonus point potential."

Chip Strategy Overhaul: Mastering the Double Wildcard Era

With two of each chip available:

• First Wildcard: GW4-8 (AFCON prep)
• Second Wildcard: GW25 (Blank Gameweek prep)
• Free Hit Pairing: Use one pre-GW20, save another for DGWs

Pro Tip: The new 5-free-transfer AFCON buffer allows aggressive early moves - target Arsenal's kind opening run (WOL, AVL, BOU) before GW6 reshuffle.