Defensive Powerhouses

Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m - Liverpool)

• Clean Sheet King: Anchored Liverpool's league-best 18 clean sheets in 2023-24
• Defensive Bonus: Projected 22+ defensive contribution points with new FPL rules
• Aerial Threat: Ranked #1 among defenders for headed attempts (21) last season

Murillo (£5.5m - Nottingham Forest)

• Budget Beast: Recorded 143 clearances & 38 interceptions in 2023-24
• Fixture Proof: Faces 4/6 promoted/relegation-threatened teams in first 8 GWs
• Bonus Magnet: Earned 24 bonus points last campaign

Midfield Maestros

Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m - Manchester United)

• Set-Piece Supreme: Created 98 chances in 2023-24 (2nd among midfielders)
• Penalty Duty: Converted 7/8 spot kicks last season
• Durability: Played 3,240+ minutes in 3 consecutive seasons

Iliman Ndiaye (£6.5m - Everton)

• Budget Breakout: 9 goals/4 assists in debut PL season
• Penalty Taker: Scored 3/3 spot kicks in 2024
• Fixtures: Favorable run vs LEE/BHA/WOL in first 5 GWs

Florian Wirtz (£8.5m - Liverpool)

• New Playmaker: 46 G/A in last 63 Bundesliga games
• Set-Piece Threat: Directly involved in 3 goals during pre-season
• Salah Synergy: Created 4 big chances for Mo Salah in Community Shield

Striking Solutions

Dominic Solanke (£7.5m - Tottenham)

• Toney 2.0: Under Thomas Frank, Brentford strikers averaged 19 goals/season
• Penalty Prime: Likely inheriting duties from departed Son Heung-min
• GW1 Special: Faces Burnley (promoted) in season opener

Chris Wood (£7.5m - Nottingham Forest)

• xG Overperformer: Scored 20 from 13.56 xG in 2023-24
• Early Run: Faces BRE/CRY/WHU in first 3 GWs
• European Focus: No Thursday night football until September

Morgan Rogers (£7.0m - Aston Villa)

• Value King: 19 G/A despite missing 8 games through injury
• Fixtures Goldmine: NEW/BOU/SOU in first 4 GWs
• Minutes Guaranteed: Started 22/24 available matches last term

Tactical Considerations

• Defensive Points Revamp: New system rewards blocks (1pt) & recoveries (0.5pt)
• Early Wildcard Strategy: Target teams with 8+ GWs of favorable fixtures
• Set-Piece Mapping: 40% of goals came from dead balls in 2023-24

Data via FBRef & Opta | Updated through pre-season matches