We're just under a month away from the beginning of the new men's football season, and fans will be getting their Fantasy Premier League teams ready over the next three weeks or so.
There are some big calls to be made this year, with some surprisingly high pricings for some players, and some bargains to be found elsewhere.
As always, however, there will be fan favourites across the board, and we've combed through the ranks to find you five players you must have in your gameweek one squad, based on their value and ownership.
Fantasy Premier League must-haves: Five players to put in your GW1 squad
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, FW, £14.0m)
Erling Haaland with the Champions League trophy after last season's final (Photo: Shutterstock)
Look, let's get the obvious one out of the way first. Erling Haaland is going to be in almost every Fantasy Premier League team for gameweek one - he currently stands at an astonishing 85.8% ownership, and for good reason.
The Norwegian may be the most expensive FPL player of all-time, but he practically guarantees returns, having finished last season with a remarkable 36 goals from 35 games.
Given his ownership, and the fact that City's opening five games see them face two newly promoted teams, it would be foolish not to have Haaland in your squad from the outset.
READ HERE: Katie McCabe Reveals Séamus Coleman's Key Role In Push For Equal Pay
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, MID, £8.5m)
Bruno Fernandes in action for Manchester United (Photo: Shutterstock)
A slightly more bold choice here, but Fernandes' valuation makes him a tasty option in midfield.
Fernandes created the most chances of any midfielder in the league last season, with 119, of which 32 were "big chances" - opportunities from which an attacker would be reasonably expected to score.
His numbers were brought down by United's lack of a reliable out-and-out striker last year, yet he still registered eight goals and eight assists from midfield. For £8.5m, Fernandes marks excellent business - especially if United complete their quest for a top-class striker.
READ HERE: Wayne Rooney Reveals He Uses Popular Football Video Game To Find Players
Sven Botman (Newcastle United, DEF, £4.5m)
Sven Botman during last season's Carabao Cup final (Photo: Shutterstock)
An almost ever-present member of the most reliable defence of last season, for just £4.5m? It's easy to see why over 28% of managers already have Sven Botman in their Fantasy Premier League teams.
Botman made 36 appearances for Newcastle last season, as the side kept 14 clean sheets in the league. He may be a less flashy option than full-back Kieran Trippier but, for as low a price as the Dutchman has been valued, he's a must-have.
READ HERE: Saudi Arabia Transfers: Every Big Money Transfer To Saudi Pro League
Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton, MID, £6.5m)
Mitoma may not seem on the surface to be an essential, but when you dig a little deeper his value for the coming Fantasy Premier League season becomes abundantly clear.
With Alexis Mac Allister departing Brighton this summer, Mitoma will become even more vital to the Seagulls, and his numbers were already impressive enough last season, as the Japanese winger registered seven goals and six assists during Brighton's push for European football.
Group that together with the fact that Brighton's opening fixtures look friendly (Luton-Wolves-West Ham to begin with), and the emergence of top quality attackers like Julio Enciso and our very own Evan Ferguson, and you have a potential FPL star in the making here.
READ HERE: Report: Liverpool Targeting Prodigious Midfielder As Fabinho Replacement
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, MID, £8.5m)
Bukayo Saka of Arsenal (Photo: Shutterstock)
A surprisingly underpriced player, Saka at £8.5m is pretty well a no-brainer for this season of Fantasy Premier League.
The Arsenal star is in over half of this year's FPL teams so far and, again, for good reason. Saka had some of the highest goal contributions in the league last season, with 14 goals and 11 assists. With the squad only building in strength over the summer, Arsenal look set to be a force once again next season.
Saka will be central to everything they do and, though it is close between him and Mo Salah for the "must have" list, his lower price makes Saka the man to go with.
Who will you have in your Fantasy Premier League team in Gameweek 1?
SEE ALSO: The Best Fantasy Football Names For Your FPL Team In The 2023-24 Season
