Fantasy Premier League 2023/24: Who are the bargains as game relaunches for new season?

It's back! Fantasy Premier League returns for a new season and it's time for rivalries to resume.

The 2023/24 version of the game relaunched on Wednesday with players up and down the country starting to put their teams together.

With unlimited changes between now and the opening game of the season on August 11, there will be a lot of chopping and changing on the beaches for many fans.

• Play Fantasy Premier League 2023/24 here
• Last season's winner reveals their top tips!
• All the Premier League 2023/24 fixtures - who has the best start?

With the player prices now out, it's time to get the calculators out to see who you can afford - and who will be the bargain enablers.

Sky Sports runs through the talking points as the game is launched for another year...

Is Haaland maybe too expensive this year?

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We all expected Erling Haaland's price to go up - but seeing one player sit at £14.0m is a daunting prospect.

After 36 goals last season, the Manchester City forward is surely a must for every team next summer. But it raises serious questions as to where you place the rest of the funds.

Is a joint move for Haaland and Harry Kane (£12.5m) deemed too much money? Kane potentially leaving Tottenham for Europe would take that issue out of your hands, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.0m) also at an inflated price, you could spend around a third of your budget on three players.

Decisions, decisions...

Is Salah worth it when others are cheaper?

Mohamed Salah tends to be a FPL must, but is the Egyptian forward worth the £12.5m price when you can get multiple top-class options on the cheap?

The likes of Marcus Rashford (£9.0m), Bukayo Saka (£8.5m), Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m), Jack Grealish (£7.5m) and even Kevin De Bruyne (£10.5m) have the potential to provide strong returns.

So is the best option to go with Salah and make part of your midfield weaker? Or get several of the £7-10m options across the board and maximise your options?

Midfield bargains...

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It's the thing most people look for on FPL launch day: which goal getters have been moved from forwards to midfielders over the summer? See Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz from a few years ago.

Well Havertz (£7.5m) is another option again this year. The German's move from Chelsea to Arsenal - and potential midfield role for Mikel Arteta's side this season - has been recognised by FPL.

There's Bryan Mbeumo (£6.5m) of Brentford who has also made the switch from forward to midfielder. The Frenchman will be a player who needs to step up in the absence of Ivan Toney, who will not return until January from his betting charge ban.

Brennan Johnson (£6.0m) is another player who has gone from forward to midfielder over the summer. The Nottingham Forest star got eight goals last season in his debut campaign and could well improve on that tally this term, but a tricky start to the season for Steve Cooper's side may mean he is a signing for later in the season.

And there are those who excelled last season who could be deemed bargains in midfield. Put Bruno Fernandes and Martin Odegaard (both £8.5m) in that category, as well as Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m). All three midfielders were expected to be way more expensive after last season's exploits and should be targeted given the favourable starts to the season that Arsenal, Brighton and Manchester United have.

Are Botman and Estupinan the go-to defenders?

The price of Newcastle defenders was expected to increase given their defensive solidity last season - but eyebrows were raised when Sven Botman was priced at just £4.5m.

If you balance your budget right, the Newcastle man could represent a cheap, high-level, guaranteed starter for a team expected to do well defensively.

The impact of Pervis Estupinan and Oleksandr Zinchenko (both £5.0m) at their respective clubs made them attractive options throughout the previous campaign and there is some surprise both are cheaper than Luke Shaw, Reece James and Ben Chilwell (all £5.5m).

Having a cost-effective defender is a good way of maximising the premium talent, so these options are very helpful ones.

Who are the top picks from the newly-promoted teams?

There's always one. Which one of the newly-promoted sides will present the £4.0m defensive option?

Last year, Neco Williams ended up in everyone's teams with Nottingham Forest. This year, Luton Town's Amari'i Bell (£4.0m), a regular for the Hatters in the Championship last season, has been earmarked as the early option. Burnley's Jordan Beyer (£4.0m) is another option who should get regular game time at that price.

Going forwards, Luton duo Carlton Morris (£5.5m) and Elijah Adebayo (£5.0m) are probably the most potent goal threats.

Burnley should be expected to continue playing a positive brand of football under Vincent Kompany. Conor Roberts (£4.5m) has experience of being a goalscoring defender, while midfielder Manuel Benson (£5.5m) has a taste for the spectacular.

Sheffield United's Iliman Ndiaye (£5.5m) could balance the books for those looking to make expensive striker incomings.

The opening weekend games

Here's the first round of fixtures for the 2023/24 Premier League season:

Friday August 11

Burnley vs Manchester City - kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports

Saturday August 12

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest - kick-off 12.30pm

Bournemouth vs West Ham - kick-off 3pm

Brighton vs Luton - kick-off 3pm

Everton vs Fulham - kick-off 3pm

Sheffield United vs Crystal Palace - kick-off 3pm

Newcastle vs Aston Villa - kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Sunday August 13

Brentford vs Tottenham - kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports

Chelsea vs Liverpool - kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Monday August 14

Manchester United vs Wolves - kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports

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