FPL season kicks off: Is Haaland still worth his price tag?
BBC Sport's Fantasy Premier League experts debate key questions ahead of the new season, including Erling Haaland's value and how Chelsea's new-look attack will function.
With three days remaining before the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season begins, BBC Sport's panel of experts weighed in on the major decisions facing managers.
Is Haaland worth £15.5m?
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was last season's top FPL scorer with 239 points, edging out Bruno Fernandes. His price has now risen to £15.5m, making him the most expensive player in FPL history. Opinions among the experts vary — most agree he remains close to essential as a captaincy pick, though some flagged concerns about a possible slow start following a demanding World Cup and a subdued 53-minute showing in the Community Shield.
Chelsea's new-look attack
With Xabi Alonso now in charge and a £117m move for Morgan Rogers, questions remain over how he and Cole Palmer — both naturally number 10s — will fit together. Several experts suggested Joao Pedro could be the safer early-season pick, since both Palmer and Rogers have had disrupted pre-season preparations.
World Cup fallout
Players who went deep into this summer's World Cup returned late to pre-season training with their clubs. The panel recommended assessing cases individually, paying close attention to how much game time affected players logged in their final pre-season friendlies.
Arsenal's defence
Arsenal recorded 19 clean sheets in 38 league games last season but start the new campaign without injured defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. Despite this, the experts still view Arsenal's backline as one of the strongest in the league.
