FPL 2024/25 tips: The best forwards to sign

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is just a few weeks away. The start of the 2024/25 FPL season.

Sure, the Premier League starting is also okay, but the real business is fantasy football. The popularity of FPL grows every year and we’re expecting this one to be the best yet.

Forwards can often make or break an FPL manager. If you gamble on a big name early on that doesn’t fire, you could fall away quickly. Those behind FPL know this too, which is why they’ve boosted Erling Haaland’s starting price to £15m.

As a result, Haaland is only owned by 35.9% of all FPL managers right now, which is very low by his standards. Over the past two seasons, his ownership peaked in the 80s.

So, who are the other options?

Jean-Philippe Mateta

• Club: Crystal Palace

• Price: £7.5m

• 2023/24 points: 165

After Haaland, the second-most expensive forward costs just £9m. There are three (non-Haaland) more expensive forward than Jean-Philippe Mateta, but the Crystal Palace man could be your first choice. Among FPL forwards to have played last season, Mateta has the second-best Squawka Score, one ahead of Alexander Isak, Ollie Watkins and Erling Haaland.

After scoring eight goals in his first 70 Premier League appearances for Palace, Mateta scored 16 in 23 from December onwards last season. He thrived in particular from the start of February, scoring in 10 of his final 16 matches, including two braces and a hat-trick. He also added five assists and out-performed his xG by 5.06, with a +2.45 improvement between his xG and Expected Goals on Target. That means his shot placement increased his chances of scoring.

However, do note that he will likely miss the start of the season, representing France at the Olympics.

Joao Pedro

The FPL forward with the highest Squawka Score last season was Joao Pedro. And he’s once again a cheaper option at just £5.5m, keeping his starting price from 2023/24. The Brazilian was directly involved in 12 goals last season scoring nine with three assists. He had an Expected Goal Involvement of 16.65 and scored six of his 15 big chances.

One of the selling points for Pedro is the fact that he takes penalties, scoring all four of his spot-kicks last season. There is a risk of a lack of playing time with 12 of his 31 league appearances coming from the bench. But at his price, it’s worth it, especially to use funds elsewhere.

Adam Armstrong

• Club: Southampton

• Price: £5.5m

• 2023/24 points: N/A

It can sometimes be a bit of a risk in signing a striker based on a good season in the Championship. We’ve seen Aleksandar Mitrovic particularly struggle in the past. But at £5.5m, Adam Armstrong feels like a good option to have for rotation given his price and ability.

In the Championship last season, Armstrong averaged 0.83 direct goal involvements per 90 minutes, scoring 24 goals and providing a further 13 assists. He scored five penalties and had the second-most shots in the Championship, with the most shots on target. Per 90 minutes, those worked out to 3.43 and 1.53 respectively. He also drastically improved his chances of scoring by his shot placement, with an xG of 23.55 but an xGOT of 28.88!