It’s that time of year again. The mad scramble to fill your Fantasy Football team full of heavy scoring, dynamic, driven young men, just waiting to pile-up the points for your team that you’ve agonised over for weeks. As the opening day approaches, you’re still looking for one or two key differentials that’ll help give you that edge over your mates, thus sealing the mini-league pot of gold and bragging rights for another season.

 

Hopefully you’re in a position now to have firmly locked that team in for Gameweek 1, ready to watch all your lengthy research and squad juggling come to fruition. If, however, you spent more time coming up with a ‘hilarious’ name for your team than plotting the intricacies of your 3-4-3, then the below tips may just give you a nudge in the right direction.

 

With a wealth of expensive prospects (particularly in the midfield area) available, I’ve picked three budget friendly players that could add a cost-friendly balance to your FPL side in the coming season.

As soon as Bournemouth had sealed their promotion to the top tier of English Football for the first time, Matt Ritchie was spoken about favourably in FPL circles. With 15 goals and 17 assists last term (the most by any player in the division), it’s hard to ignore such form. What makes him that much more attractive though, is the open, expansive play of his Bournemouth side in which he plays such a pivotal role.

Reminiscent of the Blackpool team that spent a compelling season in the top flight a few years back, the South Coast club’s principle in chief is to commit players in the opposition half; they will concede, but they should also score frequently. Ritchie averaged 3.3 shots per game during 14-15 and with him priced at £5.5m on FPL, if he can notch 120+ points as a fifth midfielder it could prove to be an invaluable haul for your side.

 Before Nathaniel Clyne travelled North, Koeman moved quickly to secure the services of Cédric, a full international from Sporting Lisbon. Recognised for his ability in the opposition half of the pitch as well as his defensive capabilities, The Saints have secured a more than able replacement. Already in pre-season he has shown a willingness to get forward at every opportunity, having already provided a number of assists. Indeed, in the Europa League game against Vitesse Arnhem, he was widely praised for link-play in the attacking third of the pitch – something that should hopefully lead to assists throughout the season.Coming in at £5.0m in FPL, Cédric should offer a secure route into the Saints defence. With 15 clean sheets last term and a defensive record seconded only by Chelsea, if they can replicate the stability that earned them plaudits from all quarters, there should be plenty of clean sheet points coming their way over the course of the season.