The Hype Train

Premier League 2023/24 Season: FPL Pre-Season Fantasy Forecast

The 2023/24 Premier League season begins on Friday 11th August 2023 with Burnley hosting the champions, Man City, at Turf Moor. Here, the team at Hype Train go through their season predictions in our annual Pre-Season Fantasy Forecast - who will win the league, get relegated, and be big hits or flops in the Fantasy Premier League game this season? We bare our thoughts below! All aboard.

2023/24 Premier League Season: Pre-Season Forecast

The team go through a list of questions to provide their predictions ahead of the new season. From the winners, those relegated, and the potential key assets and players in both the league and FPL game.

2023/24 Premier League Season: Pre-Season Forecast (Sam Austin)

Premier League Winner:

Arsenal

PL Top 6:

1 – Arsenal

2 – Man City

3 – Man United

4 – Newcastle

5 – Liverpool

6 – Chelsea

Reasoning behind Top 6:

I believe that this is finally the year Arsenal win the league; with Rice, Timber, and other fresh reinforcements they have kept their squad in-tact.

I don't think the top four will change that much, to be honest. And yes, with Liverpool shedding their squad, and only bringing in two players, will hurt their top four chances. I think United and Newcastle will be strong enough to keep them and Chelsea out.

The Relegated Trio:

18 – Everton

19 – Sheffield United

20 – Luton

Top FPL Player at the end of the Season:

Erling Braut Haaland (MCI)

Top FPL Player by Position:

GK – Nick Pope (NEW)

DEF – Kieran Trippier (NEW)

MID – Mo Salah (LIV)

FOR – Erling Haaland (MCI)

Best Budget Option (that comes good):

Rasmus Hojlund (MUN)

Biggest FPL - Disappointment:

- Onana (MUN)

- Liverpool defence

Top PL Goal Scorer:

Erling Braut Haaland (MCI)

Most PL Assists:

Kevin De Bruyne (MCI)

Most Clean Sheets (Team):

Newcastle

First Manager Sacked/Left:

Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Surprise Package (Player):

Harvey Barnes (Newcastle) or João Pedro (Brighton).

Surprise Package (Team):

Brighton (again)

2023/24 Premier League Season: Pre-Season Forecast (Phil Jones)

Premier League Winner:

Arsenal

PL Top 6:

1 – Arsenal

2 – Man City

3 – Chelsea

4 – Liverpool

5 – Newcastle

6 – Man Utd

The Relegated Trio:

18 – Luton

19 – Nottingham Forest

20 – Sheffield Utd

Top FPL Player at the end of the Season:

Bakayo Saka (ARS)

Top FPL Player by Position:

GK – Pope (NEW)

DEF – Chilwell (CHE)

MID – Saka (ARS)

FOR – Haaland (MCI)

Best Budget Option (that comes good):

Joao Pedro (BHA)

Biggest FPL Disappointment:

Mo Salah (LIV)

Top PL Goal Scorer:

Erling Haaland (MCI)

Most PL Assists:

Bakayo Saka (ARS)

Most Clean Sheets (Team):

Chelsea

First Manager Sacked/Left:

Paul Heckingbottom (SHU)

Surprise Package (Player):

Alejandro Garnacho (MUN)

Surprise Package (Team):

Burnley

2023/24 Premier League Season: Pre-Season Forecast (Robert Austin)

Premier League Winner: Man City: Despite Arsenal improving their personnel over the summer and looking in a lot stronger of a position to challenge to the league title this season, I’ve become a bit od a downer about who will win the league – and in my eyes I think the City machine will march to another trophy lift come the conclusion of the season in May. Pep’s team will add a few players to their current squad before the end of the season, they’ll win every game after the Xmas break, and that will be that. PL Top 6: 1 – Man City 2 – Arsenal 3 – Newcastle 4 – Man United 5 – Liverpool 6 – Aston Villa Reasoning behind Top 6: Spurs and Chelsea are both a work in progress, so I am not sure if they’ll make the Top 6. As of writing, Harry Kane is weighing up a move to Bayern Munich (imagine an English person telling their great grandfather that the England captain was signing for a German powerhouse, there would be mutiny), so for now I will exclude both. Best placed to move up the table will be Aston Villa if they can maintain a league and Europa Conference League campaign, whilst Brighton may be a little behind giving the scope of the Europa League and a lot of transition this summer. I’ve placed Liverpool kindly in the Top 6, but feel they’ll have another challenge for Champions League but will fall off in the league due to the small size of their squad. Klopp’s seen most of his midfield leave the club and he needs in a few more, but FSG seem destined to frustrate the German with their transfer policies. Newcastle I have no doubts over. Their home form will push them up the table, and if anything being in Europe will only enhance the buzz at the club that will get them through. They have added in the right areas (so far) to improve the team and think they’ll edge Man United after being neck-and-neck with them for much of last season. The Relegated Trio: 18 – Nottingham Forest 19 – Sheffield United 20 – Luton Sheffield and Luton are self-explanatory, and think Sheffield may even finish bottom. There is growing concern already at the club after selling Sander Berge to Burnley (who was in the last year of his contract) and the difficulties in finding transfers to bolster their squads, have fans already fearing the drop. The other spot is a toss up between a few teams such as Wolves, Everton, Forest, and Palace potentially, whilst I think West Ham’s incoming transfers will have them safe enough, as Bournemouth who have signed some impressive talent. My gut says second season syndrome may get to Forest, who just about got over the line last season.

Top FPL Player at the end of the Season: Erling Haaland (MCI) Top FPL Player by Position: GK – Ederson (MCI) DEF – Temt Alexander-Arnold (LIV) MID – Mohamed Salah (LIV) FOR – Erling Haaland (MCI)

Best FPL Budget Option (that comes good): Moussa Diaby (AVL): The new recruit from Leverkusen is rapid and will be a steal at £6.5m once he gets into gear. Emi Buendia’s ACL injury means Diaby will be absolutely nailed in this team too in the early Gameweek’s of the season. Villa have been going from strength to strength under Emery too and have made some good signings, with most expecting them to be dark horses for a Top 6 spot come the end of the season Biggest FPL Disappointment: Heung-Min Son (TOT): If Harry Kane goes to Munich, of the game’s most expensive players Son is the one who will suffer the most due to his near-telepathic relationship with the England captain. Spurs are also in a transition under Ange Postecoglou, so there is more risk and this pick is more centred around positional changes in the system and how it will impact Son’s ability to create. Top PL Goal Scorer: Erling Haaland (MCI): With or without Kane, this is cut and dry. The only outside chances at the Golden Boot will be Mo Salah (LIV) or a complete outside pick like Callum Wilson (NEW), or Ollie Watkins (AVL) if they stay fit, but even then Haaland will likely score more than both combined. Most PL Assists: Kevin De Bruyne (MCI): The chasing pack will include some Arsenal talent such as Saka and Odegaard, whilst Mo Salah is always creeping around the top of both scoring and assisting charts these days. Man City’s dominance though will hinge on KDB providing the goods on a plate, which he typically does. Most Clean Sheets (Team): Man City First Manager Sacked/Left: Paul Heckingbottom (SHU) Surprise Package (Player): Garnacho (MUN): At the end of last season the Argentine winger was really showing good signs of progression. A run in the team at United could establish him as a cheap option in FPL. Surprise Package (Team): Bournemouth: The Cherries are backing new boss, Andoni Iraola, and have added some top players. Max Aarons from Norwich is a good buy, as is The Championship’s Young Player of the Year, Bristol City winger Alex Scott. AZ Alkmaar’s promising left back, Milos Kerkez, was also pinched away from a move to Serie A, whilst Hamad Traore comes from Sassuolo with a lot of promise, as does Justin Kluivert from Roma. Bournemouth have a lot of raw and exciting talent and could be a good unknown quantity to watch this upcoming season.

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The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in general football and Fantasy sports reporting, starting with Fantasy Premier League (FPL), before expanding to MLS Fantasy coverage in 2018.

We pride ourselves in providing beautiful graphics, statistics, in-depth analytical reporting and free weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb rankings tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review games, live sport, and professional wrestling.

In 2019, Hype Train Football Club was formed, becoming the first Fantasy Football website to take to the field. HTFC is a socially active team across social and web channels, providing regular match highlights, match reports, comprehensive player statistics and unique player profiles. We won both Goal of the Season Awards in the Berkshire and County FA regions, with Callum Parr-Jones winning the Berks & Bucks FA award, whilst Martin King won the PlaySport UK award.

In 2021, we formed the Reading Sunday Social League (RSSL), a competitive Sunday League involving 8 teams in its debut season. During the 2021/22 season, we won our first-ever trophy, lifting the East Berkshire Football League's Presidents Cup!

The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog' in 2016 by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), and were again shortlisted as a finalist in 2019 in the 'Best Fantasy Football Blog' category.

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