Following an exciting summer transfer window for Everton, it’s a great time to take a look at which players could make an impact in your Fantasy Premier League squad this season (and those who could serve as sneaky differential picks).
Ahead of this Friday’s Premier League opener between Liverpool and Bournemouth, don’t forget to read up on all the changes to FPL scoring this season.
And be sure to join Royal Blue Mersey’s Fantasy League here.
BUY
Jordan Pickford (£5.5m)
Pickford finished top of the goalkeeper
leaderboard last season with 158 points, followed closely by Nottingham Forest’s Matz Selz with 150. Pickford also finished third with 121 saves and third in clean sheets with 12.
Remember: Pickford put up a majority of these numbers when Dyche was in charge and Everton were (somewhat) abysmal. The Blues were a much better side when Moyes joined the party, so expect Pickford to finish first amongst goalkeepers again this season (by an even more substantial margin). While he (hopefully) won’t have to make as many saves, he should deliver a handful of more clean sheets.
At £5.5m, I still think Pickford is decently priced here. He’s a terrific set-and-forget keeper, allowing you to go with a cheaper backup goalkeeper option.
If you’re already set on your keepers and want to get in on Everton’s clean sheets elsewhere, James Tarkowski (£5.5m), Jarrad Branthwaite (£5.5m), and Jake O’Brien (£5.0m) are all lineup locks, but I’d lean O’Brien to save an extra bit of cash and his 0.5% ownership is quite tempting (Tarkowski 5.7%, Branthwaite 1.9%). Barring any late transfer activity from the Blues, O’Brien should keep his right fullback position.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£5.0m)
Dewsbury-Hall looked nothing short of electric in his preseason appearance against Roma last weekend and he seems (strong emphasis on seems) nailed on to play in an attacking midfield role for the Blues this season. Frankly, Everton didn’t pay over £25 million for him to sit on the bench.
With Jack Grealish (one to keep an eye on for sure) now joining the mold, there are still some question marks over how the Blues will look upfront. My gut tells me Everton will at least start the season with Ndiaye on the left, KDH down the middle, and any of Alcaraz/McNeil/Grealish on the right—the 29-year-old Englishman may need some time to settle in.
James Garner and Idrissa Gana Gueye look to have their defensive midfielder roles locked in, so it only makes sense for KDH to play in more of a number 10 role in front of them.
I’m going to trust my gut and say that KDH will be a must buy come season end. If you’re looking to find a way into Everton’s somewhat confusing but hopefully rewarding attack, KDH’s £5.0m price tag is hard not to take a gamble on.
James Tarkowski (£5.5m)
A significant rule change for the 2025/26 season awards points for defensive contributions. Outfield players can now earn 2 FPL points if they achieve a combined total of 10 (for defenders) or 12 (for midfielders and forwards) clearances, blocks, interceptions, tackles, and ball recoveries in a single match. This change is expected to make players like James Tarkowski, who excels in defensive actions, more valuable assets.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Everton’s LB Situation
After Vitalii Mykolenko (£5.0m) went down with an injury during preseason, all eyes are now on youngster Adam Aznou (£4.5m), who looked impressive in Everton’s preseason match against Roma.
The jury is also still out on Mykolenko, so Aznou could make a name for himself if he impresses while Mykolenko potentially misses some time (or if he doesn’t impress early on in the season). At only £4.5m, Aznou could be a sneaky good way to get into Everton’s defense, plus he has plenty of attacking upside.
Everton’s Confusing But Promising Strikeforce
I don’t know if there’s a single Blue who knows what Everton’s striker situation will look like this season. I anticipate Beto getting a majority of the starts early on this season, but if the 27-year-old Portuguese man doesn’t impress, Thierno Barry will be chomping at the bit.
I would expect Beto to start the first 5-10 games of the season with Barry coming off the bench as an impact sub. If you only have £5.5m left in the bank and need that final striker spot, Beto fits the bill (for now, at least).
Iliman Ndiaye (£6.5m)
The good news for the whopping 12.8% of managers with Ndiaye in their team is that he’ll be nailed on to start every week. From a purely Fantasy perspective, Ndiaye is unlikely to provide many assists as he tallied none last season, so you’d essentially be banking on him to score every other week or so (which is very much possible). However, Everton have some new life in their attack this season, meaning Ndiaye may not quite carry the team on his back as he did for much of last season.
There are not too many promising midfielders in that mid-tier price range, so if you have the money to spend, Ndiaye is quite a fine player to add to your squad.
Best of luck this season, Blues!
