Is Haaland Worth the Price? Pick Rogers or Palmer? Five Key FPL Questions

Manchester City's Erling Haaland narrowly outperformed Bruno Fernandes in FPL points last season, securing the top scorer title. Despite scoring 239 points, which was 33 points short of his 2022-23 season best, his price has escalated from £14m to a record-breaking £15.5m, making him the most expensive player in FPL history. The crucial question for FPL managers is: will he justify this significant investment?

Holly: Haaland possesses the potential to command his premium price. He typically starts the campaign strongly. However, a demanding World Cup schedule might impact his initial form, as he may not have had his usual extensive pre-season preparation.

Pras: At a record £15.5m, Haaland still appears to be an essential pick, especially given the significant impact of captaincy choices in the early weeks. He stands out as the premier option for Gameweeks one and three. Starting the season without him carries a substantial risk of immediately falling behind the majority of managers. The primary concern is a potential "World Cup hangover"; his performance in the Community Shield, where he played only 53 minutes, suggested he might have looked a little fatigued.

Gianni: In a season with a scarcity of truly premium FPL assets, it's possible to construct a balanced squad even after selecting Haaland. The era where Mohamed Salah and several other players commanded double-digit millions is largely behind us. Furthermore, opting against Haaland often creates a captaincy dilemma for managers almost every gameweek. While Bruno Fernandes (£12m) presents an alternative, beyond the Manchester United playmaker, finding consistently reliable captaincy options is a challenge. Captaincy is a pivotal element of FPL, and more often than not, Haaland is the most advantageous choice.

Heisenberg: While £15.5m represents a considerable financial commitment, I still believe he is worth the investment. Choosing to go without Haaland when he delivers a significant points haul can severely damage your rank, particularly if the majority of other managers select him as their captain. My recommendation is to include him from the outset. If his form falters and the fixtures become more challenging later in the season, there will be opportunities to offload him at that point.