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A prize will be awarded to the person with the most points at midnight on the 26th December 2016.

That time of the year has rolled around again. As news of big money transfers dominate the back pages, and players return back to their clubs for pre-season training and warm-up matches, fans across the country will soon be facing some tough and difficult decisions. 

In offices, schools and sports clubs everywhere, that guy has made the Fantasy Football league. Sharing the 'league code' in a round-robin email, he is persistently badgering everyone to create a team – complete with a funny name – and put some money in a pot for the winner. But that is hard-earned cash; it should not just be thrown away.

Fortunately, the Varsity Sports Team are here with their footballing wisdom to reveal their 'picks' as to which players will rake in enough points to ensure that this year – finally – that money will be yours.

Keir Baker - Editor

• Big Money

Sergio Agüero - Manchester City - Striker - 13.0m

There is an old football saying that goals win games. Goals also win Fantasy Football. Logic therefore dictates that buying one of the most prolific strikers in modern Premier League history is a given. 

The statistics speak for themselves: in just five years, Agüero has scored 136 goals; he has scored over 20 goals for two consecutive seasons; and put away five goals in an individual masterclass against Newcastle last October. Set to receive a massive new contract, Agüero is guaranteed to thrive under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola and alongside the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, İlkay Gündoğan and David Silva.

He is the most expensive player available on the game. There is a damn good reason why...

• Bargain

Álvaro Negredo - Middlesbrough - Striker - 6.5m

Middlesbrough have been sending shockwaves across the footballing press with their transfer activity over the summer, capturing European stars such as former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes and Ajax wonder-kid Viktor Fischer.

The loan signing of Negredo – bought last year by Valencia for €30 million – is yet another excellent coup: having registered 23 goals in 48 appearances for Manchester City between 2013 and 2015 and 27 goals for Sevilla in La Liga in the 2010-2011 season, he is a goalscorer of the highest pedigree. 

With service from the likes of Fischer, Stewart Downing and Gaston Ramirez available, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Negredo will fire Aitor Karanka's side to Premier League safety, and beyond. With a surprisingly low price-tag, many a shrewd Fantasy manager will surely be taking a punt on La Fiera de Vallecas.

• Wildcard

Scott Dann - Crystal Palace - Defender - 5.5m

Before the season starts, it may well be that Scott Dann will no longer ply his trade at Selhurst Park, with Everton reportedly willing to part with £15 million to secure his services. Probably one of the most underrated defenders in the Premier League, it is puzzling that there has been no England call-up for Crystal Palace’s Player of the Year, particularly in an era of central defensive shortages.

For Fantasy managers, his knack of scoring goals from set-pieces provide a welcome points boost, but it is the consistency of his defensive performances – alongside the Eagles’ vice-captain Damien Delaney – that will be most appealing. Indeed, the solidness of that partnership in front of new signing, French international goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, should help secure valuable points with enticing regularity.

Charlie Stone - Deputy Editor

• Big Money

Zlatan Ibrahimović - Manchester United - Striker - 11.5m

The need to defend choosing Zlatan Ibrahimović is surprising. Before the season has even started, many pundits have written off the Swedish talisman, describing him as past his best and unsuited to the Premier League.

But in reality, this choice is far from ‘controversial’. For one thing, Zlatan is not past his best. If he were a rapid winger, creative genius or midfield engine, that may well be true. But the former PSG man is, quite simply, a big striker; his job is thus to win headers, hold up the ball and be absolutely lethal inside the six-yard box. And there is nobody in world football quite more potent when the ball is in the penalty area than Zlatan Ibrahimović.

His genius of improvisation and wealth of experience will make him a perfect fit for José Mourinho’s Manchester United, and for the English game. Premier League defenders are increasingly well-drilled and technically gifted, yet they are always vulnerable to a bully.

So step forward Zlatan: a big, strong and fantastically arrogant striker who will never be bullied off the pitch. He is always guaranteed to get goals in the Premier League.

• Bargain

Jordan Ibe - Bournemouth - Midfielder - 5.5m

Bournemouth’s capture of Jordan Ibe from Liverpool for £15 million was a smart piece of business. Indeed, it was a surprise that Liverpool chose to sell a young player with such potential in the first place; performances with Derby and Birmingham City in the Championship showed just how much quality this young man possesses.

And in a footballing world where proper wingers are increasingly deemed a thing of the past, defences are unprepared for a player who can beat his man, and put in that cross into a dangerous area. So Ibe – who has the talent and skill to do just that – looks set to spend this season causing devastating damage.

Bournemouth have been consistently playing fluid football under the stewardship of Eddie Howe and Ibe will suit the fast, counter-attacking style that the Cherries employ against the bigger teams, and will also be able to create numerous chances against the lesser ones.

• Wildcard

Kurt Zouma - Chelsea - Defender - 5.5m

When a team puts together a string of clean sheets, Fantasy managers can rake in the points. So when a rock-solid centre back like Kurt Zouma is available in Chelsea’s high-quality defensive line – especially for such a low price – it is to be expected that many a Fantasy manager will take a punt on the young Frenchman. He brings maturity and steadfastness to any team, and was versatile enough to take on a central midfield role during Chelsea’ victory in the League Cup final of 2014/2015.

Though suffering from a cruciate ligament injury at present, Zouma is guaranteed to be part of Chelsea’s first team next season, particularly with new manager Antonio Conte set to continue to favour the use of three central defenders. Deceptively speedy despite his lumbering style, Zouma’s tendency to pull off goal-saving, last-ditch tackles as well as grabbing the odd goal from set pieces will doubtless see the former Saint-Étienne player’s stock rise.

Tom Higgins-Toon - Deputy Editor

• Big Money

Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur - Striker - 11.0m

If you ever doubt the value of a world-class striker in your Fantasy team, take inspiration from the poetic words of Michael Owen: "Whichever teams scores more goals usually wins."

Since breaking into the Spurs team in 2014, Harry Kane has found the net 49 times in the league alone, helping his team secure third place and a much-coveted spot in the Champions League. And this season, he should receive better service: Victor Wanyama is a shrewd signing and Eric Lamela is looking sharp in pre-season, recently grabbing a goal against Juventus.

Looking at his rivals, Kane seems the smarter choice: age is not on Ibrahimovic’s side, and Agüero is never far from an injury...and both are more expensive options. Indeed, with Spurs' gentle start to the campaign and Kane on penalty-taking duty, managers should expect immediate rewards.

• Bargain

Bojan Krkić - Stoke City - Striker - 6.0m

In the past, Stoke have been accused of an agricultural approach to the beautiful game, and more than a few eyebrows were raised last summer when, somewhat inexplicably, half of Cataluña upped sticks to the Britannia Stadium.

Nevertheless, the move paid off: the trio of Bojan, Ibrahim Afellay and Xherdan Shaqiri spent last season linking up majestically. Indeed, Bojan was the pick of the bunch, finishing the season with seven goals and two assists to his name.

Having now had a season to get used to the brutality of the Premier League, and having scored a 25-yard scorcher in pre-season against an organised Orlando outfit, Mark Hughes surely cannot resist the temptation to leave such a talent on the bench. At only 6.0m, the Potters' playmaker seems a wise choice when the time comes to tighten the proverbial belt.

• Wildcard

Heurelho Gomes - Watford - Goalkeeper - 5.0m 

If there is one thing to be learned from the theatrics of last season, it is that there is no such thing as a safe choice in the keeping department. Plonking Joe Hart or Petr Cech between the sticks is no longer a sure-fire way to pick up easy clean sheets, and even a plumber would have struggled to fix Chelsea’s leaky defence last season.

This is why Heurelho Gomes might be worth a punt: though any Spurs' fan will know he is capable of the odd howler, he chipped in with 103 saves last season and benefited from the watertight Watford defence to keep 11 clean sheets in all competitions. And with new gaffer Walter Mazzarri favouring three centre backs, we can expect even more from the Brazilian this term.