BRAIN SCAN - PRE-SEASON
I'll update my shortlist each GW this season with thoughts on my current squad plus ~15 more, but since we're in the summer madness period I'm going to rifle through a 'long list' of ~40 players on my radar for #FPL GW1 & beyond. Okay let's do it!

GKs: I don't intend to spend >8.5m, so I can quickly narrow to:

RYAN - Solid, reliable, cheap, currently with a 4.0m backup in Button but keeping an eye on developments there. Hopefully Ben White and another year of Potter => more cleansheets

McCARTHY - Southampton improved...

.. greatly across the season (8th for xGC 2nd half) and 4.5m for a ~mid-table GK is solid value

JOHNSTONE - Fix are ok, his stats from last yr sound like they could translate well to FPL pts and he has a LOVELY hot pink shirt - I'm tempted

DEFs:

TAA - Best asset in the game

ROBBO/VVD - Leaning against the double up, but also that feels a bit foolish given the obvious great value, so we'll see

DOC / BOLY - Depends who Wolves sign or if someone signs Doc. Vinagre feels too risky as they seem to be looking for reinforcements at FB

EGAN - 5m is...

.. v fair in a solid defence for a guy who also showed a nice touch in front of goal later in the season. Depends if I go straight from Trent to 4.5s and below

DIER - A PlanetFPL James shout - the fixtures are certainly there and he thinks he's nailed with good bonus potential

KWP - In what I think will be a mid-table side KWP offers a nice combi of defensive and attacking return potential for a kind price. Pretty much a for me

SALIBA - Extremely highly rated young CB who Arsenal spent a lot of money on. Expected to start in 20/21 and although...

.. the attacking threat is probably negligible, 4.5m for def starter in Arteta's improving Arsenal seems generous

LAMPTEY - Passes the eye test and then some, hopefully will play RWB if Brighton shift to a back 3, could tick along nicely via some CSs with a few assists on top

LEEDS DEF - Can't make head or tail of the Leeds def threads, they all sound a bit risky one way or another and with Ben White heading back to BHA they might just be bad. I'll wait and see if they look okay and if there's an OOP 4.0-4.5 def then great

TAYLOR - Boring AF but...

.. if he's the starter then a 4.5m route into the robust Burnley defence is nice

FERGUSON - Seems like the most likely 4.0 starter to me but very much TBD, hopefully at least 1 will emerge

MIDs:

MO - Still the highest upside asset in FPL with the 303 pt season on his resume...

.. I'll be starting with him and I might just keep him through thick & thin. Love you Mo!

AUBA - 12m a slight sticker shock but about right given the pos change and captaincy credentials when Arsenal have nice fix. Likely to start with him then shift to

KDB / RAZ - I am...

.. happy with either TBH. I love Raz for the OOPness w/ more goal threat and I love Kev for his ability to get FPL pts in almost every possible way. Pens + higher ownership make Kev a safer bet early and that probably swings it, for a likely addition GW3

BRUNO / RASH - A bit...

.. like the above, I think both are attractive options and either could easily post > 200 pts. Despite the well-known xG xA over-performance last season, Bruno is the full package with all the set pieces especially a likely plethora of pens at which he is close to automatic...

.. on the other side I like Rash a lot too, playing higher with more non-pen xG threat. I look at him and see a quickly-improving player who's still v young, with all the tools to become really special. Maybe this is the year he puts them all together and becomes more clinical?

SON - Love him - nice price, ticks even when he's playing deeper, takes more and more set pieces, rarely benched, could play up front with Kane plenty. Close to a

PULI/YECH - Certainly open to one of these intriguing mids but will probs start w/ just Werner from Chelsea...

.. would like to see Ziyech bed in and Pulisic at full health

MAHREZ - I mean he remains good value for the pts he'll probably compile but the path remains dicey. I'll probably go Kev/Raz or Foden or eventually both. But if he keeps starting? Maybe I go back to the flame again

GREENWOOD - Let's keep it simple - if they don't sign Sancho I love it for 7.5m, if they do then no thank you. Will make up for the crazy Gls vs xG record via more opportunities combined with clinical (but less insane) conversion rate

FODEN - Awkward price but so much upside...

.. I am definitely in camp 'Foden plays more than ppl think' but with the blank GW1 then a couple of tough ones, there's probably no rush. Could end up with 170 pts + when all's said and done

PEREIRA - Don't know a lot about him but seems like he could be this year's Grealish...

.. will be watching with interest

ST MAX - Kind price for the Toon's best player. Nailed on when fit and turned his bag of tricks into more returns once Bruce unparked the bus a touch. Competing with Foden & Armstrong for a spot in my team I think

ARMSTRONG - Older than I ...

.. thought and I'm not sure if he's really going to rise to prominence at 28, but he has a nice goals record for a cheap mid and I like Soton

SOUCEK - Absolute bargain for the level of goal threat so of course the football gods gave us horrendous fixtures. I still think he...

.. makes a lot of sense at 5m for a cheap 4th mid or a luxury 1st bench, and some of the good teams they play early won't be keen to face this absolute monster in the air

GORDON - Personally would prefer a youngster on the rise who might occasionally bag an 8 or 10 pointer...

.. over a 2 point machine DM

FWDs:

KANE - Looked great to finish the season, nailed 90-minute man, still has the pens, slightly cheaper price, still just about captainable - plenty to like here when the fixtures are right

KUN - Obviously a per 90 beast but you won't be sure...

.. if he's starting and when he does it's usually 60-65 mins. Not saying I'm out on him but it's a watch and wait for me

WERNER - Stats from the BDL are tremendous and he cost a bomb so he should start. Happy to take a flyer on him as if he starts well his kind price will rocket

MARTIAL - The move to fwd combined with the big price hike is kind of a buzz kill but he looks fantastic since he adjusted to the #9 role and has great chemistry with Rash and Bruno. A solid option but I don't think the upside is huge from 9m

JIMENEZ - You know what you're...

.. getting from Jim but he does need all the games and all the minutes to get enough points to make 8.5m good value. Fine when the fixtures are nice

INGS / ADAMS - Ings had a ludicrously clinical year as well as playing every game after 4 years of injury issues. Might have...

.. been as good as it gets for him? Still looks value while healthy. Adams could be a nice alternative at 6m if he starts regularly and carrier on where he left off late last season

DCL - It's only 0.5m but at 6.5m I'd have been v keen and at 7m I'm so-so on him. Again, will...

.. offer good value when the fixtures are kind. I believe in him as a player - he got scapegoated quite a bit when Everton's mids disappeared after the restart and so did all the supply

ANTONIO - Much like Soucek, I think the 6.5m is a steal but the fixtures are rough. Again...

.. much like Soucek, he feels like a player who can still tick along in those tough games and I might just go with him from GW1 to safe a FT later. Looked FANTASTIC post-restart

MITROVIC - I think some are put off by having been disappointed with him the last time around, but...

.. I just see a young talented striker who is his team's talisman, nailed on and happy to shoot and shoot for just 6m. Sign me up baby

MAUPAY - As with Mitro, others have already been burned (I haven't) but he does look the part, he did hit double-figures in a lackluster...

.. BHA attack and I think both he & they are on the rise. I'm pretty sure he'll be in my team at some stage

Hope you liked the 1st (and hopefully longest) BRAINSCAN useful. Will do a shorter list closer to the kick-off once I've whittled down further.

RTs appreciated!