Fantasy Premier League Tips: Five Manchester United players you should pick this year

Manchester United have indeed flexed their financial muscle this summer and already beefed up their squad with quality players like Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof.

The Red Devils were an exhilarating bunch in their pre-season fixtures, losing just the lone game against Barcelona. Jose Mourinho's side will be raring to go this season and here are five Manchester United players you should be putting your money on in the Fantasy Premier League.

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#5 Antonio Valencia - £6.5

Despite rumoured links with Paris Saint-Germain's Serge Aurier, Valencia is likely to be Jose Mourinho's preference in the starting 11. The Ecuadorian defender is sure to be a constant in the Red Devils side as either a right-back or a right wing-back, depending on which formation Jose chooses to employ.

Valencia utilized the pre-season fixtures to the utmost, with spectacular performances on the wing. The bullish defender is capable of charging not just into but also past defences. His passing too seems to have improved drastically, making him a major threat on the wings, capable of picking up points for assists every now and then.

With De Gea between the sticks, Manchester United are bound to continue excelling defensively, giving Valencia plenty of opportunities to pick up clean sheet points as well.

In spite of his slightly expensive price tag, Valencia is sure to bring you points in plenty.

#4 Henrikh Mkhitaryan - £8.0

The Armenian winger joined Manchester United last season and subsequently played in 24 Premier League games, getting a total of 73 points in fantasy football. Mkhitaryan was a promising force last season, creating a plethora of chances and even scoring a few.

If pre-season games are anything to go by, Mkhi seems to have settled down very well and is enjoying a rich vein of form. It would be fair to assume that he is set to start most, if not all games this time around. He will make runs tirelessly and also get back on defence.

Mkhi is a dynamic player who loves getting in on the action. If he plays consistently, which he most likely will, his presence on your fantasy team will fetch you a whole lot of points.

#3 Paul Pogba - £8.0

Paul Pogba arrived at Manchester United just one season ago on the back of a world record transfer. The flamboyant 24-year-old was unfairly on the receiving end of a lot of stick for not living up to the hype.

The midfielder played 30 Premier League games last season and racked up a total of 115 fantasy points. If Pogba managed to get those many points when his attack was limited by his defensive responsibilities, imagine the chaos he will wreak this season with the purchase of Matic effectively allowing Pogba to play freely up front.

Pogba promises to link up wonderfully with buddy and new Red Devil - Romelu Lukaku, as well as with Marcus Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Anthony Martial. Most people believe that the Frenchman will be an unstoppable force this season.

Would you really leave him out of your squad?

#2 David de Gea - £5.5

David de Gea is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Spaniard effortlessly justifies his price and is bound to be on most fantasy teams already.

The 26-year-old was in exquisite form last season, with a total of 136 points in fantasy football. Despite finishing in 6th place last season, Manchester United notably conceded only 29 goals in the entire competition - second only to Tottenham's 26. Further, with de Gea in between the sticks, the Red Devils lost just five games all season.

The purchase of Victor Lindelof further strengthens the United defence and is bound to ease the pressure on the shot-stopper, potentially allowing him to do even better this season.

Not many excluded him from their teams last season, and even fewer will do so this season.

#1 Romelu Lukaku - £11.5

The newest Red Devil on the list, Romelu Lukaku was recruited by Manchester United solely because of his proclivity towards scoring goals. The former Evertonian has been a goal machine over the last few seasons.

The Belgian striker collected a whopping 221 fantasy points last season and is expected to produce an encore this year, supported by an even better team.

Lukaku thoroughly impressed in the pre-season fixtures, linking up beautifully with best mate Paul Pogba and the other Red Devils.

If not from game 1, it's only a matter of time until the striker settles down and starts finding the net consistently, yet again.