My Picks for Kickest Fantasy Serie A Round 1

It’s that time of year. We’ve waited all summer and this time they even made us wait an extra week. We’ve already seen the Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1 kick off, but now it’s our turn: Serie A is back this weekend, and with it a brand new season of Kickest.

Before I reveal my squad for Round 1, let’s quickly remind everyone of the new rule: you can no longer rebuild your entire team between Rounds. From now on, you’ll have up to 5 transfers per Round (including the coach). There’s no penalty on the following Round, but unused transfers won’t roll over.

If you’re new to Kickest, you’ll find a guide on optimal squad management [here], and another piece on the importance of the coach [here]. For those who want to dive into the scoring system, there’s also a complete breakdown table.

Now, let’s get into the picks!

Goalkeepers

The strategy stays the same: two starting keepers in different Turns. If this sounds complicated, check the guide on optimal squad management. Looking at the fixtures beyond R1, a safe bet is Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta, 13.5 cr): opening at home vs Pisa in T2, then Parma, Lecce and Torino. La Dea conceded a few too many goals in preseason, but friendlies only count so much. As my second, I’m going for Nicola Leali (Genoa, 10 cr), starting away at Lecce in T1: he’ll be the Round 1 starter with Carnesecchi ready to sub in. His early schedule isn’t easy, but Carnesecchi covers until at least R4.

Total spent: 23.5/200 cr

Defense

We’re chasing clean sheets (+5 pts) but also heavy bonuses. Starting again with Atalanta: Isak Hien (14 cr) is a nailed-on starter. Scalvini is tempting, but he’s in rotation with Kossounou. In T1 I’m picking Strahinja Pavlovic (Milan, 13 cr): with Cremonese and Lecce on deck, there’s clean sheet potential and he’s always a threat on set pieces. Both Hien and Pavlovic win far more duels than they lose (+0.4/-0.2).

To complete the defense, Alex Valle (Como, 11.5 cr) — a full-back with goals and assists in his locker this season — and Leo Østigård (Genoa, 8.5 cr), a duel monster though not guaranteed to start. Finally in T3, ready to sub in, Thomas Kristensen (Udinese, 9.5 cr), playing Verona at home.

Total spent so far: 80/200 cr

Midfield

Midfield is maybe the trickiest line. Starting with Napoli, who have a soft opening run (Sassuolo, Cagliari, Pisa in the first 4). No hesitation: Scott McTominay (Napoli, 20 cr) — second-most popular after Paz and the fifth-most expensive player overall. With him, we’ve filled 8/16 slots and burned through half the budget, so now we need savings.

From Milan: Ruben Loftus-Cheek (13 cr), good fixtures, not 100% nailed but easy to sub in T1. Dropping further to Lucas Da Cunha (Como, 11.5 cr), who should see minutes despite competition. In T3 I’m taking Petar Sucic (Inter, 12.5 cr), expected to start vs Torino, and Arthur Atta (Udinese, 8.5 cr) — a long-time crush available at a bargain price, already with 16.5% ownership.

Total spent so far: 145.5/200 cr

Attack

It’s not the most important department in Kickest, since points are spread evenly across roles, but it’s where decisive bonuses come from. A classic no.9 doesn’t rack up many stats, and without goals or assists they risk a low score. That’s why we’re going for less “pure” profiles, able to add points through dribbles (+1) and shots on target (+1).

In T1 I’m betting on Christian Pulisic (Milan, 18.5 cr), boosted by Leão’s absence vs Cremonese (and maybe Lecce). In T2, Kenan Yildiz (Juventus, 20 cr), from whom we expect a breakout season. In T3, finishing with Iker Bravo (Udinese, 7.5 cr) — another Udinese pick this Round — hoping Runjaic gives him the start (he should).

Total spent so far: 191.5/200 cr

Coach

Seriously: don’t underestimate the coach. He can flip a good Round into a nightmare with negative points, or make a bad Round less painful with a +20. We’ll often use one of the 5 transfers each Round to change coaches and exploit favorable coefficients.

For Round 1, I’m going with Cesc Fàbregas (Como, 8.5 cr): opening at home vs Sarri’s Lazio (10 cr) with a positive multiplier. It’s a gamble, but one we believe in.

Total spent: 200/200 cr (yes!!!).

The Admin’s Squad

Good luck, managers — it’s going to be a loooong season. I’ll be following my team personally with weekly updates here on the site. Starting next week, I’ll face the test of those five transfers for the first time. Let’s hope I’ve made the right calls in R1 (and that luck is on my side, because you always need some). See you back here in a week! Byyyyyye 👋