Here’s our article where we rank the best forwards for GW1 using last seasons stats and also covering new signings. There’s a schedule of stats and commentary on a some key players for your FPL team
Best Forwards for GW1 – The rankings Schedule
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The Key
I’ve converted their xG90 and xA90 in to raw FPL attacking points. No appearance points, Clean sheet points or bonus just raw attacking points. I’ve then ranked them from 1 – 40.
I’ve also included their FPL price, Last seasons Points per Match, average minutes played as well as an initial assessment on their starting potential. There’s also 2022 stats which actually is after the 31 January to cover form at the later part of the season.
The VFM column relates their potential returns from the stats to their price. A VFM factor of 10+ is desirable.
There’s also their fixture ease ranking. 1 being the best fixtures over the first 6 game weeks.
All stats are from the fantastic free site understat
I’ve not included last season’s relegated teams, any promoted teams or players who have left the PL otherwise. Also not included new players to the Premier League.
The key to the status is as follows. I will update this during preseason.
LS – likely starter
PS – possible starter
See my potential lineups article
The Schedule
Below is a graphic but you can get the google spreadsheet and filter it anyway you like on the FFGeek Patreon site version
For a player to qualify you needed to play 800 mins for the season ranking and 350 mins for the post 31 January Ranking
Remember the ranking isn’t adjusted for upcoming fixtures. It’s purely on performance.
The best players to choose
I’ve picked the players with the best value for money ranking down to 9.5 and good fixtures. Here they are by value for money factor. I’ve commented afterwards on new players to the Premier League
Kane
For alot of FPL managers it will be a straight choice between Kane and Haaland for the Premium Forward spot. Certainly Kane has that known factor that Haaland doesn’t. He also has the ability to assist and score which adds another dimension to his points probability
Jesus
His stats above are for Man City last season. They are excellent. How that translates to Arsenal we’ve yet to see although the fixtures are good which is a start. Had a brilliant pre-season but again so have many others historically and failed to produce it in the season proper.
Toney
Great fixtures and again his ability to create assists gives him an edge over other forwards. Did get a big boost from pens last season and it remains to be seen how he does without Eriksen as his form before and after Eriksen was night and day.
Welbeck
Had good underlying numbers last season with good fixtures to start. A punt at best.
Best players to pick who are new to the Premier League
Haaland
The £11.5m Man City forward is the obvious premium forward alternative to Kane. His non penalty underlying numbers for Dortmund last season weren’t that far ahead of Kanes although he overperformed his xG and Kane had the first season ever where he underperformed. Whoever plays for City and is there to score goals though you would bank on doing it.
A few other new boys
Apart from Haaland there’s no one else I’d go with. The 4 promoted forwards of Fulham’s £6.5m Mitrovic, Bournemouth’s £6.0m Solanke, and lastly Nottingham Forests £6.0m Awoniyi and Johnson have poor fixtures and have either failed in the PL before or have not played in it.
Liverpool’s £9.0m Nunez for all of his great debut v City in the Community Shield looks expensive compared to Diaz and even Robertson as the addition to Alexander Arnold and Salah.
£4.5m Forwards
I don’t expect any to play but here they are with minutes played in preseason and those I think ahead of them.
With the 5 subs rule it will be rae though that you need 3 players to come off your FPL bench so 1 non playing forward won’t be the end of the world
Taylor Nottingham Forest – 308 minutes – Johnson and Awoniyi
Plange C Palace – 278 minutes – Mateta, Edouard and Benteke
Greenwood Leeds – 167 minutes – Bamford and Geldhardt plus Rodrigo as a forward
Stansfield Fulham – 142 minutes – Mitrovic and Muniz
Archer Villa – 126 minutes – Watkins, Ings and Davis
So no prospects there so just pick the one you think is the most likely to get some minutes off the bench at least.
The Fixture Ease Schedule
Other Posts
Improvements for the 22/23 season
The FFGeek Fixture Ease Schedule
Assessing the 3 Promoted Teams
New Player Profiles – Haaland and Nunez
New Player Profiles – Vieira, Awoniyi and Botman
New FFGeek Contributor Pete Allaway
FPL Ownership – Analysing the Popular Picks
Rob Reids Picks for each PL team part 1
Rob Reid’s picks for each FPL team Part 2
New FFGeek Contributor Ori Gal
Preseason update and potential lineups
Joseph Crilley’s Transfer Planner and Points Projection Tool is live
The Transfer Planner Team 3k last season
The FFGeek Contributor Tracker Team
Andrew Whitfield’s latest team
Preseason update and every PL teams potential lineups
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