Here’s our updated FPL pre season guide 2022/23 so far where we are focused on identifying value players for our FPL team. We review the key players in the matches to date and also focus on the best cheap players for our benches. There’s also an update on the potential lineups of every Premier League team taking into account preseason matches and transfers
FPL Pre season 2022 – an update after the weekend of the 31st July Plus each PL teams potential Lineup
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Comment on players by team
I’m going to do something different and comment on each team after I’ve put the lineup up. Remember I’m mainly talking from a lineup and value perspective.
Arsenal
£8.0m Fwd Jesus and £6.0m Mid Martinelli have been the form players in preseason and the value picks here although I suspect Martinelli could be a bit of a sub magnet and average around 70 minutes. £8.0m Saka is just a bit too expensive although he could easily take pens.
The £4.5m Defender hunt is very confused in the longer term. There are 3 £4.5m Defs in CB White, CB Saliba and RB Tomiyasu. The picture though is confused. Tomiyasu seems a serious doubt for GW1 which would mean White moving to RB and Saliba partnering Gabriel. How that works when Tomiyasu is fit I’m not sure of as we haven’t really been able to tell from Arteta which of White and Saliba is first choice. I say that as the consensus among the FFGeek team is that £5.0m Gabriel is the first choice CB.
As for £5.0m Def Zinchenko he can play LB or CM. He may start GW1 as LB although as it seems questionable whether Tierney could be fit. Whether he is already in a position to oust Xhaka at CM is difficult to say but for me he seems a risk to pick
Aston Villa
£5.0m Mid Bailey has been the star of preseason for Villa. This is a guy who got an impressive goal or assist every 119 minutes for Leverkusen in 20/21. I’ve still bracketed him with Ings due to Gerrards changing of formations between 4-3-1-2 and 4-3-2-1 but it’s hard not to see him play GW1.
Other than that I’d go for one of the FBs in £5.0m Cash or Digne although there are better defences with better fixtures at that price. There’s no certainty on whether £4.5 Mings or Konsa will play meaning a £4.5m Def isn’t a certainty either
Bournemouth
Given the fixtures and the unknown promoted factor there’s no one here for me.
They do have a cheap £5.5m attacking mid in Billing and a relatively cheap £6.0m forward in Solanke if you’re desperate. They were the best defensive side in the Championship and are all £4.5m but again not for me given the unknown promoted factor.
Brentford
Unfortunately the appearance of Norgaard in the last friendly effectively ruled out the prospects of £4.5m Mid DaSilva starting and giving us an additional option to £4.5m Andreas.
On the plus side it looks like £5.5m mid Wissa will start and as expected £6.0m forward Mbeumo. The Talisman and penalty taker is £7.0m forward Toney. The attraction is good fixtures.
Raya is a reasonable £4.5m GK option as well.
Brighton
Potter is known for tinkering so anything could happen with this lineup.
They have good fixtures to start. In defence £4.5m Dunk is the best option for me. Otherwise there’s not too much to excite although if you’re desperate for representation then maybe £6.5m Welbeck
Chelsea
Preseason started with such a positive feeling and you could even have made a case for £6.0m Defs James and Chilwell in your team. However now with Chilwell having missed out on the last 2 friendlies and rumours of Dumfries joining and James becoming an RCB it all seems to have gone horribly wrong. Add the failure to sign, Kounde, Kimpembe and De Ligt and confidence in the defence seems shot.
Even the attraction of a £5.0m GK in Mendy is being ignored. However you could make the case that the only real loss was Rudiger who you could say was upgraded with Koulibaly.
The front 3 look more certain which is possibly helpful even if they aren’t cheap
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace have alot of cheap options but have terrible fixtures.
The defence though is fairly settled and are all £4.5m but with poor fixtures. They do rotate home and away with Wolves though so that could be a decent £4.5m rotation pairing. I still like Guehi better than anyone else.
Upfront if you are looking for a £5.5m forward then the last friendly started Edouard which maybe a pointer for the season but I wouldn’t bank on it. If last season is a pointer then expect rotation and early subbings unfortunately.
£7.0m mid Zaha is the talisman penalty taking 90 minute player. I would personally save him for a good fixture run.
£4.5m Milivojevic was another £4.5m Mid to fall by the wayside and another victim of the last friendly, as was Rak-Sakyi.
Everton
Lineup courtesy of @FPL_FM
The Talisman here for Everton is £8.0m fwd Calvert-Lewin who should have pens. He’s not cheap though and the fixtures mixed. his stats fell of a cliff after coming back from injury last season so he’s a no for me.
The £5.5m Mids in Gray and Gordon are also nos until decent fixtures. Gordon seems to be liked by Lampard so should start if you’re desperate. £5.5m McNeil has joined and could take one of their place but possibly starts on the bench GW1.
The defence was a disaster last season and a total stay away. £4.0m RB Patterson has been starting in preseason but Forests £4.0m Def Neco Williams is the better option for me. Patterson will have to hold off Coleman when he’s fit which could be a few gameweeks.
Fulham
The Talisman here is undoubtedly £6.5m forward Mitrovic. For me though he’s for a good fixture run which is not now.
Other than that Fulham hold the best £4.5m Mid for our FPL benches in Andreas. Interestingly the last friendly has strengthened the case for £4.5m Mid Reed starting if you need 2. That’s a big call to have 2 Fulham £4.5ms though but I am sceptical that there is another 2nd £4.5m Mid starting.
Defence is an avoid for me
Leeds
The Talisman here is £7.5m forward Bamford but with poor fixtures and the price tag he’s an avoid for me.
The £4.5m Meslier GK gets a mention from some FPL managers but I can’t see the defence improving enough with Phillips gone despite the additions. Also his expected saves stats were poor last season.
New signing £5.5m Aaronson has been mentioned in some quarters as potential as a cheap rotator but his Salzburg record in 21/22 of a goal or assist every 200 minutes is woeful.
Injury has killed off Forshaw as a potential £4.5m mid if you need more than Andreas of Fulham.
Leicester
£9.5m forward Vardy is the penalty taking Talisman here. Fixtures are a bit mixed though and there’s alot of competition in the premium area.
£5.0m mid Dewsbury Hall is a cheap FPL bench option and probably more gametime secure than Bailey of Villa if without the attacking upside.
Personally I’m not sure on Barnes (who is an injury monitor) or Maddison without good fixtures
The Leicester defence should be improved from last season and with the injury to Ricardo £4.5m, Castagne seems certain for the RB position and is a strong attacking option.
There’s also the hope of a £4.0m GK in Ward with Schmeichel seemingly leaving. He has competition from unpriced Iversen but given positive words from Rodgers he seems the go to £4.0m back up GK for our FPL squads.
Liverpool
£13.0m Mid Salah is the Talisman here and a great captain option and a pretty certain pick for me. Diaz as an £8.0m Mid looks under priced and also a great pick.
The 2 defenders in £7.5m Alexander-Arnold and £7.0m Robertson are also great picks. Konate at £5.0m is the value pick but is an injury doubt and £6.0m Matip started in the Community Shield so has the position to lose.
Man City
The Community Shield was helpful to a point. £11.5m Haaland playing 90 minutes gives confidence that he will start GW1.
The attacking midfield area is more confused. £8.0m Mahrez and especially £7.0m Grealish did themselves no favours in the Community Shield unlike the subs in £8.0m Foden and especially £6.5m forward Alvarez. I still find it difficult to believe Alvarez could start though.
The supposed ending of the Cucurella saga should mean the defence lines up as I’ve got with the only confusion over Stones and Ake. That’s good news for bargain £5.0m Def Walker.
Manchester United
The presence of Eriksen and Ronaldo make the post GW1 lineup a bit more unpredictable even if both have played little in preseason and could easily not start GW1. The fixtures are a bit mixed as well.
£6.5m Rashford is cheap compared to previous seasons and has potential although his form last season was diabolical. The same could also be said for £7.5m Sancho and even more so for £7.0m Martial. It depends on how much you think they are transformed by the new manager and whether you want to wait for better fixtures
In defence £4.5m Dalot is the best option although you’d like to rotate him if possible. They rotate home and away in early fixtures with Arsenal. I doubt the defence even with the addition of Martinez will be strong enough to play him every game given the fixtures.
Newcastle
The fixtures as far as attacking players are concerned make me swerve Newcastle players. With the right fixtures I think £7.5m forward Wilson and £6.0m Mid Guimaraes could be options.
The defence was strong last season when Howe took over and signings were made. £5.0m Trippier is the best choice for me. The fixtures aren’t great and Newcastle were poor away from home but in the short term they do rotate home and away with Arsenal.
The last friendly for me put paid to the chances of £4.5m Mid Sean Longstaff starting.
Nottingham Forest
Assistance courtesy of @Byro65
Most importantly Forest have a nailed £4.0m Defender as I write this in Neco Willams. If you are looking to minimise the value of your FPL team via a cheap bench then he’s the defensive option.
The prospect of £4.5m Colback starting as CM looks to have diminished with the return to fitness of Yates and the signing of Belgian International Orel Mangala
The fixtures for me are pretty mixed for any of the attacking options
Southampton
Southampton I have found very difficult to predict and with the fixtures fairly poor then I’m not sure it’s that big a deal.
The 2 value players that could be useful are £4.0m Valery who I feel will not start back 3 or 4. The case for £4.5m Mid Lavia is a bit more difficult. He’s certainly played enough in preseason but the minutes have been shared around extensively which makes it difficult to predict.
Spurs
The attack is easy for Spurs. Great fixtures and just pick 1 of £11.5m forward Kane (with Pens) or £12.0m Mid Son. Kulusevski and Richarlison I suspect will be rotated too often to be options
Defence became more straightforward after the Roma friendly. £5.5M Perisic started and I think he will start GW1. £5.0m Doherty also started and I can see him starting but he has more competition from Emerson and even Moura after earlier words from Conte.
I can’t see any of the £4.5m Defs starting.
West Ham
Another side with difficult fixtures.
Mid Bowen is the obvious pick here but he’s not cheap at £8.5m and again a good fixture run I would personally wait for.
In defence I would go for £4.5m Coufal as a FPL defensive rotation option only. They rotate home and away with Brentford
Wolves
The attraction for Wolves is good attacking and defensive fixtures. The negatives are last season they were poor in attack and the defence collapsed at the end of the season. While there maybe reasoning for both these it still attaches some risk for me.
In attack £5.5m Mid Neto is the pick. He has the better underlying numbers than £5.5m Podence.
Defence is the trickier one. It seems likely now he will revert to a back 4 rather than a 3 which limits the attraction of the wing backs. Given that RB Semedo is injured and not featured in preseason when he returns we don’t know who of £4.5m Ait Nouri and Jonny who, if any, will lose their place, given Jonny can play both RB and LB.
£4.5m Def Collins could be the safer option but there is still competition there.
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So you can look at the fixtures while reading this
Defensive Player Fixture Ease
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