Here’s FFGeek Contributor Rob Reid with his FPL team analysis article with the best players from each Premier League team. This will help you assess which players to have in your FPL team. He’s started by looking at last seasons top 10 teams. Rob has finished in the top 25k Overall Rank 4 times in the last 7 seasons.
FPL team analysis – Rob Reid looks at the best player picks from each PL team
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Welcome to my 2nd pre-season article for 2022/23 where I have a look at prospects for this season’s 20 clubs and how I think this affects them in FPL. This aims to give a brief overview of their assets and look at how their fixture difficulty is set for the first 8 weeks of the season. It’s not designed to be an exhaustive guide, more a quick one-stop shop for reference.
I’m going to split this article into two halves – I’ll be starting by having a look at the Top 10 teams from last season.
Man City
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – good run GW 2-6
Key FPL assets – Ederson 5.5, Cancelo 7.0, Walker 5.0, Foden 8.0, Mahrez 8.0, Grealish 7.0, De Bruyne 12.0, Haaland 11.5
Last season’s Champions have had a busy transfer window so far. Some may question the virtue of off-loading Jesus and Sterling to two of their rivals, but this thought is quickly tempered by the marquee signing of the highly talented Haaland up front and the acquisition of Phillips from Leeds to bolster their defensive midfield options. From an FPL perspective, it seems strange that we are overlooking De Bruyne as a premium asset, but such is the way of things with Premier League newbie Erling Haaland the likely lad on this front. He’ll be heavily owned as we start the season and will likely be the Captain favourite for GWs 2, 4, & 5.
I think there’s real value in the City defence – Ederson at 5.5m looks good value and if Cancelo stays as rotation-proof as last season, 7.0m looks a resonable price for the Portuguese star. There might also be a 5.0 option if Walker gets regular game time or if Cucerella at 5.0m does join from Brighton as is anticipated. The value of their midfielders is the unknown at the moment. City could very well switch their formation and playing style this season now that they have a true number 9 and whether this will favour any of their other attacking midfielders remains to be seen. If Grealish has a breakout campaign for example then he’s a bargain at 7.0m. As for their prospects, my heart says that someone else will win the league this season…but my head says that City will.
Liverpool
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – GW 1-2 and 4-7 look good
Key FPL assets – Alisson 5.5, Alexander-Arnold 7.5, Robertson 7.0, Van Dijk 6.5, Diaz 8.0, Salah 13.0
I imagine most managers will start with 3 Liverpool players, the question being which 3. Salah has had his starting price upped this season, but will still be the most popular pick and a heavy Captain favourite for GW1. Do you therefore go Mo + 2 or risk going no-Mo and spread the funds elsewhere? Surely one or both of Trent Alexander Arnold and Robertson have to be in your squad and Diaz looks solid value in that tempting 8.0 midfield bracket – pick your combination and take your chance.
Liverpool may also undergo a formation change this season. There are thoughts that Klopp may revert to 4-2-3-1 with Nunez or Jota at the figurehead, but I can still see 4-3-3 being used just as readily with Salah and Diaz the favoured wider players and the others sharing that central role. What I don’t think a formation change would affect would be the prospects of their attacking full-backs, but I also wouldn’t write off Van Dijk at 6.5 who is gametime secure and does get his fair share of attacking returns too. I think Liverpool will run City close again this season, but ultimately will come up short and have to battle it out with Spurs for 2nd.
Chelsea
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – good run GW3-7
Key FPL assets – Mendy 5.0, James 6.0, Chilwell 6.0, Mount 8.0
The main draw for FPL managers once again are the 2 attacking full-backs James and Chilwell, with FPL Towers pricing them keenly again at 6.0. Mendy at 5.0 is also a tempter, though he’s not a heavy shot-stopper or bonus point monster and he does sometimes get rested for Kepa. Much depends on how Chelsea’s defence set up this season and I’m pretty wary of their clean sheet prospects having lost key centre-half Rudiger from 21/22. I think it will hinge on whether Tuchel sticks with a 3 (in which case we should see James and Chilwell at their marauding best) or goes into a 4 (where the full-backs are potentially a bit more conservative.) Adding Koulibaly to the defence is a good start to replacing Rudiger.
Further forward, Mount is another contender in the busy 8.0m midfield bracket and he’s the stand-out for me. Sterling at 10.0m looks too risky at this price initially and Havertz’s reclassification as a forward lessens his appeal for me. There are a couple of possible bargains at 6.0 though in Pulisic and Ziyech if he stays – both have shown flashes of FPL form before and if they get a run in the team could be good value. Overall, I’m not quite sure what to make of Chelsea for this season – I don’t think they’ve got enough for the top 2 positions and will certainly face tough competition to maintain their status in the top 4.
Spurs
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – good GW1, nice run GW 3-6
Key FPL assets – Perisic 5.5, Doherty 5.0, Son 12.0, Kulusevski 8.0, Kane 11.5
I’m pretty bullish on Spurs’ prospects – Conte had them purring in the second half of last season and he’s strengthened the squad even further for 22/23 with the additions of Perisic, Bissouma, Langlet and Richarlison. The former of these is an intriguing prospect for me – he may be 33 years old, but he’s still a prominent attacking threat on the wing and his classification as a defender heightens his appeal even more. For a saving of 0.5m though, I wouldn’t write off Doherty. He showed promising form before injury curtailed last season for him and if he gets a run in the league then he could be great value. The worry for me is Conte’s tendency to rotate and substitute his wing-backs – there might be a few 1 pointers coming our way from here.
Up front, it seems a bit strange that we’re overlooking a proven FPL asset with a great GW1 fixture in Harry Kane for a Premier League unknown Haaland, but such is the way of things. Also somewhat overlooked is the equally reliable Son, though there are a fair few of us who are tinkering to see if a ‘Threemium’ of Son, Salah and Haaland is feasible, at least in the short-term. Perhaps the answer lies in that busy 8.0m bracket again with Kulusevski though will his gametime be affected with the arrival of Richarlison? The Brazilian is suspended for GW1, so Kulusevski’s place should at least be secure for that tempting opening weekend match versus Southampton. As for Spurs in general, I’m pretty excited by what this season holds and I could see them really pushing last season’s top 2.
Arsenal
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – Excellent run GW 1-8 – best of ‘big 6’
Key FPL assets – White 4.5, Tomiyasu 4.5, Saka 8.0, Odegaard 6.5, Martinelli 6.0, Jesus 8.0
Arsenal have certainly made significant progress under Mikael Arteta and there’s no doubt that they provided us with a number of bargain options last season. Ramsdale, Saka and Martinelli were all at times great enablers and as such it’s no surprise that there have been some price increases this season. There are still some good value options though. White and Tomiyasu are the pick of the 4.5m defenders though we’ll need to watch pre-season for ideas on Arteta’s preferred starters. A step up to 5.0m gets you Tierney who offers more attacking threat though I think there are better options at this price point at other clubs.
Saka is yet another option in that key 8.0m price point – he’ll probably be on penalties for the time being too. Arsenal do also provide options in that more challenging price bracket below £6.5m though the concern is competition for places and gametime. Odegaard is probably the most secure, especially with him just being confirmed as Club Captain, but he offers less attack threat than say Martinelli, Smith-Rowe or new signing Vieria. Up front, Jesus looks a great option at 8.0m and gave notice of his potential with 2 goals in his first pre-season friendly. They’ve certainly strengthened their squad from last season and they sure have a great start to the season in terms of fixtures, but I still think it’s a tough ask for them to bag a Champions League place.
Man United
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – mixed bag, toughest set for ‘big 6’
Key FPL assets – De Gea 5.0, Rashford 6.5, Sancho 7.5, Fernandes 10.0, Martial 7.0
United’s FPL pricing intrigues me most out of The Big 6. There’s no doubt last season was a complete disaster for The Red Devils and yet they still finished in the top 6 and on paper they still have a good squad in my opinion. What they have now is a proper coach – I’m a big believer that Ten Haag will be the real deal for United. He should instil a discipline and structure at the club that hasn’t been present since the Fergie era. He’s also a shrewd operator tactically and I think we’ll see Old Trafford reverting back to it’s fortress status before long.
There may not have been much significant business in the transfer market as yet, but possibly the most significant moves are actually players leaving as troublemaker Pogba has gone and last season’s tactical focal point Christiano Ronaldo also looks likely to leave. This should stabilise the dressing room but also allow the team a better structure which could free up previously potent FPL assets. The United midfield is certainly under-priced for me – especially Marcus Rashford at 6.5m, though much depends on how Ten Haag utilises him. He could find himself shunted out wide for example as Ten Haag does like his wingers to hug the touchline and create space in the channels. Bruno at 10.0m is intriguing if Ronaldo leaves – this is a guy who scored 244 points in season 2020/21 remember. If Ten Haag can sort out the defence too, De Gea at 5.0m could become a set and forget keeper due to his tendency to rack up a lot of save points. This is a key transitional season for United. They’ll do well to break into the top 4, though I would not be at all surprised if they do and they certainly won’t be the flakey outfit that we saw last campaign.
West Ham
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – GW 1,5 & 6 all tough, ok GW 2-4
Key FPL assets – Cresswell 5.0, Bowen 8.5
2021/22 was a strong campaign for The Hammers, though they will have been disappointed that they were pipped for the last Europa League spot by Man United. The tale of the tape was their European campaign – it ultimately fell short in the semi-finals with the extra associated fixtures taking their toll on their smaller squad in the league also. I foresee the same issues this season too – Moroccan international defender Nayef Aguerd is the only notable addition at the moment and I still think they are thin up front, especially with squad player Andriy Yarmolenko having also moved on.
Jarrod Bowen was undoubtedly the breakout FPL asset of last season – his 12 goals and 17 assists have seen his price increased to 8.5m, and I think this is very reasonable for a player who scored over 200 points last campaign. The problem is the Hammers early fixtures and also the abundance of FPL talent in midfield for 0.5m less, though the fixtures do turn very green from GW8 so I could see him featuring in a lot of GW9 Wildcards. Elsewhere, Cresswell at 5.0 is the other main attraction – it will depend a bit on how he is utilised, but he still has his fair share of set-piece duties and could also be a good asset from GW9 onwards. As for West Ham in general, they will be difficult to beat at home again though I think they may struggle to match the form of last season. I would still expect a comfortable top half finish though.
Leicester
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – mixed bag GW 1-5, good from GW6
Key FPL assets – Justin 4.5, Castagne 4.5, Ricardo 4.5, Maddison 8.0, Vardy 9.5
Like West Ham, Leicester too suffered for their European exploits and their defence was injury-ravaged for much of the campaign. This created a very soft-centre which was often ruthlessly exploited and as such, 8th in the league was a disappointing finish considering the silverware and success of recent years. The plus point of this though is that in FPL The Foxes defence has been temptingly priced with Justin, Ricardo and Castagne all offering attacking potential for just 4.5m. The question mark will be how Rodgers sets them up and who his first choices will be – hopefully pre-season will give us some clues here.
What Leicester haven’t done is add significantly to their squad as yet, but to be fair just simply being free from injuries is a positive versus last season. As such, the usual suspects of Maddison and Vardy are the key attacking attractions from an FPL point of view. Maddison is another one who is in that busy 8.0m bracket and I can see him featuring in a lot of teams from GW6 onwards. Vardy is at a more awkward 9.5m and he may be getting a bit long in the tooth, but we all know he is capable of a haul against anyone. Unless they add to their squad though, I don’t really see Leicester troubling the Big 6 this campaign but to be fair they have surprised us in the past and I certainly wouldn’t write them off.
Brighton
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – tough GW1, great easy run GW2-8
Key FPL assets – Sanchez 4.5, Dunk 4.5
It’s fair to say that Brighton were one of the success stories of last season. They started out strongly and although they did suffer a dip across the middle of the season, a strong finish deservedly earned them a spot in the top half. I fear however this season will not be as straightforward. The sale of Yves Bissouma leaves a massive hole in the central midfield and Brighton’s perennial Premier League problem of lacking an elite-level finisher remains unsolved. There’s undoubted talent within their team – Trossard, Maupay, MacAllister and Gross are all potential matchwinners on their day, it’s just they lack consistency.
From an FPL perspective, it’s at the back again therefore where managers will possibly look. Sanchez is again priced at 4.5m and again, is a reasonable starting option in goal. Dunk is also generously priced at 4.5m – he still represents a good set-peice threat and does have a tendency to pick up bonus points. The Seagulls also have a good run of fixtures from GW2-8 so could be good squad players before a GW9 Wildcard. I personally don’t see them getting a top-half finish this season but think they should be comfortably clear of relegation come the end of the campaign.
Wolves
GW 1-8 fixture thoughts – easiest GW1-6 schedule in league, GW7-8 very tough
Key FPL assets – Jonny 4.5, Neto 5.5, Jimenez 7.0
Wolves have been a funny team over the last couple of years. Capable of beating anyone on their day and yet maddeningly inconsistent. From an FPL perspective, they are equally as frustrating – they don’t score a huge number of goals and thus their attacking players are less attractive and they have a tendency to concede odd goals thus making selecting defenders for a favourable fixture block less appealing too. In terms of transfers, Roman Saiss has left for Besiktas and he is replaced by Nathan Collins from Burnley – hardly one to turn heads in FPL-land.
The most attractive FPL options at Wolves at the moment look to be Jonny at 4.5m in defence and Neto at 5.5m in midfield. This is coupled with the fact that Wolves top the Geek’s attacking fixture ease ticker for the first 6 GWs. Neto also sits in that difficult sub £6.0m midfield bracket which I think heightens his appeal though I do worry our expectations may be a bit high for him, but 5 goals and 8 assists in 20/21 isn’t bad though at that price to be fair (he was injured for most of the 21/22 season.) I must confess I do also have a soft spot for Raul Jimenez but 7.0m looks too much for even me to gamble on, particularly for an attacking team whose stats are pretty poor. I don’t know what to make of Wolves prospects this season, but I sense another comfortable but unflattering mid-table season may be on the cards. As I’ve said though, they can beat anyone on their day and I wouldn’t be surprised if they cause the odd upset among the big 6.
That concludes my overview of last season’s top 10. Keep an eye out for my next article which covers the other 7 teams from last season and the 3 promoted clubs.
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