The Premier League season is back and there is very little time left to finalise the perfect FPL squad.
As managers frantically chop, change and tinker with the ideal team to start the season, it is often easy to forget the absolute must-haves ahead of GW1.
Whether you’re putting together the finishing touches or logging on for the very first time, we have got you covered. We’ve compiled ten of the very best and most selected assets ahead of the Premier League’s curtain-raiser next Friday.
More articles in this series:
- The 100 best FPL team names
- Every rule change you need to know about for the 2022/23 FPL season
- The 25 players you need to consider for your squad this season
- The best budget goalkeepers in FPL this season
- The best budget defenders in FPL this season
- The best budget midfielders in FPL this season
- The best budget forwards
Take note, sit back and watch the points roll in.
Ederson, Manchester City (£5.5m)
In bygone years, premium goalkeepers were a little too expensive to consider but this season managers have been gifted wholesale price cuts between the sticks.
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Now priced at £5.5m, Man City’s Ederson is an extremely attractive proposition. The Brazilian plays almost every match for the defending champions and faces West Ham, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest in his opening five matches.
GW1: West Ham United (A)
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool (£7.5m)
With two goals, 12 assists and 18 clean sheets last campaign, Alexander-Arnold ended the season as the third-highest points scorer behind Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min.
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Somehow evading a price hike, the Liverpool full-back remains the best value option in the game and should be on for another fruitful campaign.
GW1: Fulham (A)
Joao Cancelo, Manchester City (£7.0)
The Manchester City defender played 36 out of 38 matches under Pep Guardiola last season, smashing 201 FPL points with one goal, 11 assists and 19 clean sheets.
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Now that Oleksandr Zinchenko has left the Etihad for Arsenal, Cancelo’s spot in Guardiola’s team is even more secure at left-back and the 28-year-old looks set for another excellent season.
GW1: West Ham (A)
Reece James, Chelsea (£6.0m)
Despite struggling with occasional hamstring issues in 2021-22, James returned five goals, nine assists and seven clean sheets in 26 appearances, making him one of the best attacking defenders per 90 minutes in the game.
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At £6.0m, the England international has the potential to be one of the best value picks in the game if he stays healthy. After a full pre-season of building fitness, James is likely to fly out of the gate.
GW1: Everton (A)
Ivan Perisic, Tottenham (£5.5m)
A new arrival in north London, Perisic is set to take FPL by storm having contributed 12 goals and 12 assists in two seasons at Inter from defence.
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The Croatian was third amongst Serie A defenders for expected assists last season (8.0), making him an exciting option in a well-organised Antonio Conte team.
GW1: Southampton (H)
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (£13.0m)
Although the most expensive asset in the game, Salah has delivered incredible consistency since arriving at Anfield in 2017.
The Egyptian has never scored fewer than 230 points in a season and is arguably the greatest FPL player of all time. Ignore him at your peril.
GW1: Fulham (A)
Luis Diaz, Liverpool (£8.0m)
Sadio Mane left Anfield to join Bayern Munich this summer and Diaz looks the most likely Liverpool player to fill his shoes long-term, having impressed with four goals and three assists since January.
A slight injury to Diogo Jota has boosted the Colombian’s chances of playing even more, which makes for an exciting prospect considering Liverpool’s 94 goals scored last season.
GW1: Fulham (A)
Pedro Neto, Wolves (£5.5m)
The first player outside the top six to make this list, Wolves’ Neto has been given a reasonable price at £5.5m, after spending most of last campaign on the sidelines through injury.
Following an untimely injury to star striker Raul Jimenez, Bruno Lage will likely put added goal-scoring responsibility on to Neto at the start of the season. With Leeds and Fulham up first, the winger looks a very shrewd value pick.
GW1: Leeds (A)
Erling Haaland, Manchester City (£11.5m)
Long-serving FPL managers have been crying out for an asset like Sergio Aguero to break through the doors of the Etihad – and finally they’ve been blessed with a world-class striker in Haaland.
Playing up front for the highest scoring team in every campaign since 2017-18, Haaland will offer incredible goal threat and provide managers with a great captaincy option against Bournemouth in GW2.
GW1: West Ham (A)
Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal (£8.0m)
Currently the most selected player in the game, Jesus has been tipped for FPL success following his blockbuster move to Arsenal this summer.
Perhaps slightly under-priced at £8.0m, the 25-year-old is set to be the talisman at Arsenal next campaign, having scored four goals in four matches during pre-season already.
GW1: Crystal Palace (A)
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Fantasy Football, Fantasy Premier League, Erling Haaland, Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Luis Diaz
