Fantasy Premier League is back!
After an agonisingly long wait throughout the summer, FPL returns ahead of the much-awaited 2022/23 Premier League season. Making your initial team in FPL and seeing all the new players and prices is one of the most enjoyable moments of the season. The inevitable disappointment of gameweek one always provides a sobering reality, but for now, the new season remains nothing other than an untapped possibility.
There are plenty of new players to look at in the game for the new campaign, and here is my first FPL draft for the 2022/23 season.
I usually tend to go cheap in goal with a £4.5 million option, but the premium goalkeepers have been underpriced by FPL this season. Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has come in at an excellent price of £5 million and is an incredible option considering the Blues conceded the third-fewest goals last season.
Joining him on my bench is a placeholder £4 million option, Ellery Balcombe.
The theme of my first FPL draft of the season is going big at the back, with as many as five premium defenders in my team right now. The defenders have been kindly priced once again in FPL this year, and there is plenty of value in going heavy at the back. Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5 million) is nailed on in my team because of his attacking potential, and the right-back is joined by his Liverpool team-mate Andrew Robertson (£7 million), who averaged 7.4 points per match since game-week 14 last season.
Ivan Perisic is FPL gold as a wing-back in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system and is quite affordable for £5.5 million. Reece James (£6 million) is another wing-back that could explode as an FPL option this season as the Englishman recorded the second highest xGi (Expected Goal Involvement) after Trent last season.
I would have liked to add Joao Cancelo (£7 million) to my FPL team, but due to budgetary constraints, I have settled with Aymeric Laporte (£6 million) for my Manchester City coverage.
Unlike previous seasons, there aren’t too many excellent midfield FPL options apart from the few must-have premiums. Mohamed Salah (£13 million) is a lock after finishing as the top-scorer in FPL last year, but none of the other midfielders in my team cost more than £6 million.
Gabriel Martinelli (£6 million) is a bargain after being priced £2 million cheaper than Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka, while Pedro Neto (£5.5 million) could have a breakthrough season following his ACL injury. I have also gone for Josh Dasilva (£4.5 million) and Andreas Pereira (£4.5 million), two players who will be firmly rooted on my bench until I play my first wildcard.
Erling Haaland (£11.5 million) averaged a goal a game in three seasons in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund and is a must-have for my FPL team for gameweek one due to Manchester City’s excellent opening set of fixtures. Former City striker Gabriel Jesus (£8 million) scored two goals in his preseason debut for Arsenal and could thrive as the main man at the Emirates, making him an excellent option for the Gunners’ favourable run to start the season.
Joining them up top is Nottingham Forrest signing Taiwo Awoniyi (£6 million), who scored 15 goals in 29 starts for Union Berlin in the Bundesliga last season.
Shivaan Shah