Fantasy Premier League 2022/23 best starting XI - this season’s top tips and bargains

With less than three weeks to go until the Premier League returns, FPL players are eagerly creating their perfect team in anticipation.

The summer transfer window so far has seen some of the world’s most exciting stars join England’s top tier, while others have departed.

It’s shaping up to be one of the most thrilling campaigns yet as the top six gets tighter and tighter, while the battle to avoid relegation will remain as intense as ever.

As your FPL squad begins to shape up nicely, we have shown you our starting XI that will be beginning the Premier League campaign:

Goalkeeper

Nick Pope - £5.5m

Nick Pope is my choice to go in between the sticks following his move to Newcastle United from Burnley.

The 30-year-old claimed more clean sheets than the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, David de Gea and Lukasz Fabianski last season, while playing in a team soon to be relegated.

I expect the Magpies to enjoy a really positive season this time round and with Sven Botman in the heart of their defence they are likely to be much stronger at the back.

Goalkeepers are unsurprisingly the cheapest position on Fantasy Premier League anyway so you could quite easily buy a player who is guaranteed clean sheets practically every week, however you could use that extra cash to strengthen elsewhere instead.

Defence

Trent Alexander-Arnold - £7.5m

Alexander-Arnold is the most expensive player in FPL but adding him to your team comes with great reward.

He is certainly worth the money and there’s no defender that will bring you in as many points as the Liverpool right-back, after bagging the second most assists in the top tier last season (12).

While Alexander-Arnold is arguably the best attacking full-back in the Premier League (if not the world), the Reds also have one of the best defensive records and the England international will also pick up points for a high number of clean sheets across the campaign.

Reece James - £6m

Reece James is another no-brainer for me and will probably get one of the highest points tallies in the Premier League for a similar reason to his Liverpool counterpart.

The Chelsea ace missed out on over two months worth of action due to injury last season, yet still managed five goals and nine assists from defence.

James is on for another spectacular campaign and, if he stays fit, could rake you in a high number of points.

Ivan Perisic - £5.5m

Ivan Perisic seems like a bit of a steal considering you are essentially playing a winger in defence.

Yes, the former Inter Milan man played at wing-back under Antonio Conte and is likely to do the same at Tottenham, however his attacking stats are mouth-watering for anyone thinking about putting him in their backline.

I expect Spurs’ defence to look very strong next season and so Perisic’s defensive stats should shape up nicely, while he will also earn you plenty of points for his attack too.

The 33-year-old scored eight goals and assisted another seven in Serie A last season and I can see him doing even better with Heung-min Son there to add to the attacking threat.

Midfield

Heung-min Son - £12m

Speak of the devil, Son being a midfielder in FPL is a bit of a cheat code.

The South Korean scores goals for fun and will easily be one of your star performers, especially when Tottenham look like they could impress this season.

Son’s position means you can still fit in all the strikers you want - if you have the money, of course.

It will come as no surprise that the 30-year-old will start the FPL season as my captain and it will certainly take a lot to take that title away from him.

Phil Foden - £8m

If you can’t afford Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden is probably the next best thing.

The England midfielder continues to get better every season and will undoubtedly better his goal contribution best of 14 - especially with the unbelievable attack that sits in front of him.

Man City scored 5+ goals in 12 Premier League matches next season and could easily be even more dangerous with Erling Haaland up top this time round - a stat that Foden will no doubt be part of.

Christian Eriksen - £6.5m

Christian Eriksen is one of the most reliable players the Premier League has seen and his comeback with Brentford completely backs that up.

The Denmark international is a huge talent and I think he will thrive at Manchester United, even if the rest of the squad don’t reach expectations.

If the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were to have a good season then I would expect Eriksen to be at the heart of everything they do and Erik ten Hag will be missing out if he was to bench the 30-year-old.

Michael Olise - £5.5m

Every FPL team needs a couple of cheap options and at £5.5m Michael Olise is an absolute steal.

The midfielder looked like one of the most exciting young prospects in his debut season for Crystal Palace last time out and he is only expected to improve.

Olise is the same price as the likes of Ryan Fraser, Nathan Redmond and Alex Iwobi but is almost guaranteed to have a much better impact on your FPL side.

Attack

Gabriel Jesus - £8m

Gabriel Jesus will definitely be one of the most picked players in the game this season following his move to Arsenal.

The Brazilian struggled for minutes on the pitch for Man City but was always very capable of scoring goals, while he has a great opportunity to be the main man at the Emirates Stadium and I can see him smashing it.

I would expect 15+ goals for Jesus, making him the perfect addition to your attack.

Erling Haaland - £11.5m

You can guarantee most FPL teams will feature either Haaland or Harry Kane up top and I have gone for the Man City summer signing.

While it is hard to predict whether the former Borussia Dortmund forward will be able to replicate his form from Germany, he seems easily set up for a top debut campaign in the Premier League and will pretty much guarantee you goals most weeks.

As Haaland is the same price as Kane, you can always swap him out for the Tottenham star if needed.

Joe Gelhardt - £5.5m

Joe Gelhardt has been mentioned in pretty much all of my FPL pieces and he has unsurprisingly gone straight into my front three.

The youngster showed heaps of potential for Leeds United last season and I expect them to use him much more this season, especially if Patrick Bamford continues to struggle with injuries.

With a full pre-season with Jesse Marsch under his belt, I think he could have a really good season and contribute a lot.

At only £5.5m it means you can still rely on the goals of Jesus and Haaland, while also including a brilliant prospect.