Fantasy Premier League GW17 – Top Players to Target
As the end of the World Cup 2022 approaches, it’s time to start thinking again about the most important “unimportant” game in the world – the Fantasy Premier League. It seems like months have passed since GW16 ended, and players before GW17 have the chance to make unlimited transfers. This gives you another opportunity to arrange your team nicely and to start new conquests.
My name is MilosNS, and I am currently Top1% in the world (69k). You can follow my thoughts every week on the Twitter profile @milosnsns. Today we will talk about 20 players who should be in your team, that is, about players who could be an excellent asset in the rest of the season.
As I already mentioned, FPL allows you to make unlimited transfers before this gameweek, so you need to be wise. Keep the pearls that bring you points, and throw out the ones that make your hair turn gray.
Goalkeepers GW17
So far, the Top 5 goalkeepers by number of points are Pope (Newcastle), Henderson (Nottingham Forrest), Alisson (Liverpool), Raya (Brentford) and Sa (Wolves). As we can see, there are no expensive options like Ederson, Lloris and Fabianski in the Top 5. Without any doubt, Pope is the best premium option, and I went with him for a long time, although I think there are better Newcastle players. Therefore, I will suggest him, but personally I will go with another goalkeeper. Here are my Top 3 suggestions for goalkeepers.
Nick Pope (£5.3, 21.6% ownership, Leicester vs. Newcastle)
As I have already stated, Nick Pope is certainly one of the better options in goal. However, the price of £5.3, high ownership, and my desire to have three Newcastle field players keep me away from him. It should be kept in mind that Newcastle does not have an easy schedule in the next few gameweeks and that Pope could have problems saving his net.
However, if you don’t like to take risks and play it safe, Pope is an excellent goalkeeper who will bring you enough points until the end of the season.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.5, 2.1% ownership, Chelsea vs. Bournemouth)
Although Kepa is still injured, above his name, there is a 75% chance that he will be ready for GW17. Since Potter came to the Chelsea bench, Mendy lost his place, and Kepa was the number-one goalkeeper until he got injured. I admit this is risky, but the price of £4.5 and the small ownership of 2.1% certainly make him a player I want to have on my roster.
Add to that the fact that Chelsea have an easy schedule in GW17 and GW18 and that, realistically, they have a clean sheet, and the gamble with Kepa is justified. He is one of the two goalkeepers on my team.
Danny Ward (£4.1, 28.5% ownership, Leicester vs. Newcastle)
Leicester keeper Danny Ward is perhaps the most-owned goalkeeper substitute this season in the FPL. And rightly so, for just £4.1, this goalkeeper is in the sixth position among the best goalkeepers in terms of points scored. With the departure of Schmeichel to France, the door wholly opened for Ward, and he became the first option in Leicester.
Although the Foxes do not have an easy schedule in GW17 and GW18, after that, there are easier games, and if Kepa is still injured, Ward will definitely be the player I will have on the team. So I combined Kepa and Ward and spent only £8.6 for that.
Defenders GW17
One of the secrets of my excellent result so far is that I had four of the five best defenders in my roster in terms of points. The absolute leader is, of course, Trippier (Newcastle). Right behind him are Saliba and Gabriel (Arsenal), then Cancelo (Man.City) and Schar (Newcastle). I will probably do something unexpected here. I will try to sell Cancelo to have a Haaland, Kevin de Bruine, and Foden combination. Of course, if I manage to fit into the budget.
Now we will look at which six defenders are on my radar and which of them will manage to enter the Top 5 FPL defenders.
Kieran Trippier (£5.9, 64.9% ownership, Leicester vs. Newcastle)
You don’t need to be very smart to know that Trippier is a must-have defender. I’ve had it since GW1, and I won’t change him until the end of the season. Newcastle is playing great, and Trippier is dangerous both in attack and defense.
The only flaw with this player is high ownership, but it doesn’t have to be bad in this case. It’s only bad if you don’t have it. The price of £5.9 is really a bargain considering how much it can bring you. I even used him as captain twice when Haaland did not play.
Raphael Varane (£4.8, 2.1% ownership, Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forrest)
When talking about Manchester United players, they fly under the radar all season with a tiny percentage of ownership. On the other hand, when talking about their defense, the FPL fan favorite is Diogo Dalot. I found a player that costs the same (£4.8) but is a differential with only 2.1% ownership.
It is about the most important player in the Red Devils’ defense, Raphael Varane. The Frenchman was injured and hasn’t played since GW13, but I see that he has recovered, and we can expect him to be in the starting 11 before the match with NFO in GW17. Manchester also has a favorable schedule, and I expect good games from all the players of this team.
William Saliba (£5.3, 35.1% ownership, Arsenal vs. West Ham United)
Sometimes it takes work to decide on some players from solid teams. Arsenal, Newcastle, and Manchester City would all like to have three players each from these teams. This is the situation with Arsenal’s defense, which is excellent this season. Saliba, Gabriel, and White are in the Top 6 defenders, which is incredible.
My choice is William Saliba. He has been on my team since GW1, and it will be until the end of the season. The fact that Arsenal has a rather difficult schedule after GW17, but I will try to make such a defense that can withstand different schedules during the season. The price is still acceptable (£5.3), but its disadvantage is high ownership (35.1%).
Eric Dier (£5.2, 8.9% ownership, Brentford vs. Tottenham)
Perhaps Dier is not the most popular option for many, as Perisic is a fan favorite. However, I believe that the price-quality ratio is such that you simply have to have it in your team. Dier currently costs £5.2 with only 8.9% ownership, which makes it an excellent differential.
In the next few gameweeks, Tottenham does not have a difficult schedule and it would be a great shame not to have such a quality player in your roster.
Joao Cancelo (£7.4, 53.8% ownership, Leeds United vs. Manchester City)
It would be very frivolous on my part to completely ignore Cancel in the group of Top 5 defenders to have in FPL GW17. The fact that he has collected 70 points so far says a lot. However, he had a serious blank in GW15 when he had -2 points. The price of £7.4 is something that is too much, especially for a defender. Also, ownership is very high at 53.8%.
As I have already stated, I will try to tailor a team with three offensive Manchester City players, and Cancelo will not be in my team, but he is undoubtedly an excellent option. In conclusion, we should not forget that Cancelo will play the final of the World Cup 2022 and that he might be tired because of that.
Neco Williams (£4.0, 23.6% ownership, Nottingham Forrest vs. Manchester United)
The situation here is similar to that of Danny Ward. Neco Williams costs only £4.0 and he is a perfect player to be on the bench. He costs a little, but it can win a few points if necessary.
So far he has won 30 FPL points, which is nothing spectacular, but when you look at the offers of other players in that price range, it is clear that there is no better option. He is regular starter in his team, which is also very important.
In the end, my defense will look like this – Trippier (£5.9), Varane (£4.8), Saliba (£5.3), Dier (£5.2), and Williams (£4.0). The total amount I spent here is £25.2, and together with the goalkeepers £33.8. Now we will move on to the midfield, where it is realistically the most difficult to make a smart combination.
Midfielders GW17
The midfield part of the season so far has been hit and miss for me. Currently, the players I have are Iwobi, Andreas, Martinelli, De Bruine, and Bailey. It is clear that I want to make a serious step forward here, but we will see what my budget allows. The ideal situation would be to keep Martinelli, Andreas, and De Bruine. I would like to add a few players, so let’s start in order.
Kevin De Bruine (£12.6, 37.7% ownership, Leeds Utd vs. Manchester City)
Without any doubt, Kevin De Bruine is perhaps the best midfielder in the Premier League at the moment. Of course, its price is ridiculous. At £12.6, there are few players who cost more than him. Also, his ownership is high at 37.7%, but believe me, it is worth having him.
As I said, my initial idea is to have De Bruyne and Foden in midfield, but as this article progresses, it seems that it will be more and more difficult. Unfortunately, I may have to give up Kevin and look for solutions on the other side. What can encourage FPL players who don’t have him is the fact that he played quite poorly at the 2022 World Cup.
Miguel Almiron (£5.8, 35.4% ownership, Leicester vs. Newcastle)
I fought against bringing Almiron for a long time, which cost me. Miguel has been playing fantastically this season and is the undisputed leading midfielder in FPL points. Its price is still extremely low (£5.8), but the ownership skyrocketed with 35.4%.
I believe that Almiron must be on your radar in any case, and whether I will still put him on the team, we will see until the end. I think some players could do a great job from GW17 onwards.
Leandro Trossard (£7.1, 27.9% ownership, Southampton vs. Brighton)
To be honest, I expect Brighton to start playing very offensively from GW17. And the main mover of that offensive force will be Trossard. The Belgian is the alpha and omega of this Brighton team, and the price of £7.1 is nothing compared to what he can provide. Personally, I don’t like that it’s not a differential because 27.9% of FPL players have it.
Brighton has a solid schedule in the next two months, and I expect to see a lot of goals from the team led by the excellent coach De Zerbi.
Phil Foden (£8.3, 21.4% ownership, Leeds Utd vs. Manchester City)
Even though I used “Pep Roulette” this season, especially on Foden, I think it’s wise to take it again. The price of £8.3 and 21.4% ownership are not ideal, but realistically Foden is the most dangerous goal player in the City team, after Haaland.
I know Manchester City has too many quality midfielders and that there will be rotation, but young Foden is a pearl that must be in the team.
Marcus Rashford (£6.7, 19.0% ownership, Manchester Utd vs. Nottingham Forrest)
I already mentioned when I was talking about Varane that I think Manchester United will show excellent results from GW17 onwards. The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo opens the possibility for this team to grow even more and for the midfielders to get more freedom. I personally think that Bruno Fernandes will be an excellent FPL asset, but his price is too high.
A player who is not so expensive and who is undeniable of good quality is Rashford. With him, you get £6.7 a player, who is marked as a midfielder, but who actually plays as a striker.
Andreas Pereira (£4.6, 23.7% ownership, Crystal Palace vs. Fulham)
Here is a cheap and quality option in the middle of the field. After 16 games played, I still don’t understand why Andreas is so cheap. When we look at what he brought to his managers, I think he should be worth at least one million more. With a price of £4.6 it is one of the best options you can have. His disadvantage is that over 20% of other managers have it, but I’m willing to put up with it.
When we look at how Fulham played before the break and that not a single important player had too many minutes at the World Cup, I think that they could certainly be good options as back-up players.
Forwards GW17
As for attacking, there isn’t much philosophy there, if you ask me. You play with Haaland and it doesn’t really matter who will be the second or third striker. Joke aside, there aren’t many quality options in attack this season. Several players had short-lived great streaks, but only Kane and Haaland were consistent. Of course, both are premium players and their price is so high.
Erling Haaland (£12.2, 83.0% ownership, Leeds United vs. Manchester City)
What can you say about a player who has already made 123 FPL points during the first 16 games. An absolute must have player, for whom you must find a place in your roster. Of course, for me he is also the permanent captain, because he is playing really fantastically this season.
Manchester City is a serious contender for the title and it is to be expected that they will win a large number of games. The price is a bit high, but you certainly get a lot in return. Also, Haaland’s biggest flaw is the fact that 83% of managers around the world have him.
Harry Kane (£11.6, 27.3% ownership, Brentford vs. Tottenham)
Harry Kane has shown very high-quality games during this season. He is the leader of Tottenham’s team, safe in the starting line-up and takes penalties. Everything you would like to see in your FPL player. He is in the shadow of Haaland, but the Norwegian really has a fantastic season behind him.
The price of £11.60 may be too high for some, but if you can afford Sir Harry, I definitely recommend that you do.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.8, 20.4% ownership, Crystal Palace vs. Fulham)
If you are looking for a budget player that will bring you a lot of points, then look no further than Mitro. The Fulham striker has shown that he is fixture proof this season, scoring five goals against the Top 6 teams in the league. Before the World Cup, he had an inconvenient injury, but he did not stay long in Qatar and I believe that he is completely ready.
The price of £6.8 is more than good, and it should be kept in mind that he is the first option in Fulham’s attack and that he also takes penalties.
Roberto Firmino (£8.1, 7.7% ownership, Aston Villa vs. Liverpool)
Last but not least dangerous in my opinion is Boby Firmino from Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s team has a pretty good schedule in this part of the season and we could see a lot of points from their players.
Firmino has a solid season behind him and what is most important is not on the radar of many FPL players. As I see, many people are picking on Darwin Nunes, but I think it’s a mistake.
