FPL Top Picks for Gameweek 23

Get ready for the new round of fantasy football as we give you the FPL Top Picks for Gameweek 23. With the help of the Fantasy Football Scout members area we use its stats and fixture ticker to determine who the best players to buy in each position are.

We are getting deeper into the season now so it’s even more crucial to know which players we should be targeting each and every week. So, lets take a look at the best goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and strikers for Gameweek 23 to help you make your moves.

Fixtures

Here is the Fantasy Football Scout Fixture Ticker for the round ahead. The teams at the top have the easiest fixtures and the teams at the bottom have the toughest fixtures. This can give us a good indication on which players have the most potential.

Goalkeepers – Emi Martinez

Aston Villa sit on top of the fixture ticker this week. They have a fantastic chance to get some points on the board. Sheffield United lay ahead who although have improved still rank joint worst in the league for goals scored in the last six Gameweeks.

With the above in mind it could be a great chance to back the Aston Villa defence this week. It is also worth highlighting the fact that they have kept three clean sheets on the bounce recently. One way to invest in the Aston Villa defence this week is Emi Martinez (£5.2m).

Bernd Leno

Fulham have been hit and miss recently and probably aren’t the most convincing side to invest in but they have Burnley next up. The newly promoted side are really struggling in terms of results but more so offensively – ranking the worst team in the league in the last six Gameweeks for expected goals.

At one point recently Bernd Leno (£4.8m) was the best in regards to expected goals prevented amongst goalkeepers. In fact, due to his performances so far Leno remains with the top five scoring goalkeepers in the game for points earned. Burnley could be a perfect opportunity for Leno to get back amongst the returns this week.

Defenders – Alex Moreno

Aston Villa have a great fixture against a poor attack this week. In terms of their offensive capabilities this season the Blades rank the worst for goals scored (17) and the worst for other metrics like total shots in the box, total shots on goal and total shots on target.

Aston Villa have a very good chance to keep a clean sheet this week. However, full-back Alex Moreno (£4.6m) could offer more. Moreno seems to be starting every match recently for his side which is promising. He also has attacking potential as well – ranking third best only behind Pedro Porro and Trent Alexander-Arnold for non-penalty expected goal involvement in the last six Gameweeks.

Kieran Trippier

Newcastle have been disappointing recently. However, they play at home this week, a venue where they are a very strong side defensively. In fact, when compared to all teams in the league they sit the best for clean sheets kept at home, joint third best for goals conceded at home and total big chances conceded at home.

Because of the above the Newcastle defence could have potential this week. One player who could make a huge difference is set piece taker and full-back Kieran Trippier (£6.7m). Trippier has been through a quiet period but it is also worth noting that he still sits second best for total assists this season which reflects his attacking potential. A fixture at home against Luton should be a good one for Trippier, especially after being declared fit after a recent groin niggle.

Pervis Estupinan

Brighton are an interesting side. It has been a tough campaign for them defensively but recently they have managed two Premier League clean sheets in their last three matches. The Seagulls have a meeting with Crystal Palace next up, a side who failed to score in all three of their last matches in all competitions.

One player who should have huge potential is Pervis Estupinan (£5.1m). The South American full-back is one of the most exciting defenders in the game this season. A good example of his potential is the fact he has picked up five attacking returns in just nine matches. He also spends more time in the opposition half than defending in his own judging off his season heat map.

Pedro Porro

Tottenham aren’t one of the most promising teams defensively. One factor they do have backing their defence this week is the fact they come up against Everton next. The Toffees have been impressive in parts of the season under manager Sean Dyche. However, they seem to be struggling for consistency – winning just one of their last eight matches and failing to score in three of them.

No defender in the league has been more convincing than full-back Pedro Porro (£5.9m). In terms of underlying data in the last six games Porro ranks the best for non-penalty expected goal involvement, joint best for goals and assists and the best for total attempts on goal.

Midfielders – Anthony Gordon

Newcastle aren’t just a great defensive side at home but also a very efficient attacking unit. In fact, when focusing on home matches this season the Magpies sit the best in the league for total big chances and in the top four teams for other metrics including goals scored, shots in the box and more.

One player who seems to be rising in stock again is Anthony Gordon (£6.1m). Just when many thought his output was dropping off Gordon managed back-to-back returns against giants like Manchester City and Liverpool. The youngster has returned in 12 of his 20 matches this season which reflects how good he has been. What is interesting though is that a quarter of his returns have been double-digit hauls. With Luton ahead Gordon is an easy addition to the FPL top picks for Gameweek 23.

Pascal Groß

Brighton have a very good opportunity this week. Crystal Palace lay ahead, a team that seem to be collapsing recently when it comes to results. The Eagles have also kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 matches and shipped between 2-5 in half of the same games.

Crystal Palace are a team to target at the moment and one of Brighton’ safest options in terms of minutes is Pascal Groß (£6.5m). From an output perspective Groß is consistent as he sits top amongst his teammates for returns and points earned in FPL so far. When looking at his actual involvement in the last six matches the German also ranks first amongst all players for expected assists (2.41), first for chances created (25) and joint first for big chances created (five).

Cole Palmer

Chelsea are starting to feel like a team we can trust again offensively. The Blues seem be finally converting their superior expected goal data into actual goals scored. They take that into their next match against Wolves.

Chelsea seem to have a talisman penalty taker this season in Cole Palmer (£5.8m). The former Manchester City attacker has already notched up a massive nine goals and three assists in the Premier League this season. In terms of explosiveness Palmer collected a huge five double-digit returns prior to this game and three of them came in the last seven matches.

Richarlison

Tottenham are becoming a very reliable side to invest in recently. When it comes to goals scored Tottenham have managed to net at least two in all of their last six matches. They also sit highly for most of the key attacking metrics which is a good indication they can maintain their current efforts.

There are plenty of routes into the Tottenham frontline but the most obvious remains Richarlison (£7m), or at least for now anyway. The Brazilian interestingly comes up against his former club Everton this week which could be the perfect time to play them for him after netting a goal in five of his last six matches. Richarlison is in a great run of form and his former club seem to be struggling. Because of this and the fact he leads the frontline he breezes into the FPL top picks for Gameweek 23.

Phil Foden

It is that stage of the season where Manchester City tend to rampage their way through opposition. Brentford are the team that will try to stop that this week but the Bees are well below their usual standard defensively. In fact, Brentford have lost six of their last eight matches and conceded between 2-4 goals in six of the same games.

One way to invest in the potent Manchester City attack for the Brentford game is of course Phil Foden (£8m). Foden seems to have solidified an important role in the starting 11. The Englishman has been a vital cog in champions machine for sometime and that reliance on him is starting to pay off for FPL managers – he bagged 25 points in a three-match period recently with one goal and three assists.

Forwards – Erling Haaland

Manchester City don’t just come alive in terms of results at this stage of the campaign but they also score plenty of goals. Their current output isn’t exactly dry either as they have notched up the most goals scored in the league so far this season.

The 22/23 treble winners rely mostly on Erling Haaland (£13.9m) when fit. The Norwegian looks set to makes his first start since returning from injury this week. When fit Haaland was a force to be reckoned with and even though absent for some time he still sits in the top five scoring FPL players because of his early efforts. On penalties and leading the most lethal attack makes him an essential this week.

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa have been one of the most offensively efficient sides in the league this season as they sit fourth best for goals scored overall. They come up against a Sheffield United that rank the worst for goals conceded, worst for big chances conceded, the worst for shots in the box and the worst for shots on target conceded.

It could be a massive chance to get revenge for Aston Villa this week. After all, Sheffield United stopped Unai Emery’ team from extending a brilliant win streak this season. Leading the charge will of course be Ollie Watkins (£8.9m) who will be hoping to improve on his one return in his last four matches and remain in the top three highest FPL scorers this season.

Dominic Solanke

Bournemouth have a great fixture this week which is why they sit so high on the ticker. The Cherries have a meeting with a Nottingham Forest defence that rank joint worst for clean sheets kept and fourth worst for goals conceded in the last six Gameweeks next up.

Nottingham Forest are evidently a team to target and Dominic Solanke (£7.1m) is the man with the potential to punish them. Prior to tough matches against Liverpool and Tottenham Solanke collected 30 points in a three-match period. When looking at his recent underlying data (including the tough matches) in comparison to every other player he still ranks the first for total attempts on goal and top for shots in the box.

Joao Pedro

Brighton are still one of the most promising attacking units in the league. The Seagulls rank in the top five for the majority of the key offensive metrics which suggests that they will continue to score goals. They also have a great match against a Luton side who keep shipping lots of goals.

Leading the Brighton attack is Joao Pedro (£5.5m). The Brazilian has been fantastic in the absence of key attackers including Simon Adingra and Kaoru Mitoma. In terms of recent returns Pedro has racked up a massive seven goals and one assist in his last five matches in all competitions. Not only is he in form but he also comes in at a lovely price and takes his sides penalties.