Best Liverpool FPL Players

With the first double game week of the season looming for the league leaders, managers everywhere are looking to bring in Liverpool assets.

We’ve used underlying stats, press conferences and projections to rank the 13 best FPL options. Don’t miss out.

Best Liverpool FPL Players
  • Before we get stuck in make sure you check out the Transfer Wizard for customized Transfer recommendations based on budget.
  • Also check out the FPL Player Rankings section for the best premium and budget options.

Intro – The Dilemma

Liverpool are arguably the best football team on the planet at this moment in time (despite suffering a recent Manchester United shaped hiccup in the league). The team currently sit at the top of the Premier League and boasts a squad full of world-class players and a dazzling array of attacking talent, which makes it all the more challenging to decide which of these players you should be opting for in your starting 11.

Since his arrival at Anfield, Arne Slot has certainly put his stamp on a team which threatened greatness for so much of last season before eventually falling short. He has already forged some unlikely heroes in the dressing room who have perhaps struggled to make their mark in previous campaigns.

Their only league defeat came at home against Nottingham Forest in GW4, but since then they have grown in stature and confidence, and they currently sit six points clear at the top, with a game in hand. What makes them so compelling, as far as FPL is concerned, is the stats behind their impressive league form; they have the best attacking output of any team in the league and the second best defensive record. Check out Understat for a detailed breakdown of underlying numbers.

Liverpool’s next six fixtures are a mixed bag, the first of these are challenging matches away at Forest and Brentford.

The Reds then face visits from league strugglers Wolves and Ipswich, either side of a potentially huge double game week featuring trips to Bournemouth and Everton. Given their results in the first half of the season, this schedule shouldn’t be a huge cause for concern, for Slot’s men the goals seem to flow no matter the opposition.

As a Liverpool fan myself, writing those opening paragraphs was a joy, I now face the much more difficult task of cutting through 29 years of nostalgia and emotion to rank the players I think you should be opting for in order to mirror Liverpool’s success in your own leagues. I have chosen to dive into the stats and rank 13 players who feature frequently in Liverpool’s Premier League squad, to determine which assets will deliver the best bang for your FPL buck.

 

Forwards

Cody Gakpo – £7.3m 

Points:67

PPG:3.5

xG/90:0.42

xA/90:0.26

MPG:52.1

Gakpo started the Premier League season slowly, but recently his numbers have really picked up. He has scored in his last three matches and his confidence is soaring now that he appears to have nailed down a regular spot in Slot’s starting line-up. However, 7.3m is a lot to pay for a winger, who perhaps doesn’t get the same opportunities in front of goal as a traditional number 9 in a top Premier League team.

Generally, I will always opt for an out and out striker over a wide player when choosing my FPL forwards. What Cody Gakpo does offer is a relatively cheap route into the most potent strike force in the Premier League, his xG/90 so far this season suggests that he will get chances, and his current form suggests he will start to tuck them away.

There are other forward options in the same price range which I think offer safer returns (Chris Wood, Cunha, Solanke), but if you fancy a gamble, I think Cody Gakpo is definitely worth considering.

 

Darwin Nunez – Cost:£7.0m

Points:33

PPG:2.2

xG/90:0.38

xA/90:0.17

MPG:50.3

Ah, the enigma that is Darwin Nunez. I have never wanted a player to turn their fortunes around as much as Nunez, but he doesn’t seem to be able to find anything like a consistent output and it’s for that reason Arne Slot doesn’t trust him to start.

He runs tirelessly and seems to be presented with so many opportunities, but for whatever reason he just cannot convert.  If you value your hairline, I would steer clear. 7.0m is too much for a player who doesn’t guarantee starts and/or goals.

Darwin has also been the subject of transfer rumours amid a rejected £70m bid from Al-Hilal, in case any more reason to avoid him was needed.

 

Midfielders

Mohamed Salah – Cost:£13.7m

Points:209

PPG:11

xG/90:0.86

xA/90:0.45

MPG:88.3

My number one pick should come as no surprise to anyone. As each game week passes, pundits up and down the country are running out of adjectives to describe Mohamed Salah. He is currently enjoying a stellar season, and his phenomenal efforts mean he sits top of both the Premier League goal scoring and assists table.

It’s a huge ask, but if he matches his output from the first 19 games in the second half of the season, he is on track to hit 400 points by the end of the campaign. This tally would obliterate the current record for the most points scored by a player in a single season, which stands at 303, and was set by… Mohamed Salah. No matter how you slice it, his numbers are simply staggering, and in my opinion, you simply have to find a way to fit Salah in your squad.

 

Luis Diaz – Cost:£7.6m

Points:96

PPG:5.3

xG/90:0.44

xA/90:0.21

MPG:62.2

Luis Diaz comes in at number two on my list of midfielders. Slot looks to have settled on a more central role for Diaz in order to accommodate in-form Cody Gakpo on the left hand-side. The false-9 position suits his playing style, he is constantly on the ball in and around the opposition box and given his technical ability and pace on the counter, this is a recipe for FPL points.

Diaz looks to be holding down a regular spot in the Red’s starting 11, at 7.6m and with a points tally of 96, he represents somewhat of a bargain when compared to more premium midfield picks from any of the big six clubs.

 

Diogo Jota – Cost:£7.2m

Points:52

PPG:4.3

xG/90:0.74

xA/90:0.16

MPG:50.2

Now, I’m moving onto some slightly more contentious picks, starting with Diogo Jota; a man who blows more hot and cold than a Travelodge hairdryer. After a long spell on the side-lines for what looked like an inconspicuous injury, he is back and, according to Slot, is now more than capable of playing a full 90.

At 7.2m Jota can’t be regarded as a ‘budget’ midfielder and he currently does not have a points tally which justifies his price tag. However, when this man hits form there are few better at finding the back of the net. The games are starting to come thick and fast for Liverpool and rotation is going to be essential.

During this period, if Jota starts to get amongst the goals, he is more than capable of edging out either Gakpo or Diaz in the starting 11. He represents a big FPL risk, but with only 3.2% ownership he could end up making a huge difference to your squad if he finds form this month.

 

Dominik Szoboszlai – Cost:£6.3m

Points:60

PPG:3.5

xG/90:0.28

xA/90:0.25

MPG:66.5

Dom comes in at number four, he has been a key player for Liverpool so far this season. Szoboszlai has been unavailable through illness for the last few matches and boy have Liverpool missed him. He provides an intensity in abundance when he’s on the pitch, and this is one of the reasons he features so regularly under Slot.

His critics will tell you that he doesn’t produce enough goals or assists for a number 10, but I think he is about to step up that aspect of his game. In the last match he played before his illness he racked up 4 goal contributions. This is a player who is about to return full of confidence and I think we’re about to see the best of him in the second half of the season.

 

Alexis Mac Allister – Cost:£6.2m

Points:53

PPG:2.9

xG/90:0.13

xA/90:0.22

MPG:73.7

A wizard in the heart of the Liverpool midfield, however unfortunately for him, the type of magic this man produces does not correlate to FPL points. A fantastic player no doubt, but one that does not have the attacking output to warrant inclusion.

 

Ryan Gravenberch – Cost:£5.0m

Points:47

PPG:2.5

xG/90:0.05

xA/90:0.10

MPG:86.9

What a revelation Ryan Gravenberch has been under Arne Slot. The Dutchman barely featured in the Premier League under Klopp, now he is arguably one of the best defensive midfielders anywhere in Europe. It’s a huge shame, but defensive midfielders are always destined for mediocrity in the FPL, which is why he sits at the bottom of my list (in real life he’d be the first name on my timesheet).

 

Defenders

Ibou Konate – Cost:£5.1m

Points:47

PPG:3.6

xG/90:0.10

xA/90:0.03

MPG:81.9

Don’t be fooled by Konate’s points tally so far when compared to other Liverpool defenders, as he has missed six of the last seven fixtures through injury. Now he is back with the squad, he will likely be starting every match given Liverpool’s defensive absences.

At 5.1m, I think Ibou represents a bargain. A player who features most weeks in the second best defence in the Premier League should provide a steady flow of clean sheets. With only 3.3% ownership off the back of his injury, I think now is a great time to invest.

 

Virgil Van Dijk – Cost:£6.4m

Points:75

PPG:3.9

xG/90:0.09

xA/90:0.02

MPG:90.0

The colossus at the heart of the Liverpool defence, Virgil Van Dijk has been arguably the best defender on the planet this season. This year, however, his normal potency in the opposition box has been lacking, so I don’t think he quite warrants his current price tag.

I think Konate has the edge over him in terms of value for money when both players are in the lineup, however, what Van Dijk does offer is a guaranteed start in every match, provided he stays fit.

 

Trent Alexander-Arnold – Cost:£7.2m

Points:83

PPG:4.6

xG/90:0.04

xA/90:0.38

MPG:77.9

Trent Alexander-Arnold has featured in my FPL defence every season for the past four years. However, under the new manager, he isn’t afforded the same kind of freedom to roam as he was in Jurgen Klopp’s system. This change in approach has really shored up the Red’s defence but unfortunately it means that Trent’s attacking output has diminished slightly compared to previous years.

At his current 7.2m price tag I think he represents a big risk, and the money could probably be better spent elsewhere, however if anyone has the ability to prove me wrong, it is Trent.

 

Andy Robertson – Cost:£5.9m

Points:53

PPG:2.9

xG/90:0.04

xA/90:0.18

MPG:77.1

5.9m is a lot to pay for a defender, and if you are going to fork out that much in this area of the pitch, players need to be offering a solid rate of points per game. Unfortunately for Robertson, he is experiencing a dip in form and there are doubts over whether he will start every match. Like Alexander-Arnold, the new system is hampering his offensive output, and so far this season he has zero goal contributions. For 5.9m, I think there are better defensive options out there.

 

For more Game Week Tips click here.

 

By: Carl Parker

Last Updated: 14/01