Best Low Ownership FPL Players 2022/23

Six of the best FPL differentials to give you a flying start to the season

As pre-season gets underway, a template team is quickly arising. Going into the season with at least two of Salah, a Spurs premium and a City premium is seen as essential by most.

But how do we finance these expensive assets? And which low-owned players could shoot us into an early-season advantage over our mini-league rivals?

In this article, we take a look at the best low-ownership FPL players — that means players with less than 5% ownership. These cheap, differential picks could spell the difference between an average start to the FPL season and cruising ahead of your mini-league rivals.

BEST LOW-OWNERSHIP FPL PLAYERS TO BUY

Goalkeepers

When looking at goalkeepers with less than 5% ownership, one name immediately stood out to me – Illan Meslier (£4.5m). The Leeds keeper had the most saves per game last season (3.8), and the switch to two CMDs instead of one should see Leeds’ defence shored up a bit. The Whites did of course lose England international Kalvin Phillips over the summer, but the signings of Tyler Adams and Marc Roca should more than make up for the loss of the Leeds-born defensive midfielder. I do expect a large chunk of Meslier’s points to come from save and bonus points, but clean sheets are no longer a pipe-dream for the few that have invested in the Leeds defence.

Defenders

I think Wolves’ defence has been both underpriced and overlooked this pre-season. At £4.5m each, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Jonny Otto could both not only provide a cheap way into a solid defence but also allow for more funds to be used on premium defenders. Astonishingly, the Wolves wing-backs are only owned by a combined 4% of FPL managers. Jonny is seemingly slightly more nailed than his French counterpart, but this is offset by his frequency on the treatment table. Despite this, I think having one of Ait-Nouri or Jonny is a shrewd pick to start the season, and with such low ownerships and costs, the pair really are the low risk, high reward picks we as FPL managers can’t get enough of.

Midfielders

Sinisterra (£6.5m) – the name rolls off the tongue like he’s a villain in a James Bond movie. And with 19 league goal involvements in 30 appearances last season, combined with 10 in 12 UECL games, Sinisterra is certainly a player that could villainise Premier League defences. Sinisterra was slow to adjust to life in the Eredivisie when he first joined, but once he got up and running, he didn’t stop. Due to this possible adjustment period, plus the fact that he’s priced at £6.5m, I think the Colombian international may fall into most managers’ “wait and see” lists. But with just 1.2% ownership, if Sinisterra starts the season firing on all cylinders, don’t hesitate to bring him in – and if you’re a betting person, why not take a punt on one of the league’s most exciting prospects?

Jamaican midfielder Leon Bailey (£5m) struggled with injuries last season – missing large chunks of Villa’s mediocre campaign. But the Jamaican midfielder has impressed in pre-season, and Gerrard is clearly a fan: “he’s a fantastic player and we need to see more of it” the Villa manager commented after Bailey’s goal vs Walsall earlier this month. There’s serious talk amongst Villa fans that suggests Gerrard is willing to give the Jamaican winger consistent minutes this season, and if he can nail down a spot in that Villa attack, I think Leon Bailey becomes a very good option at £5m and just 1.3% ownership.

Need a cheap, nailed midfielder to compensate for splurging out on premiums? Look no further than Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£5m). After taking up a more attacking role in the Leicester side towards the end of last season and scoring a goal in the Foxes’ pre-season draw with OH Leuven, Dewsbury-Hall looks like a steal at £5m and 1.1% ownership. But wait, it gets better. KDH’s opening ten fixtures rotate really well with fellow cheap midfield enabler Andreas Pereira. Rotating the pair in your starting XI would mean only facing a team from last season’s top seven once in the first fifteen gameweeks of the season! If utilised correctly, Dewsbury-Hall could be vital to having a somewhat balanced triple-premium team at the start of the season.

Forwards

Newcastle United are a club on the rise and with that comes more viable FPL picks. Bruno Guimarães (£6m) and Keiran Trippier (£5.0m) could both provide good value in midfield and defence respectively, but given their high ownership it’s striker Callum Wilson who stands out as the best Newcastle differential. Wilson is Newcastle’s penalty taker when he’s on the pitch, and the striker’s spot in Eddie Howe’s starting XI doesn’t seem to be under too much threat from Chris Wood – Wilson’s main hindrance for minutes this season will most likely be the treatment table. But with Newcastle’s tasty first ten fixtures, Wilson is certainly a player to consider starting the season with.

Of course, it should be noted that the reason the players are low-owned isn’t simply that they’ve been overlooked — a lot of managers will see more cons than pros with some of the above-listed players. But not only does taking risks make FPL more exciting, but it’s also a viable path toward gaining a meaningful advantage over your rivals. This, coupled with the fact that an early wildcard is going to be a popular strategy this season, makes taking a punt on differentials at the start of the season something to seriously consider.

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Chris Langtry is a lifelong Leeds United fan, stemming from his father’s support of the club. You can keep up to date with his footballing opinions by following his Twitter.

http://twitter.com/langtrychris