Best Wolves FPL Players | Wolves Preview

Since this is my first ALLABOUTFPL article, I’d like to start with a quick introduction. My name is Dan, but you may know me better as @FPL_BlackWolf on Twitter. I am an English expat, currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, where I moved from the U.K. 11 years ago now.

I grew up in the West Midlands and have been an avid Wolves fan for 30 years. I am also the founder of the #FPLUSA initiative, USA Chairman of @FPLMeets, manager of @FPLUSA_Leagues, and host of a weekly GW Preview space with @FPL_PatrickS.

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Wolves FPL Preview

The contents of this Wolves FPL Preview include:

General thoughts
Transfer window
FPL assets to target and avoid
Preseason review
Predicted starting XI and formation

General Thoughts

With the exception of Tottenham (A), Wolves’ opening run of six fixtures is favourable on the FDR scale, therefore many people are looking to start GW1 with at least one asset in their FPL team. During that run, Wolves face two of the three promoted teams (Fulham and Bournemouth) as well as two of last season’s bottom six (17^th placed Leeds and 15^th placed Southampton).

Wolves Fixtures for the 2022/23 FPL Season.

Wolves players have also been very fairly priced, with Raul Jiménez at 7.0m the most expensive asset on the team, meaning they make good enablers that allow you to improve the quality of the rest of your FPL team.

It was a disappointing end to the 21/22 season for Wolves. Heading into the final seven games, they were fighting for a Europa League spot and even had an outside chance to make the Champions League. However, they suffered a terrible run of form and ended the season with a record of 0W-2D-5L, ultimately leading to them finishing down in 10^th.

Wolves had an up and down season. Over the course of the year, they were generally solid defensively, keeping a respectable 11 clean sheets (joint 7^th in the league). A good portion of those, however, came during a run of great form in the middle of the season. Having watched every game live, I can say that Wolves were lucky to keep as many clean sheets as they did, often saved by the superior shot-stopping of José Sá and goal-line clearances from the likes of Conor Coady. This is proven by the fact that Wolves’ xGA was the 5^th worst in the league.

A consistent issue for Wolves was their attack. Only Norwich had a worse xG and Wolves managed to score just 38 goals in total, the lowest in the league outside of the bottom three. Raul Jiménez was their top goalscorer with just 6 goals.

I believe there were many reasons for Wolves’ poor attack last season, including:

Numerous injuries throughout the season to Wolves’ best players including Neto, Podence, and Jonny – Three players who are key to Wolves’ attack.
Raul Jiménez was clearly suffering with a lot of frustration about having to wear the protective headgear after his skull fracture. It was evident to me that it was strongly affecting his game. Chances he would usually be burying, particularly with his head, were flying wide. When playing 5-at-the-back, the central striker is critical to the success of each attack, and so Raul’s issues were impacting the entire team.
Lack of a creative attacking midfielder. Wolves were really missing a player who could pick up the ball, run directly towards goal, take on players, and make things happen. Neves and Moutinho are world-class players, but that is not their game.

I expect Wolves to improve this season. The issues above are being remedied – Neto, Podence, and Jonny are fit and will have a full pre-season under their belt; Jiménez no longer must wear his full headgear, instead wearing a small headband, and when back from his latest injury suffered in preseason, I expect him back to his best; and Wolves are experimenting with a 4-at-the-back formation, allowing players to occupy the CAM role that was so desperately needed. If Wolves can keep him, it looks like one of those players could be Morgan Gibbs-White who is back from Sheffield United. I expect the role to be fluid, with Gibbs-White switching with Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto during games.

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Wolves Transfer Window

(Notable players only)

Ins

Nathan Collins – DEF – 4.5m
Hwang Hee-chan – MID – 6.0m

Nathan Collins ~ Wolves new signing for the 2022/23 Season

Outs

Romain Saïss – DEF
Marçal – DEF
John Ruddy – GKP
Francisco Trincão – MID
Fábio Silva (Loan) – FWD
Ki-Jana However (Loan) – DEF

At the time of writing, Wolves have only made one significant signing (since Hwang was already at Wolves on loan). However, keeping Moutinho and Neves, seeing the return of Morgan Gibbs-White, and having multiple key players returning from injury are all positives. I do expect Wolves to make more signings before the end of the transfer window as squad depth is light, especially in the wing-back, central midfield, and striker positions. With the recent Jiménez news, a new striker should be top priority, making the decision to let Fábio Silva go out on loan even more baffling.

A Little bit more on Wolves new signings here Along with new signings of all the 20 PL Clubs in one place.

Wolves FPL Assets to Target and Avoid

Best Wolves FPL Assets

Here are in my opinion the best Wolves assets for the 22/23 FPL season:

Pedro Neto – MID – 5.5m
Jonny and Rayan Ait-Nouri – DEF – 4.5m
Daniel Podence – MID – 5.5m

Pedro Neto

Neto is currently a player in everyone’s minds, and it is not unwarranted. Is he a must-have pick? No. Is he arguably the best <6.0m budget enabler in FPL? Yes. The main reasons to target Neto are his price and Wolves’ excellent fixture run to start the season. However, those are not the only reasons. Neto is Wolves’ best attacker and first choice winger, who is often utilized out of position as a striker or a false 9, particularly when Wolves play 4-2-1-3 or 3-5-2. With the preseason injury to Jiménez that is likely to rule him out until end of August, Neto’s xMins are increased, and he will be even more vital to the attack.

Neto shares most set pieces and even last season when he was slowly coming back from injury, he managed decent stats of 0.50 npxG + xA p/90. He also had a fine end to the season, scoring against both Man City and Liverpool.

In the three major preseason games that took place which included Wolves’ full first team, Neto started them all and managed 2 goals, 2 assists, and 2 clean sheets.

At the start of the season especially, I think it’s important to consider EO. Neto’s will be high, so he is also a safe pick for the less risky manager.

It does have to be said that no Wolves attacker is guaranteed to start every game, and when everyone is fit, rotation will happen. For the time being though, Neto’s minutes are safe.

The key thing to remember about Neto is that he is only 5.5m. Therefore, FPL managers need to keep their expectations in check. The likes of Maddison, Diaz, Mount etc. are priced at 8.0m for a reason, Neto’s output should not be compared to theirs. If he manages to get a couple of goals or even reward owners with a haul in those first few weeks, he’s already justified the selection.

Further Read: Best £5 & £5.5 Million FPL Midfielders for the 2022/23 FPL Season

Jonny and Rayan Ait-Nouri

I am grouping these two players together because, in all honesty, I am 50/50 on who is the better pick. Both are bargains at 4.5m if Wolves can tighten up their defence, and I am hoping the signing of Collins can help with that.

Nelson Semedo is currently injured, meaning there is no competition in the WB spots as things stand. There’s no timeline on Semedo’s injury, but he is back in training. Regardless, I fully expect Jonny and Ait-Nouri to start the season as the first choice. When Semedo is back and fully fit, these three players will rotate the two wing-back positions given the fact that Jonny is very comfortable playing on both the right and the left.

If you are debating which of these two players to have in your GW1 team, I say flip a coin. There will be gameweeks where one of them hauls and the other gets a 1-pointer, and vice versa, I’m sure of it. You just have to hope for the best.

Reasons to pick Ait-Nouri in your FPL Team:

Shares set piece duties.
A better defender than people believe. In top 10% of full-backs for tackles won in 21/22.
BPS magnet.
Higher assist potential.
2.17 SCA & 0.30 GCA per/90 in 21/22.

Reasons to pick Jonny in your FPL Team:

Slightly better xMins given versatility. Can play both RWB & LWB.
Higher goal threat as he often arrives late into the box.
0.07 xG per/90 in 21/22.
Consistent performer who is often highly publicly praised by Lage.

Further Read: FPL Fixture Swing Analysis & Best Player Rotation for 22/23 FPL Season

Daniel Podence

At 5.5m, Podence is a very good differential option to Pedro Neto. He is an excellent player who is technically gifted and a joy to watch.

Unfortunately, Podence is injury prone, missing 12 games last season. However, when fit, he consistently passes the eye test, looking like he can score with every attack. He can be quite wasteful at times, with only 0.06 goals per shot in 21/22, but he constantly gets himself into the position to get shots on goal.

If he can remain fit, Podence is in Wolves’ first choice XI, and like Neto, can occupy the striker or false 9 role when needed. In fact, during the preseason game vs. Beşiktaş, after Raul went off injured, it was Podence who played the false 9 most of the game while Neto remained out wide. He also started in that position from the beginning vs. Sporting CP.

Now that Jiménez has been confirmed out for the start of the season, Podence is likely to occupy the false 9 position more often than not. When Hwang is back from injury, I expect him to see some game time in the central striker role too.

In the three major preseason games that took place which included Wolves’ full first team, Podence started in two and has managed 2 goals, and 1 assist. You can check the full lineups, detailed information, and stats of all Wolves preseason games (including upcoming games) here.

If you are a risk-taker, go with Podence over Neto.

Further Read: Talisman Theory – 2021/22 Report | Who Got The Assist(WGTA)

Ones to Watch:

Morgan Gibbs-White – MID – 5.5m
Raul Jiménez – FWD – 7.0m
Hwang Hee-Chan – MID – 6.0m

Best Wolves assets for the 22/23 FPL season ~ Morgan Gibbs-White:

I would have put Chiquinho in this list, but then he injured his ACL, unfortunately. If Gibbs-White stays at Wolves, and I am becoming more and more hopeful of that despite the fact he is attracting a lot of interest from other clubs, he could have a breakthrough year. He is exactly the kind of creative, attack-minded midfielder Wolves need. Gibbs-White has played an integral role in Wolves’ preseason and has looked excellent. It is clear that he drastically improves the fluidity of Wolves’ attack.

The reason I am not recommending Jiménez as highly as I usually would is his price, position, and injury status. Even when fit, as a 7.0m FWD, I believe there is better value elsewhere, especially given the fact that a lot of managers will be looking at the likes of Haaland, Kane, and Jesus. Jiménez’s price also makes it more of a challenge to swap him for another asset, if needed. You are likely going to need to use two transfers to restructure.

Before his new injury, Jiménez was looking like he could be returning to his best form. When Wolves have a run of good fixtures later on in the season, I think we might see him being considered again by many managers, particularly since he is on penalties.

Hwang has been moved from a FWD to a MID this season by FPL towers. He is not by any means a guaranteed starter, even with Jiménez out injured, and has so far been an inconsistent performer for Wolves. His price also makes him less appealing given that Neto, Podence, and even Gibbs-White are 0.5m less. If he gets a run of games in the central striker role though, he may be a hidden gem. One to keep an eye on.

Further Read: Best 8.0 Million FPL Midfielders- Stats, Comparison & Verdict

Wolves FPL Assets to Avoid:

Conor Coady – DEF – 5.0m
Ruben Neves – MID – 5.5m
José Sá – GKP – 5.0m

Wolves assets to avoid for the 22/23 FPL season ~ Coady and Neves

Conor Coady is Wolves’ captain and was an excellent 4.5m pick in 21/22 where he was a guaranteed starter. This season though, there is 100% better value elsewhere at his price and cheaper. Coady massively overperformed his xG too and I don’t expect him to do that again. If Wolves continue playing 4-at-the-back, he is also no longer guaranteed to play every game and so I see no compelling reason to put him in your team.

Ruben Neves is a truly exceptional player and if he stays at Wolves, which is becoming increasingly likely, it is a huge statement. For the amount of FPL points, he will return though, Neves is an avoid at 5.5m. I also expect his output to be reduced further this season if Wolves play a back four because he will play a deeper role. With Jiménez out injured, Neves is on penalties, which adds to his appeal slightly, but still doesn’t make him worth the 5.5m in my opinion.

I am picking José Sá as an avoid purely due to his price, though I understand why managers will still be picking him. I think it would be better to downgrade to a 4.5m, go for Mendy, or pay an extra 0.5m for Ederson.

Further Read: Best FPL Goalkeepers at each price point for 2022/23 Season

Wolves Preseason Review

Wolves have played three major preseason friendlies with their full team. In all games, Wolves adopted a 4-2-1-3 formation. Please see my Twitter threads below for commentary/analysis of the matches.

Wolves 4-0 Alavés

🚨🐺 FT

Wolves 4-0 Alavés

Excellent run out! Wolves were impressive, but the opposition were also very poor.

Thanks for following my updates everyone! 💛#FPL https://t.co/P2nAVaABNR
— BlackWolf (@FPL_BlackWolf) July 20, 2022

Wolves 3-0 Beşiktaş

🚨🐺 FT

Wolves 3-0 Besiktas ✅

Another impressive Wolves performance & CS. The only negative was an injury to Jiménez. Looks like a groin injury, so let's hope it's not too serious.

Podence ⚽️🅰️⭐
Jiménez ⚽️
Neto ⚽️
RAN 🅰️

(1/3)#FPL https://t.co/i9NHIKD5px
— BlackWolf (@FPL_BlackWolf) July 23, 2022

Wolves 1-1 Sporting CP

🚨🐺 FT

Wolves 1-1 Sporting

Neves ⚽️ (P)
Neto 🅰️

My thoughts 👇🏻

– As I've been saying for a while, we will play 4atb this season unless playing a top team or if forced to revert due to injuries to key attackers. We've played it in every simgle game preseason.

(1/6)#FPL https://t.co/HfoPVVwsTK
— BlackWolf (@FPL_BlackWolf) July 31, 2022

Wolves Predicted Starting XI and Formation for the 2022/23 Season

I expect Wolves to play with two formations this season. I believe that the favoured formation will be 4-2-1-3, but that they will revert to 3-4-3/5-2-3 against tougher opposition. See below for what I think will be Wolves’ 1st choice starting XI for each formation, provided everyone is fit.

In either formation, if Jiménez is out, Podence or Neto can play the false 9 role, which is an exciting prospect for FPL. Considering this formation is so much more fluid and relies less on the central striker, I don’t think Jiménez’s injury will impact Wolves as much as it may seem.

Hwang can also play the CF role, so keep an eye out for him and how he affects the positioning of Podence in particular.

The CAM role can be occupied by Dendoncker, who appears to have been given a new position by Lage this season based on training footage and preseason games.

As stated earlier, when Semedo is back, all three wing backs will rotate the two positions. None of them are guaranteed starters, and it is unclear yet which two Lage favours. The same can be said about the CB’s. I am uncertain which two are Lage’s 1st choice pairing, particularly in a back four. I would think Collins would be one, otherwise we wouldn’t have signed him, and I honestly believe Kilman is his favoured partner, not Coady. Regardless, for at least the time being in FPL, Wolves CB’s are an avoid.

4-2-1-3

3-4-3/5-2-3

As things stand at time of writing, below would be my best guess for the starting XI vs. Leeds on August 6th.

Thank you for reading my Wolves FPL Preview. Please give me a follow on Twitter (@FPL_BlackWolf), and look out for more Wolves content coming soon!

Disclaimer: Everything I have presented in this article is accurate at the time of publishing, but information and my opinions may change before the season starts due to injuries, signings, or sales at Wolves.

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