Best Liverpool FPL Assets to Target for FPL GW1

Having gone unbeaten at the pre-season tour in America in his first few weeks at the club, Slot has set his side up well to attack the fairly kind fixture run that awaits his side at the beginning of the new Premier League campaign. Klopp’s departure and uncertainty around the futures of some key players meant that Liverpool and FPL fans alike have been waiting in anticipation to see how this new Liverpool team line-up under a new coach – and so far, it’s looking good, very good!

In this post, we’ll be analyzing which Liverpool FPL assets to target for the upcoming season, with a focus on GW1, taking into account Slot’s tactics, player stats, form, pre-season games and price!

Link to all our 2024/25 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, differentials, players to target, budget enablers and more. Completely free to access as well!

Best Liverpool FPL Assets to Target for FPL GW1

Liverpool FPL Fixtures GW1-GW10:

Goalkeepers

Another season, another year of Alisson Becker (£5.5m) between the sticks for the Reds! Despite decent performances both in pre-season and last season, Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.5m) is likely to make way for the Brazilian shot stopper come GW1 against Ipswich.

Kelleher (£4.5m) has been rumoured to leave this summer, and could be a decent option if that’s the case, or if Alisson picks up an injury in pre-season, but otherwise, he should be avoided.

Alisson, on the other hand, has never been an FPL fan favourite, mainly down to his price – at 5.5m, he’s a tough sell, especially considering the plethora of great 4.5m options at our disposal this time around. He averaged 3.8 points per match last season, 6th highest among goalkeepers, and kept only 8 clean sheets. His lower than average CS total was due to a couple of injuries that he suffered over the course of the season, so one would expect that to be higher this time around.

Liverpool will be more defensively sound this season, and while Alisson could be considered for those looking for a differential Liverpool FPL pick, it’s arguably a waste to use one of our three precious Liverpool FPL spots up on a Goalkeeper. In a post on my personal blog, I’ve written about ‘the best £4.5m GKs to target‘ (click here to read), and with some great options available at £1.0m and £0.5m less than Alisson, that money could be better spent elsewhere.

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Defenders

Liverpool’s defense was much better than many people give it credit for last season. 3rd lowest goals against and 3rd lowest expected goals against puts them only behind City and Arsenal in terms of defensive record. Slot is much more of a possession focused manager than Klopp was/is, which means that Liverpool will likely improve on their 10 clean sheets from last time around, and become an even better team defensively.

Last season at Feyenoord Slot had the best defense in the league in terms of xGA and the 2nd best in terms of GA, conceding just 26 goals over the 34 game season. Similarly, the season before, Feyenoord defense was the 2nd best in xGA and best in GA. Slot knows how to coach a defense.

With so many options to discuss, let’s start off with the most inexpensive, and work our way up. You may notice that I have not included VVD in this list, and that’s because I just do not see him as a good value FPL pick. Liverpool have been getting far fewer corners in pre-season than they normally do due to a decrease in shot volume, as Slot is trying to encourage players to take shots in better positions, and fewer corners means fewer opportunities for VVD to get shots off and score. His goal threat has been one of his most desirable qualities from an FPL perspective in recent years, so without that, I prefer his cheaper CB partner.

£4.5m – Jarell Quansah

Quansah is the cheapest Liverpool FPL asset worth discussing, as there is (in my opinion) a pretty good chance that he starts against Ipswich in GW1 alongside VVD. A £4.5m Liverpool FPL asset, that plays week-in-week-out is gold-dust, and should not be overlooked.

The Englishman has started all of Liverpool’s pre-season games and started their second to last against Sevilla alongside Captain VVD. The side that Slot played against Sevilla included the likes of Salah, Trent, Mac Allister and other traditional starters, and resembled Liverpool’s strongest team much more than the side who played in their final pre-season game against Las Palmas only 2 hours later – therefore it’s expected that Quansah will start in GW1 against Ipswich – but beyond that, is still up for debate.

£5.0m – Tsimikas

Robertson has been absent from all of the pre-season friendlies so far (although did play in their final game against Las Palmas, but as mentioned, this was largely a second string team) and is in a race against time to be fully fit for the Ipswich game, if he is unfit, Tsimikas looks like a great option for our teams. His fairly decent 0.17xGI/90 last season and set piece duties makes him worth the £0.5m jump from Quansah, but with Robertson playing 60 minutes against Las Palmas, it looks like he could be back as soon as GW2/3, so Tsimikas probably isn’t worth the risk.

Robertson £6.0m / TAA £7.0m

Despite Robertson’s injury, he could be in contention to start in GW1, and will (unless he suffers a setback) be fit at some point during Liverpool’s glorious fixture run, which lasts until around GW10. Thus, I will be discussing him in this section, specifically with regards to the question of whether he is a better FPL asset than his flying fullback partner, Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Firstly, their price. Robertson comes in £1.0m under TAA, which is big this season, considering the pricing of some of the other big FPL assets like Haaland and Salah; every extra 0.5m counts this time. So if their output is similar, and if their roles are similar, then I can see why many people are considering the Scot ahead of Trent.

Statistically, last season, Robbo was better than Trent. To quote our Best Premium FPL Defenders post “Robertson had a better xG/90 than Trent last season, and a better xA/90, is he not the better pick? While this is true, the scot played 500 minutes fewer than TAA last season, meaning that his numbers are slightly less reliable as they come from a smaller sample size. Furthermore, since his arrival at Liverpool, this is only the second time that Robertson has averaged more xGI/90 than his full-back partner, the first being during his first at the club. Therefore it is more likely that last season was the exception to the rule, rather than an example of what’s to come.”

Furthermore, in pre-season, the Bradley (RB) has been occupying much more attacking positions than Tsimikas (LB), which could hint that the system Slot is building, will be focused on attacking more down the right than the left. This could equally just be part of Bradley’s game, maybe he likes to get forward more than Tsimikas, and therefore the greek fullback has had to be the more conservative so far; it’s hard to know for sure whether this a system or personnel quirk but we’ll know more when Trent is back playing.

All things considered, Trent has historically been the more productive (from an FPL and output pov), and has a much wider skillset than Robbo, meaning that he is the safer option of the two. That being said, at £1.0m more, I can understand the Robertson argument and hype, considering his numbers last season.

Further Read: FPL Rotational Pairs & Combinations for the 2024/25 FPL Season

Midfielders and Attackers

Differentials

Although Salah is the obvious candidate when discussing Liverpool’s midfield / attacking options, there are some other players who are worth discussing in this section. Let’s start with the more unknown assets before moving on to the Egyptian King and other high-profile assets.

Harvey Elliot (£5.5m) has impressed so far under the new manager, providing 2 assists against Arsenal in pre-season, and has started all of Liverpool’s televised games under Slot. At just £5.5m he could be a gem. The Number 10 position in Slot’s system is crucial to creating chances, and Calvin Stengs, who played as the N.10 for Feyenoord last season, managed 18 goal contributions in the league, the second highest in the squad.

The trouble is, that Elliot is not a nailed on starter, and is fighting for his position with Szoboszlai (£6.5m). As mentioned before, Elliot started against Las Palmas (with the Liverpool B team), so Szobo is more likely to start as he played against Sevilla (with the A team), but it’s a position to keep an eye on for the long term, as a Liverpool FPL attacking midfielder will be a great, cheap differential.

Onto Gakpo (£7.0m) and Diaz (£7.5m). Diaz showed last season that he is not a great finisher by underperforming his xG, so despite his performance, and 2 goals, against Sevilla, I don’t buy the hype. Pre-season is much less of an indicator than performances last season, and based on last season, I would avoid him. Gakpo is unfortunately classed as a forward, rather than a midfielder, meaning that he scores less FPL points per goal, making him a much less appealing option. What’s more, both of these players are likely to rotated, at least to begin with, as neither has had a full pre-season, and is lacking both match fitness and general fitness. Avoid both, at least for GW1, as there is a different Liverpool midfielder who we will come to discuss who is a far better option…

Further Read: Best FPL Budget Enablers For The 2024-25 FPL Season

Salah 12.5m

Now onto the big one, is Salah really worth the money? With great fixtures from GW1-8, a full pre-season, and the form that he and Liverpool have been in going into the campaign, he is such a fantastic asset. I understand the Haaland dilema, but if I were to pick one for the first few GWs, it surely has to be Salah; we can only captain one player each GW, and Salah has a better fixture in 4 of the first 6 games.

Despite a downturn in his output last season, his underlying numbers are still fantastic: 1.2xGI/90 last season and 28 goal contributions in 32 games. Furthermore, Salah’s 211 points is only 6 short of Haaland’s total.

With the fixtures as good as they are up until GW8, and the fact that City’s fixtures don’t get good until around GW7, a strategy to consider is starting with Salah, and then using 2 or 3 free transfers around GW7/8 to bring Haaland in if necessary.

There are so many great FPL options between £7.5m and £10.0m which are having to be overlooked by many managers who see having Salah and Haaland as essential, but with just one, these premium midfielders and premium forwards can be considered again. Of course, this strategy will not appeal to everyone, but as we are discussing Liverpool I felt it necessary to bring this up as an option, and to remind managers just how good Salah is, especially with the fixtures!

Further Read: 2024/25 Season FPL Team Structure Guide with Drafts & Ratings

Jota £7.5m / Darwin £7.5m

As Nunez’ number 1 fan, it is with a heavy heart that I must admit, that for now, I don’t think Darwin a great FPL pick. I’ve stuck by through the highs and lows of owning him in FPL, but for now I have to say that Jota is a much better option for GW1. As I wrote about in my personal blog post ‘Profiling an Arne Slot Number 9‘, Jota has all of the crucial characteristics that Slot requires from a Striker.

As I see it, a perfect Slot Forward is someone ‘who takes a lot of shots, a short distance from goal, while remaining efficient (high goal per shot numbers), and is a physical specimen in terms of speed, height and leap. Technically they don’t need to be the best player, remaining relatively absent from build up, with low touch and pass numbers.’

Efficiency and conversion rate are what I believe Slot values highest, and Jota ticks both of these boxes, whereas Nunez (notoriously) does not. What’s more, Nunez only returned from his post-international break rest this week, and only played 67 minutes in the game vs Las Palmas which was not the main Liverpool team, compared to Jota who has featured in the 2 most recent friendly matches.

Jota is also much more adept than Nunez at fulfilling different roles and playing different positions on the pitch, so from an FPL point of view, even if he isn’t deployed as a forward, he may be used wide left or even on the right. What makes Jota an even more exciting FPL prospect is that he is classed as a midfielder this season (Nunez is a FWD), meaning that if he can nail down a starting spot, especially as the N.9, then he would quickly become essential at just £7.5m.

I go into this subject much more in-depth on my blog, which you can read here 🙂

Jota lined up alongside the rest of the ‘Liverpool A team’ against Sevilla this weekend, meaning that he is almost guaranteed to start in GW1 against Ipswich, and is probably safe for the first 3-4 GWs of the season.

Pre-Season Liverpool Summary:

• Salah – ⚽AA
• Elliott – AA
• Jota – AAA⚽
• Szoboszlai – ⚽AA
• Jones – ⚽
• Tsmikias – ⚽
• Diaz – ⚽⚽
• TAA – A

Further Read: 2024/25 Pre-Season Summary of All 20 Premier League Teams

Players to Target

1. Salah (12.5m MID)
2. Trent (7.0m DEF)
3. Jota (7.5m MID)
4. Elliot/Szobo (5.5m MID / 6.5m MID)
5. Quansah (4.5m DEF)

Players to Avoid

1. Diaz (7.5m MID)
2. VVD (6.0m DEF)
3. Gakpo (7.5m FWD)
4. Nunez (7.5m FWD)

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2024/25 FPL Season

FPL Gameweek 1 Articles:
Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks(<10% TSB) To Target Ahead Of GW1 Deadline
FPL GW1 Scout Selection- Top Picks for GW1 with Stats and Analysis
Best FPL Drafts with Salah + Haaland with Pros/Cons and Key Notes
AllAboutFPL FPL GW1 Team Reveal with Key Notes
Top FPL Gameweek 1 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL Team Structure Analysis with Drafts and Ratings
FPL GW1 Tips- Best Formations & Structure, Haaland + Mo?, More

Must Read articles:
Premier League Penalty & Set Piece Takers | 2024/25 PL Season
2024/25 Pre-Season Summary of All 20 Premier League Teams
Best FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for 2024/25 FPL Season
Best FPL Budget Enablers For The 2024-25 FPL Season
List of Free to Join Prize FPL Mini Leagues Ahead of 24/25 Season
List of Creative FPL Team Names for the 2024/25 FPL Season
Best £6.5m FPL Midfielders Comparison For 2024/25 FPL Season
Team wise Best FPL Differentials(<10% TSB) for the 2024/25 Season
Best Liverpool FPL Assets to Target for FPL GW1
2024/25 FPL Season – Teams & Players to Target | Fixture Analysis
Best FPL Picks Outside Top 6 Teams | 2024/25 FPL Season
2024/25 FPL Season- New Rules & Changes | What’s New in FPL?
Players to Avoid in FPL GW1 Drafts
Underpriced FPL Assets from Traditional Big 6 Teams
Ultimate 2024/25 FPL Pre-Season Guide: Tips, Preview & More

GW1 Drafts and Analysis:
AllAboutFPL FPL GW1 Team Reveal with Key Notes
204/25 Season FPL Team Structure Guide with Drafts & Ratings
Best FPL Drafts with Salah + Haaland with Pros/Cons and Key Notes
Initial FPL GW1 Drafts for the 24/25 FPL Season with Pros & Cons

Position-Wise Analysis:
Defenders and Goal Keepers series:
Best FPL Goalkeepers to Target For The 2024/25 FPL Season
Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders For The 2024/25 FPL Season
Best £4.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2024/25 FPL Season
Best £5-5.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2024/25 FPL Season
Best Premium FPL Defenders for the 2024/25 FPL Season(>=6.0 million)

Midfielders Series:
Best Premium FPL Midfielders (£8.0 – £12.5 Million) | 24/25 Season
Best Mid-Priced FPL Midfielders (£6.5 -£7.5 Million) | 24/25 Season
£4.5 Million FPL Midfielders Watchlist for the 2024/25 FPL Season
Best Budget FPL Midfielders (£5.0 -£6.0 Million) | 24/25 Season

Forwards Series:
Best Premium FPL Forwards Analysis Ahead Of 2024/25 Season
Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £5.5 Million) | 24/25 FPL Season
Best FPL Mid Priced Forwards (£6 – £7 Million) | 24-25 Season
Best FPL Mid Priced Forwards (£7.5 – £8 Million) | 24-25 Season

If you’re new to FPL, here is a link to all our FPL Beginners Guide including FPL Beginner’s Guide- How to play?, Bench boost, Team value, Triple captain, Effective ownership, Price Changes, Free Hit, Bonus Points, and more.

Link to all our 2024/25 Pre-Season articles including all position-wise analysis, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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