FPL bargains: The best cheap forwards, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers in FPL 2023-24
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 11 Aug 2023 14:23 BST
- 7 min read
The 2023-24 Fantasy Premier League season is almost underway and we have you totally covered for the new campaign.
As a result, FPL managers will be frantically assembling their team ahead of the Gameweek One deadline on Friday, 5 August.
As always, FPL bosses have a £100 million budget to build a 15-man squad, which includes the starting XI and four subs.
MORE: Fantasy Premier League: The 10 most expensive FPL players in 2023-24
Big-name stars such as Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah are essential in FPL as they can always be relied upon to pick up large points hauls, but the strict budget means cheap options are necessary to stay within the £100m allowance.
Those bargain buys are often key to an FPL manager’s success and must be picked correctly at the start of the game.
FootballTransfers lists three of the best FPL bargains per position for the 2023-24 season.
MORE: Fantasy Premier League: The 10 most expensive new signings in FPL 2023-24
Goalkeeper
| Player | Club | FPL Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bernd Leno | Fulham | £4.5m |
| Mark Flekken | Brentford | £4.5m |
| Alphonse Areola | West Ham | £4m |
Bernd Leno - £4.5m (Fulham)
Fulham’s Bernd Leno bagged the sixth-highest number of FPL points from goalkeepers last year and is the cheapest option of the top six this time around.
Marco Silva’s side may have enjoyed an incredible season last year, but Leno could be a good bet for more points in 2023-24, especially considering only Raya and Jose Sa scored more than his 17 bonus points last season.
Mark Flekken - £4.5m (Brentford)
With David Raya seemingly on his way out of Brentford and to Arsenal, it frees up the number one spot for summer signing Mark Flekken.
The Bees signed Flekken from Freiburg, where he picked up 13 clean sheets in the Bundesliga last season, and what’s more impressive is that Raya earned the most FPL points (166) of any goalkeeper in the game last campaign.
If Brentford can replicate that defensive form and Flekkn can live up to Raya, then he’ll be an excellent goalkeeper chocie in FPL.
Alphonse Areola - £4m (West Ham)
Alphonse Areola has unfortunately played second fiddle to Lucasz Fabianski at West Ham for the past two seasons, but his form in the Europa Conference League warrants a starting berth in the Premier League.
This may be a risky selection as Fabianski is the more likely to be first-choice under David Moyes, but Areola bagged 124 points in 2021-22 on loan at Fulham and is a fantastic goalkeeper.
At £4m - the joint-lowest of any goalkeeper in this season’s FPL - he could be a shrewd pick-up.
Defender
| Player | Club | FPL Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sven Botman | Newcastle | £4.5m |
| Levi Colwill | Chelsea | £4.5m |
| Amari'i Bell | Luton | £4m |
Sven Botman - £4.5m (Newcastle)
Only seven defenders in the whole of Fantasy Premier League scored more than Sven Botman’s 129 points last year and the Dutchman could be set for another productive year.
Newcastle don’t show any signs of slowing down and the additions of Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes make them even more fearsome than last season.
Eddie Howe has built his team on defensive solidity which makes Botman such a great choice. Tyrone Mings would’ve been another great bargain defender, but Pau Torres’ arrival may mean he doesn’t start every game, whereas Botman is nailed on at St James’ Park.
Levi Colwill - £4.5m (Chelsea)
After impressing in pre-season and signing a new long-term deal, Levi Colwill is on course fo a big campaign at Chelsea.
The Englishman appears to be a favourite of Mauricio Pochettino’s, and Benoit Badiashile’s injury means he will start the season as first-choice.
A £4.5m starting defender at a team vying for Champions League football shouldn’t be sniffed at, and Colwill is certainly a bargain buy in FPL this year.
Amari’i Bell - £4m (Luton)
Luton Town may be one of the favourites for relegation this season, but their threat from corners and the hostile Kenilworth Road atmosphere means they’re likely to pick up a few strappy wins this campaign.
As a result, Amari’i Bell is a great pick-up at £4m - the cheapest available price for a defender - as he’ll provide a threat from set-pieces and will play a key role in any clean sheets Luton earn.
Midfielder
| Player | Club | FPL Price |
|---|---|---|
| Julio Enciso | Brighton | £5.5m |
| Dango Ouattara | Bournemouth | £5m |
| Carney Chukwuemeka | Chelsea | £4.5m |
Julio Enciso - £5.5m (Brighton)
After being slowly integrated into the Brighton first-team last season, Julio Enciso caught the eye with some mesmerising goals against Chelsea and Manchester City, while he began to find a home in Roberto De Zerbi’s system.
With Alexis Mac Allister gone, Enciso is likely to start in the No.10 position behind Evan Ferguson and will be looking to improve on his 57-point haul in FPL last campaign.
Dango Ouattara - £5m (Bournemouth)
Dango Ouattara only joined Bournemouth in January, but he was a key reason behind their impressive form in the second half of the season, contributing 49 FPL points at a rate of 2.6 per game.
He notched one goal and three assists in 15 starts as he adapted to English football, and under new boss Andoni Iroala, he could be on for a big season.
Carney Chukwuemeka - £4.5m (Chelsea)
Carney Chukwuemeka wasn’t given too many chances at Chelsea last season amid their poor form, but he looked bright whenever he was handed a cameo appearance.
Pochettino has put his faith in the youngster in pre-season, and he could be a sure-fire bet for the No.10 slot behind Nicolas Jackson, given Christopher Nkunku’s injury.
At £4.5m, which is the lowest price of any midfielder, he could be a steal if he’s able to play consistently.
Forward
| Player | Club | FPL Price |
|---|---|---|
| Evan Ferguson | Brighton | £6m |
| Sasa Kalajdzic | Wolves | £5m |
| Cameron Archer | Aston Villa | £4.5m |
Evan Ferguson - £6m (Brighton)
Evan Ferguson is likely to be Brighton’s starting striker this season and considering the Seagulls took the third-most shots in the Premier League last season, he’s set to receive plenty of chances to put away.
He mustered six goals and two assists in just 10 starts last season and averaged 3.4 FPL points per match, with 0.57 goal involvements per 90 minutes.
If he’s able to continue that form - which seems probable - then Ferguson will be an amazing FPL asset this year at £6m.
Sasa Kalajdzic - £5m (Wolves)
Sasa Kalajdzic played just 46 Premier League minutes last season after suffering an ACL injury on his competitive Wolves debut. However, he is now back to full fitness, and old gold fans will be hoping he can replicate his 2020-21 Stuttgart form when he netted 16 goals and provided five assists in the Bundesliga.
He has low ownership and could be a nice, cheap differential pick.
Cameron Archer - £4.5m (Aston Villa)
Cameron Archer is in the lowest bracket of forwards in FL this year, at just £4.5m.
He may be a backup to Ollie Watkins, but if his countryman gets injured, then Archer will be a great player in FPL. Plus, Unai Emery may stick with his favoured 442 system, and Archer could play alongside Watkins at Villa Park.
The England U21 international bagged 11 goals and laid on six assists in just 19 Championship starts for Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough last year, so he’s ready for the step up to top-flight football.
