FPL: Top 5 FPL Players To Watch For Gameweek 5

With the first PL midweek fixture list of the 2022/23 season coming up, let’s take a look at 5 of the best FPL picks for gameweek 5 that could help you rise up the ranks in this busy period which could see a lot of rotation.

Also read: FPL: The Top 5 Budget FPL Midfielders For 2022/23

5. Gabriel Martinelli (£6.4m)

Arsenal continued their perfect start to the season with a thrilling comeback win over Fulham, and whilst Martin Ødegaard (£6.5m) and Bukayo Saka (£7.9m) got returns, Gabriel Martinelli was ever so close towards bagging another impressive points haul but underperformed his xG (expected goals) and xA (expected assists) over the weekend.

He has 2 goals and an assist already to his name this campaign, and at an enticing price of under £6.5m, he is proving to be one of the best budget midfield options in FPL playing for a team that is in imperious form and competing to finish in the Champions League spots by the end of the season.

With 7 shots (2 on target) against Fulham, 5 key passes, 9 crosses, an eventual xG of 0.56 and xA of 0.39, Martinelli owners might have felt hard done by.

But those looking to get him in for gameweek 5 shouldn’t be swayed by his lack of returns, because based on his underlying stats from the previous games, he looks set for further points hauls down the line as the Gunners next play a struggling Aston Villa side at the Emirates Stadium.

4. Lewis Dunk (£4.5m)

Brighton have started the 2022/23 PL campaign in some fashion as the side from the south coast of England still remain unbeaten in the league heading into gameweek 5. With 3 cleansheets in 4 games, Lewis Dunk has established himself as one of the best budget defender options at the moment.

Bagging 2 bonus points already in 4 gameweeks, he is an attractive proposition to have as Brighton continue to put in sturdy defensive performances. He’s racked up 22 points already, as Brighton have conceded just 1 goal so far this campaign at the rate of 0.4 per match.

Also considering his potential attacking threat through set pieces over the years, he presents to be a useful option for those needing to generate funds to make other purchases elsewhere.

3. Raheem Sterling (£9.9m)

Raheem Sterling opened his Chelsea account in gameweek 4 as he scored a brace against Leicester in a game which saw the Blues having to play with 10 men for the majority of the game.

With the Londoners having to put in extra numbers in defense and midfield to prevent Leicester from exploiting the one-man advantage, Sterling had to showcase his quality whenever Chelsea broke forward, and he did that to great effect on an evening where he could’ve bagged a hat trick if not for the post impeding his way.

The Englishman had an xG of 1.15 against the Foxes, with 3 shots on goal and 2 of them being on target. As the main man in a depleted attack because of the sending off of Conor Gallagher, Sterling had to step up and deliver, and he did so with a clinical performance.

Raheem Sterling's game by numbers vs. Leicester:

1.15 xG
37 touches
3 touches in opp. box
3 shots
3 duels won
2 fouls won
2 shots on target
2 goals
1 chance created

Off the mark in a Chelsea shirt. ⚽⚽ pic.twitter.com/inbwXD35IB

— Squawka (@Squawka) August 27, 2022

Priced at £9.9m with an ownership of just 5.8%, he is one to watch out for as he gets into his stride at Stamford Bridge with the West London club having a decent run of fixtures as well.

2. Pascal Groß (£5.8m)

As Brighton continue to impress, a number of their attackers have done well this season. Leandro Trossard (£6.5m), Solly March (£5.0m), and Mac Allister (£5.5m) have been impressive and bagged returns, but no one has shone more for the Seagulls than Pascal Groß.

He currently sits on 35 points and is the second highest scoring midfielder in the game. With 3 price rises already in 4 gameweeks, and a TSB of just 12.6%, it isn’t too late to hop on the Groß train just yet. Brighton have some relatively easier fixtures coming up and Graham Potter’s side don’t look like stopping any time soon.

Groß has an xG of 1.47 in the campaign so far, and an xA of 1.69, with an impressive 80% team goal involvement along with an xGi (expected goals involvement) of 3.2. The German is on penalty duties and set piece duties as well, which only makes him an even more desirable budget midfield option to own at such a good price.

1. Harry Kane (£11.4m)

With Erling Haaland (£11.8m) and Gabriel Jesus (£8.2m) firing on all cylinders and with comparatively easier fixtures on the horizon for Man City and Arsenal, FPL managers could wonder how PL veteran Harry Kane might fit into their plans.

But with Kane fresh off a brace against Nottingham Forest in a 2-0 win away from home (where he could’ve even had a hattrick if not for a missed penalty), he has reminded non-owners of his FPL potential once more.

Scoring 10 points, Kane took 6 shots against Forest with 4 of them being on target, and amassing an impressive xG of 1.4.

With 4 goals now to his total this month, Kane has well and truly put the August curse to bed. The Spurs talisman can be a tremendous asset with the games to come as he faces London clubs West Ham and Fulham in the next 2 games after which Spurs and City go head to head at the Etihad.

With European fixtures and midweek PL games creating the risk of rotation, Kane is a safer option to have than his City counterpart Haaland whose minutes could be managed.

With a rather surprising ownership of just 17.4%, he could be a shrewd pick for those looking for a differential in their mini-leagues, and even find a way to fit in both him and Haaland by replacing under-performing premiums elsewhere in your squad.

Also read: FPL: Top 5 Budget FPL Forwards For 2022/23