Top 9 Fantasy Premier League traps to avoid: Popular FPL players you shouldn’t pick

Every season it becomes increasingly easier to fall into easy FPL ‘traps,’ as players that may seem like guaranteed point-getters turn out to be duds. So, let’s take a look at the popular players you should be avoiding in your team for Gameweek 1 of the 2023/24 FPL season.

Some players are obvious to avoid in FPL: bench players, for example, or defensive midfielders, are unlikely to help your first team at all, unless they’re used as budget picks to sit on your bench and allow you to cheekily pick the best premium players.

However, there are always players that appear to possess something special and have an aura of points about them. That or they seem to have a huge upside – but might not actually be up to scratch at all.

These traps can be the difference between winning or losing your mini-leagues, so take a look at our thoughts and who we think should be sidestepped in the 23/24 FPL season.

Popular FPL players to avoid in 2023/24

*Note: Ownership percentages are correct at the time of publication.

Tyrone Mings (DEF, 4.5)

Mings should be replaced by Pau Torres if you want a Villa defender.

Ownership: 15.4%

Prior to summer signings being made, Mings felt like a great choice and one of the first names in most people’s drafts.

The signing of Pau Torres could, and likely will, disrupt that thinking though. With the highly-rated Spaniard coming into Villa at the exact same price point, Torres seems a more nailed-on and reliable option for defense.

Ben White (DEF, 5.5)

Ownership: 9.7%

Ben White is the lowest-owned player in this list, sitting just below 10%, but there’s little reason for anybody to justify owning him at this point in time.

With an xGI (expected goal involvement) of 4.85 last season, he was outperformed by teammate Gabriel, who comes in at 5.0 — 0.5 cheaper — and is deemed a superior FPL option.

Kieran Trippier (DEF, 6.5)

Ownership: 34.6%

Trippier’s stats were elite last season, and they’ll likely be fantastic this season too, but the early fixtures make Trippier a risky pick, not to mention his price that is only beaten by Trent Alexander Arnold (8.0) for defenders.

Trippier is definitely a ‘wait and see’ option here, but when he has teammates like Sven Botman priced at 4.5, it’s hard to justify his position in your team for the start of the season.

Kevin De Bruyne (MID, 10.5)

Ownership: 14.4%

At 32, one of the greatest Premier League players ever might be starting to slow down a bit. He was still the 6th-best, points-earning midfielder last season and forged a deadly partnership with Erling Haaland. But, as we saw in the CL Final and at various points throughout the season, injuries are taking their toll.

Pep is known for being a menace when it comes to chopping and changing his team and putting the fear of god into FPL owners. There are simply many players who are cheaper and assured of more first-team minutes. When Be Druyne plays he usually bags points, but how much will he actually play in the 23/24 season?

Alexis Mac Allister (MID, 6.0)

Mac Allister is unlikely to have the same impact for Liverpool as he did for Brighton.

Ownership: 15.3%

Mac Allister became a solid option towards the tail end of the 22/23 season while at Brighton, but don’t expect things to be the same after his move to Liverpool.

While he was deployed as a number 10 for Brighton under De Zerbi, he’ll more likely be a number 8 for Liverpool, as well as no longer having set-piece duties to earn points from. Don’t expect him to perform the same this season.

Ederson (GK, 5.5)

Ownership: 13.6%

Premium goalkeepers are always somewhat of a risk, because while they can often be found among the top performers in their category, it means taking away up to 1.0 of your budget that could be better used on options in midfield or attack.

Ederson is no different: he won’t receive many save points (if at all) and you’d be better off banking on a City defender such as Stones for the same price but with way higher points potential.

Christopher Nkunku (FWD, 7.5)

Ownership: 19.2%

Nkunku is a hugely exciting prospect for Chelsea, but there’s no denying that players often struggle in their first season in the Premier League. Haaland was an anomaly of the highest order.

If he hits the ground running, Nkunku is going to prove an incredible pick, but he has a very high ownership right now and it might take him some time to warm to the league. Chelsea notoriously has a difficult time with strikers, and it doesn’t help that Nkunku has already picked up a serious injury.

Alexander Isak (FWD, 7.5)

Ownership: 12.6%

Isak had a very strong purple streak towards the end of the 2022/23 season, but it didn’t last long, and nor was it very consistent.

He was a rotation risk with Callum Wilson (8.0), and the Newcastle front three doesn’t seem completely set in stone. Not only that, but with Trippier (above) not getting any younger and Isak having a history of injury issues, throwing Champions League matches into the mix could mean a lot more rotation. For those reasons, treat Isak as a “wait and see” option, especially given Newcastle’s tough start.

Reece James (DEF, 5.5)

Reece James can be an unreliable FPL asset.

Ownership: 15.4%

Reece James, when on form, is one the best assets in FPL, able to compete against the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The issue is his persistent injury issues, not to mention the fact that he can also be utilised on the left of a back three, while someone like Chilwell (5.5) could be used on the left and isn’t likely to be pulled into the middle, giving him unlimited opportunities to run down the wings and create opportunities.

This isn’t to say that none of these players are viable picks for your FPL team — they may well all prove to be fantastic assets. However, they feel like they could be huge traps going into the season, and are better left on the side until their form or question marks over their play week-to-week are answered.

Be sure to check out the rest of our Fantasy Premier League content here:

Best FPL tips this Gameweek | Top 3 must-have FPL players from each team | Best budget defenders | Best budget midfielders | Best FPL team names | Best FPL team according to AI | Best premium FPL players ranked | All FPL position changes this season | Best promoted players | Best underpriced players | Best new signings for FPL | Top FPL trap players to avoid