EPL GW2: FPL Player Picks (Friday Deadline!)

GW-1 brought excitement, goals, and surprises for FPL managers. Key players like De Bruyne, Mings, Timber, and Salah were taken off early, confounding many FPL managers. It’s a good reminder that unpredictability is a part of the game, and flexibility is key when managing your FPL team.

As we head into GW-2, remember that we have another Friday deadline.

Also, though nobody here should have any of their assets yet, Luton Town and Burnley blank and should be avoided still. Indeed, until Luton’s stadium is “passed fit”, Luton and any opponent of the week are prone to blanking whenever Luton is scheduled at home (look ahead to West Ham at Luton in GW-4 with caution).

Goalkeepers

Alisson Becker (£5.5m, LIV vs BOU)

The Brazilian shot-stopper has good odds of a clean sheet in this fixture. Bournemouth has been sloppy in front of goal, with a lot of effort going to waste in GW-1. Don’t forget that Alisson collected three assists last season too; could one be in the cards this weekend?

Defenders

Ben Chilwell (£5.6m, WHU VS CHE)

With 17.5% ownership, many FPL managers have recognized Chilwell’s fantasy value this season. He combines clean sheet potential with offensive threat for just £5.6m (a price that reflects a 0.1 rise already).

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Rico Henry ( £4.5m BRE vs FUL)

Henry offers the most attacking threat amongst Brentford’s defenders; he provided an assist in their last game against Tottenham. At just £4.5m and 3.0% ownership, he could serve as a nice differential this week.

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Pervis Estupiñán (£5.0m, WOL vs BHA)

No differential here — More than half of all FPL managers (54.6%) are backing Brighton’s Estupinan. His potential for clean sheets and attacking contributions from the fullback position, at a price of just £5.0m, makes him a cost-effective option for your squad.

Midfielders

James Maddison (£7.5m, TOT vs MUN)

James Maddison’s two assists in his opening game has immediately elevated him from on-the-radar to nearly must-have. Already an architect of Tottenham’s attack from open play, Maddison will also enjoy a larger share of set pieces now that Harry Kane has departed for Germany. It should be no surprise that his xA is the highest in the league.

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Mo Salah (£12.5m, LIV vs BOU)

There seems to be much hand-wringing after the Egyptian legend managed “only” an assist against Chelsea, especially because his team looked little-improved from last season’s lackluster campaign. But despite Liverpool’s struggles last season, Mo still finished with 32 goal contributions and 239 points, so we’re not willing to bet against him at Anfield this weekend.

Many will remember this fixture from 12 months ago, when ‘Pool demolished Bournemouth 9-0, with Salah’s name not one of the seven on the scoresheet. While the scoreline probably won’t be the same, we don’t expect Salah to be shut out again.

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Bukayo Saka (£8.6m, CRY vs ARS)

With a heavy 64.0% ownership, Arsenal’s Saka remains a favorite of FPL managers, and it’s easy to understand why. He has resumed where he left off last season, scoring a cracker of a goal against Forest for a tidy 10 point return. Now he crosses London to visit an unimposing Palace.

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Moussa Diaby (£6.5m, AVL vs EVE)

Despite Villa’s 1-5 defeat at the hands of Newcastle, new-boy Diaby was impressive, scoring his side’s only goal on his Premier League debut. The former Bayer Leverkusen man scored 22 goals in 65 appearances over his last two seasons in the Bundesliga, yet he is still owned by only 7.7% of FPL managers. He looks like a great differential option at home against Everton.

Forwards

Callum Wilson (£8.0m, MCI vs NEW)

Wilson came off the bench to net a goal last weekend. Man City is a totally different animal than Aston Villa, but I’m betting that Wilson at least gets to start from the whistle this time, and he has a proven track record as a Premier League goal-scorer.

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Joao Pedro (£5.5m, WOL vs BHA)

Joao Pedro is the new penalty kicker for Brighton, and in the Seagull’s opening-day encounter against Luton, he opened his account by converting from the spot.

Wolves can be stubborn, but Brighton’s free-wheeling offense is firing on all cylinders, and Pedro will surely fancy himself again.

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Erling Haaland (£14.0m, MCI vs NEW)

Haaland scored the first two goals of the EPL season in his opening match. He is almost a must have — the first player in FPL history with over 90% ownership. What do the remaining non-Haaland-owning managers make of that?

Which players from the list make up your team? Whom do you feel we should have named but didn’t? Which questions do you wish to ask us? Log in and let us know in the comments section.

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