The opening day of the new season is finally out of the way and Fantasy Premier League managers are ready to raise the stakes in game week 2. Are you happy with your Fantasy Premier League points total or some of your top-hitters disappointed in game week 1?
Some of last week’s wrongs might be righted as some teams play their first home game of the season and vice versa. Welcome back to the rollercoaster of fortunes.
The FootballCastle yet again provides some essential tips ahead of the Game Week 2 deadline on Saturday, August 13 at 11:00 BST.
Goalkeepers
Aaron Ramsdale (£5.0m)
The Arsenal net-minder becomes an early favourite (15.4% ownership) after a clean sheet against Crystal Palace. Ramsdale earned six points ahead of upcoming fixtures against Leicester, Bournemouth and Fulham.
Ederson (£5.5m)
The Brazilian is unlikely to accumulate many save points, but his record of three Golden Gloves in four seasons indicates he is a clean sheet certainty. A day out against Bournemouth looks like a foolproof decision for Manchester City’s backline.
Defenders
Joao Cancelo (£7.0m)
Despite picking up a yellow card in GW1, Cancelo provided two bonus points for his defensive efforts. Our second pick from the champions’ backline is likely to return against Bournemouth having had one shot and one key pass against West Ham.
Olexandr Zinchenko (£5.1m)
The Ukrainian was impressive against Crystal Palace on his Arsenal debut and his positions were basically part of a midfield four in possession as he registered an assist for the opening goal.
Zinchenko will show more of those attacking instincts against Leicester whilst he bears potential for clean sheets.
Fabian Schär (£4.5m)
The Swiss defender’s goal and clean sheet rewarded his 2.4% of managers with 15 points in the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest. Schär’s defensive prospects, price and eye for goal make him a must-have asset.
Kieran Trippier (£5.0m)
The full-back looked comfortable at the start of the new season and took nine corners. Trippier is a wonderful attacking weapon and has Dan Burn, Schär, and Callum Wilson to aim for at his set-pieces.
Lucas Digne (£5.0m)
Despite the opening-day defeat to Bournemouth, Aston Villa face an Everton side ridiculously shorn of attacking options.
Digne is on corner-taking duty for Villa and Everton conceded the joint-highest amount of goals from set-piece situations last season.
Midfielders
Leon Bailey (£5.0m)
The Jamaican was able to create significant openings in GW1 and could be rewarded against Everton.
Bailey was impressive in pre-season and might unleash that promise against disjointed opponents.
Gabriel Martinelli (£6.1m)
The Arsenal forward was in fantastic form and has already gained an FPL price rise after netting the opening goal of the season at Crystal Palace.
Martinelli registered an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.84 and remains fixture-proof in the absence of Emile Smith Rowe.
Jack Harrison (£6m)
The winger put in an impressive performance for Leeds as he looks to be taking on the creative mantle with seven key passes and two big chances created against Wolves.
Harrison returned six points as he grabbed the assist for Rodrigo’s first-half equalizer.
Andreas Pereira (£4.5m)
Our GW1 ultra-budget option was impressive and pertinently took free kicks and corners as he tirelessly attacked from open play
Pereira got 22 touches in the final third against Liverpool, the most in the Fulham team.
Jarrod Bowen (£8.5m)
Last season’s talismanic figure for West Ham was omitted from our GW1 selection due to the quality of opposition. Yet, he was one of the most advanced players on the pitch against Man City.
However, the Hammers have a much more favourable GW2 meeting against Nottingham Forest. Bowen is highly likely to be decisive in the final third.
Mohamed Salah (£13m)
The FPL giant became the first player ever to score in the opening fixture for five consecutive seasons as he got his team back from defeat with a goal and assist at Fulham.
Salah managed a 12-point haul and his link-up play with Darwin Nuñez showed plenty of promise.
Forwards
Erling Haaland (£11.6m)
The popular Norwegian scored twice on his Premier League debut, the only player to do so since Sergio Agüero, which further proves that he can score goals against anybody.
Haaland showed a wonderful chemistry in his link-up with Kevin De Bruyne, which is also visible off the pitch, and is the most-bought player in FPL ahead of the Bournemouth clash having had five shots in the box and four big chances, more than any other player.
Only two players outscored the striker in GW 1 and his run of fixtures are enticing as much as his scheduled mid-season break as he will not be travelling to the World Cup. The 22-year-old is a must-own.
Darwin Nuñez (£9m)
The prolific Uruguayan already looks to be the complete FPL asset with his three shots on target and a higher non-penalty xG (1.46) than any other player, despite playing just 39 minutes against Fulham.
Liverpool are in need of a reaction in GW2 and Nuñez must start against Crystal Palace.
Ivan Toney (£7.0m)
Brentford’s marksman scored on opening day to pull the Bees toward an eventual 2-2 draw with Leicester.
Toney scored from his only shot on target and created two chances, the kind of fearsome accuracy needed ahead of facing Manchester United before embarking on a run of fixtures between Gameweeks 3-8 that sees him play none of last season’s top six.
At a rate of 5.6% ownership, the striker could be an early-season differential.
