Selecting Erling Haaland or Mohamed Salah, obsessing over differentials and having bucketloads of factors left in your bench… Do not inform me you have not missed this.
Fantasy soccer is again and for the subsequent two weeks I am filling in for normal BBC Sport FPL supremo Thomas Woods who has selfishly opened the season with a fortnight-long vacation.
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In gameweek two final yr, Woodsy acquired a powerful 86 factors. Daring goal or not, that’ll be my goal for this weekend.
The group of the week is chosen based mostly on present FPL costs to suit inside a £100m finances, as should you have been enjoying a Free Hit.
Do not miss our FPL particular week two Q&A with professional Gianni Buttice dwell on the BBC Sport web site at 15:30 BST on Friday, 22 August.
Keeper and defence
David Raya, Arsenal, keeper, £5.5m – Leeds (h)
It is a straightforward choose to start out. Raya stored the Premier League’s joint-most clear sheets final yr (13), nabbed one other in opposition to Manchester United in Arsenal’s opener and has a better fixture in opposition to a newly promoted membership at dwelling this weekend. He ought to do nicely.
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Gabriel, Arsenal, defender £6m – Leeds (h)
Regardless of dominating a lot of their 1-0 win over Everton, Leeds solely racked up 0.95 xG from open play. Arsenal are a transparent step up from Everton so a double-Gunners defence seems to be play. I’ve gone with Gabriel for his aerial risk. Final season, 9 of the 30 targets Leeds conceded within the Championship got here from set-pieces.
Marc Cucurella, Chelsea, defender £6m – West Ham (a)
Chelsea ought to get a clear sheet in opposition to a West Ham aspect who misplaced 3-0 to Sunderland in gameweek one. Cucurella’s my go-to Blues defender for his attacking potential. No defender scored extra Premier League targets than Cucurella final season (5, stage with Josko Gvardiol and Nikola Milenkovic). Final Saturday in opposition to Crystal Palace, the Spaniard made 12 ultimate third passes, created one large likelihood, had two photographs and garnered an anticipated purpose involvement complete (xGI) of 0.2. Not dangerous for a defender.
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Patrick Dorgu, Manchester United, defender £4.5 – Fulham (a)
I feel Dorgu goes to be this yr’s optimum OOP (out of place participant). Due to Manchester United’s three-at-the-back system, Dorgu was used as a left-winger each time Ruben Amorim’s aspect attacked. Towards Arsenal he hit the publish and put in quite a few harmful crosses which may have led to assists had correct quantity 9 Benjamin Sesko been on the pitch sooner. Dorgu is successfully a £4.5m midfielder not taking over a valuable midfield slot.
Midfielders
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal, midfielder £10m – Leeds (h)
Sorry Leeds followers, I am going triple Arsenal. Manchester United might have stored Saka quiet in gameweek one however historical past tells us he is due a haul. Saka racked up 127 factors from solely 25 video games final yr and, if Arsenal do beat Leeds on the weekend, he is more likely to be concerned. Slightly below 1 / 4 of Arsenal’s league targets final season have been both scored or assisted by Saka (24.6%).
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Cole Palmer, Chelsea, midfielder £10.5m – West Ham (a)
Palmer might have blanked in opposition to Crystal Palace nevertheless it’s nonetheless exhausting to look previous Chelsea’s primary man with the Blues dealing with a West Ham aspect who have been very poor in opposition to Sunderland. On penalties and free-kicks, Palmer had 4 photographs final week and made 18 final-third passes. The underlying numbers stack up. Belief me, the factors will come.
Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth, midfielder, £7.1m – Wolves (h)
Semenyo was merely good in opposition to Liverpool in gameweek one, scoring twice from an xG of 0.91 to usher in a whopping 15 factors. I would not be shocked if Semenyo ends this week as essentially the most transferred-in participant. Towards a Wolves group who conceded 4 in opposition to Manchester Metropolis final day trip and have had a day’s much less relaxation, anticipate him to get possibilities.
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David Brooks, Bournemouth, midfielder, £5m – Wolves (h)
Just like the look of Semenyo however missed out on him earlier than his worth rose? Why not take a punt on his less expensive Bournemouth team-mate David Brooks? Towards Liverpool the midfielder had two photographs, created three possibilities and nabbed an help. Respectable numbers for £5m.
[BBC Sport]
Forwards
Erling Haaland, Manchester Metropolis, ahead, £14m (captain) – Tottenham (h)
Haaland and Manchester Metropolis seemed again to their finest in opposition to Wolves. After netting twice in gameweek one, the Metropolis talisman shall be our captain for gameweek two. In his six appearances in opposition to Spurs to this point, Haaland has 4 targets and one help.
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Evanilson, Bournemouth, ahead, £7m – Wolves (h)
I am sneaking in yet another Bournemouth participant in Evanilson. Final yr he scored 10 targets and had 5 assists from 31 video games. Not too shabby. And, with Justin Kluivert out injured, there is a robust likelihood he’ll be on penalty obligation this weekend. With only a 2.1% possession, he is both a category differential or I am a whole idiot. I am going to let subsequent week’s feedback determine.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace, ahead, £7.5m – Nottingham Forest (h)
The ultimate striker spot is a tricky one. There are such a lot of good forwards at £7.5m together with Mateta, who scored 14 targets final season and one within the Neighborhood Protect two weeks in the past, Joao Pedro, who shall be taking up a shaky West Ham defence, and Chris Wooden coming off the again of two targets on Sunday. All are stable picks however Mateta is the one one enjoying at dwelling this weekend and that tiny distinction means he makes the lower.
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Subs’ bench
Martin Dubravka, Burnley, goalkeeper, £4m – Sunderland (h)
Maxime Esteve, Burnley, defender, £4m – Sunderland (h)
Quilindschy Hartman, Burnley, defender, £4m – Sunderland (h)
Josh King, Fulham, midfielder, £4.5m – Manchester United (h)
Staff complete price: £99.6m