Choosing Erling Haaland or Mohamed Salah, obsessing over differentials and having bucketloads of factors left in your bench… Don’t inform me you have not missed this.
Fantasy soccer is again and for the subsequent two weeks I’m filling in for normal BBC Sport FPL supremo Thomas Woods who has selfishly opened the season with a fortnight-lengthy vacation.
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In gameweek two final 12 months, Woodsy acquired a formidable 86 factors. Bold goal or not, that’ll be my purpose for this weekend.
The team of the week is chosen primarily based on present FPL costs to suit inside a £100m funds, as should you had been enjoying a Free Hit.
Don’t miss our FPL particular week two Q&A with knowledgeable Gianni Buttice reside 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’s a simple choose to begin. Raya saved the Premier League’s joint-most clear sheets final 12 months (13), nabbed one other towards Manchester United in Arsenal’s opener and has a better fixture towards a newly promoted membership at dwelling this weekend. He ought to do properly.
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Gabriel, Arsenal, defender £6m – Leeds (h)
Despite 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 a great play. I’ve gone with Gabriel for his aerial menace. Last season, 9 of the 30 objectives Leeds conceded within the Championship got here from set-items.
Marc Cucurella, Chelsea, defender £6m – West Ham (a)
Chelsea ought to get a clear sheet towards 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 objectives than Cucurella final season (5, stage with Josko Gvardiol and Nikola Milenkovic). Last Saturday towards Crystal Palace, the Spaniard made 12 ultimate third passes, created one massive likelihood, had two photographs and garnered an anticipated objective involvement complete (xGI) of 0.2. Not unhealthy for a defender.
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Patrick Dorgu, Manchester United, defender £4.5 – Fulham (a)
I believe Dorgu goes to be this 12 months’s optimum OOP (out of place participant). Because of Manchester United’s three-at-the-again system, Dorgu was used as a left-winger each time Ruben Amorim’s aspect attacked. Against Arsenal he hit the submit 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’m going triple Arsenal. Manchester United could have saved 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 12 months and, if Arsenal do beat Leeds on the weekend, he is more likely to be concerned. Just below 1 / 4 of Arsenal’s league objectives final season had been both scored or assisted by Saka (24.6%).
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Cole Palmer, Chelsea, midfielder £10.5m – West Ham (a)
Palmer could have blanked towards Crystal Palace nevertheless it’s nonetheless exhausting to look previous Chelsea’s predominant man with the Blues going through a West Ham aspect who had been very poor towards Sunderland. On penalties and free-kicks, Palmer had 4 photographs final week and made 18 ultimate-third passes. The underlying numbers stack up. Trust me, the factors will come.
Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth, midfielder, £7.1m – Wolves (h)
Semenyo was merely sensible towards Liverpool in gameweek one, scoring twice from an xG of 0.91 to herald a whopping 15 factors. I would not be shocked if Semenyo ends this week as probably the most transferred-in participant. Against a Wolves team who conceded 4 towards Manchester City final 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)
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? Against Liverpool the midfielder had two photographs, created three possibilities and nabbed an help. Decent numbers for £5m.
[BBC Sport]
Forwards
Erling Haaland, Manchester City, ahead, £14m (captain) – Tottenham (h)
Haaland and Manchester City appeared again to their greatest towards Wolves. After netting twice in gameweek one, the City talisman shall be our captain for gameweek two. In his six appearances towards Spurs up to now, Haaland has 4 objectives and one help.
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Evanilson, Bournemouth, ahead, £7m – Wolves (h)
I’m sneaking in yet one more Bournemouth participant in Evanilson. Last 12 months he scored 10 objectives 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’m a whole idiot. I’ll let subsequent week’s feedback resolve.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace, ahead, £7.5m – Nottingham Forest (h)
The ultimate striker spot is a troublesome one. There are so many good forwards at £7.5m together with Mateta, who scored 14 objectives final season and one within the Community Shield two weeks in the past, Joao Pedro, who shall be taking over a shaky West Ham defence, and Chris Wood coming off the again of two objectives 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)
Team complete price: £99.6m