We’ve compiled an early draft of our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Scout Picks for Gameweek 2.
As ever, we will finalise our selection much closer to Saturday’s deadline.
Plenty can change between now and then, of course, with Scout Squad nominations and a whole host of press conferences still to come.
If you’re new to this feature, there are certain restrictions for our picks:
- An £83.0m budget for our starting XI
- An overall squad limit of £100.0m
- No more than three players per team
GAMEWEEK 2 FIXTURES
Above: The Gameweek 2 fixtures sorted by difficulty on our Season Ticker
THE LIKELY LADS
Manchester City v Ipswich Town is the stand-out fixture of the week from a Fantasy perspective.
The Tractor Boys gave a good account of themselves in the first half against Liverpool on Saturday, pressing effectively and maintaining a decent defensive shape.
In the second half, however, it was one-way traffic, with Arne Slot’s men carving out six (!) big chances.
Erling Haaland (£15.0m) is unsurprisingly Rate My Team’s top projected points scorer in Gameweek 2.
Bernardo Silva (£6.5m), who played right up alongside Haaland on Sunday, is a consideration for a Man City attacking double-up. The Portuguese schemer has six assists in his last seven starts and could exploit the space in-behind Leif Davis (£4.5m).
Alternatively, Phil Foden (£9.5m) or Kevin De Bruyne (£9.5m) could slip into our final selection.
Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m) was part of the back three at Stamford Bridge, far from the advanced role he thrived in at the end of last season. However, he will still be favoured by many of us, with game-time in his favour.
If funds are tight, Rico Lewis (£4.5m) could come into contention.
There’s scope for three Liverpool picks, too.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) are surely shoo-ins, budget permitting.
Diogo Jota (£7.5m) could also make hay, but Dominik Szoboszlai’s (£6.5m) third-man runs from midfield and Brentford’s makeshift left-back Kristoffer Ajer (£4.5m) are also factors. The Hungary international had three shots at Portman Road and provided the assist for Salah’s strike.
And finally in this section, Tottenham Hotspur.
Ange Postecoglou’s side were utterly dominant in the first half against Leicester City last night and now host Everton, who lost 3-0 to Brighton and Hove Albion and failed to have a shot on target after the fourth minute.
Pedro Porro (£5.5m) is spared for now but will surely be one of the first names on the Scout Picks teamsheet if he’s fit.
James Maddison (£7.5m), Son Heung-min (£10.0m) and Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) also feel like great options.
Solanke is included over the pricier Son for now, but Everton’s right-back crisis suggests the South Korean could have a field day.
IN CONTENTION
There are plenty of other players vying for our attention and investment.
Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m), who was very unlucky to blank in Gameweek 1, makes the trip to Brighton in Saturday’s early kick-off. Tricky opponents Albion may be, but the Portuguese remains in our thinking.
The mid-price midfielder pool is stacked with talent, however.
Eberechi Eze (£7.0m) is the frontrunner for inclusion, having recorded seven shots in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Brentford. He could get plenty of joy down the channels, with West Ham United vulnerable to counter-attacks against Aston Villa.
Defensively, it’s team-mate Daniel Munoz (£5.0m) we’re most excited about, with five assists in 14 games under Oliver Glasner.
The final Scout Picks will very likely feature one or two Fulham players, but who?
Andreas Pereira (£5.5m), Emile Smith Rowe (£5.5m) and Rodrigo Muniz (£6.0m) will be hoping to capitalise on a Leicester City backline that conceded 10 shots, five of those on target, in the first half on Monday.
It feels almost certain one of Bernd Leno (£5.0m) or Antonee Robinson (£4.5m) will make an appearance, too.
Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest attackers also enter the chat for Gameweek 2.
Anthony Gordon (£7.5m), Jacob Murphy (£5.5m) and Alexander Isak (£8.5m) have the pace to concern Bournemouth, while Morgan Gibbs-White (£6.5m), Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.5m) and Chris Wood (£6.0m) are Nuno Espirito Santo’s standout options.
In addition, Matz Sels (£4.5m) might be the best £4.5m ‘keeper we can find this week.
Forest’s defensive data improved remarkably under Nuno last season: from his appointment onwards, they ranked fourth in the league for lowest xGC (25.44). It didn’t translate into clean sheets, but a trip to newly-promoted Southampton has save and shut-out potential for Sels.
As for Aston Villa v Arsenal, it’s a tricky matchup to call. Unai Emery’s side won both meetings to nil last year but they also conceded 29 shots and six big chances, so Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.0m), Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) and Kai Havertz (£8.0m) are certainly in our thinking.
THE LONG SHOTS
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea is one of the more intriguing clashes of Gameweek 2.
Cole Palmer (£10.5m), Christopher Nkunku (£6.5m), Hwang Hee-chan (£6.5m) and Jorgen Strand Larsen (£5.5m) are perfectly placed to exploit defensive deficiencies, it’s just difficult to predict where the chances will fall.
The hosts, for example, beat Man City, Tottenham and indeed Chelsea on home turf last year.
Brighton v Man Utd is quite delicately balanced too, so Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m) and Joao Pedro (£5.5m) have their merits without being stand-out Scout Picks candidates.
GAMEWEEK 2 BUS TEAM
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