Webster and Dunk the picks for Fantasy Premier League gameweek two
After a gap of approximately three and a half seconds, Fantasy Premier League returned with a bang at the weekend. Or, more accurately, with flames shooting out of it because so many managers got burned.
Didn’t own Mohamed Salah (£12 million)? Burned. No Jamie Vardy (£10 million)? Burned. Double Liverpool defence? Double burned.
Still, an FPL campaign has never been ruined in just one gameweek, so let’s move on and look forward to the next round of fixtures, which will run from Saturday to Monday and involve every Premier League team for the first time this season.
Brighton Bounce-Back
There were a number of positives to take from Brighton’s 3-1 loss to Chelsea, even if the scoreline and injuries to Adam Lallana (£6.5 million) and Ben White (£4.5 million) put a dampener on the evening.
Time will tell on those knocks, although neither seemed too serious – and even a cursory reading of the match statistics does suggest Brighton were hard done by in terms of the result.
The game’s three best chances fell to the home side with last season’s WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Season Lewis Dunk‘s (£5.0 million) miss the stuff of sleepless nights. Chelsea’s goals meanwhile were either avoidable, unlucky, or both.
We tipped goal scorer Leandro Trossard (£6 million) and assister Tariq Lamptey (£4.5 million) last week, so there was at least some joy fantasy-wise to be had from gameweek one. And a trip to Newcastle on Sunday looks like as good a place as any to reset and go again.
The Magpies might have impressed in their 2-0 win at West Ham United last weekend, but those goals came from their only shots on target and they really struggled for attacking bite at home last season.
They scored just 20 goals on Tyneside in 2019-20 – only two teams hit fewer – while five of Brighton’s nine cleans sheets came on the road.
So we’re looking at a defender as this week’s pick for our Fantasy Premier League team with Dunk and Adam Webster (£4.5 million) in the running as they also carry a goal threat having both scored three times last season.
For budget reasons alone, the Brighton defender we are going for is Webster because he’s that little bit cheaper and money is always an issue as we refine our early-season Fantasy Premier League teams.
Elsewhere
Everton’s 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur was one of the more impressive performances of gameweek one and it’s prompting plenty to buy into the Toffees’ stars for the weekend.
Three of their players – Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7 million), James Rodriguez (£7.5 million) and Lucas Digne (£6 million) – are currently in the top 15 for transfers-in.
Rodriguez on his debut really caught the eye. No other midfielder in the league created more chances (five) as the Colombian did at Spurs, while only one player had more goal attempts in the match.
That player was Richarlison (£8 million). Yes, he was wasteful – only one of his seven attempts was on target and he missed both of his side’s big chances – but he looks likely to have plenty more opportunities at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
The Baggies were woeful in their 3-0 loss to Leicester City, allowing seven shots on target and four big chances. Those were both league-worst totals.
Any one of the four Everton players mentioned could be in for a decent haul, with Richarlison currently the one being overlooked by many FPL bosses.
Double Bubble
Finally, a captaincy choice. This week’s suggestion for the man who could bring in double the joy is eerily similar to last week’s. And when we say eerily similar, we actually mean exactly the same – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£12 million).
Lest we forget, the Arsenal forward is classified as a midfielder in FPL, so he gets an extra point every time he scores. He did that in gameweek one away at Fulham and he has a better record at The Emirates – 33 of his 55 league goals have come at home.
A visit from a West Ham side that allowed Newcastle a chance every six minutes in gameweek one looks good for the Arsenal skipper. It could also be the storm before the calm as the Gunners’ fixtures take a turn for the spiteful after that, meaning it could be the time to cash in and then cash out on Aubameyang.
You can pick up expert advice throughout the 2020-21 Fantasy Premier League season with Fantasy Football Scout
