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Gameweek 1 of Fantasy Premier League gave us a little glimpse into how teams are setting up this season and now we undertake the maniacal task of applying that limited data to our picks for the next round.
And to add more variables to the equation, Manchester United, Manchester City, Burnley and Aston Villa are in the mix this time around.
Hat-trick hero Mohamed Salah was the man of the moment in the opening weekend but who will deliver big on this occasion?
Here are a few tips to help guide you through GW2.
CAPTAIN – PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG | ARSENAL | 12.0M
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (12.0m) was our choice for the captaincy last week and despite Salah’s 20-point haul, there’s no reason to doubt the Arsenal skipper this time either.
He came through for those who handed him the armband with a goal against Fulham but the encouraging aspect of his performance was that he should’ve had more points. With three shots, he could’ve had another goal while better finishing from Alexandre Lacazette would’ve fetched him an assist.
Aubameyang takes on West Ham at home next which looks like an increasingly attractive match-up given the way they struggled against a boosted yet relatively modest Newcastle attack.
ALTERNATIVE
WILLIAN (8.1m) has already gained a spot in several FPL teams after a hat-trick of assists on his Arsenal debut. He comes at a very reasonable price that’s on the up and appears to be on set-pieces for the Gunners. He has the experience to offer a steady stream of points and is great coverage for those who don’t own Aubameyang.
BOLD CHOICE
JAMES RODRIGUEZ (7.5m) is another new signing who shone on his debut. The former Real Madrid star caught the eye with a league-high five key passes in the opening weekend. The Colombian looks a real threat, should take plenty of set-pieces and isn’t goal-shy. The Baggies are up next.
ONE TO GET
BRUNO FERNANDES | MANCHESTER UNITED | 10.5M
If we were to engineer the perfect FPL player, the product would be eerily similar to Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes. The man’s relentless pursuit of goals and assists bodes well for fantasy gains. His first instinct upon receiving possession is to either take a shot at goal or play a killer pass. With eight goals and eight assists in just 14 games last term, we’re very excited to find out what he could do with a full season.
ONE TO AVOID
ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC | FULHAM | 6.0M
Still, the third-most owned forward in the game but speculation that Aleksandar Mitrovic may not be a guaranteed starter for Fulham this season have so far proved to be accurate. The striker came off the bench for a 27-minute cameo last week and while an optimist may be encouraged by his match-winning goal for the Cottagers against Ipswich in the League Cup, the fact that he played the entire 90 minutes means the bench awaits come the weekend.
BARGAIN BUY
ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE | EVERTON | 5.5M
While Rodriguez naturally hogged the spotlight in the win at Tottenham, newcomers Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure also made fine debuts. The latter in particular has proved to be great value at Watford in the past and with four key passes against Spurs, he looks like he could be a significant threat for the Toffees as well. At just 5.5m, he represents great value and it’s only a matter of time before he picks up his first attacking returns for the season.
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