Forward planning for Gameweek 2 and 3

We take a look at forward planning for Gameweek 2 and 3. With the help of the Fantasy Football Scout members area we can utilise its fixture ticker and underlying stats to pick out the best teams and players to target for the Gameweeks ahead.

Forward planning for Gameweek 2 and 3 can be absolutely vital to the success of any given managers season. The early stage of the campaign is one of the most important periods in FPL so being able to target the right teams and players could be key.

Blank Gameweek 2

Firstly it is important to highlight that there is a blank Gameweek in Gameweek 2 – Burnley and Luton will not play in the round ahead.

This should be easy to manage as the player ownership for Burnley and Luton players is quite low. For managers who own an asset from either side, it could be worth saving your transfers especially if you have other bench options that could come on to replace a player who has failed to feature in your starting line-up.

Gameweek 1 & 2 fixtures

Below we can see the fixture ticker orders teams with easiest fixtures at the top and teams with the worst fixtures at the bottom.

We combine both Gameweeks to give you a better idea of which teams and players you could look to invest in for the period ahead.

Who has the best fixtures?

Aston Villa, Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Brentford rank amongst the top five teams with the easiest fixtures in Gameweek 2 and 3. This suggests that their assets could be worth investment.

Who has the worst fixtures?

Burnley and Luton sit at the bottom of the fixture ticker – the fact they do not have a game in Gameweek 2 is a contributing factor towards this. Joining Burnley and Luton amongst the bottom five teams with the worst fixtures is Newcastle, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace. This suggests all five teams could be worth avoiding in terms of investment.

Best players for Gameweek 2 & 3

Here we highlight the teams and players with the most potential for Gameweek 2 & 3. This gives you a better idea of who you should be targeting for the period ahead.

Aston Villa – They rank at the top of the Gameweek 2 and 3 ticker with matches against Everton and Burnley. The standout asset is striker Ollie Watkins (£8m) who is the focal point to the Villa attack and takes his sides penalties. It may also be worth investing in the backline with good clean sheet potential ahead.

Chelsea – The Blues sit second on the ticker with matches against West Ham and Luton. The standout option could be defender Ben Chilwell (£5.5m) who takes set pieces and has great goal goal threat. In attack, leading the line is Nicolas Jackson (£7m) who impressed during pre-season. Some could also target budget friendly attackers like midfielders Mykhailo Mudryk (£6.5m) and Carney Chukwuemeka (£4.5m).

Arsenal – Sitting third on the fixture ticker Arsenal could well be the most efficient team to target. Midfielder options like Bukayo Saka (£8.5m), Gabriel Martinelli (£8m) and Martin Odegaard (£8.5m) should be considered. In defence, centre-back Gabriel (£5m) could have attacking potential after ranking third for attempts on goal last season amongst defenders (32).

Who else should we be targeting?

Brighton – Although they may not rank in the top three they still have great fixtures. Brighton maintained solid defensive and offensive stats last season and because of this most of their assets should be considered. Some should consider midfielders Solly March (£6.5m) and Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m), striker Joao Pedro (£5.5m) and defender Pervis Estupinan (£5m).

Brentford – ‘The Bees’ sit fifth on the ticker and face Fulham and Crystal Palace in Gameweek 2 and 3. Some could look at goalkeeper Mark Flekken (£4.5m), defender Rico Henry (£4.5m), midfielder Bryan Mbeumo (£6.5m) and forward Yoane Wissa (£6m).

Other assets with potential

Manchester United – midfielders Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) and Marcus Rashford (£9m).

Tottenham – midfielders James Maddison (£7.5m) and Richarlison (£7m).

Manchester City – striker Erling Haaland (£14m) and midfielder Phil Foden (£7.5m).

Liverpool – defender Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m).

Should we play a chip in Gameweek 2 & 3?

At this early stage in the season it could be wise to save your chips. Most experienced managers tend to use their chips during double Gameweeks whilst also using them deeper into the season when we have collected enough information to make informed choices.