Top three picks for Gameweek 1

With the new round edging closer we bring in Fantasy Football Community and Fantasy Football Scout contributor @FPLReaction’ (Louis) to reel off his top three picks for Gameweek 1.

The first round is a good opportunity to get off to a great start. Here I will give you my top three picks for Gameweek 1 to try and help with that. There are some very obvious options with huge potential for the first round and whilst I will list them, I will also provide you with three different picks who I think could also do well.

The obvious options

The obvious options are players who reside in many FPL squads in the lead up to Gameweek 1. Here is a list of those players:

Erling Haland (£14m)
Bukayo Saka (£8.5m)
Pervis Estupinan (£5m)
Marcus Rashford (£9m)
Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m)
Gabriel (£5m)
Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m)
Martin Odegaard (£8.5m)

Now, lets take a look at my top three different options.

Nicolas Jackson

Many would avoid a tough first match against Liverpool but they haven’t exactly looked defensively sound through pre-season. Their high line is something to focus on this week for me and with Trent’ questionable defending Nicolas Jackson (£7m) should have plenty of service from the left.

Another factor that benefits Jackson is that there is a good chance Mudryk starts the game. He was exceptionally fast in pre-season and looked like the player many Chelsea fans want him to be. There is a very high chance most of Jackson’ service will come from Chilwell and Mudryk and that is the side that convinces me the most (and its against Trent).

Jackson himself is worth the investment. He was brilliant in pre-season showing flair and the ability to take on his man. Jackson managed three goals and two assists for his efforts and I think he could be a better option than most strikers in Gameweek 1.

Eberechi Eze

There is a huge debate within the community around which £6.5m midfielder to select ahead of the deadline. I think Eberechi Eze (£6.5m) could match or better other options like Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£6.5m).

Crystal Palace looked far more convincing under re-appointed manager Roy Hodgson towards the latter part of last season. We also have to take into account that Sheffield United lay ahead. The Blades may have finished second in the Championship but I am far from convinced they can hold their own defensively in the top tier.

In terms of Eze he’s just getting better and better. We saw exactly that last campaign where he bagged 10 goals and four assists. I think its also important to mention the fact he racked up two goals and five assists in six pre-season games. The fact he is on penalty duty obviously bolsters his stock too.

Jarrod Bowen

I can see why a West Ham asset isn’t exactly grabbing the attention of managers within the community. The Hammers have some suspect starting fixtures and haven’t really convinced offensively in the past. However, if solely focusing on Gameweek 1 then it could be worth looking at Jarrod Bowen (£7m).

The biggest appeal of a West Ham attacker is the fact they face Bournemouth who are now without the manager that pretty much saved them from relegation last season. The Cherries were also awful defensively and the worst in the league during some stages.

Bowen has the fixture to do really well in the first round. Similar to the other options he also had a good pre-season – picking up three goals and one assist. Bowen also featured in a central position which obviously boosts his chances of returns. All in all I think Bowen could go big in Gameweek 1.