Gameweek 2 Preview: Fantasy Premier League 2024-25 Tips and Captaincy Picks

August 22, 2024

The FPL Manual presents a comprehensive overview of Gameweek 2, highlighting top captain picks and outstanding picks for the weekly FPL Challenge game.

Gameweek 1 delivered plenty of excitement, with top FPL picks like Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, and Bukayo Saka all finding the net. Brighton's commanding 3-0 win over Everton was one of the standout moments, pushing the Seagulls to the top of the table. Meanwhile, Liverpool's defender Jarell Quansah struggled with an early substitution, leading many FPL managers to reconsider their options quickly. With the dust settled, all eyes now turn to Gameweek 2 – what surprises could it bring?

The FPL Challenge 5-a-side event continues; next week's challenge is tagged 'All-Out Attack,' where goals are worth double points, and managers can select four forwards and one goalkeeper. We'll provide weekly breakdowns on five essential assets to watch ahead of the weekend.

The Gameweek 2 deadline of the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, August 24 at 6:00 a.m. EDT, when Brighton entertains Man United. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League slate and UEFA Champions League game with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.

One down, 37 to go. pic.twitter.com/VL0Ei68rNY

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 19, 2024

Gameweek 2 Tips

Target Spurs, Liverpool, and Manchester City Attack

According to statistics, Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester City are anticipated to generate 2.35 xG, 2.95 xG, and 3.30 xG against their opponents in Gameweek 2. It is also worth noting that these clubs are projected to earn a clean sheet in their upcoming encounters, with a likelihood of 36% for Tottenham, 40% for Liverpool, and 55% for Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Newcastle, Arsenal, and Chelsea are expected to produce at least 1.80 xG (expected goals) against their opponents in Gameweek 2. Recommended players for FPL returns this week include Spurs' James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, and Pedro Porro (if fit); Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, and Trent Alexander-Arnold; and Manchester City's Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Joško Gvardiol.

💹 PL GW2 matchups

First look at projected goals and clean sheet odds for the second round of Premier League games, via spread betting markets pic.twitter.com/7UCj1YxYdW

— Rob T (@robtFPL) August 21, 2024

Fulham Favorable Fixtures: Ones To Watch

Despite a narrow late defeat to Manchester United in Gameweek 1, Fulham demonstrated they can apply pressure against strong opponents. The Cottagers managed 10 shots (6 inside the box), won 8 corners, and registered a 0.44 xG, showing their potential even in tough matchups.

Now, with back-to-back fixtures against newly promoted Leicester City and Ipswich Town, both of whom faced a combined 33 shots in Gameweek 1, this could be the perfect time to invest in Fulham assets—key players to consider: Rodrigo Muniz, Antonee Robinson, Adama Traore, and Emile Smith-Rowe.

Erling Haaland (£15.0M) - Manchester City

Scoring the opening goal against Chelsea and earning 7 points for his FPL managers in Gameweek 1, 24-year-old Norwegian international Erling Haaland continues to break records. With 91 goals in his first 100 appearances for Manchester City, his goal-scoring prowess is undeniable. There might be no better time to captain Haaland than now. He's projected to have a 66% chance of scoring against Ipswich Town, and with the match taking place at the Etihad Stadium—where Haaland excels—the odds are in his favor.

13 - Since 2022-23, Erling Haaland has scored more Premier League goals in August (13) than Chelsea have managed as a team (11), as well as four more than rivals Man Utd (9). Ready. pic.twitter.com/eOeXuUI0VU

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 18, 2024

Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) - Liverpool

Scoring for the ninth time on the opening day of the Premier League, more than any player in history, Mohamed Salah set up a new milestone for himself and made his FPL captainers proud by seeing 14 points in Gameweek 1. With a 55% chance of scoring against Brentford on Sunday, Salah puts himself among the top contenders for the captain's armband.

Mohamed Salah now has 300 goal involvements (212 goals, 88 assists) in all competitions for Liverpool after 350 games. 🇪🇬👑 pic.twitter.com/UT9wQuLjLY

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) August 17, 2024

Bukayo Saka (£10M) -  Arsenal

Arsenal's "StarBoy" Bukayo Saka is among the week's top captaincy picks. After delivering a goal and an assist in the previous match, Saka rewarded FPL managers with 12 points. The Englishman took 5 shots and recorded a 0.72 xGI (expected goal involvement).

If you're unable to fit Manchester City's Erling Haaland or Liverpool's Mohamed Salah into your squad, Saka offers an excellent alternative for the captaincy this week.

A 59th goal in Arsenal colours for our Bukayo❤️ pic.twitter.com/SGy5EAy6JW

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 18, 2024

FPL Challenge: 5-a-side

The FPL Challenge section for the 2024-25 season is back, and RotoBaller remains your go-to source for valuable insights on selecting the right assets for any challenge. The first challenge, 'Debut,' focused on picking your top five players for Gameweek 1 with an unlimited budget. Now, it's time to focus on the next challenge - All Out Attack. But before we dive in, here's a quick review of the FPL Challenge: 5-a-side event.

Fantasy Challenge is LIVE for 2024/25 🚨

Build your squad for Gameweek 1 now 👇#FPLChallengeAccepted

— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 24, 2024

The 5-a-side Event is a four-gameweek run where managers can only select five players in their team. Here’s a breakdown of each gameweek:

• Gameweek 1: Debut - Unlimited budget, and you can use any formation.
• Gameweek 2: All Out Attack - Goals are worth double points. The budget is £35.0m, and you must pick one goalkeeper and four forwards.
• Gameweek 3: Promoted Punt - Only players from promoted clubs are available. The budget is £24.0m, and you can choose any formation.
• Gameweek 4: Too Big at the Back - Clean sheets are worth double points. The budget is £30.0m, and you must pick two goalkeepers and three defenders.

5-a-side FPL Challenge: All Out Attack - Players To Target

Based on the recommended players for our FPL teams, a player like Erling Haaland could be a mainstay for the All Out Attack challenge. However, with a limited budget of £35m, we need to consider other alternatives that can score significant FPL returns. A few players to target include:

Kai Havertz (£8M) -  Arsenal

Kai Havertz contributed a goal and an assist in Arsenal's Gameweek 1 victory against Wolves, earning 12 points for his FPL managers. According to our Gameweek 2 Rankings, Havertz is projected to score 4.16 points with a 31% chance of finding the net against Aston Villa. The Gunners will also be eager to make amends after their recent loss to Villa in this fixture a few months ago.

Picking up where he left off last season 🤩

🎶 Kai Havertz scores again 🎶 pic.twitter.com/HgNXZEy50z

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 18, 2024

Danny Welbeck (£5.5M) -  Brighton

Two chances created, two shots attempts, contributing one goal and one assist, earning maximum three-point FPL bonus in Gameweek 1. The 33-year-old English international scored 12 points for FPL managers in Brighton's 3-0 win over Everton and is anticipated to repeat a similar performance against his former club, Manchester United, which is infamous for leaking a lot of shots against well-paced teams.

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Danny Welbeck has scored in 15 consecutive PL seasons. Always has been Dat Guy. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/oc3PuWAtg4

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 20, 2024

Jamie Vardy (£5.5M) - Leicester City

With just two shots on goal against Tottenham, the 37-year-old Leicester icon found the back of the net, earning managers eight FPL points and two bonus points for his on-target efforts. The seasoned veteran has consistently proven himself as a lethal forward for the Foxes, and he'll be eager to score again in their upcoming match against Fulham.

Up to fifth in the all-time forward standings 📈

Jamie Vardy's goal against Spurs sees him move above Robin van Persie 🥳#FPL @LCFC pic.twitter.com/dCJzKyMSKV

— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 20, 2024

Joshua Zirkzee (£7M) - Manchester United

Coming off the bench to secure the win for Manchester United against Fulham, Joshua Zirkzee’s journey at Old Trafford shows signs of a big-name signing in the making. With Rasmus Højlund sidelined due to injury, Zirkzee has a strong chance of starting the next game against Brighton and scoring again for the Red Devils will surely be on his mind.

15 - Joshua Zirkzee is the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, and the fourth to do so while at @ManUtd after Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alexander Büttner and Donny van de Beek. Oranje. #MUNFUL pic.twitter.com/JDDZPenL6d

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 16, 2024

Suppose your favorite forwards weren’t mentioned above. In that case, you might also consider Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m), Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz (£6m), Southampton's Adam Armstrong (£5.5M), Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson (£7.5m), and Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood (£6M), among others.

Join the RotoBaller FPL League

Fancy pitting your wits against fellow RotoBallers? Then, join our free league to compete against the team and our dedicated FPL fans. Head to the official FPL site, click the Leagues and Cups tab and enter the RotoBaller league code: b278pa.

Go head-to-head against your friends and family in mini-leagues 🏆

Pick your squad and compete for #FPL glory now! ⬇️

— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 18, 2024

Stick around for more 2024-2025 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!