Looking for the best FPL players for Gameweek 2? Each week, we’ll highlight five key picks to help you make smarter decisions for your Fantasy Premier League team.
Our weekly FPL picks will include:
Manchester United will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s opening-day defeat to Hull when they host another promoted side, Ipswich, at Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes disappointed his backers last Gameweek, but the Portugal international was dominant at Old Trafford last season. Only Erling Haaland (239) scored more FPL points at home than Fernandes’ 235.
No player registered more FPL assists (12) or created more chances (81) in home matches, while Fernandes ranked third among midfielders for Expected Goals (xG), with 7.15 on home turf.
As the image below from our Opta Player Heatmaps feature shows, Fernandes averaged 7.3 FPL points per home appearance last season.
Manchester United scored 39 goals at Old Trafford last season, only Arsenal (41) and Manchester City (45) fared better. The Red Devils were ranked top for shots (340 and second for xG (43.07) in home games.
Their visitors Ipswich conceded 30 goals in away matches in the Championship (ninth) and conceded 1.03 xG to Sunderland in their opening game.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts 7.6 FPL points for Bruno Fernandes in Gameweek 2.
Haaland registered his first Gameweek 1 blank last weekend, but his underlying numbers were still encouraging.
No forward attempted more than his four shots in the box, while he ranked fourth for xG, with 0.68. Only Yoane Wissa (0.73), Thiago (0.92) and Gonzalo García (0.95) fared better.
As shown in the image below from our Opta Stats Sandbox, the Norway international scored 12 goals away from home last season. He ranked first for shots (60), shots on target (26), big chances (19) and xG (11.11) in away matches.
Manchester City scored 77 goals last season, more than any other side. The Cityzens also ranked first for shots in the box (429), big chances (120) and xG, with 79.47.
Their hosts, Crystal Palace, were resolute under Oliver Glasner last season but have since lost key personnel. They looked defensively vulnerable against Everton in Gameweek 1, conceding 1.39 xG to the Toffees.
Palace have also lost Chadi Riad to injury, requiring another reshuffle of an already unsettled backline. The Eagles kept seven clean sheets and conceded 23 goals at Selhurst Park last season.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts that Erling Haaland will score 6.6 FPL points in Gameweek 2.
Christos Tzolis impressed on his home debut for Arsenal, registering an FPL assist, but the Greece international could have delivered an even bigger return.
He created three chances and attempted four shots. Only Tyrick George, Cole Palmer and Kevin Schade (five each), along with Cody Gakpo (six), registered more shots among midfielders.
As the image below from our Transfer Analytics feature shows, Tzolis has been bought by more than 150,000 FPL managers at the time of writing.
The Gunners impressed against Coventry and will be looking to build on that attacking display.
They scored 71 goals last season, with only Manchester City (77) proving more prolific, while ranking second for both shots in the box (405) and xG, with 74.59.
Their hosts, Aston Villa, conceded more goals (four) than any other side last Gameweek and ranked 19th for Expected Goals Conceded (xGC), with 3.46. They struggled to cope with the departures of Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa, while uncertainty also surrounds Emiliano Martínez and Ollie Watkins.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts that Christos Tzolis will score 4.3 FPL points in Gameweek 2.
Sunderland’s strong 2025/26 campaign was built on their impressive home form. The Black Cats will now be looking to make a winning start at the Stadium of Light when they host Fulham.
Brian Brobbey failed to score in Gameweek 1 but attempted two shots in the box, one of which was classified as a big chance, and registered 0.62 xG.
As shown in the image below from our Opta Stats Sandbox, the Netherlands international led all Sunderland players for shots on target (18), big chances (16) and xG (7.05) last season.
Sunderland scored 25 goals at home last season, ranking 15th in the league. The Black Cats also ranked 16th for shots (229) and 17th for xG, with 23.27.
Their visitors, Fulham, looked far more open under Álvaro Arbeloa than they did under former manager Marco Silva, conceding 18 shots and 2.28 xG against Chelsea. The Cottagers kept only six clean sheets in away matches last season and conceded 20 goals.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts that Brian Brobbey will score 4.0 FPL points in Gameweek 2.
Virgil van Dijk finished the 2025/26 season as FPL’s third-highest-scoring defender, registering 175 points. His total was boosted by six goals, while no defender was afforded more big chances (12) than the Netherlands international.
Van Dijk also ranked fourth among defenders for Defensive Contributions (DEFCON) and was the only Liverpool player to reach the 10-contribution threshold against Newcastle last weekend.
Liverpool conceded 20 goals at home last season, with only Manchester City (14) and Arsenal (11) allowing fewer. The Merseyside outfit also ranked fourth for xGC, with 22.85 on their own patch.
Their visitors, Nottingham Forest, failed to score against Leeds in Gameweek 1 and are still adapting to life under new manager Oliver Glasner. Forest ranked 14th for big chances (31) and 16th for xG, with 21.85 in away matches last season.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently gives Liverpool a 30% chance of keeping a clean sheet and predicts 4.8 FPL points for Virgil van Dijk in Gameweek 2.
Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Christos Tzolis, Brian Brobbey and Virgil van Dijk offer a mixture of premium quality, budget value and defensive potential for Gameweek 2.
Remember to monitor the latest injury news and predicted lineups before finalising your Fantasy Premier League team.
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