FPL GW2 Preview: Breaking Down FPL Dilemmas for Gameweek 2

Welcome to Insanely Football’s Dilemmas & Preview blog for FPL GW2. This blog will break down all the popular Dilemmas that FPL managers have every week starting from FPL GW2.

Let’s dive right into it. We will start with the first one.

Link to all our FPL GW2 blogs including fixtures to target, predicted 11, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer trends, and more. Completely free to access as well!

FPL GW2 Preview & Key Dilemmas Answered

1) What to do with Harry Kane ahead of FPL GW2?

It’s only been Gameweek 1, and FPL managers already face a huge dilemma, i.e. what to do with Harry Kane? Around 25% of managers went with the Tottenham striker who blanked against Southampton in Gameweek 1. Most of these managers would have gone without Haaland and witnessed a massive points swing in favour of the Man City forward. 

Now, before you panic and take him out of your FPL team, ask yourself this question: Did you bring in Harry Kane only for one week and want to switch to Haaland anyway? If yes, then go ahead and make the switch to Haaland. If not, then have patience and believe in your decision. 

Harry Kane is still an elite striker with a proven FPL record, and the returns should come. His positioning in the game against Southampton was interesting to note, though. 

Let us look at Kane’s Heatmap in Gameweek 1.

He played like a deep-lying forward, linking much of the play with Son and helping Tottenham’s attack transition. Whether this continues or not, only time will tell. Still, his position would not be as advanced as Haaland in the attack. Another thing to note is that Kane’s price has decreased to £11.4m, whereas Haaland has risen to £11.6m. 

It becomes a bit tricky if you still have Kane with no money in the bank. You have two ways to go about the Kane situation. You can take a hit and get in Haaland. Still, it depends on which additional player you are taking out and how confident you are with the player coming into your team for Gameweek 2. Second, you can stick with Kane for at least a couple of weeks till Gameweek 3 or 4 and then take a call. That way, you will have more information, but it could come at the cost of losing out on points that a Haaland transfer could give you. 

It’s risky to go without Haaland this week. More than 600,000+ managers have already shipped out Kane, and more could follow before Gameweek 2 deadline. A large number are also looking to captain him this week, and with Kane having a tough fixture against Chelsea, the points swing could become even more. 

Kane was never a bad pick to start in Gameweek 1. Still, Haaland’s performance against a strong West Ham team has raised a lot of eyebrows. There are good reasons to be worried about Haaland’s ownership and attacking potential. If you believe he will outscore Kane in the upcoming fixtures, then definitely get him on your team for Gameweek 2. I don’t face that dilemma for my team, but I would make that switch from Kane to Haaland even for a hit this week.

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2) Should you use your Wildcard in FPL GW2?

In past seasons, we have seen a lot of managers using their Wildcard chip in Gameweek 2 after a poor Gameweek 1. The wildcard is probably the most important chip in FPL. We need to use it carefully, considering all the pros and cons of using it in every scenario. 

A poor gameweek 1 score should not force your hand to use this chip. You should look at your team and see if you are happy overall. If you feel that you are missing 4-5 key players and free transfers or maybe even a hit or two won’t be able to get you towards your ideal team, then only hit that Wildcard button. 

We only have one week of information, and a lot can change in a couple of gameweeks, especially with the transfer window still open. I feel it’s more important to gather insights about how different teams play, their overall structure, and which players look good in terms of FPL output.

Moreover, there are no substantial fixture swings that you can take advantage of in Gameweek 2. A wildcard team might not differ from the template at this stage. Using the chip right now could leave you exposed later on from Gameweeks 3-9 when many FPL managers would use their Wildcard chip. It could be an optimal window as we would have more knowledge about the game state, and it will help us act accordingly.

So unless you have got it wrong in Gameweek 1 in terms of team structure and maybe don’t have a lot of high potential FPL assets, using the wildcard can wait. 

If you still want to see what a Wildcard in FPL 2 looks like, here is a draft to help you with this crucial decision.

This team works in a 3-4-3 setup for most games. The most significant advantage here is getting Darwin early. The rest of the picks are pretty template and don’t give you a huge benefit. The major misses here are no James and that £8m midfielder spot as a lot of your funds goes into that 3rd striker option.

Further Read: FPL GW2 Wildcard Team & Drafts to Consider | Wildcard Guide

3) Which are the best Man City players to target for FPL GW2?

Man City dominated the game against West Ham in Gameweek 1. With Bournemouth next, many FPL managers are looking at Man City options. The question is, which ones to get on your FPL team?

More than 40% of FPL managers started with Cancelo as the premium option in defence, and it looks like the right call. Cancelo put in a good performance and was all over the pitch, dropping into midfield for vast parts of the game. Kyle Walker(£5m) is another one who provides excellent value, being one of the cheapest City defenders and looks nailed for the upcoming games. Despite not having much-attacking threat, I think he is a great option. 

I think it’s a great strategy to double up on the Man City defence. They can keep clean sheets with an easier fixture run until Gameweek 10. 

Midfield is where things get very interesting. My biggest worry with the City midfielders is their playing time. We have Grealish, Foden, and Mahrez competing for two spots playing out wide. Grealish primarily plays on the left, with Mahrez favouring the right side. Phil Foden is more versatile and can play on either end. I sense that he will probably start most games for Man City with one of Grealish/Mahrez starting. We also have Alvarez taking off minutes in one of these two wide spots, making it very difficult to choose the right City midfielder.

To add to the mix, there are rumours about Bernado Silva joining Barcelona, which might cement Gundogan’s position in midfield, playing alongside KDB and one of Rodri/Phillips. We know Pep likes to play with a runner in midfield, and Gundogan(£7.5m) has excelled in that role. He is one to watch out for in the upcoming gameweeks. 

It’s a very close call, but if I am going for one pick in midfield right now, I will go to Foden.

Haaland, looking like an excellent option, has started the new season with a bang. He put in a clinical performance and sits top among all players in the league for shots in the box, big chances, expected goal involvement (xGI), and non-penalty xGI.

Many managers have already switched from Kane to Haaland, and it’s easy to see why. There are chances a lot of managers captain him in Gameweek 2 to maximise his output. He looks like the best option in attack, and if you don’t have him right now, you should think of a plan to get him on your team soon.

To sum it up, I am more comfortable going with a double-up in the City defence right now as opposed to their midfield along with Haaland in the attack. More risk-taking managers can go for a differential strategy and choose a midfielder instead, preferably Foden. 

Further Read: Predicted GW2 Lineups of All 20 PL Teams

4) Is it worth saving a transfer this week?

Avoiding making forced transfers early on could be crucial at the start. If you believe that your team is looking in good shape and there aren’t any major issues to solve, saving a transfer is the right way to go.

We’ve just had one round of fixtures played in the Premier League. You can only draw so many conclusions from Gameweek 1. It’s always better to be patient and get as much information as possible before making your moves. 

Right now, no game-changing transfer trends are emerging apart from maybe getting Haaland on your team. You can go on the offensive by bringing in a Man City midfielder against Bournemouth for Gameweek 2. Still, the chances of getting that wrong are pretty high. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy and might not suit a lot of FPL managers out there. 

Unless you have picked a player at the risk of not starting in Gameweek 2 and you don’t have enough bench cover, you can save the transfer. This will give you two free transfers for Gameweek 3 and one additional gameweek worth of information which could be vital. 

There is no right or wrong answer here as there is no single way of playing FPL. It depends on how comfortable you are with your team this week and how much risk you will take going forward. If there are any players that you believe would improve your overall squad, definitely lock in that transfer before the deadline. 

Further Read: FPL GW2 Fixtures & Players to Target | Best Matchups | FPL Paz

5) What to do with £8m midfielder options for FPL GW2?

There are a lot of options in the £8m midfielder category in FPL this year. Interestingly, only Kulusevski scored a goal among all of them in Gameweek 1. He managed to get 13 points, and at least for now, he looks like a starter despite Richarlison being available this week. With 300,000+ managers already transferring him for Gameweek 2, it feels like a kneejerk reaction, especially when Tottenham is playing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In this place, they haven’t won since 2019. I would hold if I have him, but he is not that straightforward a buy this week. 

Man City options Foden and Grealish started in wide positions, but both blanked. Minutes could be an issue with Mahrez in the mix as well. I feel it’s better to wait out and see who is the most nailed among all three before making a transfer.

After his blank against Fulham, Luiz Diaz is no longer the most popular midfielder in this category. A lot of managers have sold him for Kulusevski in a straight swap. Though Diaz didn’t get any FPL points, his performance was encouraging. He was a bit unlucky and probably should have scored a goal at the very least. Klopp would be looking for a response, and he is one of the better options for Gameweek 2. 

Arsenal’s Saka was quiet against Crystal Palace before getting that assist for Guéhi’s own goal. Despite having 3 goal attempts and an xGI of 0.15, I believe he is still one of the most explosive names in this midfielder category and one to hold against Leicester. We know how leaky Leicester can be in defence, and he can get a respectable haul this week.

Maddison looked very impressive, especially regarding his positioning in the final third. He played pretty high up the pitch against Brentford. He did manage to get an assist, but it could have easily been much more on another day. Playing Arsenal won’t be easy, but Leicester are good going forward, and Maddison should be a key figure in their attack.

Mount had a poor game, but Chelsea did struggle to create anything against a tight Everton defence. I have Mount on my team, but I am not considering transferring him out this week. Mount faces a tricky Tottenham side, so it will not be easy, but I am a patient FPL manager who plays the long game. 

All the £8m mids are worth holding this week, but if you are looking to transfer out one, Mount is slightly ahead of the others. Which player to get would depend on whether you want to play it safe and go template or take a risk and attempt to chase potential hauls. 

Kulusevski might be a better option in Gameweek 3. Saka and Luiz Diaz are the safest options out there. They both have decent fixtures and can provide a good haul this week. If you are looking to go a bit different, then you have Maddison, but he is up against Arsenal, who have looked solid in defence so far. If you are a high risk-taking manager, you can go for Phil Foden, but as we spoke earlier, there is a massive risk in terms of minutes. 

All the best for Gameweek 2, and I will see you all next week!

Check out my transfer thoughts for Gameweek 2!

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Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW2

Top FPL Gameweek 2 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL GW2 Transfer Trends And Best Transfer Combinations & Tips
FPL GW2 Differential Picks to Consider Ahead of GW2 Deadline
FPL GW2 Wildcard Team & Drafts to Consider | Wildcard Guide
Players in Focus Based on Stats & Eye Test Ahead of FPL GW2 
FPL GW2 Preview: Breaking Down FPL Dilemmas for Gameweek 2
FPL Gameweek 2 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold and Sell
Predicted GW2 Lineups of All 20 PL Teams
FPL GW2 Fixtures & Players to Target | Best Matchups | FPL Paz
Set-Piece & Penalty Takers Of All Premier League Clubs
FPL GW1 Review Based on Eye Test & Stats | FPL Trybe
FPL GW2 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More
How Premier League Footballers fared as FPL Managers in FPL GW1?
FPL Stats of Shithousery | GW1 Team of the Weak

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