Welcome to our weekly Fixtures and Players to Target series, which we are continuing from last season on AllAboutFPL.
After an exciting opening Gameweek, we now turn our attention to GW2. While the optimum strategy for Gameweek 2 is probably to roll the transfer, there are still a few players I don’t mind bringing in this week, particularly if you’re looking at them as longer-term moves rather than simply chasing one good fixture.
I’ve picked out seven players who stand out to me across defence, midfield and attack.
Link to all our FPL GW2 blogs including scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, best forwards, and more. Completely free to access as well!
Fixtures to Target in FPL GW2
The fixtures to target this week are fairly clear.
Based on the xG numbers, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal are projected to score 2+ goals this week. Chelsea and Coventry/Spurs are just below 2 at 1.95 and 1.81 expected goals respectively. For expected clean sheets, the top four are Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, each with 33%+ clean sheet probability. Coventry, Chelsea, Sunderland and Bournemouth also have ~30% clean sheet probability.
So there is a pretty clear theme running through the best fixtures this week: Manchester United and Liverpool in particular stand out, while Arsenal and City continue to offer both attacking and defensive potential.
Fantasy Football Hub(FFHUB) Free AI Team Rating Tool
FPL GW2 Players to Target – Defenders
Maxim De Cuyper – £4.6m
De Cuyper was the highest-scoring player in GW1, picking up 17 points, and I think he is a perfectly reasonable transfer if you didn’t start with him. Four shots and three key passes resulted in a goal and an assist, while his 1.68 xGI was the highest among not just Brighton players but across all players in Gameweek 1.
Top Players for Expected Goal Involvement in GW1:
The most interesting part, though, is his position. De Cuyper played as a left winger and with Minteh potentially missing for the next two months, there is a very good chance he continues in a more advanced role. That gives him the attacking upside of a midfielder while retaining his FPL defender classification.
GW2 is Chelsea away, so it’s not the easiest fixture, but I don’t think it’s a fixture that completely puts me off De Cuyper given the role. Chelsea did concede 2 against Fulham as well, which were errors by Sanchez. Brighton then have Leeds, Coventry and Arsenal in the next three. At £4.6m, he is also relatively easy to accommodate and, given the combination of his GW1 numbers and current position, I don’t mind bringing him in for the long term.
A Second Arsenal Defender:
If you already own one Arsenal defender, I think there is a strong argument for adding a second. Arsenal have now kept clean sheets in both their Community Shield and Gameweek 1 matches (interestingly both ended 3-0), and the underlying clean-sheet projections are extremely strong.
According to the Fantasy Football Hub projections, Arsenal have the highest clean-sheet probability across the next five Gameweeks, comfortably ahead of Manchester City at 33% – that’s 11% higher on average per Gameweek. They have a projected clean-sheet probability of at least 35% in each of those fixtures, with Gameweeks 4 and 6 above 50%, the fixtures against Sunderland and Leeds.
So if you don’t own two Arsenal defenders, I wouldn’t be against making that move now.
Between Ben White and Calafiori, White had the better numbers in GW1:
White vs Calafiori:
- Minutes: 90 vs 80
- xGI: 0.39 vs 0.14
- Key passes: 2 vs 1
- Shots: 1 vs 1
Interestingly, Calafiori is 41% owned while White is at just 6%. White, Saka and Odegaard also looked particularly good on the right side. That said, I think both are good options. And if you don’t want to spend £5.5m, the £4.5m Konsa is an interesting alternative, especially given how attractive his price is – he should feature in most of the Wildcard teams that teams will activate between GW3-6.
Further Read: FPL GW2 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Captaincy, Differentials & More
Kayode – £4.5m:
Brentford looked very good in GW1, beating Spurs 3-0, and yet there isn’t much FPL ownership around their players at the moment. That makes Kayode an interesting differential (currently owned by only 6.5%). He had four shots in GW1, matching De Cuyper and ranking second among all Brentford players behind Schade. He also ranked fourth among all defenders for xGI in Gameweek 1. The fixtures are another reason to be interested.
Brentford face Leeds away in GW2, followed by Sunderland at home in GW3. They also have the second-highest clean-sheet odds for Gameweek 3. So you’re not really buying Kayode purely for GW2. At £4.5m, with attacking numbers already showing up and very low ownership, he could be a nice differential for the next few Gameweeks.
FPL GW2 Players to Target – Midfielders
Bruno Fernandes – £12.0m
Trust in Bruno. That’s probably all I need to say if you already own him.
He didn’t look particularly good in GW1. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But he has been priced at £12.0m for a reason, and I wouldn’t be making a decision on him based on one Gameweek. Manchester United are top of the projections for both goals and clean sheets in GW2, and they face Ipswich at home in what should be a very favourable fixture.
Mbeumo vs Bruno Fernandes vs Cunha:
- Mins: 90 vs 90 vs 79
- xGI: 0.72 vs 0.34 vs 0.46
- Key passes: 1 vs 3 vs 2
- Shots: 4 vs 3 vs 3
Mbeumo looked better among the three United midfielders in GW1, registering the highest xGI, while Cunha also had a decent game. But Bruno has the maximum number of routes to points – set pieces, creativity and of course penalties. As a result, the Solio Analytics projections have Bruno at 7.15 points for GW2, ahead of Haaland at 6.46. For me, that makes him the standout captaincy option for GW2, and I will most likely be going with him again.
If you own him, hold. If you don’t, I don’t mind bringing him in. With his routes to points, he is a set and forget player, just like Dominik Szoboszlai.
Cole Palmer – £9.5m
Wow. How good did Palmer look against Fulham?
I can completely understand why managers are already figuring out when they can bring him in, and I don’t think GW2 is too early. He looked like the Palmer of old and, if he maintains this level, there is no reason why he can’t push towards another 200+ point season.
I particularly like Chelsea’s front three, and Palmer had the highest shot count among the three in GW1. Yes, Chelsea face Arsenal away in GW3, which is why many managers may prefer to wait. But I don’t think that fixture scares me too much. Peak Palmer is fixture-proof. They play Brighton in GW2, who will also be playing Tromsø IL on Thursday night.
And of course they play Hull at home in GW4, where Chelsea are projected to score 2.63 goals. He should also remain on penalties, and with Chelsea not having European football this season, there is a strong case for viewing Palmer as a long-term pick rather than simply a one-week punt. If you can fit him in, I don’t mind bringing Palmer in now.
Further Read: Premier League Penalty & Set Piece Takers | 2026/27 PL Season
Tzolis / Odegaard – £6.5m
I really enjoyed watching both Tzolis and Odegaard against Coventry. They are both really intelligent footballers who make good decisions in possession, and I think £6.5m is a very interesting price for both.
The obvious problem is that most managers will already be looking at Arsenal defenders because the defence is so good. But I wouldn’t mind going in a different direction and owning one of these midfielders alongside an Arsenal defender.
The GW1 numbers were also quite encouraging:
Saka vs Tzolis vs Odegaard:
- Mins: 67 vs 75 vs 75
- xGI: 0.72 vs 0.34 vs 0.3
- Key Passes: 2 vs 3 vs 3
- Shots: 3 vs 4 vs 3
Tzolis is particularly interesting because Martinelli appears to be on his way out, which should give him a fairly secure role for now. Saka is obviously £3m more expensive at £9.5m. With so many FPL managers already carrying players in the £6-7m midfield bracket, I really like the idea of fitting one of these two in as a differential rather than spending the extra money on Saka.
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FPL GW2 Players to Target – Forwards
Alexander Isak – £10.5m
Isak’s GW1 was always going to be a strange one. He was playing against his former club, there were boos every time he touched the ball and cheers when he was challenged. He also looked a little rusty.
But the numbers weren’t bad at all. He had four shots, the second-most among Liverpool players behind Gakpo, and his xGI was 1.09. There is also the penalty situation. Isak didn’t take the penalty, but given the circumstances of the fixture and the uncertainty around the situation, I wouldn’t read too much into that yet.
The bigger reason I want him is Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures – three green fixtures as per the FFHub ticker. They have the second-highest expected goals over the next five Gameweeks, behind only Manchester City, and are projected to score at least two goals in each of their next three fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Fulham.
With Gakpo potentially moving out of the team, I expect a lot of Liverpool’s attacking responsibility to fall on Isak.
His GW1 numbers compared with the other two Liverpool attackers were:
Szoboszlai vs Isak vs Wirtz:
- Mins: 90 vs 90 vs 62
- xGI: 1.12 vs 1.09 vs 0.29
- Key passes: 3 vs 1 vs 1
- Shots: 3 vs 4 vs 4
Szoboszlai actually had the slightly higher xGI and will definitely be more dependable, but I think Isak is the attacker I would prioritize. The fixtures are excellent, the underlying numbers are there and I expect Liverpool’s attack to run heavily through him.
Further Read: 2026/27 FPL Chip Strategy Guide – First Half of the Season
Conclusion
I don’t think GW2 is a week where you need to force transfers. In fact, rolling the transfer remains my preferred strategy.
But if you do have a player you don’t particularly like, there are enough good long-term options to justify making a move rather than simply banking the transfer. The players I’m most interested in are De Cuyper, Bruno, Palmer and Isak, with Kayode offering an interesting alternative.
The key, as always, is not to chase the previous Gameweek’s points.
De Cuyper is an exception for me because the role has changed, rather than simply because he scored 17 points. Palmer is attractive because of what we saw from the player, not just the points he scored. And Isak is interesting despite not getting any returns in GW1 because Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures are so strong.
So if you’re rolling, I’m perfectly happy with that. But if you do want to make a transfer, I’d be looking at players who can stay in the team for several Gameweeks rather than making a move purely for GW2.
Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW2
FPL GW2 Team Selection- Transfer Plans, Watchlist and Team Reveal
FPL GW2 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis and Matchups
Top FPL Gameweek 2 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
Top FPL GW2 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW2 Deadline
AK’s FPL GW2 Team Reveal & Transfer Plans | 3x Top 5K Finishes
FPL Gameweek 2 Transfer Tips: Players to Buy, Avoid, Sell & Hold
FPL GW2 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Captaincy, Differentials & More
2026/27 FPL Chip Strategy Guide – First Half of the Season
Fixtures and Players to Target for FPL GW2 (Position wise)
Link to all our FPL GW2 blogs including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!
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