Welcome to our FPL GW2 Scout Picks blog! Wow – what a start to the new season that was! Manchester United mauled, Spurs stung, City and Chelsea scraping wins, Liverpool and Newcastle playing out a thrilling draw and Brighton’s dismantling of Aston Villa – FPL Gameweek 1 had it all! Most of our teams should be well optimised for FPL GW2, but if you need any extra information or want some tips/punts going into this second round of fixtures, then our FPL GW2 Scout Picks will certainly be of use!
Long-time readers will know that we like to keep a running total of how our AAFPL Scout Picks fare against the Official PL Scout’s team each week. Unfortunately, in FPL GW1 our squad got off to a not-so-great start, picking up just 53 points to the Official Scout Picks’ 55. So close! We go again in GW2…
| GW 1 | |
| AAFPL Team | 53 |
| Official FPL Team | 55 |
As always, our Scout Picks will be based on the eye test, stats, analysis, and in this case also Pre-Season. Let’s first take a look at the fixtures for FPL GW2.
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!
FPL GW2 Fixtures
FPL GW2 Scout Picks
FPL GW2 Scout Picks – Goalkeeper
Raya (6.0m) is our goalkeeper pick for this week as Arsenal travel to face Villa in FPL GW2. Arsenal reminded the league why they are reigning Premier League champions in FPL GW1with a confident display against Coventry. The Gunners came away 3-0 victors on the day, limiting the opposition to just 4 shots, 1 shot on target, and 0.2xG across the 90. Coventry had just 3 touches in Arsenal’s box during that game and put up the lowest xG across the opening weekend of Premier League matches. Arteta’s side were comfortably the best defense in the league last season and showed us again why we should be targeting their defensive assets in FPL.
Villa, Arsenal’s opponents in FPL GW2, were dismantled by Brighton in FPL GW1, conceding 4 and scoring 0. Most of Villa’s woes came from their defensive disaster class, but they were also light on first-team attackers due to injury and transfers. Emery’s team put up just 0.3xG in that game and took only 6 shots, 0 of which were on target…. Despite coming 4th, Villa put up only the 12th best xG, finishing 14 points better off than their xPTS suggests. Their average underlying numbers, lack of first team players and squad overhaul, plus their awful GW1 performance, make them a team to target in FPL GW2.
Fantasy Football Hub(FFHUB) Free AI Team Rating Tool
FPL GW2 Scout Picks – Defenders
Shaw (4.5m), Calafiori (5.6m) and Gvardiol (5.5m) make up our back three for FPL GW2…
Shaw is one of a number of exciting 4.5m defenders that we considered for FPL GW2. Shaw offers high CS potential in a fixture against newly promoted Ipswich as well as some attacking and DC potential. Shaw’s season DC numbers were relatively low, but the number of clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles that he was making did indeed jump post-Carrick appointment. This increase in Shaw’s CBIT/90 makes him a far more attractive option from an FPL perspective, especially at just 4.5m. Manchester United, of course, disappointed in FPL GW1 in their 2-0 loss to Hull. The underlying numbers suggest that United were not as bad as initially seems, however, and offer some hope to managers who have backed their assets in these first two fixtures (Hull and Ipswich).
FACT: Shaw is highest for Predicted Points among 4.5m Defenders for FPL GW2. Projections from Fantasy Football Hub -High-quality FPL website offering a wide range of FPL content, tools, data, planners, and more. Memberships are available for the 2026/27 season at a 50% discount along with a win-your-mini-league or get-your-money-back guarantee(T&C Applicable).
While Rodon and Ajer are good options to consider at this price point for FPL GW2 we’ve gone for Shaw due to his elevated CS potential. Hull scored two goals from set-piece situations in GW1 (something that United certainly need to work on), but if you take these two chances out of the equation then United actually defended quite well across the game… Hull created 1.01xG in that match but outside of their two goals they took only 6 shots (2 on target) and created just 0.28xG. I think this shows that United did generally defend quite well, but were too slow and disorganised at corners. Ipswich looked average against a very mediocre Sunderland team in GW1 and created little of note outside of their goal on the counter-attack and their last minute winner. Don’t sell your United assets yet, hold onto them for FPL GW2!
Calafiori keeps his spot in the AAFPL Scout Picks team to complete the Arsenal defensive double up for FPL GW2. Coupled with Raya, Calafiori offers ample cover for Arsenal’s defence in FPL GW2 and more than makes up for our lack of a certain 8.0m defender… Gabriel’s yellow card in FPL GW1 showed why so many managers chose to avoid the expensive brazilian in FPL this season while Calafiori’s assist and CS proved a lot of those who have been preaching that a Mosquera/Raya + Calafiori double up was the better option. Unfortunately, due to Konsa’s transfer to Arsenal, Mosquera looks set to lose his spot in the team in the immediate future, leaving Calafiori as the only viable Arsenal defensive asset (though Ben white is an interesting differential!)…
Gvardiol completes the defence in our FPL GW2 scout picks team. Thanks to Maresca’s pre-season comments, it was common knowledge that Gvardiol would be a ‘central pillar‘ of this new-look Manchester City side, and the croatian rewarded his FPL backers with a huge 9 point haul against Bournemouth in GW1. With Palace and Coventry in the next two – two sides which failed to score in their respective GW1 fixtures – Gvardiol’s ownership will surely jump above the 15% mark in the coming days.
Starting the game as a LB, Gvardiol needed just 1 shot to make his mark on the game, scoring with his first attempt in the 90th minute! His attacking potential is clear, and given the opportunity Gvardiol’s finishing is genuinely impressive for a so-called defender, but it is his security of minutes in the Manchester City defence which makes him such an attractive FPL option. At just 5.5m, Gvardiol offers an affordable way into a Manchester City defence with many moving pieces. Until we have more information on which other defenders are ‘nailed’ Gvardiol looks by far the best option in our opinion. O’Reilly could be a great differential punt for the next couple of fixtures but his minutes are no where near secure in the long term…
Further Read: FPL Gameweek 2 Transfer Tips: Players to Buy, Monitor, Sell & Hold
FPL GW2 Scout Picks – Midfielders
We’ve selected a midfield four of Mbeumo (8.0m), Bruno Fernandes (12.0m), Ndiaye (6.0m) and Rice (7.5m) for our FPL GW2 Scout Picks team…
Mbeumo and Bruno both looked far from their best in their FPL GW1 fixture against Hull. I think a lot of United’s problems stem from the overhaul in midfield. When the balls did get through Mbeumo, Rashford, Cunha and the other attacking players were able to get shots off and create half-chances for themselves but the issue appeared to me to be that the ball wasn’t getting to those players enough. Bruno was forced deeper to progress the ball as the two new midfielders failed to gel for large parts of the game. The signing of Baleba from Brighton will surely help the likes of Tielemens and Bruno, but a period of time to allow this new midfield to gel is also surely necessary.
FACT: Both Mbeumo and Bruno are in the top 5 for Predicted Points in FPL GW2 (FFH)
In spite of a lack of service from midfield, Mbeumo actually looked quite good for portions of this game. Mbeumo had the most touches in the opposition box and took the most shots of any player in the game. The forward largely had to create half chances and space for himself, but did produce fleeting moments of quality. The match against Ipswich in GW2 offers another opportunity for Mbeumo to impress. Similarly, Bruno (who struggled against Hull’s back 5 system) will find more space higher up the pitch against Ipswich’s 4-2-3-1. It would be wrong to doubt Bruno’s quality or his value as an FPL asset after just 1 mediocre performance – most managers would have wanted Bruno in their teams for both GW1 and GW2 to attack both games against promoted sides – it would be unwise to dump him after one match.
Le Fee is the 3rd midfielder in this week’s scout team, although he blanked in GW1 we are backing him for GW2 as the Black Cats are at home to Fulham.
Rice completes the Arsenal triple up for our FPL GW2 scout picks team. Like Szoboszlai, Rice offers a fairly cheap way into an elite side whilst also providing semi-regular goal involvements plus regular DC and bonus points. Rice averaged higher DC/90 (35% hit rate to Szobo’s 26%) than Szobo last season as well as bagging 23 bonus points to Szobo’s 21. Evidently, through an FPL lens they are very similar, and should be targeted based on fixtures and team/individual form. Arsenal’s fixture is far better for this week with the Gunners facing an out-of-form (and out of players!) Villa side which was battered 4-0 in GW1…
The english midfielder blanked in FPL GW1 and will be low on the list of Arsenal assets to target for this fixture, considering the hype around Tzolis and the form of Havertz and Odegaard. However, due to Rice’s versatility of points scoring we think that he’s a better asset in FPL GW2. Furthermore, Hinshelwood scored twice in GW1 by crashing into the box from midfield and finishing chances won through pressing – one of Rice’s key roles/attributes is his box-crashing and I could see him playing a similar role in this game. Rice picked up just 3 points in FPL GW1, below last season’s average of 5.11 PPG, but he played well and we’re confident he’ll better that score in GW2.
Further Read: FPL GW2 Team Selection- Drafts, Notes and Transfer Plans
FPL GW2 Scout Picks – Forwards
McBurnie (5.5m), Haaland (15.5m) and Joao Pedro (7.6m) complete our FPL GW2 Scout Picks team…
Hull looked excellent in FPL GW1 and proved all those who said they’d break Derby’s point record and be relegated in 20th wrong (maybe)! A couple of players caught the eye, including Giles who looks like a great, creative defender at just 4.0m, especially if Hull stick with a 5-back system, but it was ex-Sheffield United striker McBurnie who really impressed. McBurnie is the linchpin of the team – linking play, arriving late into the box and generally harassing opposition defenders. He looks like a very good FPL option at just 5.5m – especially with Coventry and Villa in the next two games…
The striker did not score, but did pick up an assist in FPL in his first premier league game for Hull. McBurnie is great at aggressively harassing defenders and at linking play with his attacking teammates. He took 2 shots, both of which were on target, in GW1 but really shone in his overall gameplay. McBurnie is the primary penalty taker for Hull too, making him an even more attractive option at just 5.5m. Coventry showed little attacking threat and looked very open at the back for large portions of their game against Arsenal in GW1, and while they will surely improve against another newly promoted side, Hull look far closer to the level expected of a Premier League side than Coventry did in GW1….
FACT: Haaland had the third highest xGI in GW1 of players who failed to score/assist
Haaland keeps his spot in the team in spite of his blank against Bournemouth in GW1. City’s striker had a haircut pre-match against Bournemouth in a move that surely worried brand ambassadors and marketing teams across the globe, but his performance was reassuring for those of us who chose to try to squeeze him into our FPL teams. Haaland took the most shots and produced 0.74xG across the 90, and he was arguably unlucky not to score with a big 1.18xGOT. Palace looked vulnerable on the counter and their back three looked very disorganised in the absence of Lacroix, and I could certainly see Haaland profiting from their lack of coordination and the type of chances they were giving up against Palace. The Eagles looked particularly vulnerable when facing crosses, and I dread to think the damage Haaland could do if Semenyo, Cherki and Foden put in some quality balls into the box…
Another forward player who impressed in FPL GW1 was Chelsea’s Joao Pedro. Alonso’s new-look front three shone in Chelsea’s exciting 3-2 victory over Fulham in FPL GW1. Palmer got lots of the credit, coming away boasting the most shots and the joint most touches in the opposition box, but Rogers and JP were also very impressive. JP scored and assisted having created 2 chances, 1 big chance and having taken 4 shots. That front three looks so exciting and I wouldn’t be surprised if we soon start seeing FPL managers triple up on Blues attackers…
The reason we haven’t gone for a double or triple up of Chelsea forwards in GW2 is due to the fixture. Chelsea welcome an in-form Brighton side to Stamford Bridge in GW2 and will surely find it an even harder test than their GW1 derby against Fulham. Sanchez made a couple of shocking mistakes which led to Fulham’s 2 goals in that match, thankfully this was after Chelsea were already in front – if defensive mistakes become a regular occurrence I would be concerned as to how that could affect the rest of the team’s moral and therefore their attacking output. JP, Rogers and Palmer are all good picks considering their form, but I wouldn’t be rushing to bring them in for GW2 due to Brighton’s good defensive showing in GW1 and their defensive record towards the end of last season.
Further Read: FPL GW2 – Fixtures & Players to Target for Gameweek 2
FPL GW2 Scout Picks Full Team
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)
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