Top 5 forwards to pick for Fantasy Premier League 2023/24 Gameweek 2
Fantasy Premier League or FPL returned with a bang last weekend, as the Premier League season began. As we enter Gameweek 2, let us look at some forwards who you should have in your team this week.
First let us look at last week’s results and the fixtures for this week. Manchester United secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham, while Liverpool cruised to a 2-0 win over Ipswich Town. Brighton enjoyed a dominant performance, defeating Everton 3-0. Arsenal and Newcastle also started their campaigns with wins over Wolves and Southampton, respectively. There were draws between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, West Ham and Aston Villa, Leicester and Tottenham, and Brentford and Crystal Palace. However, Manchester City made a statement with a convincing 2-0 win over Chelsea.
Coming on to this weekend, the action continues. On Saturday, Brighton will host Manchester United, while Tottenham will face Everton. Crystal Palace will take on West Ham United, and Southampton will battle Nottingham Forest. Fulham will clash with Leicester City, and Manchester City will look to build on their strong start against Ipswich Town. Aston Villa will also aim for a victory against Arsenal. On Sunday, Wolverhampton Wanderers will host Chelsea, Bournemouth will face Newcastle United, and Liverpool will take on Brentford.
Here are the top 5 forwards you need to pick for your Fantasy Premier League 2023/24 Gameweek 2!
#1 Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is without a single doubt the best striker in the world by some distance and also the best FPL asset in the game. He is priced at a record FPL price of £15m but considering who he is, he is still a must have. The price gap between him and the next batch of strikers is big but so is likely to be the points gap between them.
In what was a mixed season for him last time out, he still won the Golden Boot and amassed 217 FPL points. The 53.3% ownership that he has is reflective of this. This week, City are up against newly promoted Ipswich Town. While the newly promoted side were good against Liverpool, Haaland is still expected to score against them. He also scored in the first matchweek against Chelsea in a 2-0 win. Haaland will also be the best choice for captaincy.
#2 Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak at £8.5m is currently the most-owned player in the game at 58.2% for valid reason. The Swedish international scored 21 goals in 27 starts last season and the way he has played over the last couple of seasons, his numbers are only expected to get better if he can stay fit.
Isak provided an assist on the first game of the season against Southampton and will be heavily expected to do the same again versus Bournemouth. He could be a differential captain pick too but Bournemouth under Andoni Iraola are stringent defensively. Still expect Isak to deliver points from this game.
#3 Rodrigo Muniz
Fulham’s fixtures to begin the season are such that it means that Rodrigo Muniz will keep finding himself in such lists. This weekend, they have newly promoted Leicester City, whose defence isn’t the best. Muniz is a sharp shooter in the box, who is the focal point of Fulham’s attack.
Last season, he broke into the FPL spotlight with a 97 point haul. Priced at £6.0m, he is expected to be great value for money, in what is beginning to look like a very solid Fulham side. Last week, however, he didn’t have the greatest game, leading to a mere two point return.
#4 Dominic Solanke
Earlier this month, Spurs signed Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth. While the fee might be steep, this signing is a proof of excellent profiling and it is very likely to be a hit.
In FPL, he is available for £7.5m and is expected to start reaping the returns sooner rather than later. Last week, against Leicester, he came off the bench and failed to do anything noteworthy in terms of FPL points.
Expect something better this weekend though, with Spurs being up against a weak Everton side. The Toffees were the worst performing side in the first weekend, letting in 3 goals against Brighton. Solanke will be expected to start and deliver in this one.
#5 Nicolas Jackson
With Nicolas Jackson, there is always a worry of inconsistency or missed chances, as an FPL manager. That being said, he is a nailed on starter and a regular source of points. Last season, in what was his first season in England, he had 142 FPL points.
In the previous week, Jackson didn’t have a great game and only delivered 2 points but that is forgivable, considering Chelsea were playing Manchester City. He did, however, get into some great positions during that game and if he does so again, this week against Wolves, expect him to be on the scoresheet.