Fantasy Premier League Tips: Five transfer targets for Gameweek 2

“Salah looked sharp in Gameweek 1, having had a full pre-season under his belt. He had five shots against Norwich, as well as creating four chances for his team-mates.”

The Headline Pick: Mo Salah – Burnley (H)

For the second week running, Mo Salah is our Headline Pick and who can doubt his quality following a goal and two assists against Norwich City last weekend. The schedule continues to look rosy with a game against a languid Burnley defence, which crucially comes at a packed Anfield.

Salah looked sharp in Gameweek 1, having had a full pre-season under his belt. He had five shots against Norwich, as well as creating four chances for his team-mates. We know that he is on penalties too, which will be a valuable source of fantasy points again this season.

Conversely, we didn’t see a strong defensive performance from Burnley last weekend for their opening home game against Brighton, conceding two goals. They conceded 14 goal attempts, of which 12 were on target. They may be quickly undone by Mo Salah and the rest of this potent Liverpool attack.

Liverpool are available to back at 4/6 to beat Burnley and score three or more goals in their opening Premier League game.

The Budget Pick: Raphinha (£6.5) – Everton (H)

Leeds United were thrashed by Manchester United last weekend, but they still attacked to the final whistle, an important quality fantasy managers should look for. Raphinha was involved in the action too with two goal attempts and one key pass: he takes many of the set-pieces for Leeds United.

It’s going to be some atmosphere inside Elland Road on Saturday for their first home Premier League game with a full crowd in 17 years – I’m expecting a big performance against Everton. Raphinha scored a goal in each fixture against the Toffees last campaign.

Despite a wealth of good options among the mid-priced midfielders, Raphinha could well be excellent value over a number of weeks. The fixtures remain mixed for a while for Leeds United, but that doesn’t make him a poor fantasy asset – it’s important to be patient with players who failed to deliver in Gameweek 1.

The VAR Pick: Danny Ings (£7.0) – Newcastle United (H)

Danny Ings left it late to get on the scoresheet in Gameweek 1, but converted his penalty against Watford to take home seven points, including one bonus. We now know he’s on penalties when Anwar El Ghazi isn’t on the pitch and he may even move above him in the pecking order too.

It was a quiet game for Ings other than the penalty, failing to register any shots on target. Aston Villa struggled to contain Watford, but should have more joy in a home game against Newcastle United. The Magpies also conceded a penalty in Gameweek 1.

Newcastle United conceded 12 goal attempts in the box against West Ham, which ranked their defence worst of all teams, having scored four goals. They were also top for big chances conceded (six). They cannot afford to give Danny Ings that volume of opportunities.

You can back VAR and bet on Aston Villa to score a penalty against Newcastle United at odds of 7/2.

The Sleeper Pick: Mason Greenwood (£7.5) – Southampton (A)

Mason Greenwood impressed out of position in the lone striker role against Leeds United, finding the back of the net, while also registering two additional shots. He’s likely to continue in this fluid role for a number of weeks, with Anthony Martial under par and Edinson Cavani returning late.

His ownership still sits under 10% for now, but I can see that figure steadily rising in the next few weeks. With Manchester United finding their goal scoring form early, there’s a strong argument for doubling up on their attack, with Greenwood slotting in next to Bruno Fernandes.

Southampton’s defence is relatively unknown and they conceded 14 goal attempts last weekend against Everton, of which three were big chances. If they don’t improve then Manchester United have the potential to post another big scoreline this weekend.

The Wildcard Pick: Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0) – Norwich City (H)

It came as a surprise to see Kevin De Bruyne make the squad for their first game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, where he managed 11 minutes as a substitute. He will be nursed to full fitness over the next few weeks, with an underlying injury being managed.

When he is available, De Bruyne automatically becomes our top fantasy pick from Manchester City given his reliability to consistently make the starting lineup. He is also unique in his ability to provide goals and assists in equal measure.

The current champions will need a big performance this weekend in front of their fans, after losing their opening fixture against Spurs. Norwich were ranked second for goal attempts conceded against Liverpool, with 19, so there’s no doubt De Bruyne will get chances if he starts.

Back Kevin De Bruyne to score against Norwich City at 7/5 in Gameweek 2.

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