Watching the Waiver Wire – Gameweek 2

The first weekend of the new season is over, which in FPL Draft means it’s time to start scouring the waiver wire for Gameweek 2’s best free agents.

Your draft day may have come and gone but now the hard work begins as you look to differentiate yourself from your league-mates by utilising the free agent pool.

I have pulled together a list of key targets you should be looking to pick up off the waiver wire this week as well as some drafted players you may already want to think about letting go.

While it’s impossible for me to know exactly which players are still available in your leagues, I’ve tried to highlight players who had a fairly high probability of being undrafted. Remember, the draft is over and you owe your players nothing, don’t be afraid to cut players just because you spent a high draft pick on them. Just don’t go crazy and drop Harry Kane for Stefano Okaka.

Pick Up

Ben Davies

An excellent Fantasy pick at the back end of last season, Tottenham full back Ben Davies picked up where he left off with his a goal, clean sheet and maximum bonus points in Gameweek 1 against Newcastle.

He has now started every game since Danny Rose got injured in Gameweek 23 of last season and his form could potentially sway Mauricio Pochettino into letting the unhappy Rose leave, as speculation mounts he is on his way out. Davies’ next two fixtures (CHE, BUR) offer good potential for points against a depleted Chelsea side and a Burnley team not (normally) known for away goals.

Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens

Stephens picked up a clean sheet and only narrowly missed out on bonus points in a solid Gameweek 1 performance at the heart of the Southampton defence. Stephens outperformed centre-back partner Maya Yoshida in the BPS total 26 to 20, and was second only to Ryan Bertand amongst Saints players.

However, Yoshida represented the greater goal threat with four attempts (three in the box and one late free kick) – which was twice as many as Sergio Aguero had this week.

Both enjoy an excellent run of fixtures (WHU, hud, WAT, cry) and could end up season-keepers for a defence that has kept at least 12 clean sheets a season for the past four campaigns. Other defences to target this week in free-agency include Burnley (WBA), Bournemouth (WAT) and Leicester (BHA).

Steve Mounie

I’d imagine not many casual players had even heard of Huddersfield’s new record signing Steve Mounie before Saturday. They have now. Mounie grabbed a brace and maximum bonus points on debut as clinical Huddersfield swept aside Crystal Palace in their first ever game in the Premier League. Mounie will have every chance to add to his tally with 3 home games in the next four (NEW, SOT, whu, LEI). There won’t be many strikers left in the free agent pool who have a decent chance of starting 38 games in a season but Mounie should be one. His 14 goals in Ligue 1 last season shows he has pedigree.

Cut Loose

James Milner

Chances are that you didn’t draft James Milner because you were enticed by the strength of the Liverpool backline but because he appeared to be nailed on, offered out of position potential and crucially, was the designated penalty taker.

All three of these factors are very much now up in the air.

Milner lost his place at left back to Alberto Moreno against Watford and despite a pre-season tease from Jurgen Klopp that he could revert to a central midfield position, the manager opted for a midfield three of Emre Can, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum. Most worryingly, Roberto Firmino strengthened his claim as penalty taker by scoring his second in as many weeks. Liverpool’s next three fixtures (CPL, ARS, mci) suggest you could give Milner one more shot this week if you can afford the luxury, but long term he looks surplus to requirements in FPL Draft.

Victor Lindelof

Lindelof’s terrible pre-season form looks to have cost him his starting role in the heart of the Manchester United defence, especially as they kept a clean sheet with ease in Gameweek 1 in his absence. Drop Lindelof and look to pick up Phil Jones or Daley Blind for a way into what is already looking like this year’s best defence and capitalise on some great fixtures (swa, LEI, stk, EVE, sot).

Phil Jagielka

Despite a promising first week for Jagielka, which yielded seven points via a clean sheet and 1 bonus, it’s probably best to keep it a one time fling when you consider Everton’s punishing upcoming schedule. Clean sheets look unlikely in the next four games (mci, che, TOT, mun). In addition, Jagielka doesn’t offer a reliable attacking threat like team-mate Leighton Baines.

Hold

Manuel Lanzini

Lanzini is at risk of missing the next two games through injury, which for a mercurial player with rotation risk at a mid-table team would usually point to him being in the “Drop” list.  But with Barcelona’s interest in Philippe Coutinho showing no sign of going away, rumours are growing that Lanzini is being prepped as his replacement at Anfield.

Lanzini has the talent to be productive at West Ham, but being thrust into a starting role in a free-scoring Liverpool side would see his potential for points sky-rocket.

Don’t give up on him just yet.