Heading into Gameweek 2 of Fantasy Premier League’s (FPL) 2024/25 campaign, Hall of Fame number 16 FPL Milanista picks out five differentials that caught his eye on the first weekend – and reveals his own team.
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After a long wait, FPL finally returned last weekend – and Gameweek 1 was full of action.
It started with a very impressive Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) performance – despite blanking – before moving onto a Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) haul, the shaky Jarell Quansah (£4.4m) performance and a harsh Fabian Schar (£5.5m) red card that switched off Newcastle United’s attack.
There was lots of drama at Brentford v Crystal Palace, with Eberechi Eze (£7.0m) owners particularly unlucky, then a routine Manchester City victory that added concern to Christopher Nkunku‘s (£6.5m) minute. Ending the weekend was a Pedro Porro (£5.5m) goal and a respectable Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) debut.
In this article, and without wanting to step on Tom Freeman’s toes, I’d like to pinpoint five FPL assets of under 10% ownership that caught my eye during the opening weekend.
Many will intend to save their first free transfer, which is a very sound idea. Nevertheless, this could indicate which differentials should be monitored and added to our watchlists.
Antonee Robinson (£4.5m)
In 9.8% of teams, Robinson just about makes differential status. Fulham’s left-back had a brilliant pre-season and continued to impress at Manchester United last Friday night, making lots of runs down the wing.
He didn’t register any key pass or attempt to shoot, so maybe not too exciting from a data perspective but yes, he passed the eye test. The American is worth considering because the Cottagers are top of our Season Ticker over these next five Gameweeks.
Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m)
Next up is Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Mitoma, who scored at Everton and looked energetic for 88 minutes. Four shots were registered by the Japanese winger.
Being owned by less than 4% of managers makes him a fantastic prospect for Gameweeks 4 and 5, at home to Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest.
His 26 returns from around 3,800 minutes over the last two seasons come at a pretty good rate. However, it’s worth noting that Brighton have a lot of options in that position, boosted further by bagging Brajan Gruda (£5.5m) and Georginio Rutter (£5.5m).
For now, Mitoma looks to be one of their most secure attacking assets. These next two matches can be used to solidify our thoughts on him.
Omari Hutchinson (£5.5m)
In last Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off, all questions were about how Liverpool would appear in Arne Slot’s first competitive game.
The usual picks of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) and Diogo Jota (£7.6m) all impressed and returned in this game. Yet my main takeaway was that Ipswich’s Hutchinson looked very good on the counter.
The 20-year-old Jamaican registered three shots and an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.27. He’s definitely not for Gameweek 2’s trip to Man City but the Tractor Boys then have the second-best fixtures between Gameweeks 3 and 7. Owned by less than 1% of managers, Hutchinson could be worth a look in a £5.5m midfielder pool that is well stocked with potential.
Joshua Zirkzee (£7.0m)
Moving onto forwards, the first name to mention is Zirkzee. He scored the only goal in Man United’s first match despite being on the field for less than 30 minutes.
I’m a Serie A follower and the Dutchman impressed at Bologna, being one of last season’s brightest talents thanks to 11 goals. Now surrounded by quality playmakers, it’s a tally you’d expect him to beat in 2024/25.
Whilst Zirkzee made a strong case for himself in Gameweek 1, I’m not yet ready to gamble on him given that he may still be insecure for minutes.
Minimal involvement at Euro 2024 was followed by no pre-season game-time at all, so his match fitness remains in question.
Adam Armstrong (£5.5m)
To be honest, Armstrong was a player I considered for my initial team. I instead went with Joao Pedro (£5.5m) due to an expectation that Brighton will score plenty more goals than Southampton.
But Armstrong did accumulate 0.71 xG away to former club Newcastle United, amassing five attempts and two shots on target. The game state, with the hosts down to 10 men, of course has to be acknowledged, but Southampton were more than a match for Newcastle even before that dismissal.
The Saints have some juicy upcoming fixtures, which makes penalty-taking Armstrong an intriguing asset to invest in. Perhaps a good approach is to monitor them for a bit, as Newcastle’s early red card swayed the game massively.
MILANISTA’S GAMEWEEK 2 TEAM
Good luck to you all, let’s get ready for round two of FPL.
4 months, 4 days agoAny reason not to get Muniz for Solanke if I already have two Fulham players? Got Robinson and Smith Rowe. Triple Fulham feels too much but he does look like the best replacement.