Gameweek 1 is done and dusted and for some of us FPL managers, it’s one to forget – some of the risks and gambles we took just didn’t pay off.
And wildcarding in gameweek 2, might just be the way forward for some. Well, if that’s you, we’ve got you covered as we’d be creating several GW2 wildcard drafts, we’d also look at the best teams and players to target ahead of gameweek 2.
GW2 wildcard draft guide: Gameweek 2 fixture overview
Gameweek 1, has given us a pretty good idea of how certain teams would play, it has also given us an idea of what FPL assets would be great addition to our teams ahead of GW2.
We’ve seen the likes of Haaland, Kane, Martinelli, Jesus, Zinchenko and many others play and to be honest, most players have looked really good.
Some lived up to expectations(Halaand) and others didn’t quite perform as we expected(Kane). Well, before we go around selecting and recommending players for your GW2 draft, let’s take a look at the fixtures in gameweek 2:
Gameweek 2 fixtures
Gameweek 2 fixture analysis
A couple of teams have pretty good fixtures going into gameweek 2. And the standout fixture in GW2, is Man City vs Bournemouth and Liverpool vs Crystal Palace – two of the best teams in the league have two really good fixtures in their own ground and if you’re on a wildcard, then you really want to target FPL assets from these teams.
Some other teams that you might want to target and have really good fixtures with an FDR(fixture difficulty rating) of 2, are:
West Ham
West Ham face Nott’m Forest away from home and the potential is there for West Ham to get a clean sheet and a couple of goals. Nott’m Forest weren’t that impressive against Newcastle in GW1 and they just didn’t threaten the Newcastle goal.
This means it won’t be the the worst idea to go for a West Ham defender or even Jarrod Bowen. However, when you’re playing your wildcard, you want to think ahead, you want to consider future fixtures. Here’s what West Ham’s next six games would look like:
From the looks of things, West Ham’s next three are pretty good, so you can hold on to your West Ham assets even after wildcarding.
Newcastle and Brighton
Newcastle vs Brighton is another fixture you can target if you’re on a wildcard. These two teams play against each other in GW2, and to be honest it can go either way.
Brighton as well as Newcastle, put up a good show in GW1. Brighton outplayed Man United, while Newcastle won comfortably against Nott’m Forest.
There are a lot of really good FPL assets you can get from both sides, from Newcastle we have the likes of Callum Wilson(scored a goal against Nott’m Forest) and Kieran Trippier(kept a clean sheet and got 1 bonus point), and from Brighton we have Pascal Groß(who got himself a brace), and Danny Welbeck(who got himself an assist).
These are all decent options that you could possibly go for in gameweek 2. But the question is, are they long term picks? Let’s take a look at their upcoming fixtures and see if it’d be the best move to get them in.
Well, it won’t be the worst idea to get in an asset from both Brighton and Newcastle. Their fixtures compliment each other really well and you could easily rotate between your Brighton and Newcastle assets.
Leeds
Leeds assets are actually good buys if you’re on a wildcard. They have really good set of fixtures and they play against a Southampton side that just can’t defend.
Jack Harrison, Aaronson, Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo are all really good assets. Jack Harrison however, is the one who stands out for us the Leeds man was the player who created the most chances in that Leeds side.
The absence of Raphina, means Harrison has to step up his game and become more involved, and in gameweek 1, he showed that he is capable of doing just that.
If you’re looking for a Leeds asset to go for, Harrison is one really good shout.
Well, these are just some of the teams that you could target if you’re on a wildcard draft, there are still so many other teams and FPL assets to target and we’d be including those ones in our GW2 wildcard draft.
Kane vs Haaland GW2 wildcard draft
One really popular transfer that FPL managers are making ahead of GW2, is Kane to Haaland and that’s happening because of:
- Kane failed to score in Spurs’ opening win against Southampton
- Haaland scored against West Ham in gameweek 1
- Kane has a much tougher fixture in GW2, Spurs face Chelsea
- Haaland comes up against newly promoted Bournemouth in GW2
And yeah for sure those are all really good reasons to make the swap from Kane to Haaland and if you’re wildcarding in gameweek 2, then Haaland is one that you need to have in your team.
Haaland has shown us that he doesn’t need too many chances to get a goal. The Norwegian managed 2 goals from an xG of 2.
He is a lethal finisher playing alongside some of the best creative players out there, Haaland is a must have going into gameweek 2.
We also want to use this avenue to apologize to some of our readers out there, we know we were team Kane last week and we know playing it safe didn’t workout and so we’re sorry if we made you take Haaland out for Harry Kane
GW2 wildcard draft and team selection
In our GW2 wildcard draft, we’d be going with a 3-4-3 formation. We’ve tripled up on Man City and Liverpool assets as they have the easier fixtures.
We’ve also got a couple of Leeds, Arsenal and Newcastle FPL assets in the starting 11. Meslier would be our goalie in this draft and that’s because of his easy set of fixtures and his price.
One of the cons of this GW2 wildcard draft is, you’d have a couple of players with tougher fixture in GW3. Leeds would be playing Chelsea and Newcastle would be facing Man City.
This means you’d then have three assets with tough fixtures. However, you can rely on your bench if you want to, as Ward, Patterson, Andreas and Neco Willams all have pretty decent fixtures in GW3.
Here’s what your team would look like if you make use of your bench players:
While this draft might look good, there are still some other cons. The lack of Chelsea assets such as Reece James could be an issue and also the absence of a Spurs full-back could also cause you problems in the long-run.
So, it’d be better to find a way to get these players in after gameweek 2.
Here’s another variation of our GW2 wildcard draft, but this time, we’ve got some Chelsea and Spurs cover:
One other really good move you could make is taking Phil Foden out for Jarrod Bowen. Foden is one that could be benched and if you don’t want to risk it, you could make a Foden to Jarrod Bowen swap – Bowen faces Nott’m Forest and he no doubt would be a great addition to your GW2 wildcard team.
These GW2 drafts have a good mix of both differentials and popular FPL picks and this would help you challenge your rivals in your mini-league.
Redeyedrae, is an FPL content writer with years of experience in playing and writing about FPL. He has written for major FPL blogs like ALLABOUTFPL, Fantasytipsters, FF Titans, and nevermanagealone. With his deep knowledge of the game, he has become a trusted source for FPL fans worldwide. His content is well-researched and always up-to-date. He’s passionate about helping FPL managers gain an edge in their leagues by sharing insights and analysis about everything fantasy football on raensports.
1 thought on “GW2 wildcard draft template: teams and players to target gameweek 2 wildcard draft”