FANTASY FORECAST 2018/19: FPL Gameweek 2
Ahead of each Gameweek in the Fantasy Premier League, The Hype Train invites a special guest onto its Fantasy Forecast, where the three members of the Hype Team and its Special Guests will duel for FPL supremacy in predicting Premier League scores, as well as going head to head in picking a Scout Picks squad for the relevant Gameweek. In addition, we give our insight into who are the players to watch and those to drop, both for traditional FPL leagues and the Draft mode, as well as providing insight into captaincy picks, differentials for the week, and more. Welcome to the Forecast. All aboard.
Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 2 Deadline
For the 2016/17 Premier League season, the FPL deadline will be one hour before the commencement of the week's first game. The Premier League website lists each FPL deadline, you can always ask on social media, and you can also view a real time countdown on our Weekly Hype page.
How does our Forecasting work?
We have taken to our Hype Team, and the FPL Community, to compete in a weekly head to head dual of wits. We ask the questions that dominate each week in the Fantasy Premier League: who to pick, who to avoid, who to captain, and who may surprise. The three members of the Hype Team, and a Guest, will provide weekly insight for the Gameweek ahead.
For the sake of respecting the rules of the Forecast, we have provided an example of what we're sending out to interested parties that will feature throughout the season.
Premier League Fixture Prediction: As pundits, we are testing our football acumen with PL predictions and will be providing regular updated tables and stats in each edition of the FPL Forecast. A perfect score is worth 3 points whilst a correct result is worth 1 point.
FPL Gameweek Forecasting: Answering the regular questions that come up every single week in the Fantasy Premier League community that helps with identifying captaincy picks, transfers, attacking options, clean sheet potential, teams to look our for and avoid, players to consider for the Draft game, the wildcard differential players, as well as general analysis and comments.
Scout Picks: Picking a squad of 15 for a single Gameweek, without any budget, using the rules of the FPL - formations, captains and vice captains, and the player limits of 3 per club (chips will not be feature of these weekly picks)
Each team must pick a Captain, labelled as (c) and a Vice Captain listed as (vc).
Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 2
Cardiff 0-1 Newcastle
Everton 2-0 Southampton
Leicester 1-1 Wolves
Spurs 2-0 Fulham
West Ham 2-2 Bournemouth
Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal
Burnley 0-1 Watford
Man City 4-0 Huddersfield
Brighton 0-2 Man United
Crystal Palace 0-3 Liverpool
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 2
Best GW Attacking Options:
Everton (H) vs. Southampton
Spurs (H) vs. Fulham
West Ham (H) vs. Bournemouth
Bournemouth (A) vs. West Ham
Man City (H) vs. Huddersfield
Man United (A) vs. Brighton
Liverpool (A) vs. Crystal Palace
Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:
Newcastle (A) vs. Cardiff
Everton (H) vs. Southampton
Spurs (H) vs. Fulham
Chelsea (H) vs. Arsenal
Watford (A) vs. Burnley
Man City (H) vs. Huddersfield
Man United (A) vs. Brighton
Liverpool (A) vs. Crystal Palace
Who are the players that might make the difference this Gameweek in the Draft?:
Burnley & Watford defenders (don’t know which one yet).
Liverpool midfielders.
Newcastle defenders.
Everton attackers and defenders.
Keep putting in trades for Mo Salah, one day that person who is holding onto him will accidentally accept the trade.
Who are the teams to look out for?:
Liverpool: No explanation needed.
Man City: No explanation needed.
Richarlison FC: The Brazilian adds a new dimension to an Everton attack I berated during the summer, and at home to Southampton it is prime time for the Brazilian again.
Who are the teams to avoid?:
Brighton: Looked woeful in GW1, potential second season syndrome incoming.
Huddersfield: Looked woeful in GW1, potential second season syndrome incoming.
Arsenal: Still no rhythm, still no plan, still no hope. Also, they go to a ground where they struggle this week, Stamford Bridge has many bad memories for the Gunners.
GW Differential Picks:
I do the weekly wildcard picks for The Hype Train and the big name on the list is Raheem Sterling who shocked everyone by his inclusion in the GW1 squad. I have also gone for an ‘audacious’ pick for Kepa in goal for Chelsea. Arsenal don’t look close to scoring a goal, and I don’t expect it to start soon.
FPL Captaincy Picks:
(C) Mohamad Salah – دائما قبطان مو صلاح.
(VC) Sadio Mane – If Salah isn’t at it, Mane is.
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 2
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Hugo Lloris
DEF: Benjamin Mendy
DEF: John Stones
DEF: Luke Shaw
MID: محمد صلاح (C)
MID: Christian Eriksen
MID: Richarlison
MID: Sadio Mane
FOR: Romelu Lukaku
FOR: Roberto Firmino
FOR: Sergio Aguero (VC)
Substitutes
GK: Ben Foster
MID: Dele Alli
DEF: Jamaal Lascelles
DEF: Cesar Azpilicueta
Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 2
Cardiff 1-2 Newcastle Everton 2-1 Southampton Leicester 1-2 Wolves Spurs 3-0 Fulham West Ham 2-1 Bournemouth Chelsea 3-1 Arsenal Burnley 0-0 Watford Man City 4-0 Huddersfield Brighton 1-2 Man United Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 2
Best GW Attacking Options: Liverpool, Spurs, Man City.
Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential: Spurs, Man City, Liverpool, Burnley, Watford.
Who are your Gameweek 2 essential player picks?: Aguero, Salah, Eriksen, Mendy, Davies.
GW Differential Picks:
James Maddison: Impressed in his PL Debut, he looks to be the creative talisman in this new look Leicester squad. Also on set pieces.
FPL Captaincy Picks: (C) Sergio Aguero: Can’t resist the opportunity to captain this man. Huddersfield were torn apart by a very average Chelsea last week. City should run riot.
(VC) Mo Salah: Needs no introduction. Has a Monday night fixture which always satisfies the superstitious.
FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 2 Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Ben Foster
DEF: Benjamin Mendy DEF: Ben Davies DEF: Andrew Robertson
MID: Richarlison MID: Christian Eriksen MID: Mo Salah (VC) MID: Raheem Sterling
FOR: Sergio Aguero (C) FOR: Harry Kane FOR: Roberto Firmino
Substitutes
GK: David De Gea MID: James Maddison DEF: Seamus Coleman DEF: Marcos Alonso
Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 2
Cardiff 0-1 Newcastle
Everton 3-1 Southampton
Leicester 2-1 Wolves
Spurs 2-0 Fulham
West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth
Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal
Burnley 0-0 Watford
Man City 4-0 Huddersfield
Brighton 0-2 Man United
Crystal Palace 1-3 Liverpool
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 2
Best GW Attacking Options:
Everton (H) vs. Southampton
Spurs (H) vs. Fulham
Man City (H) vs. Huddersfield
Man United (A) vs. Brighton
Liverpool (A) vs. Crystal Palace
Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:
Newcastle (A) vs. Cardiff
Everton (H) vs. Southampton
Spurs (H) vs. Fulham
Chelsea (H) vs. Arsenal
Watford (A) vs. Burnley
Man City (H) vs. Huddersfield
Man United (A) vs. Brighton
Liverpool (A) vs. Crystal Palace
Who are the players that might make the difference this Gameweek in the Draft?:
Jose Holebas, Martin Dubravka, Jamaal Lascelles, Kepa, and some of the last minute signings that could be pick up on a free transfers. Roberto Pereyra was also an option that was probably overlooked in your min-league Drafts.
Who are the teams to look out for?:
Newcastle: Peltier owners, look away. Rafa's magic is coming to haunt you this weekend in the most typical of 1-0 away wins in a throwback to our Championship title victory.
Leicester: I've got an inkling that Wolves might be edged in another entertraining game, much to the relief of Claude Puel.
West Ham: Those jammy snakes in the grass might frustrated us Josh King owners and scrape by with all 3 points against The Cherries.
Burnley/Watford: Defensively speaking this could be a goldmine of Fantasy points.
Who are the teams to avoid?:
Brighton: See above for Sam's answer.
Huddersfield: See above for Sam's answer.
Fulham/Cardiff/Wolves: All three promoted teams will lose this weekend in my most humblest of opinions.
Spurs: By Spurs, I really mean Harry Kane. You know why.
FPL Captaincy Picks:
(C) Mohamad Salah – Long live the King of Egpyt. Liverpool and Palace love an entertaining game at Selhurst Park, and with the Monday night lights on, I'm expecting goals.
(VC) Christian Eriksen – My stomach is getting knotted at the Aguero/Salah debate that has raged on this week, so I've just foregone Aguero altogether. That said, limited options means Christian Eriksen is on standby in case of a freak Salah injury at the last.
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 2
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Ederson
DEF: Benjamin Mendy
DEF: Andrew Robertson
DEF: Jan Vertonghen
MID: Mohamed Salah
MID: Christian Eriksen
MID: Richarlison
MID: Riyad Mahrez
FOR: Marko Arnautovic
FOR: Roberto Firmino
FOR: Cenk Tosun
Substitutes
GK: Ben Foster
MID: Eden Hazard
DEF: Luke Shaw
DEF: Cesar Azpilicueta
Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 2
Cardiff 1-2 Newcastle
Everton 3-1 Southampton
Leicester 2-1 Wolves
Spurs 4-1 Fulham
West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth
Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal
Burnley 1-1 Watford
Man City 5-0 Huddersfield
Brighton 0-2 Man United
Crystal Palace 1-3Liverpool
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 2
Best GW Attacking Options:
Firmino (LIV), Sanchez (MU) & Kane (TOT); I know Kane to get his first goal in August! You have been warned!
Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:
Man City, Man Utd; both on paper are far to strong for their opposition respectively, and both will keep cleanies.
Who are your Gameweek 2 essential player picks?:
Ederson (MC), Kane (TOT); Huddersfield won’t score, against a City team who will have a fast recall back to what happened last season. Lambs to the slaughter here.
Just to reiterate…….Kane will score.
Who are the players that might make the difference this Gameweek in the Draft?:
Lindelof (MU), Vardy (LEI), Ramsey (ARS); Vardy didn’t know much about his goal at OT, but I don’t think Wolves would have come up against anything like him.
Who are the teams to look out for?:
Everton, Arsenal, Man City; Arsenal with a ‘surprise’ away win, but comfortable home wins for the Toffees and City.
Who are the teams to avoid?:
Huddersfield, Cardiff, Fulham; My 3 picks to be relegated this season, they won’t have enough to reap any reward this GW.
GW Differential Picks:
With the injury to KDB, this will pave the way for BERNARDO SILVA to carry on from where he left off from GW1.
LUKAKU, will be back starting, so expect a cheeky goal from him.
MARHEZ, looking to start again and in his home debut, he’ll be looking to impress and with KDB gone for the foreseeable future he should step up!
FPL Captaincy Picks:
(C): Roberto Firmino
(VC): Riyad Marhez
Other Gameweek Comments:
There won’t be too many surprises this week, along with only 3 clean sheets. After last week Wolves showed some guts, and they’ll have to battle it out this week too. With the same attitude they could nick a draw.
Man Utd will huff and puff but get the job done, and I expect Sanchez to roll his sleeves up and put in a better performance than last week!
City will put on a 5-star show, and blow Huddersfield away.
Fulham will be in for a long season, and a London derby is not what they would’ve wanted this week after last.
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 2
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Ederson
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold
DEF: Victor Lindelof
DEF: Hector Bellerin
MID: Richarlison
MID: Paul Pogba
MID: Riyad Mahrez (V)
MID: Mohamed Salah
FOR: Roberto Firmino (C)
FOR: Jamie Vardy
FOR: Romelu Lukaku
Substitutes
GK: Jordan Pickford
MID: Bernardo Silva
DEF: Harry Maguire
DEF: Ben Davies
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in the Fantasy Premier League (#FPL), providing beautiful graphics and weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb ranking tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review movies, live sport, and professional wrestling.
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The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog 2016' by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), with the final presentation held at Old Trafford in Manchester.
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All aboard.
