FPL
FPL Gameweek 2: Should You be Making Transfers?
Should you transfer in FPL Gameweek 2? Patience is key, but some players may already be sells.
Gameweek 1 is always chaos. Plans get ripped up, bandwagons appear, and patience gets tested right away. So, the big question now is: should you transfer a player out in Gameweek 2?
The short answer: maybe. But it really depends on why you want to move them on. Let’s break it down.
When It Makes Sense to Sell a Player Early
I can think of three main reasons managers transfer a player out this week:
- Unexpected minutes: you thought your player was nailed, but they didn’t start or got hooked early.
- Poor performance (player or team): they looked bad, or their team did.
- A shiny alternative looks better: someone else caught your eye in Gameweek 1.
Let’s dig into each one.
1. Lower Than Expected Minutes
If your player didn’t get the minutes you expected, ask yourself: did you see this coming?
- If they were a known rotation risk before Gameweek 1, then nothing has changed. Be patient.
- If you genuinely thought they’d be nailed, but they didn’t start, that’s different. Your assumption was wrong.
For example, Omar Marmoush is a problem. He didn’t start, and when he came on, he looked poor. His system fit is questionable, and he’s competing with Erling Haaland. That’s not what you want from an 8.5m asset. In his case, moving to someone like Tijani Reijnders, Antoine Semenyo, or even Morgan Rogers makes sense.
But if your player came off early for tactical reasons, like Strand Larsen when his team was struggling, that’s explainable. Don’t be too hasty.
2. Poor Team or Player Performance
We saw some shocking results in Gameweek 1. West Ham losing 3–0 to Sunderland was the big one. Many of us owned Jarrod Bowen or Niclas Füllkrug for that exact fixture.
- Bowen: Proven FPL gold. He’s been involved in over 40% of West Ham’s goals in recent seasons. Yes, the Hammers looked poor, but I don’t think this is panic time. Label this as a possible transfer, you could do it, but there’s no rush.
- Füllkrug: Different story. He’s not proven in the Premier League, and his FPL ceiling looks low. Selling him is more justified, but I wouldn’t say it’s urgent either. If you move him, know where you’re going—maybe to Thiago(on penalties) or a punt on Mayenda, but the fixtures suggest waiting until Gameweek 3 is smarter.
Elsewhere, Iliman Ndiaye blanked for Everton, but he played 90 minutes and is on penalties. That’s not a sell for me yet, especially with decent fixtures.
And remember: not every poor Gameweek 1 is representative. Last season, people jumped on Zirkzee after a goal off the bench, but it wasn’t a sign of things to come. Don’t fall into the same trap this year.
3. An Alternative Looks Better
This is the trickiest one. You might be tempted by a new star like Reijnders or Semenyo, but ask yourself:
- Did you want them before Gameweek 1?
- Are they nailed for minutes?
- Was their performance sustainable, not just a one-off?
If all three are true, then go for it. If not, one good game shouldn’t rewrite your preseason thinking.
Take João Pedro, for example. His minutes were never going to be 90 each week, but at 7.5m he’s still value. Moving him to Evanilson could work, but Pedro isn’t a must-sell.
The 8.5 Million Assets: Wirtz vs Marmoush
- Florian Wirtz: Keep. He looked excellent in Liverpool’s 4–0 win, taking set pieces and linking play beautifully. The returns will come.
- Omar Marmoush: Sell if you want. He’s not nailed, doesn’t suit the system, and you don’t pay 8.5m for a bench risk.
Cole Palmer: On Thin Ice
Palmer is the trickiest call of the lot.
- The good: on penalties, massive ceiling, capable of explosive hauls.
- The bad: poor form carried over from last season, looked flat in Gameweek 1, and Chelsea’s fixtures toughen after West Ham in gameweek 2.
I’d give him two more weeks. But if he’s still blanking by Gameweek 4, it’s time to move on.
Pedro Porro: Start or Bench?
Porro is one of the best long-term defensive assets in the game, but away to Manchester City in Gameweek 2 is brutal. Numbers suggest that Spurs have only a 10% clean sheet chance.
If you’ve got a decent bench, I’d sit him. If not, don’t panic, he could still nick an attacking return.
Don’t Waste Chips in Gameweek 2
Some are considering Free Hit or Bench Boost this week. I’d strongly advise against it.
- Free Hit: only helps for one week, and you get your “bad” team back. If your squad really is that bad, just Wildcard later with a bit more information.
- Bench Boost: benches like Dubravka, Esteve, Guiu, and Porro are relying on low-probability outcomes. You’ll likely get 4 to 10 points. Save it for a better chance.
Final Thoughts
Gameweek 2 is not the time to panic. Transfers this week should be made for clear, justified reasons: unexpected benchings, genuinely poor assets, or moving to someone you already rated highly pre-season.
Download the We Play FPL app to take your decision-making to the next level. Compare players, plan transfers, and get accurate points predictions—all in one place.
May your arrows be green. Happy managing!
Chip Strategy
FPL GW5: King or Calafiori for your starting XI?
Our narrow GW5 preference is King, but Calafiori’s attacking involvement and clean-sheet route keep the choice close. Check minutes and formation before benching either.
Josh King gets our narrow nod over Riccardo Calafiori for GW5 if you own both, expect both to start and can keep a legal formation. King hosts Manchester United; Calafiori travels to Brighton. You can make a case for either, so check the rest of your XI before choosing your first substitute.
King has the higher early attacking involvement rate. Calafiori offers attacking returns alongside Arsenal’s clean-sheet potential. The gap is small enough that fresh minutes news should carry more weight than a firm verdict based on four matches.
King offers the attacking edge
King has started four matches and played 346 minutes. His season-to-date expected goal involvement rate is 0.41 per 90: 0.30 xG/90 and 0.11 xA/90. At £5.5m, the Fulham midfielder has contributed through shooting as well as chance creation.
For an existing owner choosing one starter, we favour that attacking involvement at home to Manchester United. Treat it as a preference under uncertainty. Those rates describe the chances King has had and created so far; they do not predict a return this weekend.
You also need to separate selection from recruitment. You can start King from your bench without spending a transfer or committing to a longer holding period. This comparison gives you no reason to manufacture a new purchase.
Calafiori keeps the decision close
Calafiori has started four matches and played 326 minutes. The £5.8m Arsenal defender has recorded 0.33 xGI/90, split between 0.17 xG/90 and 0.16 xA/90. His attacking involvement sits close enough to King’s that benching him carries a clear risk.
His defensive measure is 0.68 expected goals conceded per 90 over those same 326 minutes. That describes the quality of chances conceded during his minutes so far, rather than a clean-sheet probability for Brighton away. Still, you should account for both his clean-sheet route and his involvement going forward when comparing him with a midfielder.
Choose Calafiori if the latest team news gives him the clearer route to a full appearance, or if your formation requires another defender. King’s small attacking-rate advantage does not justify ignoring either condition.
Check the formation before moving the bench
King is an FPL midfielder and Calafiori is a defender. You need at least three defenders in your starting XI. Replacing Calafiori with King works only if the remaining lineup still meets the formation rules.
You can test the two lineups in We Play FPL and compare the players’ performance data before settling on your bench order. Start with the squad you own, then check whether you are choosing between these two or overlooking a weaker starter elsewhere.
Both players currently have available status. Recheck fitness and expected starts before the GW5 deadline on Friday 18 September at 17:30 UTC. With no adverse news and a legal XI, our preference stays with King. Keep Calafiori as a strong alternative rather than treating this close call as a reason to change your transfer plan.
Chip Strategy
FPL GW5: Groß or Mamadou Sangaré, who should you start?
Lean towards Groß if both midfielders are in your squad. Compare his attacking involvement and set pieces with Sangaré’s defensive contributions and shorter minutes sample.
If you own Pascal Groß and Mamadou Sangaré and have one GW5 midfield place to fill, lean towards Groß. His attacking involvement and set-piece duties give him the stronger case, even with Arsenal visiting Brighton. Sangaré offers a different route through defensive contributions against Chelsea, but his early numbers need a minutes check before you treat him as the safer starter.
Both cost £5.7m and occupy a midfield slot. For this decision, leave the transfer button alone: choose which of your existing players earns the place in your XI or sits first on your bench.
Groß has the stronger attacking case
Groß has played 360 minutes across the opening four Gameweeks, with 0.42 expected goals and 0.15 expected assists per 90. His combined expected goal involvement rate is 0.57 per 90, compared with Sangaré’s 0.32 over 300 minutes.
Those are season-to-date performance rates, not GW5 points predictions. Groß will face Arsenal at home, so carrying his four-match average into this fixture would overstate what the number tells us. The appeal lies in how he can contribute: he ranks first in Brighton’s current penalty, direct-free-kick and corner/indirect-free-kick orders. Those responsibilities offer routes to a return even when Brighton struggle to create from open play. Duties can change, and a penalty opportunity is never guaranteed.
His 360 minutes also matter. He has completed four full-match equivalents, while Sangaré has started four matches but accumulated 300 minutes. That difference strengthens the case for Groß if you expect both to start again; it does not confirm either player’s next appearance.
Sangaré’s contribution rate deserves a closer look
Sangaré has recorded 13.50 defensive contributions per 90, compared with Groß’s 5.25. Managers who want exposure to that scoring route have a reason to consider the Brentford midfielder. His attacking profile is more modest: 0.12 expected goals and 0.20 expected assists per 90 across his 300 minutes.
The risk is treating a season average as a guaranteed return in one match. A per-90 rate describes performance over a full-match equivalent. It does not tell you how long Sangaré will play against Chelsea, how his contributions will fall across individual matches, or whether he will earn contribution points this week.
Chelsea at home gives him a demanding assignment too. Choosing Sangaré because Groß faces Arsenal would skip half the comparison. Weigh each player’s likely minutes and scoring routes, then decide which uncertainty you prefer.
Set the XI, then the bench order
With both available and no fresh minutes concern, start Groß ahead of Sangaré. If neither makes your XI, the same preference puts Groß ahead in your bench order, subject to the formation rules for automatic substitutions.
You can compare Groß and Sangaré in We Play FPL using player statistics and upcoming fixtures, then test the two lineups in the planner. Keep any projected points separate from the season-to-date rates above; neither can guarantee the result of a single match.
Revisit the choice if team news changes the minutes outlook. A credible indication that Groß will miss out or play a reduced role would weaken the recommendation, while stronger evidence of a full match for Sangaré would narrow the gap. Check availability before the GW5 deadline on Friday 18 September at 17:30 UTC. Until then, Groß’s attacking involvement, set pieces and minutes record give him the edge for an existing squad’s starting spot.
Fixtures
João Pedro injury: hold or replace for FPL GW5?
Check your bench and the gap before GW6 before selling João Pedro. Compare a temporary replacement with a longer hold, and keep the route back affordable.
João Pedro owners should check their bench before selling. At £7.8m, the Chelsea forward carries a yellow flag for an unspecified injury and a 75% chance of playing. That leaves a decision to make for GW5, but it does not establish a missed match or a return date.
If you can field a credible eleven without him, holding gives you time to learn more without spending a transfer. If you lack cover, or a confirmed recovery timeline puts more than one Gameweek at risk, prepare a replacement you can afford to keep.
Separate the GW5 doubt from the GW6 decision
Chelsea visit Brentford on 18 September, then host Bournemouth on 10 October. That gap gives João Pedro time to recover before GW6. It does not prove he will do so.
Treat a one-match concern and a longer absence as different problems. For one possible blank, compare your substitute with the player you would buy, allowing for any points hit and the transfer needed to bring João Pedro back. For a longer absence, judge the replacement across several fixtures.
João Pedro has started four matches and played 360 minutes this season, recording 0.54 expected goals per 90 minutes and 0.59 expected goal involvements per 90. Those early attacking numbers explain why an owner might want to retain him. They offer no evidence about his recovery.
Check the eleven you can field
Try a legal lineup without João Pedro. A fourth defender or fifth midfielder may let you use a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. Check that substitute’s likely minutes and fixture before deciding the bench is good enough.
You can test future lineups and map transfers in We Play FPL to compare holding with a sale and return. Include GW6 in both plans: a move that solves Friday’s problem can leave you needing another transfer after the break.
A reliable starter on the bench strengthens the hold. Several doubts elsewhere, a substitute unlikely to play, or confirmation of a longer absence strengthens the case for selling. A points hit needs a larger expected improvement than a free transfer.
Match the replacement to the commitment
Thierno Barry and Gonzalo García illustrate two different ways to cover the forward slot. Both are FPL forwards; neither needs to become a compulsory purchase because João Pedro has a yellow flag.
Barry costs £5.6m and faces Ipswich at home in GW5, followed by Hull away in GW6. He has 0.82 xG/90 and 0.86 xGI/90 across 327 minutes. That is an encouraging start over a small sample, with a fixture pair that can suit a temporary move.
Plan beyond those two matches before buying him. Everton then face Chelsea at home, Arsenal away and Newcastle away in GW7–9. An owner intending to restore João Pedro should reserve the transfer and budget for that return, while accepting that he could recover sooner than the replacement plan assumes.
Gonzalo costs £6.0m. Fulham face Manchester United at home in GW5, then Ipswich away, Hull at home and Coventry away in GW6–8. His 0.43 xG/90 and 0.50 xGI/90 come from 346 minutes. The longer fixture window suits an owner willing to keep the replacement even if João Pedro returns for GW6.
These expected metrics describe attacking performance across the first four Gameweeks, not future points. Barry’s higher rate over this sample does not settle the choice. Choose the player whose fixtures, likely minutes and intended holding period fit your squad.
Keep a route back affordable
At current purchase prices, João Pedro costs £2.2m more than Barry and £1.8m more than Gonzalo. Your available cash depends on João Pedro’s actual selling value in your squad, so those gaps are not guaranteed proceeds.
If you want him back, calculate the return before spending the saving elsewhere. A forward downgrade followed by a midfield upgrade uses two transfers and can make the reverse move harder. Make that pair of changes only if you want the new structure beyond this injury concern.
Owners with cover can wait for clearer team news. Owners who need a replacement should prepare the affordable move, check its consequences for GW6 and beyond, and act on the latest availability update before the GW5 deadline: Friday 18 September at 17:30 UTC, 20:30 Cairo. Confirmation of a start, an absence or a recovery timeline should change the plan; the yellow flag alone does not settle it.
