Premier League Fantasy Gameweek 2 Preview: Fixtures, suggested picks, tips, differentials, captain & more

The opening weekend of the 2024/25 Premier League season saw fantasy football return with a bang, with Mohamed Salah stealing the show in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Ipswich.

Fantasy football favourite Salah ended Gameweek 1 as the top points scorer in bet365's EPL Fantasy Season Game with 13.1 after registering a goal and an assist against the Tractor Boys.

Attention now turns towards Gameweek 2 with another stacked lineup of fixtures to look forward to.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Gameweek 2 of the fantasy football season.

Fantasy Gameweek 2 fixtures

Saturday 24th August 2024:

• 12:30 BST: Brighton v Manchester United
• 15:00 BST: Crystal Palace v West Ham
• 15:00 BST: Fulham v Leicester
• 15:00 BST: Manchester City v Ipswich Town
• 15:00 BST: Southampton v Nottingham Forest
• 15:00 BST: Tottenham v Everton
• 17:30 BST: Aston Villa v Arsenal

Sunday 25th August 2024:

• 14:00 BST: Bournemouth v Newcastle
• 14:00 BST: Wolves v Chelsea
• 16:30 BST: Liverpool v Brentford

Gameweek 2 suggested picks

The three following players should be at the very forefront of your mind as you assemble your Gameweek 2 squad:

DEF - Trent Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool

Fixture - Brentford (H)
Price - 6.5M
Ownership - selected by 47.57%

Catching the eye in Liverpool's Gameweek 1 win over Ipswich Town, Trent Alexander-Arnold looks primed for a productive campaign at Anfield under new Reds boss Arne Slot.

Incoming Liverpool manager Slot appears to apply more emphasis upon controlling matches, as opposed to his predecessor Jurgen Klopp's renowned 'heavy metal' tactical approach, with this more measured style of play perhaps enabling the Reds to improve on their tally of 10 Premier League clean sheets last season.

As well as the potential for more clean sheet points, Alexander-Arnold looked at his creative best at Portman Road on the opening day of the season, with a stunning through ball helping to create Diogo Jota's opening goal.

Appearing at home at right-back under his new boss, a home assignment against Brentford makes Alexander-Arnold an appetising fantasy football pick ahead of Gameweek 2.

MID - Diogo Jota - Liverpool

Fixture - Brentford (H)
Price - 7.5M
Ownership - selected by 30.13%

If you find yourself struggling to fit both of Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah into your Gameweek 2 squads, then Liverpool's Diogo Jota could provide a cheaper alternative to his Egyptian teammate.

Lining up as Liverpool's central striker against Ipswich and netting the Reds' opening goal, Jota boasts a superb Premier League goal record for the Anfield side when fit and available.

Not always a regular starter during his time at the Reds, the Portuguese forward has registered an impressive 42 goals in 98 Premier League matches.

With Darwin Nunez an unused substitute in Liverpool's win at Ipswich last time out, Jota looks set to continue in a central striking berth under Slot for the foreseeable future.

This makes the 27-year-old an enticing fantasy option ahead of a home fixture against Brenford, with the Bees conceding 65 goals in 38 Premier League fixtures last season.

FWD - Erling Haaland - Manchester City

Fixture - Ipswich Town (H)
Price - 14M
Ownership - selected by 55.91%

To Haaland or not to Haaland has been the question on the minds of fantasy football managers at the start of this Premier League season given the Norwegian's inflated price tag, but you do not want to go without Manchester City's main man ahead of their Gameweek 2 fixture at home to Ipswich Town.

Haaland got off the mark in City's comfortable 2-0 win over Chelsea in Gameweek 1 with a delicate dinked finish over Robert Sanchez, and the ex-Borussia Dortmund striker looks raring to go this season after enjoying an extended break in the summer with no involvement in the Euros.

A home fixture against newly promoted Ipswich could offer Haaland an opportunity to fill his boots, with the Citizens likely to create a large volume of chances against Kieran McKenna's side.

Haaland has proven to be particularly lethal at the Etihad in his Premier League career to date, hitting at least three goals in six home league matches for the Citizens across just two seasons, and it would come as little surprise should he add to this tally against Ipswich.

Gameweek 2 Differentials

The following three suggested picks are all currently owned by under 5% of EPL Fantasy Season Game managers:

DEF - Rico Lewis - Manchester City

Fixture - Ipswich Town (H)
Price - 5.0M
Ownership - selected by 0.26%

With Manchester City's home fixture against Ipswich Town appearing a matchup to target from a fantasy football perspective, Rico Lewis could provide a differential entry point to the Citizens defence in Gameweek 2.

With Kyle Walker returning late to pre-season after making the Euros final with England, Rico Lewis was given the nod to start at right-back in City's opening game of the season against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and excelled.

So good was Lewis' performance that it would seem harsh for City boss Pep Guardiola to leave him out for the visit of Ipswich in Gameweek 2, and given the full-back's quality on the ball he has the potential to deliver attacking returns as well as a possible clean sheet in this fixture.

MID - Dejan Kulusevski - Tottenham

Fixture - Everton (H)
Price - 7.0M
Ownership - selected by 2.11%

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was left frustrated by his side's wastefulness in front of goal as they languished to a 1-1 draw away to Leicester in Gameweek 1 in a match they dominated for large spells.

The Australian's disappointment could lead to changes in personnel for the visit of Everton to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Gameweek 2, with Swedish creator Dejan Kulusevski likely to be knocking on the door for inclusion in the starting XI.

Shining in pre-season with three goals and three assists, Kulusevski is an outstanding player on his day who could thrive if given the nod against an Everton side which shipped three goals at home to Brighton on the opening day.

FWD - Adam Armstrong - Southampton

Fixture - Nottingham Forest (H)
Price - 6.0M
Ownership - selected by 3.4%

Newly promoted Southampton were perhaps unfortunate to come away with nothing from an opening day 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United, with Saints boasting 77.8% possession and an xG of 1.95.

Although this may point towards attacking profligacy against a 10-man Newcastle side, Russell Martin's charges can take confidence from their ability to dominate the ball against one of the top sides in the country for such large periods.

In Gameweek 2 Saints are presented with a more favourable fixture on paper as Nuno's Nottingham Forest travel to St Mary's in what will be a more thorough examination of the club's Premier League credentials.

Southampton should find more space to create chances against Forest at home, with Adam Armstrong their main man in attack having hit 24 Championship goals last season.

Gameweek 2 Captain

Erling Haaland - Manchester City

The Gameweek 2 captaincy decision is a rather straightforward one in light of Manchester City's fixture at home to Ipswich Town.

Given Haaland's phenomenal Premier League goal record, sharpness demonstrated at Stamford Bridge last weekend and extended rest in the summer, it would take a brave man to go without the Norwegian as captain in Gameweek 2.