FPL news: Viktor Gyokeres, Jeremie Frimpong and more - Five FPL ‘traps’ you should sell before GW1
Fantasy Premier League is officially back!
It’s that time of the year once again to select your FPL team ahead of the August 15 kick-off, as league champions Liverpool take on AFC Bournemouth at Anfield.
As with any season, though, there are several players highly owned in the community that you should seriously consider replacing before your mini-leagues get underway in a few weeks.
Here, Transfer News Blitz’s resident FPL expert Joe Matthews shares who you should avoid.
Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal
FWD / £9million / 23% Ownership
Arsenal new boy Viktor Gyokeres may take time to settle in.
Viktor Gyokeres is one of the most hyped players coming to the Premier League this summer after scoring a staggering 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting Lisbon last term.
It may be a surprise to see the Swede on this list, but a combination of unknown minutes and adapting to life in the Premier League could leave many believers in the 27-year-old disappointed early on.
It is not unusual for big signings to be given time to bed into their new teams.
Arsenal still have Kai Havertz, who looks set to be available for the Gunners’ opening fixture away to Manchester United, and the involvement of their new £60 million man may be limited to a cameo off the bench.
After a potentially tough fixture at Old Trafford, Arsenal face Leeds United at home, which could be a great opportunity for a haul, but the four games after see Mikel Arteta’s side take on Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle United – a brutal run.
With this in mind, it seems as though the other strikers offer much more punching power for your FPL teams.
Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United
MID / £8million / 18% Ownership
Bryan Mbeumo had a season to remember last term, bagging 20 goals and seven assists as Brentford finished in a comfortable 10th place.
That being said, five of those goals came from penalties, and the Cameroonian was also the Bees’ designated set-piece taker, both of which are likely to remain the duties of Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United.
Combined with competition from starlet Amad Diallo, alongside the uncertainty of just how good Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils will be, all make the 25-year-old a risky pick at £8million for the start of the season.
Beto, Everton
FWD / £5.5million / 14% Ownership
Beto could prove to be a costly pick.
As players try to find ways to cram as many premium assets as possible into their squads, it seems as though there is a lack of budget options in the forward position.
One suggestion is Everton centre-forward Beto, who bagged a respectable eight goals last term.
Despite the perfect opening fixture of newly-promoted Leeds on GW1, Beto is a player you should avoid, as it seems unlikely that he will be the Toffees’ main talisman this season.
David Moyes has been active in reinforcing up top, too, securing the services of Thierno Barry, who arrives on Merseyside off the back of a hugely successful campaign in LaLiga with Villareal, netting 15 goal involvements.
If you’re looking to free up some funds, Marc Guiu comes in at £4.5million after making a move to Sunderland, where he is likely to start.
Another good option would be Leeds United’s Joel Piroe, who tallied 26 goal contributions as Daniel Farke’s side won the Championship last season.
Jeremie Frimpong, Liverpool
DEF / £6million / 27% Ownership
Liverpool have been on a rampage in this summer’s transfer market, making the statement signings of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
But the latter, despite being the second most picked defender in the entire game, is not someone who should be given thoughtless entry into your squad.
Conor Bradley is seen as the more likely of the two to dominate the right-back position at Liverpool in the opening weeks of the season, with his Dutch counterpart likely to see good minutes off the bench.
Later in the season, we may see that the full-back with huge attacking potential becomes near essential, but for now, with exceedingly uncertain minutes and a hefty looking price tag, Frimpong is an avoid for GW1.
Alexander Isak, Newcastle United
FWD / £10.5million / 31% Ownership
Alexander Isak was an FPL monster last year.
Arguably the best striker on the planet last season, Alexander Isak scored 23 goals for Newcastle United, as the Magpies qualified for the Champions League.
While this makes the Swedish international sound like an extremely enticing prospect, the uncertainty surrounding his future makes him a player to strongly reconsider.
Over the last few weeks, Isak has been left out of Newcastle’s pre-season tour, reportedly approved personal terms with Liverpool and been subject to a rejected bid of £120million.
Potential forced to stay in the North East, this sort of chaos does not bode well for the season ahead.
That being said, should Isak successfully force a move to the Premier League champions, he would arguably become even less appealing.
The Swede would likely lose penalties to Mohamed Salah and also not be guaranteed to start due to joining so late in the window.
Undeniably world-class, the early gameweeks of the Premier League campaign may not be the prime time to have Isak occupying a space up-front in your team.
Many of the top players of Fantasy Premier League adopt a conservative approach to the opening weeks of the season, selecting players with good guaranteed minutes, as well as set-piece security when it comes to attackers.
Several of the players on this list are set to lose those privileges in the early weeks of this season, but should you feel dicey and want to make a somewhat unlikely getaway from the friends and colleagues of your mini-leagues, you could certainly find the adrenaline you're looking for in these five picks.
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