After being benched in Brighton & Hove Albion's 4-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, The Scout looks at the best replacements for Joao Pedro (£5.6m) in Fantasy Premier League.
Sales of Joao Pedro are escalating, with the Brazilian the second-most transferred out forward ahead of Gameweek 3, losing over 100,000 owners.
Joao Pedro had started and scored in the Seagulls’ 4-1 win over Luton Town in the opening weekend, with his ownership soaring to over 27 per cent in Fantasy.
But he was replaced by Julio Enciso (£5.4m) in the No 10 role behind Danny Welbeck (£6.0m) as Roberto De Zerbi’s side recorded an identical scoreline at Molineux.
Appearing as a second-half substitute, Joao Pedro further frustrated his owners by collecting a yellow card to return zero points.
Enciso’s two assists, meanwhile, highlight the growing competition for places in the Seagulls’ starting XI.
Enciso's first assist v Wolves
Joint top scorer in the #PL: Solly March. ⚽️💥 pic.twitter.com/MYZIG3kDZJ
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 20, 2023
Although Brighton have a kind home match against West Ham United in Gameweek 3, their subsequent schedule suggests Joao Pedro owners should already be targeting a replacement.
Fixtures point to Wissa
Yoane Wissa (£6.1m) has the form and fixtures to provide a ready-made replacement for Joao Pedro.
Wissa’s goal, assist and 11 points against Fulham has caught many managers' attention.
See: Wissa or Mbeumo: Who is the better Brentford pick in FPL?
Brentford’s front man is the most-bought forward in the Gameweek, earning over 172,000 new owners ahead of a very favourable run of opponents.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), four of the Bees’ next five matches score only two.
Brentford's next five matches
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | CRY (H) | 2 |
| 4 | BOU (H) | 2 |
| 5 | NEW (A) | 4 |
| 6 | EVE (H) | 2 |
| 7 | NFO (A) | 2 |
The underlying numbers strengthen the appeal of investing in Wissa.
His totals of 10 shots and nine shots in the box are both more than any other player in Fantasy in the opening two Gameweeks so far.
Selected forwards attacking returns so far
| Player | Pts | Shots | Shots in box | Chances created | G* | A** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wissa | 20 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Awoniyi | 14 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Solanke | 12 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Alvarez | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Semenyo | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
*Goals **Assists
Wissa is among only five forwards who have produced attacking returns in each of their first two matches.
Notably, all of those players are priced under £7.0m, underlining the value on offer for managers’ frontlines.
Alvarez benefiting from De Bruyne absence
Julian Alvarez (£6.5m) scored the decisive goal in Manchester City’s 1-0 home win over Newcastle United, adding to his assist at Burnley Gameweek 1.
Pick that one out! 🎯🤟 pic.twitter.com/cQgmKoyx8N
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 19, 2023
His total of eight chances created ranks top among forwards and is second only to the nine of Phil Foden (£7.5m) for Pep Guardiola's side.
See: Scout Selection: Best FPL team for Gameweek 3
Alvarez’s potential for starts appears to have been boosted by an injury to Kevin De Bruyne (£10.3m), with an ownership of only six per cent marking the Argentinian out as a huge differential.
Man City also have a kind upcoming schedule, with four of their next five scoring two in the FDR.
Man City's next five matches
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | SHU (A) | 2 |
| 4 | FUL (H) | 2 |
| 5 | WHU (A) | 3 |
| 6 | NFO (H) | 2 |
| 7 | WOL (A) | 2 |
Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi (£6.5m) has scored against Arsenal and Sheffield United, collecting seven points on each occasion.
He has found the net in each of his side’s last six matches in Fantasy, amassing 52 points over that run.
But it’s worth noting that Awoniyi has only taken two shots this season and a drop off in output has to be expected if that limited level of threat continues.
Certainly, Forest’s immediate run of matches means the Nigerian is one to monitor for now, with trips to Manchester United, Chelsea and Man City in the next four Gameweeks.
Elsewhere, AFC Bournemouth’s £4.5m-priced Antoine Semenyo made an immediate impact on his first start under new head coach Andoni Iraola on Saturday.
The Ghana international scored and earned six points in their 3-1 defeat at Liverpool, adding to his assist off the bench against West Ham in Gameweek 1.
Although Bournemouth also have a testing upcoming schedule, Semenyo’s low cost could make him a popular option for managers playing a 3-5-2 formation, offering a rare starting forward in the £4.5m bracket.
Despite failing to score against Liverpool last weekend, Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson (£7.0m) was supplied with three big chances, joint-top in Gameweek 1 with Newcastle's Alexander Isak (£7.6m).
The Blues are another side who have the schedule to deliver plenty of attacking returns, with five of their six matches from Gameweek 3 scoring just two in the FDR.
Chelsea's next six matches
| GW | Opp. | FDR | GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | LUT (H) | 2 | 6 | AVL (H) | 3 |
| 4 | NFO (H) | 2 | 7 | FUL (A) | 2 |
| 5 | BOU (A) | 2 | 8 | BUR (A) | 2 |
With his fellow forward Christopher Nkunku (£7.4m) sidelined for a lengthy period, Jackson can emerge as their go-to attacker under Mauricio Pochettino this season.
Also in this series
Part 2: Whose FPL prospects have improved after Gameweek 2?
Part 3: FPL experts: Lessons learned from first two Gameweeks
Part 4: The Scout’s FPL Gameweek 3 Ones to watch
Part 5: Wissa or Mbeumo: Who is the better Brentford pick in FPL?
Part 6: The Scout’s Gameweek 3 Differentials
Part 7: FPL experts: What to do with Fernandes and Rashford?
Part 8: FPL long view: Be wary of Brighton fixtures from Gameweek 4
Part 9: FPL experts: Is Alvarez or Jackson the better forward to pick?
Part 10: Scout Selection: Best FPL team for Gameweek 3
Part 11: Best alternatives to Haaland as FPL captain in Gameweek 3
Part 12: How penalty duties are changing the FPL landscape in midfield
Part 13: Best replacements for injured Shaw in Fantasy
