Three players to consider for GW2

Fantasy managers are scrambling for signings after several players put in dazzling performances during the opening weekend of Premier League action. There are some key injuries to factor in and some big name transfers for managers to consider ahead of Week 2. Here are three intriguing signings you might want to consider:

Raheem Sterling
The Man City forward banged in a hat-trick to inspire his team to victory over West Ham on the opening weekend. He has scored 35 league goals over the past two seasons and he could enjoy an even more prolific campaign this time around. He has matured significantly over the past 12 months and become a lot more composed in front of goal under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage.

The top sportsbooks make Man City the clear favourites to win the Premier League and they are all but certain to top the goalscoring charts for the third season in a row. Sterling typically deployed out wide, but could end up being Man City’s main goalscoring threat this season, as is the case with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané at Liverpool.

He is blessed with the sort of pace that can terrorise Premier League defenders, and he has an uncanny knack of arriving in the penalty area at precisely the right time. He will benefit from exceptional service from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Riyad Mahrez, and he has the ability to finish all manner of chances.

Sergio Aguero is approaching the twilight of his career, and Gabriel Jesus is yet to consistently score goals in the Premier League, so Guardiola could also use Sterling down the middle in some games. With Leroy Sané out for the majority of the season with an injury, there is nobody else with Sterling’s qualities in the Man City squad, so he is one a just a few guaranteed starters for the reigning champions. He does not come cheap, but there is a compelling choice for making him your captain.

Adrian
Liverpool stopper Alisson went down with a muscle injury in Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Norwich on Friday night and he will be out for a few weeks. Lorius Karius is on loan and Simon Mignolet has moved back to Belgium, so new signing Adrian was thrust straight into the limelight. The former West Ham goalkeeper should now enjoy a decent spell in the Liverpool team for the next few weeks.

That makes Adrian a great budget option for fantasy managers. He is cheap and that will free up room to splash out on a player like Sterling, and he should rack up plenty of points over the next few weeks. Liverpool had the meanest defence in the Premier League last season, and Adrian should not have too much to do between the sticks at Anfield. He is a reasonably safe pair of hands anyway, and he looks like a terrific short-term signing.

Ashley Barnes
The Burnley forward fired in a brace to put Southampton to the sword on Saturday. He has been on an upward curve in recent years and he is growing increasingly prolific in front of goal. He rarely scores tap ins, but Barnes has the ability to score from range and he should also grab a few assists along the way, as his hold up play is strong.

Next up Burnley face Arsenal at The Emirates, which is not the easiest assignment. However, Barnes scored against the Gunners in a 3-1 defeat there last season and he relished the battle with the Arsenal defence, so he could have another good game in the capital this coming weekend. He is another decent cut-price option that frees up room in the budget for higher-profile stars, and he is certainly worthy of your consideration.