There’s been a lot of talk about Wildcards in the FPL Community this week with many managers deciding the time is right to hit the button. @FPLGeneral has picked out five must-haves for those building a shiny new squad this week.

Lucas Digne – Everton

The Frenchman had an excellent 2018/19 campaign, and he’s continued this season from where he left off in May. Six points in Gameweek 1 and another eleven in Gameweek 2 sees him sit joint-top of the scoring charts for defenders.

Forget your Liverpool and Man City defenders, this guy is the must-have defender in FPL. Everton keep churning out the clean sheets and he’s always a threat going forward too. He’s joint-top among defenders for goal attempts (4) this season and has been taking corners (5) as well.

He is a slight doubt going into Gameweek 3 having come off early last weekend, but even if he was to miss out vs Aston Villa on Friday, I’d still include him.

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John Lundstram – Sheffield United

Sitting alongside Digne at the top of the scoring charts for defenders is the new darling of FPL, John Lundstram.

Not even Sheffield United fans expected him to play as well as he has done in the opening two matches. A defender playing out of position in midfield is always something fantasy managers are on the lookout for and in Lundstram, we have an absolute gem given his price.

He scored the winner against Crystal Palace on Sunday and took home all three bonus points for a sweet 14-point haul for his backers. It’s not just goals and clean sheets he offers either, he recorded an xA of 0.46 in Gameweek 2 which was bettered only by Aston Villa’s Ahmed El Mohamady (0.54) among defenders. He could chip in with his fair share of assists too.

Soon, FPL managers will be ripping down the poster they have of Aaron Wan-Bissaka in their bedroom and replacing it with one of big John Lundstram.

Raheem Sterling – Manchester City

Given Man City’s kind fixture schedule and Sterling’s early season form, he should be the first pick in a Wildcard squad this week. He’s already the top points-scorer in the game (26) and he will take some beating in that race if he continues playing the way he has been and avoids injury.

Among midfielders, after two matches, Sterling leads the way for penalty area touches (20), goal attempts (10) – all of which were from inside the box, shots on target (6) and big chances (5). If he’s not in your latest Wildcard draft, fix it.

Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City

Sterling’s teammate De Bruyne looks like a man possessed this season desperate to make up for the time he spent on the sidelines last year. He has been back to his very best over the first two Gameweeks. He’s already got as many assists (3) as he did in all of 2018/19 and sits 2nd behind Sterling in the midfielder scoring charts with 18.

A Man City midfield double up should bring in plenty of FPL points over the next few weeks. For midfielders, the Belgian leads the way for chances created (12), successful passes in the final 3rd (39) and touches in the final 3rd (87). Ignore him at your peril.

Anthony Martial (£7.7m) – Manchester United

Like Lundstram, Martial is another out of position option this year. He’s listed as a midfielder in FPL but is playing up front for United. He’s scored in each of the first two games and a home game against Crystal Palace this weekend should see him have more joy in front of goal.

Only Sterling (20) has had more penalty area touches than Martial (15) so far (midfielders). Like City, United have a favourable run of fixtures ahead. It makes sense to get on the Frenchman now if you’re on a Wildcard before he costs £8m+ in a couple of weeks.

I’m not playing my Wildcard this week, but if I did it would look something like this:

Pope – (Woodman)

Digne – Laporte – Wan-Bissaka – (Montoya) – (Lundstram)

Sterling – De Bruyne – Martial – Mane – Mount

Pukki – Barnes – (Wickham)

LISTEN TO @FPLGENERAL TALK WILDCARDS ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF FANTASY WEEKLY:

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