FPL Gameweek 6: The Players To Watch — 23 Sep

The Mid-Price Gold Rush: Groß Is the Buy of the Opening Run

Sixty-four projected points over six gameweeks. From a £5.8m midfielder. That's what our model spits out for Pascal Groß, and it's the loudest number on the whole shortlist — nearly double what most mid-price options are giving you.

The Brighton run is the engine here: Sunderland away, Palace at home, then — yes — Liverpool and City away, but wrapped up with Brentford at home and Hull away. Our model still clears that middle chunk comfortably because Groß is the man on everything for Brighton, and only about 3 in 10 managers own him. He's usually good for a steady return most weeks, and when Brighton click he's got double-digit days in him. At that price, in this form, he's practically a cheat code.

Want to double up? De Cuyper at £4.9m rides the same fixtures and projects the best clean-sheet-plus-upside package of any defender on our list. Also around 3 in 10 owned. A Brighton double for £10.7m combined is the smartest structural move you can make right now.

Rogers is the pricier alternative at £7.7m, and Chelsea's opening slate is tasty — Bournemouth and Spurs at Stamford Bridge, Everton away. He's projected a solid haul most weeks, but 4 in 10 managers already have him, so he wins you less ground. Fine pick, smaller prize.

Honesty corner on the City pair: Gvardiol (£5.7m) gets Ipswich, Brighton and Fulham at home, but starts at Anfield, and City defenders always carry rotation sweat. Cherki at £7.8m is the fun punt — huge on his day — but our model clearly prefers him behind the names above, and I'm not paying £7.8m for a maybe when Groß costs two million less and projects far more. Calafiori is already in half of all squads; he's a hold if you've got him, not a chase if you don't.

The caveat on Brighton: Liverpool and City away in the middle of that run could produce a blank or two, and you'll need to hold your nerve through them.

But that's the game we play. The call: buy Groß this week — before the price rises start — and pair him with De Cuyper if you've got the second transfer. That's the double that wins mini-leagues by October.