Here, we look at which of the Blues' players are must-haves, who the best value-for-money picks are, and why Joao Pedro (£7.6) is Chelsea’s most popular player.

The must-haves

Cole Palmer (£9.5m) looked back to his best and delivered a differential 13-point haul for his 14% ownership. The Englishman added a second-half goal to his assist in the first minute on his way to securing maximum bonus points.

Palmer was involved in everything going forward, racking up five shots and three chances created. His performance against Fulham will encourage Fantasy managers - Cole returned 244 points in 29 starts during the 2023/24 season, especially with other premium assets blanking on the opening weekend. 

The Blues’ two summer signings, Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) and Maxence Lacroix (£6.0m), have put themselves firmly on Fantasy managers’ radars. The former continued where he left off in Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad by scoring one of three shots he had at Craven Cottage.

Rogers’ goal was assisted by Lacroix, who topped off a superb defensive display with an impressive assist, showcasing his offensive threat. The Frenchman also returned defensive contribution points, something he made a habit of doing last season in a Crystal Palace shirt.

Most popular Chelsea player this week

Unsurprisingly, Joao Pedro (£7.6m) is the highest-owned Chelsea player in FPL. The Brazilian currently sits in 67% of teams, second among all players. Over 290,000 managers have transferred in the Brazilian ahead of Friday’s GW2 deadline, resulting in a price rise of £0.1m, following his 11-point haul against Fulham.

Joao Pedro, who was the only forward to score more than nine points in GW1, picked up a goal, an assist and claimed a share of the bonus points.

Last season, the Brazilian returned 177 Fantasy points thanks to 15 goals and nine assists, his best-ever season across all three metrics. The underlying data for Joao Pedro in 2025/26 was equally impressive. No Chelsea player managed more shots (73), big chances (26) or Expected Goals (14.96).

JP will be keen to impress against his old club Brighton on Sunday. The Seagulls are in UEFA Conference League action on Thursday. 

Value for money

In defence, Josh Acheampong (£4.5m) played the full 90 minutes and returned defensive contribution points. No Chelsea player racked up more DefCons than the Englishman’s tally of 15, thanks to five tackles, seven clearances, two blocks and one interception.

Acheampong is attractively priced if he can keep his place with Wesley Fofana (£5.0m) returning from suspension. On the other side of the back-three, Levi Colwill (£5.0m) also featured. The Englishman scored against his former club Brighton at Stamford Bridge back in the 2023/24 season.

Captain's Armband?

Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) is likely to be the most captained player this weekend for Manchester United’s home match against Ipswich Town. Despite a disappointing result in Gameweek 1, the Red Devils’ captain registered three shots and three chances created against Hull. With penalties and other set-pieces in his locker, Fernandes carries explosive potential for Gameweek 2.

Elsewhere, Erling Haaland (£15.5m) will be looking to get off the mark against Crystal Palace on Friday night after blanking on the opening weekend. Last season’s Golden Boot winner racked up 239 points in 25/26 thanks to 27 goals, eight assists and 43 bonus points. The Norwegian’s underlying numbers were encouraging against Bournemouth, with a match-high five shots and a 0.74 xG tally.