The short answer
The biggest change is simple:
Ollie Watkins should no longer be ranked as a current Aston Villa FPL option because Unai Emery has confirmed his departure is happening.
Meanwhile João Pedro has started strongly and Thierno Barry has emerged as a genuine £5.5m budget option.
OneFPL forward ranking
| Rank | Forward | Price | OneFPL view |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Isak | £9.0m | Best premium alternative |
| 2 | Igor Thiago | £8.0m | Reliable mid-price option |
| 3 | João Pedro | £7.6m | Best current Haaland partner |
| 4 | Viktor Gyökeres | £7.4m | High upside, minutes still important |
| 5 | Dominic Calvert-Lewin | £6.0m | Secure budget minutes + penalties |
| 6 | Thierno Barry | £5.5m | Best emerging cheap striker |
| 7 | William Osula | £6.0m | High-risk breakout route |
Alexander Isak — £9.0m
Central striker role, proven FPL record and Liverpool attacking exposure.
Verdict: best premium non-Haaland forward.
Igor Thiago — £8.0m
Proven Premier League output, penalties and secure central minutes.
Verdict: safest mid-price pick.
João Pedro — £7.6m
João Pedro scored in Chelsea's GW1 win and has already risen in price.
Verdict: best current partner for Haaland.
Compare João Pedro against Isak and other forwards in the OneFPL Player Lab.
Viktor Gyökeres — £7.4m
He has already fallen £0.1m.
The real question is still how secure his Arsenal starts are.
Verdict: WATCH / upside buy when xMins improve.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin — £6.0m
Likely central starts plus penalties make him a clean budget structure.
Verdict: dependable £6.0m option.
Thierno Barry — £5.5m
Barry is the biggest addition to this guide.
He has:
- scored in GW1
- scored a Carabao Cup hat-trick
- assisted in the same cup match
- started Everton's first two competitive matches
That is four goals and one assist in two competitive matches.
Verdict: strongest emerging cheap forward.
William Osula — £6.0m
High-risk breakout potential, but starting security remains weaker.
Watkins is removed
Emery has confirmed Watkins' Aston Villa departure is happening, so managers should no longer build a forward structure around him.
Follow the replacement situation in the OneFPL Transfer Centre.
Best forward combinations
Haaland structure
- Haaland
- João Pedro
- Barry or Calvert-Lewin
Balanced structure
- Isak
- Thiago
- João Pedro
Budget-heavy structure
- João Pedro
- Calvert-Lewin
- Barry
Before changing multiple forwards at once, test the structure in the OneFPL Transfer Planner.
OneFPL verdict
Isak remains the best direct Haaland alternative.
João Pedro is the most attractive Haaland partner.
Barry is now the budget forward who can most change squad structure if the starts continue.
Sources
OneFPL analysis. OneFPL is an independent Fantasy Premier League companion and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Premier League or Fantasy Premier League.
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