09 Aug, 2025
Big Man Bakar picks his 5 high ownership players in FPL that managers should be avoiding. Don’t get fooled by these 5 high EO players!
Stop! Don’t Buy These 5 Players Everyone Else Is Picking!
Every FPL season there are a handful of players with massive hype, and very high GW1 ownership, that are a bit confusing once you dig deeper into the numbers or the context of the players situation. The 25/26 season is certainly no different with the top 4 as well as United and Spurs all making big-money signings which naturally leads to serious FPL fanfare for those players or their teammates. There is also the hype that comes with certain budget FPL players that never fully makes sense. A pre-season assist, a slightly more attacking role for a Defender or a couple of pre season goals for a young Midfielder really gets people overexcited and buying into the hype. But Bakar is here to tell you which pitfalls and traps to avoid ahead of GW1.
João Pedro’s current ownership — hovering around 53% — is surprisingly high, and in my view, not entirely justified at this stage. While the buzz is understandable given his talent, there are several warning signs that make him far from a “must-have” for Gameweek 1.
The biggest concern is game time. He’s not guaranteed consistent starts, and even when he does make the XI, there’s always a risk of an early substitution. Losing penalty duties is another major blow to his appeal. Last season, spot-kicks were a significant part of his output, and without them, his upside takes a noticeable hit. Add a hefty £2.0m price rise to the mix, along with the fact he’s no longer the central focal point of the attack, and it’s hard to make a strong case for him at present.
He could yet become a viable option later in the campaign, but for now, he’s firmly in “monitor” territory — and certainly not worth the current ownership levels.
It’s a little surprising to see Aaron Wan-Bissaka as the most-owned defender in FPL right now.
Looking at last season’s numbers, the appeal simply isn’t there. He averaged just 3.3 points per start, and West Ham’s defensive record was poor, ranking among the bottom five for expected goals conceded (xGC). Individually, Wan-Bissaka didn’t crack the top 30 defenders for defensive contribution points, which means the new scoring system offers him little added upside.
To make matters worse, West Ham’s fixture run turns tricky after Gameweek 1, leaving little short-term or long-term value. His high ownership feels more like a result of name recognition than genuine FPL suitability.
For now, Gyökeres is best filed under “wait and see.”
His role at Arsenal still comes with question marks — from his fitness and match sharpness to his actual minutes and whether he’ll take penalties. Having missed extended periods of full training, there’s a realistic chance Havertz will share centre-forward duties in the opening weeks.
The fixture list doesn’t help either, with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle all to be faced in the first six Gameweeks.
Gameweek 7 looks like a far more natural point to consider Arsenal’s attacking assets, by which time we’ll know far more about Gyökeres’ place in the pecking order. There’s no pressing need to jump on early.
For similar reasons tied to Arsenal’s challenging early fixtures, Saka is also one I’m avoiding for now. He’s still an outstanding asset in terms of quality and track record, but Gyökeres’ arrival casts doubt over his penalty-taking responsibilities — a huge part of his FPL value.
At a similar price point, I would much rather opt for Cole Palmer, who has friendlier fixtures and remains a central attacking threat for Chelsea.
Mbeumo’s current appeal seems heavily influenced by his impressive numbers last season, but his move to Manchester United changes his FPL profile significantly. At Brentford, he was almost a £9.0m-calibre asset thanks to his nailed minutes, set-piece monopoly, and penalty duties. At United, his role is far less secure. Increased competition means his expected minutes will likely drop, and he’s unlikely to retain spot-kicks or set pieces with Bruno Fernandes in the side.
While he’s worth monitoring in the early weeks to see how he’s used, starting with him feels risky — and he’s no longer the guaranteed source of points he was at Brentford.
Bakar also has you covered if you are looking for the super premium team builds – check out his Salah and Haaland team build or alternatively his Salah, Palmer and Bruno GW1 draft. If you are looking for a slightly different GW1 premium players draft, then we tried our hand at a wild Salah, Haaland, Palmer and Isak super draft.
If you like the idea of a heavy premium player drafts, but wanted some alternative cheap options to help you build these premium player heavy teams, then look no further than our best budget Defenders, Midfielders and Forwards in FPL 25/26.
Big Man Bakar is one of the leaders in the FPL space, previously ranking as high as 4th in the world. Bakar has been a regular and valued contributor to Ingenuity Fantasy since our inception, helping managers around the world win their mini-leagues and climb rankings.
