Bakar's 5 Popular FPL Players to Avoid

A new season of Fantasy Premier League is upon us. Drafts are being torn apart, rejiggled and rebuilt. To make matters worse, Bakar has shared with us his 5 popular players he thinks you should avoid.

Be aware of these potential FPL traps!

João Pedro’s ownership sits at an eye-watering 53% — and it’s hard to see why.

The hype around him is fuelled more by last season’s memories than by current reality.

There’s no guarantee he’ll get consistent starts over the long run, and even when he does, he’ll probably be often hooked early with Delap waiting in the wings.

Losing penalty duties has also taken away a huge chunk of his appeal, especially since spot-kicks were key to his returns last year.

Add a hefty £2.0m price rise and the fact he’s no longer the focal point of the attack, and the value case becomes even weaker.

He might work his way back into consideration later in the season, but right now, he’s a classic wait-and-see — certainly not someone who should be in over half of all squads.

Seeing Aaron Wan-Bissaka as the most-owned defender in FPL is a head-scratcher.

Last season, he averaged just 3.3 points per start — hardly inspiring numbers.

West Ham’s defence was among the five worst for expected goals conceded, and Wan-Bissaka himself didn’t even crack the top 30 defenders for defensive contribution points under the new system.

Throw in the fact that West Ham’s schedule gets tough straight after Gameweek 1, and there’s little to justify his place in your team.

His popularity seems to be fuelled more by name recognition than by any real FPL logic.

For Gyökeres, patience is the smarter play.

There are too many unanswered questions — his fitness, his minutes, and whether he’ll be Arsenal’s penalty taker.

 He’s been out of full training, which raises the chance of Havertz sharing minutes early on.

 Arsenal also face Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle in their first six games — not exactly ideal for an early investment. Gameweek 7 looks a far more natural point to jump on Arsenal attackers, when the fixtures improve and his role is clearer.

Saka is a top-quality FPL option, but given Arsenal’s tricky start and the uncertainty over penalties since Gyökeres’ arrival, I’m not convinced he’s worth the outlay right now.

His price bracket has strong alternatives — Cole Palmer, for example, offers similar potential with better fixtures and greater set-piece security.

Many managers are picking Mbeumo based on last season’s brilliance, but his move to Manchester United changes everything.

At Brentford, he was close to a £9.0m asset thanks to penalties, set pieces, and guaranteed minutes. At United, his role is far less secure.

His minutes are likely to be reduced due to increased competition, and there’s little chance he keeps penalties or set pieces ahead of Bruno Fernandes. He’s worth monitoring early on, but starting with him is a risk that’s hard to justify.