Groß (BHA, Midfielder, £5.5m)

Verdict: HOLD

Despite a blank in Gameweek 1, Groß remains a nailed-on starter for Brighton at a budget price, with favourable fixtures on the horizon after a tough Gameweek 2.

The Reasoning

Fitness & Availability: Groß is fully available and played the full 90 minutes in Gameweek 1, confirming his nailed status in the Brighton midfield.
Recent Performance: He blanked in Gameweek 1, picking up 2 points (including a clean sheet point as a midfielder), which led to a significant number of transfers out. However, his creativity index was a strong 56.9, indicating he was heavily involved in Brighton's attacking play.
Upcoming Fixtures: Gameweek 2 sees a challenging away trip to Chelsea (difficulty 4). However, this is followed by two very appealing fixtures: Leeds at home (difficulty 2) and Coventry away (difficulty 2), where he could easily haul.
Underlying Stats: Historically, Groß has been a consistent FPL performer, particularly in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons with 159 and 153 points respectively. His high creativity in GW1 suggests he's still the key orchestrator, especially on set-pieces, which bodes well for assist potential.

Risks

The primary risk is the tough Gameweek 2 fixture against Chelsea, where points might be hard to come by. There's also a slight concern over Brighton's overall attacking output after a summer of changes, and his points tally dipped last season compared to previous highs.

Alternative Options

If you're looking for a budget midfielder with more immediate attacking potential, consider players like Doucouré (£5.5m) from Everton or Jensen (£5.5m) from Brentford, who might have slightly better short-term fixture runs.

The Strategic Play

For existing owners, holding Groß through the Chelsea fixture is the sensible play. He's a proven FPL asset at a great price, and his upcoming run of fixtures from Gameweek 3 onwards looks very promising for attacking returns. Don't be swayed by the knee-jerk transfers out; his underlying stats suggest the points will come.

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