FPL GW1 Final Drafts 2026/27: Best 15 Players, 3 Final Teams & Friday Deadline

🚨 FPL GW1 Deadline: Friday 21 August, 18:30 BST

The FPL deadline is tomorrow at 18:30 BST. If you normally make your final changes on Saturday morning, you’ll already be too late.

The 2026/27 Premier League season begins on Friday 21 August, with champions Arsenal hosting Coventry City, and the official Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 1 deadline is 18:30 BST.

Save your team, captain, vice-captain and bench order before 18:30 on Friday.

The pre-season guessing is over

We've spent the summer tracking new managers, transfers, friendly minutes, formation changes, attacking roles and set pieces.

Now the final meaningful warm-up matches have been played.

And some players have forced their way firmly into the Gameweek 1 conversation.

This is our final FPL Assistant assessment before GW1.

We're looking at:

• Best FPL players for Gameweek 1
• Best attacking defenders
• Best midfielders
• Best forwards
• Best budget players
• Penalty and set-piece takers
• Best captain for GW1
• Best fixtures over the opening five Gameweeks
• Pre-season winners and losers
• Players to avoid
• Best FPL team specifically for GW1
• Best FPL team for the first five Gameweeks

Let's lock it down.

Before you save a final squad, compare the article's picks with FPL predicted line-ups for Gameweek 1, Most Nailed FPL Players, Best FPL Defenders, Best FPL Fixtures for the first six Gameweeks and the latest Penalty & Set-Piece Takers.

Arsenal look ready

Arsenal dismantled Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield.

Riccardo Calafiori scored, Kai Havertz scored and Martin Ødegaard completed the victory, while Christos Tzolis supplied two assists. David Raya kept the clean sheet.

For FPL, three things stand out.

Christos Tzolis is becoming very difficult to ignore

At £6.5m, Tzolis looked like an intriguing gamble when FPL launched because his starting position wasn't guaranteed. His final performances have materially changed that conversation.

He was heavily involved against City and now gets Coventry at home in GW1.

That doesn't make him completely rotation-proof, but the upside at £6.5m is enormous.

FPL Assistant verdict: BUY — high-upside GW1 pick.

Calafiori has serious attacking potential

The £5.5m Arsenal defender scored after only 23 seconds against City.

Gabriel remains the premium Arsenal defender, but managers looking to save £2.5m now have a very tempting alternative if Calafiori's starting place is secure. Gabriel himself costs £8.0m after producing 209 points last season.

Don't panic about Haaland

City were poor and Haaland was quiet before being withdrawn.

I'm not ripping up an FPL squad because of one Community Shield.

City start at home to Bournemouth and have one of the best first-five fixture runs in the league.

Haaland remains one of the first names in my squad.

Brentford may be the biggest late pre-season winners

Brentford destroyed Eintracht Frankfurt 7-0 in their final major friendly, with Igor Thiago, Kevin Schade, Dango Ouattara, Keane Lewis-Potter and Mamadou Sangaré among the scorers.

That matters because Brentford aren't walking into a horrible fixture run.

Their average FDR across the first five Gameweeks is 3.0 in the current FPL feed. That is still a favourable run, but it is not joint-second.

Their opening five are:

Spurs (H) → Leeds (A) → Sunderland (H) → Bournemouth (A) → Chelsea (H).

Igor Thiago — £8.0m

Thiago scored 22 league goals last season and only Haaland bettered him for shots in the box and big chances among forwards. He is also listed first in Brentford's expected penalty hierarchy.

Excellent fixtures.

Excellent final friendly.

Penalties.

FPL Assistant verdict: STRONG BUY.

João Pedro refuses to go away

Chelsea beat Real Sociedad 3-1, with João Pedro scoring twice.

He was already one of the standout early FPL forwards at £7.5m, and his pre-season form has only strengthened the case. The official FPL Scout had already labelled him one of the must-have candidates before his final friendly.

Chelsea's first five aren't elite overall, but Fulham, Brighton and Hull inside their first four give João Pedro enough opportunities to justify selection.

FPL Assistant verdict: BUY.

Liverpool attack up, Liverpool defence still wait-and-see

Liverpool completed pre-season with a 2-0 win over Como.

Cody Gakpo scored, new defender Jeremy Jacquet scored, and Jeremie Frimpong created the opener. Alexander Isak also looked threatening.

The attacking potential is obvious.

But Virgil van Dijk has openly acknowledged that Liverpool's rebuilt defence needs time to develop its partnerships.

That's important because Liverpool have statistically the best first-five fixtures in the Premier League.

I want Liverpool exposure.

Initially, however, I'd rather attack those fixtures than blindly double-up on the defence.

Manchester United: attack the fixtures, don't trust the defence yet

United lost 4-2 to AC Milan in their final friendly.

Harry Maguire and Patrick Dorgu scored, while Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty.

The defeat isn't enough to scare me away from United's attackers.

Why?

Their first two fixtures are:

Hull (A) Ipswich (H)

United's average FDR across the opening five is only 2.8.

Bruno Fernandes — £12.0m

Still a priority.

One missed friendly penalty doesn't erase the role.

The official FPL set-piece information continues to list Bruno as United's primary penalty taker, as well as one of their main free-kick and corner takers.

He also scored 235 FPL points last season and was the strongest player in the game after Michael Carrick took charge.

FPL Assistant verdict: BUY.

Patrick Dorgu — £6.0m

Important:

Dorgu is NOT an FPL defender this season.

He has been reclassified as a midfielder because Carrick has repeatedly used him as a left winger.

That removes the clean-sheet appeal he used to have as a defender, but his attacking position remains hugely interesting.

Scoring again against Milan only strengthens the argument.

FPL Assistant verdict: HIGH-UPSIDE MIDFIELD PICK.

Newcastle are my biggest late downgrade

On paper, Newcastle's first-five FDR of 3.0 is perfectly reasonable.

But I don't pick FPL players from fixture spreadsheets alone.

Newcastle lost 2-1 to Bayer Leverkusen in a performance described as undercooked after a turbulent summer and major squad changes. Their second game against Strasbourg also failed to provide the convincing final tune-up managers wanted.

With Liverpool arriving in GW1, I'm happy watching initially.

FPL Assistant verdict: WAIT.

1. Antonin Kinsky — £4.5m

If confirmed as Spurs' first choice, Kinsky remains one of the most attractive budget structures.

The official Scout highlighted him as a potential standout £4.5m goalkeeper after Spurs improved defensively under Roberto De Zerbi.

Verdict: Best budget structure if first-choice status is confirmed.

2. David Raya — £6.0m

If you want safety rather than squeezing every £0.5m from your squad, Raya is straightforward.

Arsenal have Coventry at home and just shut Manchester City out.

The problem is opportunity cost: paying £6.0m for Raya makes it harder to own Gabriel and the premium attackers we want.

Verdict: Safest premium choice.

1. Gabriel — Arsenal — £8.0m

Expensive.

Still excellent.

Gabriel finished last season with 209 FPL points, combining clean sheets, set-piece threat and defensive contribution points.

Then Arsenal start at home against Coventry.

If you're willing to spend premium money in defence, he's still number one.

Rating: 9.5/10

2. Riccardo Calafiori — Arsenal — £5.5m

This is the aggressive alternative.

Goal against City.

Attacking full-back.

£2.5m cheaper than Gabriel.

The risk is minutes/security.

If Friday's team news strongly supports him starting, he could be one of the best value defenders in the entire game.

Rating: 9/10 if nailed

3. Jeremie Frimpong — Liverpool

His assist against Como was another reminder of why he attracts FPL managers.

Liverpool also have the easiest first-five schedule.

The caution is defensive cohesion.

Rating: 8/10

4. Harry Maguire — Manchester United — £5.0m

Not a flying wing-back, but don't confuse attacking value with only overlapping runs.

Maguire offers:

• Hull
• Ipswich
• set-piece threat
• defensive contribution potential

He also scored against Milan.

The official Scout already highlighted him as one of the strongest £5.0m routes into United's opening fixtures.

Rating: 8/10

5. Pedro Porro — Spurs — £5.5m

Still one of the league's most naturally attacking defenders, with set-piece involvement also possible.

There are fitness/minutes questions around Spurs' defensive options, so Friday confirmation matters.

Rating: 7.5/10

Read next: Best Attacking Defenders FPL 2026/27 Also: Best £4.0m Defenders / Best £4.5m Defenders

1. Bruno Fernandes — £12.0m

Hull away.

Penalties.

Set pieces.

Creativity.

Massive 2025/26 output.

No overthinking required.

Rating: 10/10

2. Christos Tzolis — £6.5m

This is where pre-season genuinely changed my thinking.

Two assists against Manchester City and Coventry at home make him one of the most interesting GW1 attacking punts.

His minutes still need monitoring because Arsenal have depth.

Rating: 9/10

3. Patrick Dorgu — £6.0m

Playing as an attacking player despite being listed as a midfielder.

Hull then Ipswich.

Scored in the final friendly.

Rating: 8.5/10

4. Cole Palmer — £9.5m

Palmer is cheaper than the premium monsters and remains Chelsea's expected primary penalty taker.

The problem isn't Palmer.

It's whether your £100m can accommodate him alongside Haaland, Bruno and the forwards we now want.

Rating: 8.5/10

5. Matheus Cunha — £8.0m

United's fixtures put Cunha firmly in contention.

The question is whether you want to triple up on United immediately.

Bruno is my priority. Dorgu provides cheaper upside. Cunha becomes the aggressive third piece.

Rating: 8/10

Budget option: Granit Xhaka — £5.5m

Not glamorous.

But FPL isn't a highlights competition.

Xhaka produced useful defensive-contribution points last year, and Sunderland start away to Ipswich before hosting Fulham.

Rating: 7.5/10

1. Erling Haaland — £15.5m

Yes, £15.5m is painful.

No, I'm not starting without him.

Haaland has been the top-scoring player after the first six Gameweeks in each of his four Manchester City seasons.

And City begin:

Bournemouth (H)

Then their first five have an average FDR of only 2.8.

Rating: 10/10

2. João Pedro — £7.5m

Two more goals in Chelsea's final friendly.

Excellent pre-season.

Good price.

Strong ownership.

Enough favourable early matches.

I don't like fighting all of those signals.

Rating: 9.5/10

3. Igor Thiago — £8.0m

Brentford's 7-0 victory pushed him much higher up my list.

He's a proven scorer, has strong underlying numbers and is expected to lead their penalty hierarchy.

Rating: 9/10

4. Alexander Isak — Liverpool — £9.0m

This is the fixture play.

Liverpool rank first for opening-five FDR at 2.6, and Isak's competition for the central striker role has been reduced by Hugo Ekitike's injury.

Liverpool penalties also need watching after Salah's departure; Isak has been identified as a possible successor from the spot rather than a confirmed one.

Rating: 8.5/10

5. Chris Wood — Nottingham Forest — £6.0m

The cheaper alternative.

Forest have a respectable early fixture run and Wood remains an established penalty option when on the pitch.

Rating: 7.5/10

FPL penalty takers to know before GW1

Penalty duty can turn an ordinary pick into an excellent FPL asset.

The key names I'm interested in are:

The official set-piece tracker confirms Bruno, Haaland, Palmer, Thiago and Wood among the expected leading options for their clubs, while Arsenal and Spurs have more than one candidate in their hierarchy. Liverpool's situation deserves particular caution following Salah's departure.

Read the full guide: Premier League Penalty & Set-Piece Takers 2026/27 — All 20 Clubs

Which teams have the easiest first five FPL fixtures?

This should have a major influence on your opening squad.

Official Premier League FDR ranks the opening five as follows:

At the other end:

The four teams I'm targeting

Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Brentford

That doesn't mean filling your entire squad with them.

It means that when two players look roughly equal, fixtures should break the tie.

🥇 Erling Haaland — Bournemouth (H)

My captain.

Even after the Community Shield disappointment.

His ownership, historical opening-Gameweek power and home match against Bournemouth make going against him unnecessarily aggressive.

Captain: Haaland

🥈 Bruno Fernandes — Hull (A)

If you want to go against Haaland, this is the obvious alternative.

Bruno faces a promoted Hull side and has multiple routes to points.

Vice-captain: Bruno

🥉 Arsenal attacker — Coventry (H)

Saka is the safer premium option if owned.

Tzolis is the aggressive low-ownership punt.

I wouldn't captain Tzolis in a conventional GW1 team, but his ceiling is obvious after the Community Shield.

Final pre-season verdict

My personal final choice is Draft 1 — Haaland without Bruno.

It gives me Haaland captaincy, strong attacking depth, a considerably healthier bench, Palmer and Mbeumo, Liverpool exposure through Szoboszlai, Arsenal upside through Tzolis and Calafiori, João Pedro and Igor Thiago, with fewer compromises across the whole 15.

However, the production FPL Assistant engine narrowly prefers Draft 2's starting XI. It scores the Haaland + Bruno starting XI 84/100, compared with 83/100 for my preferred balanced squad.

That distinction matters: Draft 2 wins on immediate starting-XI strength, while Draft 1 has the stronger overall 15-man squad.

Before saving, compare these picks with the Best Attacking Defenders, Best Defenders, £4.0m Defenders, £4.5m Defenders, Goalkeepers, Predicted Lineups, Most Nailed Players, Penalty and Set-Piece Takers and Early Fixtures.

Draft 1 — Haaland without Bruno

🏆 MY FINAL FPL GW1 SQUAD — HAALAND WITHOUT BRUNO

This is my preferred final 15.

Total: £100.0m

Starting XI

Kinsky

Calafiori – Maguire – Shaw

Palmer – Mbeumo – Szoboszlai – Tzolis

Haaland (C) – Joao Pedro – Thiago

Vice-captain: Palmer

I prefer this draft because it keeps the full 15 more resilient. Haaland supplies the captaincy route, while Palmer, Mbeumo, Szoboszlai, João Pedro and Thiago give the squad several ways to return points without forcing Bruno into the structure.

Draft 2 — Haaland + Bruno

🥇 FPL ASSISTANT’S HIGHEST-RATED GW1 STARTING XI

This is the strongest immediate XI according to FPL Assistant.

Total: £100.0m

Starting XI

Kinsky

Calafiori – Shaw – Hume

Bruno Fernandes – Mbeumo – Tzolis – Szoboszlai

Haaland (C) – Joao Pedro – Thiago

Vice-captain: Bruno Fernandes

This is the strongest immediate XI according to the engine. But the full-squad score falls to 76 because fitting Haaland and Bruno together forces much more money out of the bench and supporting squad.

Draft 3 — No Haaland / No Bruno

🚀 THE NO-HAALAND / NO-BRUNO SUPER SQUAD

This is arguably the most attractive collection of individual players, but captaincy is the major problem.

Total: £100.0m

Starting XI

Kinsky

Gabriel – Pedro Porro – Shaw

Saka – Palmer – Mbeumo – Tzolis

Isak (C) – Joao Pedro – Thiago

Vice-captain: Palmer

Without Haaland or Bruno, this draft loses access to the two premium options that dominate much of the GW1 captaincy discussion.

Three final drafts compared

This ranking is based on the First XI Rate My Team score. If ranked by full-squad score instead, the order is Draft 1 — 81, Draft 3 — 80, Draft 2 — 76. That contrast is one of the main insights: the engine prefers Draft 2 for immediate XI strength, while I prefer Draft 1 for the complete 15-man squad.

Rate My Team methodology

The production Rate My Team endpoint assessed the supplied squads using a 3-4-3 formation and the supplied captain and vice-captain assumptions. It did not independently optimise the captain or formation. It did not return separate goalkeeper, defence, midfield or forward scores, or a team-level GW1–GW5 rating, so no additional numbers are claimed here.

Think your draft can beat ours?

Put your own 15-man squad through the same FPL Assistant engine used to score these three drafts.

[RATE MY FPL TEAM](/#rate-my-team)

Five players whose stock rose most in the final weekend

1. Christos Tzolis ↑↑↑

Two assists against City and Coventry next.

2. Igor Thiago ↑↑↑

Brentford hit seven and have elite early fixtures.

3. João Pedro ↑↑

Two more goals.

4. Riccardo Calafiori ↑↑

Scored against City and could provide a cheaper Arsenal route.

5. Patrick Dorgu ↑

Another goal from his advanced role.

Newcastle assets

Good fixtures eventually.

Too much uncertainty right now.

Watch rather than guess.

Bournemouth GW1 punts

They're away to Manchester City and have the joint-worst first-five FDR at 3.6.

There will be time to buy them later.

Coventry starters

A £4.0m Coventry defender on your bench is fine.

Starting one at Arsenal is not.

Manchester City defensive double-ups

The fixtures are excellent.

The Community Shield performance wasn't.

Haaland is enough City exposure for me initially unless we get stronger evidence elsewhere.

Arsenal one-week punts

Arsenal v Coventry is superb.

But their overall first-five FDR is 3.2 rather than elite.

Don't fill your squad with players you immediately want to sell in GW2.

NAILED / CORE

• Haaland
• Bruno Fernandes
• Gabriel
• João Pedro
• Igor Thiago

LIKELY / STRONG

• Isak
• Maguire
• Palmer
• Cunha
• Xhaka

HIGH UPSIDE BUT CHECK FRIDAY

• Tzolis
• Calafiori
• Dorgu
• Kinsky

WAIT / TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY

• Most Newcastle assets
• Unclear Liverpool defensive combinations
• Fringe Arsenal attackers
• Any cheap player whose pre-season minutes came mainly while first-choice players were absent

Best FPL differentials for GW1

If you want to move away from the template without doing something stupid:

Tzolis

The obvious high-upside punt.

Dorgu

Attacking role + promoted opponent.

Calafiori

Attacking Arsenal defender with Coventry at home.

Igor Thiago

May become considerably more popular after the Frankfurt result.

Chris Wood

Cheap route into an acceptable opening fixture run with penalty potential.

The word differential does not mean picking someone bad because nobody else owns him.

It means finding a good player before everybody else does.

GW1 formation: don't overthink it

For me, 3-4-3 is the natural starting structure.

Why?

Because we have a lot of forward value:

• Haaland
• João Pedro
• Thiago
• Isak

and several mid-priced midfielders with very strong early fixtures.

I would rather spend on attacking players than build a five-man premium defence.

The exception is Gabriel, whose attacking, clean-sheet and defensive-contribution routes make him closer to an attacking asset than a conventional centre-back.

Final FPL Assistant verdict

My final choice is Draft 1 — Haaland without Bruno. The engine narrowly prefers Draft 2's starting XI, but Draft 1 has the stronger complete squad and fewer compromises across the 15.

🚨 FRIDAY 21 AUGUST — 18:30 BST

Before the deadline:

• Check Friday team news
• Set your captain
• Set your vice-captain
• Check your bench order
• Save the team
• Make sure it actually saved

Do not wait until Saturday.