FPL Predicted Line-ups Gameweek 1 2026/27: All 20 Teams

Introduction

Knowing whether a player is likely to start can be more valuable in Fantasy Premier League than knowing how exciting they are.

A £6.5m midfielder with brilliant underlying numbers is not particularly useful if he begins Gameweek 1 on the bench.

Likewise, a £4.5m defender can become an excellent FPL enabler if we are confident he will start every week.

That makes predicted line-ups one of the most important pieces of information before the opening deadline.

But there is a warning.

These are predictions, not confirmed teams.

We are still two weeks away from Gameweek 1. Several Premier League clubs have new managers, many have made major summer signings and players involved deep into the World Cup have only recently returned to club training. The Premier League notes that World Cup quarter-finalists, semi-finalists and finalists may not have returned until early August.

So instead of pretending all 220 starting positions are equally certain, I have given each club a line-up confidence rating.

HIGH — the majority of the XI looks settled.

MEDIUM — several positions remain competitive.

LOW — major tactical, transfer or fitness questions remain.

Use the Most Nailed FPL Players guide alongside these predicted XIs when judging whether a role should survive beyond Gameweek 1.

Quick answer: which FPL teams look most settled?

The community view is similarly cautious this early in pre-season. Discussions are particularly focused on the uncertainty around Manchester City's defence and attack, Chelsea's possible back three and Liverpool under their new system.

The FPL Players to Avoid for Gameweek 1 guide highlights the risks behind temporary starts and uncertain roles.

Test your final XI in Rate My FPL Team before submitting it.

Arsenal predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Coventry City (H) Confidence: MEDIUM

Arsenal are one of the most interesting teams because their best XI and their Gameweek 1 XI may not be identical.

Saka's post-World Cup preparation is one of the major situations to monitor, potentially creating an early opportunity on the right. Mosquera currently looks well placed to partner Gabriel, while Gyökeres should lead the line if his pre-season preparation continues normally.

Fantasy Football Scout's latest prediction also currently leaves Saka out, while FPL Dashboard regards Raya, Gabriel, Rice and Saka among Arsenal's normally secure players. That disagreement is precisely why Saka belongs on the monitor list rather than being assumed to start today.

FPL takeaway

Raya and Gabriel remain the safest defensive routes.

Gyökeres is increasingly interesting.

The other attackers should be reassessed after Arsenal's final friendlies.

Compare the line-up confidence ratings with the FPL Template Team before finalising your squad.

Aston Villa predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Brighton (A) Confidence: MEDIUM

Villa have undergone significant midfield changes, but their defence looks considerably easier to predict.

João Gomes should have an important role following the summer rebuild, while Morgan Rogers' departure has opened attacking-midfield minutes.

Martínez and Watkins both have strong long-term starting claims, although World Cup preparation needs to be watched in the final fortnight.

FPL takeaway

Konsa and Watkins look among the safer Villa selections.

The attacking midfield remains less attractive from a minutes-security perspective.

Return to the Gameweek 1 Final Checklist after the final friendlies and press conferences.

Bournemouth predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Manchester City (A) Confidence: MEDIUM-HIGH

Ryan Christie is suspended, immediately removing one midfield question from GW1. Fantasy Football Scout currently expects this core side, while independent preseason analysis also considers Petrović, Hill, Truffert, Scott, Adams and several of Bournemouth's attackers among their more secure starters.

Their real FPL problem is not necessarily minutes.

It is Manchester City away.

FPL takeaway

Bournemouth may have useful long-term assets, but their brutal early fixtures reduce the need to gamble on borderline starters.

Use the Best FPL Fixtures for the First Six Gameweeks to balance minutes confidence against the schedule.

Brentford predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Tottenham (H) Confidence: HIGH

Brentford currently look comparatively settled.

Kelleher, Collins, Kayode, Schade, Dango and Thiago have also been identified independently as among their stronger starting bets.

The main variation is likely to occur in midfield rather than at goalkeeper or centre-forward.

FPL takeaway

Kelleher and Thiago are the two players whose expected roles are easiest to understand.

The FPL Penalty and Set-Piece Takers guide adds another route to points when two starters are close.

Brighton predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Aston Villa (H) Confidence: MEDIUM

Mitoma remains an important fitness doubt, while Brighton traditionally have considerable attacking competition.

Fantasy Football Scout currently places Mitoma and Tzimas among the doubts and predicts a front four built around Gómez, Hinshelwood, Minteh and Rutter.

FPL takeaway

Dunk and Verbruggen look easier to trust for minutes than Brighton's attacking players.

Minteh has upside but carries more substitution and rotation risk.

Compare the Best FPL Defenders when a predicted back-line role looks secure enough to target.

Chelsea predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Fulham (A) Confidence: LOW

Chelsea are probably one of the least sensible teams to pretend we understand completely on 7 August.

Xabi Alonso could use a back four or a back three. FPL Dashboard's early assessment specifically highlighted that tactical uncertainty, while Fantasy Football Scout currently predicts the back-four version above.

Morgan Rogers is another major factor after his arrival, while some World Cup players have had less preparation.

FPL takeaway

Palmer and João Pedro are much easier to consider than Chelsea defenders whose exact positions could change.

Chelsea are a team where the remaining friendlies matter enormously.

Coventry City predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Arsenal (A) Confidence: HIGH

Coventry's core Championship side remains recognisable, with Amenda and other summer additions strengthening the team rather than completely replacing it.

Fantasy Football Scout updated Coventry's prediction on 5 August, making it one of the freshest current predicted XIs.

FPL takeaway

Minutes may be relatively predictable.

The problem is the fixture:

Arsenal away.

That makes cheap Coventry players more attractive as bench enablers than GW1 starters.

Crystal Palace predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Everton (A) Confidence: LOW

Palace are difficult to predict because the defence is being rebuilt following Maxence Lacroix's move to Chelsea.

Palace supporters themselves have discussed Richards, Canvot and Riad as the likely core once Lacroix departed, while the club continues to be linked with defensive additions.

The front three has also evolved following summer recruitment.

FPL takeaway

Henderson, Muñoz and Mitchell are easier to trust structurally than the centre-backs.

The attacking hierarchy is still one to watch.

Everton predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Crystal Palace (H) Confidence: MEDIUM-HIGH

Everton are more settled than many teams, particularly through the spine.

A multi-source predicted-line-up aggregator currently has Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Röhl, Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye with especially strong support among its tracked sources.

FPL takeaway

Pickford and Tarkowski remain among the most straightforward minutes picks.

Ndiaye is also much easier to trust than some similarly priced attacking players elsewhere.

Fulham predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Chelsea (H) Confidence: MEDIUM

Joachim Andersen is suspended, simplifying the immediate centre-back decision.

The bigger questions concern Fulham's attack, where summer movement and competition make several positions harder to call. Fantasy Football Scout currently predicts Bobb, Smith Rowe, Kevin and Muniz as the attacking four.

FPL takeaway

Leno, Robinson and Bassey remain the safer minutes picks.

Hull City predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Manchester United (H) Confidence: MEDIUM

Jack Butland has arrived as the expected No.1, while much of the outfield structure resembles the side that won promotion.

Hull still have friendlies against Eintracht Frankfurt and Nice before the season begins, so this is one team where we should expect further evidence before the deadline. The Premier League's official pre-season schedule confirms both matches remain to come.

FPL takeaway

Cheap Hull players may provide bench cover.

Starting them against Manchester United is another matter.

Ipswich Town predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Sunderland (H) Confidence: MEDIUM

Ipswich have made several attacking signings, meaning their forward positions are considerably less settled than their defence.

The arrival of Maeda and Fatawu in particular creates competition and opportunity in equal measure.

FPL takeaway

Leif Davis remains easy to understand stylistically.

The midfield and forward positions require more pre-season evidence.

Leeds United predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Nottingham Forest (A) Confidence: MEDIUM

Leeds are one of the teams where shape could be as important as personnel.

Rodon and Ampadu should remain crucial, while the summer additions around them create a more flexible structure.

FPL Dashboard's earlier assessment identified Rodon, Muharemović, Ampadu, Stach, Wilson and Calvert-Lewin among the players with particularly strong starting prospects.

FPL takeaway

Rodon and Ampadu remain the players whose roles look least complicated.

Liverpool predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Newcastle (A) Confidence: MEDIUM

Liverpool have one of the most fascinating new systems in the league.

Isak and Wirtz should be central to the attack, while injuries currently affect some alternatives. Fantasy Football Scout lists Ekitiké as out and Bradley and Leoni as doubts.

The biggest eyebrow-raiser is Ngumoha. He is currently predicted to start by Scout, but this is exactly the sort of position that can change dramatically between 7 August and the deadline.

FPL takeaway

Alisson, Van Dijk, Wirtz and Isak are much safer assumptions than Liverpool's remaining attacking slot.

Do not buy a cheap Liverpool attacker purely because he appears in an early predicted XI.

Manchester City predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Bournemouth (H) Confidence: LOW

This could become the most important FPL line-up of Gameweek 1.

City have an excellent fixture.

They also have a new manager in Enzo Maresca and an enormous range of attacking combinations.

Fantasy Football Scout's current XI favours Semenyo, Foden and Doku behind Haaland, while multi-source prediction discussion shows considerably more certainty around Haaland than City's supporting cast.

FPL takeaway

Haaland is the safe one.

Foden is increasingly tempting because of his fuller pre-season, but City remain a team where one final-friendly starting XI could completely alter FPL drafts.

Manchester United predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Hull City (A) Confidence: MEDIUM

De Ligt and Ugarte are currently listed as out, reducing some competition for GW1.

The attack remains interesting. Mbeumo and Cunha should both play substantial minutes during the season, but Amad and the midfield options mean the exact shape is not completely fixed.

FPL takeaway

Bruno is comfortably the safest attacking pick.

Maguire could become an excellent £5.0m defender if his place remains secure.

Mbeumo and Cunha have strong upside but slightly more role uncertainty.

Newcastle United predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Liverpool (H) Confidence: LOW

Newcastle are arguably the messiest squad to predict at present.

Summer departures and transfer speculation have affected multiple positions, while Fantasy Football Scout currently uses the XI above. Earlier independent preseason analysis described the side as particularly difficult to call after major midfield and attacking changes.

And then there is the fixture:

Liverpool at home.

FPL takeaway

This is not the week I would take a speculative Newcastle minutes gamble.

Their fixtures become considerably more appealing from GW3.

Nottingham Forest predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Leeds United (H) Confidence: HIGH

Forest's back line remains one of the more predictable units in the league.

Independent preseason analysis also considers Sels, Williams, Murillo, Milenković, Aina, Sangaré and Gibbs-White among the safer selections.

The uncertainty is mainly further forward.

FPL takeaway

Sels, Milenković, Murillo, Aina and Gibbs-White offer significantly greater minutes security than Forest's wide attackers.

Sunderland predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Ipswich Town (A) Confidence: MEDIUM-HIGH

Most of Sunderland's spine appears stable.

FPL Dashboard considers Roefs, Reinildo, Ballard, Alderete, Mukiele, Sadiki, Xhaka, Le Fée and Brobbey among the more secure starters, with the wide positions presenting the biggest questions.

FPL takeaway

If you want Sunderland assets, the defence and central spine currently look safer than the wingers.

Tottenham predicted Gameweek 1 line-up

Fixture: Brentford (A) Confidence: MEDIUM

Tottenham have changed significantly under Roberto De Zerbi.

Several new arrivals look likely to start, but some players have had interrupted preparation and the centre-back group is deep.

Fantasy Football Scout currently predicts the XI above, while early independent analysis also points towards Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Porro, Mateus Fernandes and Tonali as important first-choice pieces.

FPL takeaway

Porro and Solanke are easier to understand from an FPL perspective than some of the newer midfield and defensive combinations.

The biggest Gameweek 1 selection battles

Predicted line-ups become much more useful when we stop looking only at the XI and identify where the XI might be wrong.

Arsenal right wing

Saka's return could completely change the current prediction.

FPL impact: Dowman and other cheap attacking options should not be treated as nailed.

Chelsea formation

Back four or back three remains the fundamental question.

FPL impact: Huge for Palestra, Hato, James and Chelsea's wide players.

Crystal Palace centre-back

Lacroix's departure has created a genuine opening.

FPL impact: Avoid assuming a cheap centre-back is secure until the hierarchy settles.

Liverpool's final attacking position

Ngumoha currently appears in some predictions, but competition and transfer activity make this fragile.

FPL impact: Do not confuse “predicted to start GW1” with “nailed for six Gameweeks”.

Manchester City attack

Haaland is secure.

Almost everything around him is less secure.

FPL impact: Foden, Semenyo, Doku and Cherki need continued monitoring.

Manchester United midfield

Bruno is easy.

The players behind him are not.

FPL impact: Bruno's £12.0m buys extraordinary minutes certainty compared with many premium alternatives.

Newcastle striker

This could change before the deadline.

FPL impact: Avoid building a GW1 squad around a speculative Newcastle forward.

The safest FPL starters from the predicted line-ups

This is not a ranking of the best players.

It is a ranking of minutes confidence.

Very high confidence David Raya Gabriel Ollie Watkins Mark Flekken/Kelleher depending current Brentford keeper hierarchy Jordan Pickford James Tarkowski Bernd Leno Alisson Virgil van Dijk Erling Haaland Bruno Fernandes Morgan Gibbs-White Granit Xhaka High confidence Matty Cash Ezri Konsa Antoine Semenyo Nathan Collins Lewis Dunk Moisés Caicedo Daniel Muñoz Tyrick Mitchell Antonee Robinson Leif Davis Rodon Bruno Guimarães Murillo Milenković Pedro Porro

There will inevitably be injuries and transfer changes before the deadline, but these are broadly the types of players I prefer when constructing an opening squad.

The Reddit preseason discussion makes a similar point: managers are spending much of pre-season trying to identify who is genuinely nailed, particularly under new managers at City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

What does “predicted to start” actually mean for FPL?

This is important.

A player appearing in a predicted GW1 line-up does not mean:

He is nailed.

It means:

Based on the information available today, he is our best guess to start this particular match.

There is a huge difference.

An academy winger may be favoured because a World Cup player has only just returned.

A defender may start because a new signing isn't ready.

A midfielder may get GW1 before losing his place by GW3.

That is why your initial FPL team should contain more than just 11 players who happen to appear in a predicted-line-up article.

Ideally, your core players have:

High starting confidence A role that should survive beyond GW1 Good fixtures Strong FPL potential Limited substitution risk

That's also why the Most Nailed FPL Players 2026/27 guide should be used alongside this article.

FPL Assistant Gameweek 1 Line-up Watch

FPL Assistant editorial assessment — information checked 7 August 2026.

When will these predicted line-ups become more reliable?

The most important period is the final seven days before the deadline.

Several clubs have friendlies scheduled for 14–15 August, only around a week before the Premier League begins.

Then come the manager press conferences.

That's when we may learn:

Who is fit Who has returned from World Cup leave Who has a “small knock” Who has completed enough training Who is suspended Whether a new signing is ready Whether a manager has settled on a formation

Fantasy Football Scout explicitly notes that its own predictions become more finely tuned closer to the deadline and after press conferences.

So this article should be treated as a living GW1 guide, not a prediction set in stone on 7 August.