FPL Template Team for Gameweek 1 2026/27: Most Popular Picks

The early FPL Gameweek 1 template

The FPL template is beginning to take shape.

Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes dominate the premium-player discussion. João Pedro has quickly become one of the most popular forwards, while managers are using £4.0m defenders and budget midfielders to make the expensive core affordable.

But what does the current Gameweek 1 template actually look like?

This guide combines official Fantasy Premier League ownership information, the Premier League Scout’s early squad, current Fantasy Football Scout team reveals, popular community drafts, opening fixtures, pre-season minutes and injury concerns, and FPL Assistant’s own judgement.

Quick verdict

The current template is built around:

1. Erling Haaland
2. Bruno Fernandes
3. João Pedro
4. At least one Manchester United defender
5. One premium Arsenal defender
6. One or two £4.0m bench defenders
7. A budget midfielder around £6.0m–£7.0m
8. A £6.0m third forward

The preferred formation is currently 3-4-3, although 3-5-2 remains viable if the £6.0m forwards fail to secure reliable starting positions.

For the wider premium-budget trade-off, compare this template with our guide to how many premium players to own.

Early FPL Gameweek 1 template team

FPL Assistant’s representative template

Total cost: £100.0m

This is a representative template rather than a claim that these are the 15 highest-owned players. It combines the most common current structure with players repeatedly appearing in official and experienced-manager drafts.

Suggested starting XI

Formation: 3-4-3

• Goalkeeper: Verbruggen
• Defenders: Gabriel, Shaw, Cash
• Midfielders: Fernandes, Cunha, Szoboszlai, Le Fée
• Forwards: Haaland, João Pedro, Calvert-Lewin
• Bench: £4.0m goalkeeper, Thomas, Hughes, £4.5m midfielder

What does “template” mean in FPL?

The template is the group of players who appear in a large proportion of active FPL squads. It is not an official team.

It changes constantly according to:

• Ownership
• Injuries
• Pre-season performances
• Transfers
• Fixtures
• Expected starting line-ups
• Content-creator drafts
• Price changes after Gameweek 1

A player can be part of the template without being a good pick. Likewise, a lower-owned player can be an excellent selection. The template simply shows where the crowd is placing its money.

The current template locks

Erling Haaland — £15.5m

Haaland is the clearest template player. The official Scout reported that his ownership had already reached approximately 71 per cent shortly after the game launched. He also led FPL with 239 points last season and has a long history of starting campaigns strongly.

At £15.5m, he consumes a huge part of the budget. That has not stopped managers selecting him because he offers something no other player can fully replace: reliable captaincy.

Why he is template: elite goal threat, secure starting position, penalty duties, best-captain potential, difficult-to-replace price and extremely high ownership.

Main concern: the price forces compromises throughout the squad.

FPL Assistant verdict: The closest player to essential.

Bruno Fernandes — £12.0m

Bruno is the second major pillar of the template. He finished last season on 235 points—only four behind Haaland—and Manchester United begin with promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town. The opening two fixtures make United attackers particularly appealing.

Fernandes offers penalties, corners, free kicks, assists, goal threat, defensive-contribution potential, secure minutes and captaincy. Some experienced managers are building without him because Haaland may receive the captaincy most weeks. Going without Bruno releases £4.0m or more compared with other midfield routes, creating a stronger overall squad.

Why he is template: second-highest scorer last season, excellent opening fixtures, multiple routes to points, focal-point status and strong ownership protection.

Main concern: you may rarely captain him while owning Haaland.

FPL Assistant verdict: The safest second premium, but not as essential as Haaland.

Gabriel — £8.0m

Gabriel is the premium defensive template pick. The official Scout has structured its early squad around Haaland, Fernandes and Gabriel, who cost a combined £35.5m. The availability of £4.0m promoted defenders makes that expensive trio possible.

Gabriel’s routes to points include Arsenal clean sheets, headers from set pieces, defensive contributions, assists, bonus points and reliable starts. The key question is not whether Gabriel is good. It is whether he is worth £3.5m more than a credible £4.5m defender.

Why he is template: the league’s strongest defence, major set-piece threat, DefCon potential, premium previous score and a strong Gameweek 1 fixture.

Main concern: the £8.0m could strengthen two or three other positions.

FPL Assistant verdict: The strongest premium defender, but the easiest of the big three to leave out.

João Pedro — the popular second forward

João Pedro established himself as the leading partner for Haaland almost immediately after the game launched.

The official Scout reported ownership of approximately 45 per cent in the first 24 hours—at least 26 percentage points higher than any other forward apart from Haaland. Chelsea visit Fulham and host Brighton and Hull during the opening four Gameweeks.

At £7.5m, he sits in an extremely useful price bracket. He is expensive enough to provide genuine attacking returns but still £8.0m cheaper than Haaland.

Why he is template: strong opening fixtures, a major attacking team, flexible mid-priced cost, popularity as Haaland’s partner and easy routes to other forwards.

Main concern: Chelsea’s final attacking hierarchy and penalty duties need monitoring.

FPL Assistant verdict: Currently the strongest second forward, but not untouchable.

The near-template players

Luke Shaw — £4.5m

Shaw appears in many early drafts because Manchester United begin against Hull and Ipswich. He offers an inexpensive route into those clean-sheet fixtures and is considerably cheaper than many defenders from other leading clubs.

Choose Shaw for lower price, full-back attacking potential and greater squad flexibility. Choose Harry Maguire for set-piece goal threat, defensive contributions and potentially stronger bonus output.

FPL Assistant verdict: Shaw is the more natural template choice because the extra £0.5m matters. Compare him with other current picks in our £4.5m defenders guide.

Matheus Cunha — £8.0m

Manchester United’s opening fixtures have encouraged many managers to double up in attack. The official Scout prefers Cunha to Bryan Mbeumo at the same £8.0m price after Cunha produced four goals and one assist across United’s final seven matches last season.

His price is structurally useful because he can be transferred directly to most alternatives without needing an additional move. FPL Assistant verdict: A strong short-term template pick, especially for managers considering an early Wildcard.

Dominik Szoboszlai — £7.0m

Szoboszlai is appearing in a huge number of early drafts. He finished among the top ten midfielders last season, recorded 13 attacking returns and added 20 DefCon points. He has also shown attacking form during pre-season.

Why he is approaching template status: affordable price, secure Liverpool role, set-piece potential, attacking returns plus DefCon, transfer flexibility and frequent appearances in expert drafts.

Main concern: his role may occasionally be deeper than FPL managers would like. Compare him with other options in our budget midfielders guide.

Enzo Le Fée — £6.0m

Le Fée has become one of the leading budget midfielders. He has scored three times during pre-season, pushing his ownership above nine per cent. However, Sunderland’s penalty duties still appear undecided between Le Fée and Habib Diarra.

Do not publish or repeat claims that Le Fée is Sunderland’s confirmed penalty taker. He may take penalties, but the role has not yet been settled publicly.

FPL Assistant verdict: A very useful enabler, but his ownership should not be driven by an unconfirmed penalty role.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin — £6.0m

Calvert-Lewin is one of the most discussed budget forwards. He scored 14 goals last season, and players who matched or bettered that total generally cost at least £7.5m.

The problem is fitness. He suffered a minor pre-season setback and had returned to team training by 31 July, but the relevant friendly came too soon for him.

FPL Assistant verdict: Keep him in draft squads, but do not lock him in until he starts a friendly. Compare him with other options in our budget forwards guide.

The template goalkeeper and bench

Bart Verbruggen — £4.5m

There is not yet one clear template goalkeeper. Verbruggen is the safest representative choice. Fantasy Football Scout considers him the best-value £4.5m goalkeeper, highlighting a 74.6 per cent save rate and Brighton’s strong underlying defensive numbers.

Antonín Kinský — £4.5m

Kinský appears in many expert drafts and was selected in the official Scout’s early squad. However, his appeal depends on Tottenham’s goalkeeper hierarchy. He becomes much safer only when the situation is resolved.

David Raya — £6.0m

Raya gives secure Arsenal coverage, but the premium price is difficult to combine with Gabriel, Haaland and Bruno. Starting with a £4.5m keeper such as Verbruggen and moving to Raya on a Wildcard may offer better initial value. FPL Assistant verdict: Verbruggen is the safest early-template goalkeeper; Kinský may overtake him if confirmed as Tottenham’s undisputed No 1.

See the full shortlist in our FPL goalkeeper guide.

The template bench

The official Scout recommends promoted defenders as bench enablers because every defender from Coventry, Hull and Ipswich began at £4.0m.

• Bobby Thomas: defensive-contribution potential with three goals and four assists from last season.
• Charlie Hughes: averaged 11.8 defensive actions per 90 minutes, more than any other promoted defender.
• £4.5m midfielder: the official Scout used Regan Slater, but his starting place remains uncertain.

Cheap does not automatically mean useful. Reserve players need a realistic route to minutes. FPL Assistant verdict: Thomas and Hughes are credible; do not blindly copy the template’s £4.5m midfielder until a secure starter emerges. Our £4.0m defenders guide covers the wider bench options.

Official Scout team versus community template

The official Premier League Scout’s early team uses Haaland, Fernandes, Gabriel, Cunha, João Pedro, Osula, Maguire, a £5.5m Arsenal defender, Anton Stach, Granit Xhaka, Kinský and promoted-team bench defenders.

The official squad deliberately squeezes Haaland, Fernandes and Gabriel into the same structure, then uses low-cost midfielders, defenders and a £6.0m forward to balance the budget.

The wider community template is slightly different. Community drafts more regularly feature:

• Shaw rather than Maguire
• Szoboszlai rather than Stach
• Le Fée rather than Xhaka
• Calvert-Lewin alongside or instead of Osula
• Verbruggen or Kinský in goal
• Matty Cash as a £4.5m defender

There is no single settled template yet. That is normal several weeks before the deadline.

Should you copy the FPL template?

No. You should understand it.

The template provides a useful baseline because popular players are usually popular for a reason: strong fixtures, proven points, secure minutes, good prices, captaincy or community confidence.

But copying all 15 players creates its own problems. You may end up selecting players you do not trust, a formation you do not like, an overly weak bench, too many players from one club, an injured player or a popular asset with poor underlying data.

The best approach is usually:

• Own the strongest core
• Challenge two or three positions
• Avoid unnecessary differentials
• Make sure every selection fits your strategy

You do not need ten differentials in Gameweek 1. You need a few decisions where you believe the template is wrong.

Where should you differ from the template?

These are better places to differentiate than removing Haaland purely to be unusual. For a full opening-week checklist, read our Gameweek 1 mistakes guide.

Template risks to monitor

• Calvert-Lewin’s fitness: he must return to meaningful friendly action.
• Kinský’s starting position: do not assume transfer rumours have removed Vicario.
• Arsenal’s £5.5m defender: Calafiori, Mosquera, Hincapié and Ben White could compete for places.
• Le Fée’s penalties: they are not confirmed.
• Manchester United’s attack: Bruno is secure, but Cunha, Mbeumo and the centre-forward options may affect each other’s roles.
• The £4.5m midfielder: there is currently no universally trusted minimum-price midfielder.
• João Pedro’s exact role: Chelsea’s final friendlies should show whether he is the clear central striker and how penalties are shared.

Is the template too expensive?

The current structure is extremely concentrated. Haaland, Fernandes and Gabriel cost £35.5m before any other players are selected. Add João Pedro and Cunha and the total reaches £51.0m for five squad positions.

That forces managers to use £4.0m defenders, a £4.5m goalkeeper, budget midfielders, a £6.0m forward and potentially a weak final bench position.

This does not automatically make the structure bad. It means the budget players must be chosen carefully. One failed enabler is manageable; three failed enablers could force an early Wildcard.

A safer template variation

Managers concerned about squad depth can remove Gabriel. Dropping Gabriel from £8.0m to a £5.0m–£5.5m defender creates £2.5m–£3.0m. That money could upgrade the £4.5m midfielder, strengthen a bench defender, move Le Fée to a stronger mid-priced attacker, upgrade the goalkeeper, provide money in the bank or reduce reliance on promoted teams.

FPL Assistant verdict: Haaland and Bruno form the safer premium core. Gabriel is the luxury third piece.

A no-Bruno template variation

Going without Fernandes releases £4.0m compared with selecting Cunha or Mbeumo as Manchester United coverage. A no-Bruno draft can use the saving to include Palmer, Semenyo and a stronger attack.

The downside is enormous: United start against Hull and Ipswich, while Bruno scored more than 200 points last season. FPL Assistant verdict: Valid for aggressive managers, but the standard template is safer.

If you are deliberately holding budget for a future route, compare the decision with our guide to leaving money in the bank.

Final FPL Assistant verdict

The current FPL template is sensible—but unfinished.

Haaland and Bruno Fernandes are the strongest core picks. João Pedro is currently the leading second forward, while Shaw, Szoboszlai, Le Fée and a £6.0m striker provide the value required to afford the premiums.

Gabriel is the key structural decision. Own him and accept a thinner squad, or leave him out and spread the £8.0m across several positions.

Do not treat Calvert-Lewin, Kinský, Le Fée’s penalties or Arsenal’s £5.5m defenders as settled facts. Those situations require more evidence.

The template should help you identify the safest options. It should not make every decision for you.