FPL Gameweek 1 Tips 2026/27: How to Build Your Opening Squad
The new season is almost here and everyone starts on zero points with the same opportunity. Getting Gameweek 1 right will not win you the FPL title, but getting it badly wrong can set you back before things have even properly begun. Here are the key principles to keep in mind as you build your opening squad.
More FPL 2026/27 Resources
FPL 2026/27 Hub: Tips, Team News & Season Guide
FPL 2026/27 Rule Changes
FPL Top 400 Rankings for 2026/27 Season
Premier League Predicted Lineups (updated all season)
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Start With Nailed-On Starters
The foundation of any good Gameweek 1 FPL squad is minutes. It sounds simple, but plenty of managers talk themselves into picking rotation risks or unproven signings on the basis of pre-season performances. Friendlies are useful for spotting fitness, set pieces and likely roles, but do not treat one strong preseason performance as proof of a secure starting place. Back players whose places in the team are not in question.
Do Not Let Pre-Season FPL Hype Cloud Your Judgment
Every summer produces a player who catches fire in friendlies and suddenly finds themselves in half the squads in the game. More often than not, that hype fades quickly once competitive football begins. New signings in particular can take time to settle, especially those arriving from abroad without Premier League experience. A punt on an exciting newcomer is fine, but building your squad around unknowns is a risk rarely worth taking.
Do Not Overspend on Your FPL Bench
Your bench needs to be useful, not expensive. The goal is to have cheap players who are likely to get minutes when called upon without taking too much money away from your starting XI.
Your first substitute matters most because that is the player most likely to come into your team if a starter misses out. After that, prioritize secure minutes over upside. There is little value in spending an extra £1.0m on a bench player if that money could upgrade someone you expect to start every Gameweek.
A good opening squad puts most of the budget on the pitch while still carrying enough bench cover to survive an unexpected absence.
Check the FPL Fixture Difficulty Ratings Before You Finalise
A world class player with a miserable opening run of games can easily underperform a mid-priced asset who faces weaker opposition in the first six gameweeks. Take the time to map out each team's schedule using the fixture difficulty rankings before committing, and prioritise assets who have the opportunity to accumulate points early rather than those who face an immediate uphill battle.
Leave Your Club Loyalties at the Door
This catches more managers out than they would care to admit. Supporting a club and picking that club's players in FPL are two separate things. If you're a Manchester United fan, that doesn't mean you need three United players and no Liverpool or City assets. Pick whoever you genuinely believe will score the most FPL points.
Keep Flexibility Built Into Your Squad
Early injuries, surprise omissions and breakout performances in Gameweek 1 can change the landscape overnight. Managers who leave themselves room to maneuver, whether that is cash in the bank or an easy transfer to make, tend to adapt far better than those who go all in from the start. A tight squad with no free transfers available heading into Gameweek 2 is one of the easiest avoidable mistakes in FPL.
Do Not Chase FPL Ownership
It's tempting to fill your squad with the most popular template players simply to avoid missing out if they deliver a big haul early. Ownership figures are worth knowing, but they should inform your decisions rather than make them for you. Pick players because you genuinely believe in their points potential, not because everyone else owns them and you are scared of falling behind before the season has even started.
Final Thoughts
Gameweek 1 is about starting from a strong position, not solving the entire season before it begins. Prioritize minutes, good fixtures and flexible price points, then give yourself room to react once the first matches reveal which preseason assumptions were right.
You will almost certainly want to change something after the opening weekend. The goal is to make sure one surprise does not force you into three.
For Gameweek 1 player rankings, fixture difficulty ratings and predicted lineups, visit RotoWire's FPL hub.
