FPL Tips: Best Team for Gameweek 1
Building the best FPL team for GW1 starts with secure minutes, strong opening fixtures and enough value to fit the premium players who matter most. The squad below is my recommended starting point for GW1, with enough depth to support an early Bench Boost while still keeping flexibility for transfers once the season begins.
Set your squad before the Gameweek 1 deadline on Friday, Aug. 21 (1:30 p.m. ET, 90 minutes ahead of the 3 p.m. ET opener). For the full season board, see our FPL Player Rankings (Top 400), and start at the Fantasy Premier League hub for everything 2026/27.
Our Gameweek 1 FPL Rankings are also live.
Make sure to join the RotoWire FPL league.
Best GW1 FPL Team for 2026/27
Recommended starting XI: Verbruggen; Mosquera, Calafiori, Shaw; Fernandes, Mbeumo, Szoboszlai, Gross, Sangare; Haaland, Calvert-Lewin.
| Position | Player | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Bart Verbruggen | £4.5m |
| GK | Antonin Kinsky | £4.5m |
| DEF | Cristhian Mosquera | £5.5m |
| DEF | Riccardo Calafiori | £5.5m |
| DEF | Luke Shaw | £4.5m |
| DEF | Kristoffer Ajer | £4.5m |
| DEF | Dara O'Shea | £4.0m |
| MID | Bruno Fernandes | £12.0m |
| MID | Bryan Mbeumo | £8.0m |
| MID | Dominik Szoboszlai | £7.0m |
| MID | Pascal Gross | £5.5m |
| MID | Mamadou Sangare | £5.5m |
| FWD | Erling Haaland | £15.5m |
| FWD | Joao Pedro | £7.5m |
| FWD | Dominic Calvert-Lewin | £6.0m |
| Total | £100.0m |
Use our injury and suspension table to track updates and players from all 20 clubs.
Goalkeepers
Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) is the pick between the posts, arguably the best affordable goalkeeper option this season with reasonable opening fixtures and a reliable record for accumulating save points. Brighton open at home against Aston Villa, who got a few players back from the World Cup late, namely Ollie Watkins.
Antonin Kinsky (£4.5m) offers a strong rotation partner after coming to prominence towards the end of last season, making him a sensible second choice for those planning an early Bench Boost.
Defenders
The Arsenal back line is the place to start. Cristhian Mosquera (£5.5m) could be the main beneficiary of absences for both William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, offering an affordable route into a strong defensive unit. Riccardo Calafiori (£5.5m) is another value entry point, expected to be first choice and nailed to start the season.
Luke Shaw (£4.5m) is the standout value pick at his price point, with Hull City away and Ipswich Town at home the opening two fixtures for Manchester United, making this a straightforward selection.
Kristoffer Ajer (£4.5m) steps into a more prominent role with Sepp van den Berg sidelined. He carries a decent record for defensive contributions and offers good early fixtures as a rotation option. Dara O'Shea (£4.0m) rounds out the defense as arguably the best £4.0m defender in the game, reliable for starts and well set up for defensive contribution returns.
Midfielders
Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) is the anchor of the squad. Since manager Michael Carrick took over at Manchester United, Fernandes has been the highest-scoring FPL player by a considerable distance, ranking first for expected goal involvement and returning in 14 of his last 17 starts. Hull City and Ipswich Town to open the season is the perfect fixture run to hit the ground running.
Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) has looked sharp throughout pre-season and is expected to lead the line for Manchester United early in the campaign, with a favourable opening fixture run to support the pick.
Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) is nailed for minutes, involved in set pieces and well set up for Liverpool's opening schedule.
Pascal Gross (£5.5m) is a nailed starter with strong fixtures, on set pieces and potentially next in line for penalty duties following Danny Welbeck's departure from Brighton.
Mamadou Sangare (£5.5m) completes the midfield as a defensive contributions machine from the French league who could easily become this season's Elliot Anderson for Brentford if he replicates that output in the Premier League.
Forwards
Erling Haaland (£15.5m) is the foundation the entire squad is built around. At his ownership level, near 70 percent, there is little more to say.
Joao Pedro (£7.5m) is a well-priced route into the Chelsea attack, expected to lead the line from the off and with a solid pre-season behind him heading into a kind opening fixture run.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) is the standout value pick of the squad. Leeds open against Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Brighton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace. Calvert-Lewin is completely nailed, should have penalties and produced 16 attacking returns last season. At that price, it's hard to make a case against him.
Final Thoughts
Any team with Haaland or Bruno entering GW1 should feature them at captain. Don't overcomplicate things.
Captain: Erling Haaland
Vice-captain: Bruno Fernandes
No Gameweek 1 squad is perfect, and this one should be treated as a strong starting structure rather than a locked template. Haaland and Fernandes provide elite captaincy options, while Calvert-Lewin, Gross and the budget defenders create enough value to keep the squad balanced.
The main thing to monitor before the deadline is minutes security.
Check RotoWire's predicted lineups and injury report in the days before the deadline to confirm all starters, and keep an eye on any late fitness news that could affect the picks above. Good luck for 2026/27.
