Okay, cards on the table—yes, the title is a little cheeky. FPL haven’t even launched the game yet, so technically, there isn’t an official Gameweek 1 team reveal… but don’t click away just yet.
Thanks to the Preseason Pack, we’ve got access to predicted player prices, fixture difficulty data, and the GW1 Squad Selector tool—and that means we can start building smart drafts well before the masses.
Using those tools, we’ve put together what might be the strongest Gameweek 1 team based on projected value, early-season fixtures, and rotation strategy.
Let’s dive in.
Caoimhín Kelleher (£4.5m, predicted)
The new Brentford No.1 has joined from Liverpool for £18 million. If he’s first-choice as expected, he could offer brilliant value with solid early FPL fixtures.
Rayan Aït-Nouri (£5.5m)
A £36.3m transfer to Man City makes Aït-Nouri a potential early-season gem.
With 7 assists for Wolves last year as shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox—beaten only by Fulham’s Robinson among defenders—he has attacking threat and clean sheet potential under Pep.
Micky van de Ven (£4.5m)
Spurs may have struggled defensively, but a home game vs Burnley in Gameweek 1 could mark a strong start for new boss Thomas Frank. A calculated pick with big upside.
Calvin Bassey (£4.5m)
Low ceiling, high reliability. Bassey played the second-most minutes (3,074) of any Fulham defender in 2024/25 and offers solid value.
He rotates well with Konsa (currently on the bench), forming a defensive pairing that avoids the trickiest fixtures—something clearly highlighted in the Preseason Pack’s Rotation Planner.
Over the first five Gameweeks, they combine for four home matches, including against Leeds, with Sunderland away the only fixture on the road.
Mohamed Salah (£14.0m)
Coming off a record-breaking FPL season, it’d take a brave manager to go without him—even at a price of £14.0m.
Cole Palmer (£10.0m)
Despite a quieter end to 2024/25, the Gameweek Squad Rotator in the Preseason Pack flags Palmer as a GW3 captain option when Salah faces Arsenal.
Huge potential with pens and two seasons of returning over 200 FPL points.
Eberechi Eze (£7.5m)
Chelsea away isn’t ideal to start, but fixtures vs Sunderland and West Ham in Gameweeks 4-5 boost his projected score to 25+ points over the first 5 fixtures.
Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.0m)
Linked with Man City but likely to remain at Forest, MGW quietly posted 154 points last season. The attacking hub of the Tricky Trees could shine early.
Jarrod Bowen (£8.5m)
West Ham’s talisman ended last season red-hot (57 points from GW33–38) and averaged 5.7 points per game over the season, as shown in the Opta Heatmaps feature.
He opens with Sunderland at away—form + fixture is hard to ignore.
Alexander Isak (£10.5m)
The top-scoring forward of 2024/25 with 23 goals. Newcastle have a favourable start and Isak is a standout even at a high predicted price.
Beto (£5.0m)
Only 8 goals last season, but don’t dismiss him.
He rotates perfectly with Wolves’ Strand Larsen in the Rotation Planner. Across the first five weeks, this combo gives you a striker vs Leeds twice. Worth the budget gamble?
Here’s the full team built using the GW1 Squad Selector tool in the Preseason Pack.
Rotating defenders—and even forwards—might not be everyone’s style, but it’s a strategy worth considering with the right fixtures.
Think you can build a better draft? Head over to the Preseason Pack now and create up to five squads using predicted player prices and projected points.
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