Looking for the best FPL players for Gameweek 1? Each week, we’ll highlight five key picks to help you make smarter decisions for your Fantasy Premier League team.
Our weekly FPL picks will include:
Bruno Fernandes will be looking to hit the ground running following a record-breaking 2025/26 season.
The Portuguese international ranked top among all Premier League players for FPL assists (24), attempted assists (136), big chances created (33) and Expected Assists (xA) (17.04).
As shown in the image below from our Opta Stats Sandbox, Fernandes also recorded the highest Expected Goals (xG) total among midfielders (12.98) and ranked third for shots.
Manchester United scored 69 goals last season. Only Arsenal (71) and Manchester City (77) were more prolific. The Red Devils also ranked first for shots (596) and third for xG (74.56).
Their Gameweek 1 hosts, Hull City, conceded 66 goals in the Championship last season. Only Leicester City (68), Queens Park Rangers (73) and Sheffield Wednesday (89) conceded more.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts 6.5 FPL points for Bruno Fernandes in Gameweek 1.
Erling Haaland scored 27 Premier League goals last season. He ranked top among all players for shots in the box (114), shots on target (59), big chances (51) and xG (27.68).
As the image below from our Opta Player Heatmaps feature shows, Haaland averaged 7.1 FPL points per home appearance last season.
Manchester City scored a league-high 77 goals during the 2025/26 campaign. They also ranked first for both big chances (120) and xG (79.47).
Their Gameweek 1 opponents, Bournemouth, conceded 54 goals under former manager Andoni Iraola last season and kept 11 clean sheets. The Cherries ranked 12th for shots conceded (483) and 11th for Expected Goals Conceded (xGC) (59.95).
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts 6.6 FPL points for Erling Haaland in Gameweek 1.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall established himself as one of Everton’s key players last season, registering eight goals and seven FPL assists.
He ranked second among Everton players for attempted assists (37), behind only James Garner (56), and third for shots on target (15).
As the image below from our Predicted Lineups feature shows, Dewsbury-Hall currently has a 99% chance of starting against Crystal Palace in Gameweek 1.
Everton scored 47 goals last season, ranking 14th in the Premier League. The Toffees also ranked 15th for shots (422) and 14th for xG (52.12).
Crystal Palace were defensively solid under former manager Oliver Glasner. They conceded 51 goals—the eighth-best record in the league—and kept 12 clean sheets.
However, it remains to be seen whether they can maintain that defensive solidity under new manager Pierre Sage. The Eagles ranked seventh for shots conceded (447) and 12th for xGC (60.07) last season.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts 3.6 FPL points for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in Gameweek 1.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored four goals across the final 10 Gameweeks of the 2025/26 season. However, his underlying numbers suggest he could improve on that return this season.
As shown in the image below from our Opta Stats Sandbox, the 29-year-old ranked third for shots on target (11) and big chances (11) during that period. Only Ollie Watkins (7.96) recorded a higher xG total than Calvert-Lewin’s 6.20.
Leeds United scored 49 goals last season, ranking 11th in the Premier League. The Yorkshire side also ranked ninth for both big chances (89) and xG (61.31).
Their Gameweek 1 hosts, Nottingham Forest, conceded 51 goals and kept only nine clean sheets. Forest ranked 15th for shots conceded (509) and 17th for xGC (64.08).
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts 4.5 FPL points for Dominic Calvert-Lewin in Gameweek 1.
Gabriel Magalhães ended the 2025/26 season with 209 FPL points—30 more than second-placed Marc Guéhi (179).
The Brazilian defender scored three goals and collected 30 bonus points, which was 11 more than any other defender.
Arsenal had the best defensive record in the Premier League last season. The Gunners ranked first for goals conceded (27), clean sheets (19), shots in the box conceded (198) and xGC (33.82).
Coventry City were the Championship’s top scorers last season with 97 goals. However, facing the defending Premier League champions represents a much tougher test than anything they encountered in the second tier.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently gives Arsenal a 60% chance of keeping a clean sheet and predicts 4.9 FPL points for Gabriel in Gameweek 1.
Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Gabriel Magalhães offer a mixture of premium quality, budget value and defensive potential for Gameweek 1.
Remember to monitor the latest injury news and predicted lineups before finalising your Fantasy Premier League team.
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