High ownership does not always make someone a good Fantasy Premier League pick. Fitness concerns, uncertain minutes and difficult fixtures could make some popular players risky selections.
Here are five FPL players to consider avoiding in Gameweek 1 of 2026/27.
In previous seasons, FPL managers have been fortunate enough to find playing £4.0m goalkeepers. However, that looks increasingly unlikely in 2026/27.
There is currently no certainty that Dúbravka will receive any significant minutes, with Roberto De Zerbi confirming Kinský as Tottenham’s number one.
Unless you are planning to Bench Boost shortly after an early Wildcard, we would recommend starting with two playing goalkeepers. Our AI Rotation Planner highlights Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) and Tottenham’s Antonín Kinský (£4.5m) as a strong pairing, with their fixtures rotating well across the opening six Gameweeks.
Dúbravka is unlikely to receive significant minutes after Roberto De Zerbi confirmed Kinský as Tottenham’s number one.
Semenyo is a strange inclusion on this list, especially when you look at the numbers from last season.
Using the Opta Stats Sandbox from Gameweek 22 onwards, after he joined Manchester City, Semenyo scored seven goals — joint-most alongside Erling Haaland — and led all FPL players with 82 points.
Those numbers underline his enormous potential, while City’s Gameweek 1 meeting with former club Bournemouth also looks appealing.
However, Enzo Maresca is now in charge at Manchester City, creating fresh uncertainty around the team’s system and starting XI. With several attacking options available, it remains unclear where Semenyo will play and whether he can rely on regular starts.
At £8.5m, managers need greater certainty over his role and expected minutes.
Semenyo could quickly become one of the best midfielders in FPL, but Gameweek 1 may arrive too early to confidently invest £8.5m. Watch City’s final pre-season matches and Maresca’s early team selections before bringing him in.
Saka would normally be extremely difficult to overlook for a home fixture against newly promoted Coventry City.
He remains one of Arsenal’s most important attackers and offers several routes to points through goals, assists and set pieces. As shown by the Opta Heatmaps tool, Saka averaged 5.3 FPL points per home appearance last season, making the Gameweek 1 fixture against Coventry particularly enticing.
The concern is not his ability, but whether he will be ready to produce his best immediately.
Saka accumulated significant minutes at the World Cup and has also been managing an Achilles issue. Even if he starts in Gameweek 1, the possibility of reduced minutes limits his appeal at £9.5m.
There are other premium midfielders with fewer fitness concerns, while Arsenal coverage can also be secured elsewhere in the squad.
Monitor Saka closely rather than ruling him out completely. If Mikel Arteta confirms that he is fit and ready to start, the Coventry fixture could justify his selection. Without that reassurance, £9.5m is a lot to spend on uncertain minutes.
Watkins has made his way into a substantial number of FPL drafts.
His track record helps explain his popularity. Watkins has repeatedly delivered goals, assists and reliable minutes for Aston Villa, while his £8.0m price makes him considerably easier to accommodate than Haaland.
However, Villa’s attack has changed.
The departure of key creative players raises questions about the quality and frequency of the chances Watkins will receive. Villa also have Champions League football to manage, which could occasionally affect his Premier League minutes.
Villa manager Unai Emery has confirmed that Watkins, alongside several other players involved at the World Cup, will miss the Super Cup match against PSG after being given four weeks off. That creates considerable uncertainty over his availability and match fitness for Gameweek 1, although next week’s press conference should provide more information.
Villa begin with Brighton away and Arsenal at home, so there is little urgency to invest immediately. However, the Fixture Planner, ranked by attacking difficulty, places Villa fifth between Gameweeks 3 and 5, when they face Hull away, Nottingham Forest at home and Tottenham away.
The opening two Gameweeks provide an ideal wait-and-see window. Managers can monitor Watkins’ fitness, minutes and Villa’s new-look attack before potentially bringing him in for their improved run from Gameweek 3.
An Arsenal striker priced at £7.5m and facing former club Coventry at home sounds like one of the easiest selections of the season.
Gyökeres demonstrated his goalscoring ability during 2025/26, scoring 14 Premier League goals to finish as Arsenal’s leading scorer, as shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox. His recent pre-season penalty provides another reason for managers to consider him.
The difficulty is knowing exactly how Arsenal’s attack will line up.
Gyökeres and Kai Havertz are both priced at £7.5m, and it remains unclear who will lead the line. Pre-season evidence suggests Gyökeres could start, but Havertz remains capable of playing through the middle, while Arsenal have several ways to structure their attack.
The Predicted Lineups tool currently gives Gyökeres a 55% chance of starting, compared with 47% for Havertz.
There is also a difference between starting and being secure for 80 or 90 minutes. A shared role would significantly reduce the value of both forwards, particularly when alternatives offer more predictable game time.
The Coventry fixture provides enormous upside if Gyökeres is confirmed as Arsenal’s first-choice striker. However, it could also tempt managers to overlook the underlying minutes risk.
Mikel Arteta may provide a clearer indication of his plans before the Gameweek 1 deadline. Until then, selecting either Arsenal forward looks like an unnecessary gamble due to the uncertainty surrounding their starting roles and expected minutes.inty on who starts and how many minutes they will be getting.
No. Ownership is useful because it highlights the players who could damage your rank if they return, but it should be treated as information rather than an instruction.
Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes and João Pedro are popular for good reason. They combine secure minutes, favourable opening fixtures and multiple routes to FPL points.
All three currently feature in the Elite Consensus XI, which combines the latest squads of every manager featured in our Elite XI: Team Reveal. As their team reveals update, the Consensus XI changes to reflect their latest selections.
The players discussed above carry more uncertainty. That makes them different from highly owned assets whose roles are already established.
Before selecting any popular player, consider:
The Big Data: Team Reveal tool allows managers to compare overall ownership with the selections of proven expert managers. The data updates every hour, making it especially useful as teams and injury news change before the deadline.
Gameweek 1 is not about avoiding every risk. It is about deciding which risks are worth taking.
Saka and Gyökeres could deliver immediately against Coventry, Semenyo could thrive in Manchester City's attack and Watkins remains a proven FPL scorer. However, each comes with a question that managers should answer before committing a valuable squad position.
There is nothing wrong with waiting. An early transfer is much easier to make once roles, fitness and expected minutes become clearer.
Use Fantasy Football Fix's Predicted Points, Predicted Lineups, Fixture Planner & Elite Team Reveals to compare the leading options and build your Gameweek 1 squad around evidence rather than ownership alone.
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