Post-GW5 update — 7 October 2026. Draft rankings should now reflect five competitive Gameweeks, injuries and role security rather than preseason projection alone.
Top tier
- Haaland
- Saka
- Palmer if fit
- Isak if fit
- Gabriel / elite Arsenal defence
- Bruno Fernandes
- João Pedro if fit
- Groß
- Mbeumo
- Gyökeres
Biggest risers
Saka
Premium security plus elite underlying involvement.
Groß
Penalties and all major set-piece routes have translated immediately.
Schade
Box-shot volume and goals.
Tavernier
Goal threat plus set pieces.
Lewis Hall
Attacking defender route.
DefCon defenders
Centre-backs with repeat threshold volume now have a higher weekly floor.
Latest FPL news
Biggest fallers
Tzolis
Hamstring absence.
Brobbey
Hamstring absence.
Alex Scott
Potentially lengthy quad injury.
Gakpo / Isak
Short-term injury uncertainty rather than long-term talent downgrade.
Draft strategy after five Gameweeks
Prioritise:
- scarce starting forwards;
- penalty/set-piece midfielders;
- premium defenders with multiple scoring routes;
- role security;
- injury-adjusted value.
Waiver targets
Shallow leagues should aggressively monitor:
- King;
- Tavernier;
- Schade;
- DefCon centre-backs;
- healthy replacements for injured assets.
OneFPL verdict
Draft rankings should now be dynamic.
The biggest lesson from the first five Gameweeks is that role security and defensive contributions matter more than preseason reputation.
FAQ
Who should go first in FPL Draft now?
Haaland remains the clear first overall asset because scarcity and ceiling are unmatched.
Who are the biggest Draft risers?
Saka, Groß, Schade, Tavernier, Hall and reliable DefCon defenders have improved their value after five Gameweeks.
Who are the biggest Draft fallers?
Multi-week injuries such as Tzolis, Brobbey and Alex Scott should fall sharply until return timelines improve.
Position scarcity after five Gameweeks
Forwards
Secure starting forwards remain scarce, so healthy strikers should generally be held more aggressively in Draft than in normal FPL.
Midfielders
The position is deep. Schade, Tavernier and King-type options mean managers can replace injured mid-tier midfielders more easily.
Defenders
DefCon has increased the number of usable defenders. Managers no longer need to chase only attacking full-backs.
Goalkeepers
The position remains replaceable in shallower Draft leagues unless one manager has secured an elite defensive route.
Waiver priority
Use waiver priority on:
- a secure striker;
- a newly nailed premium-team attacker;
- a major set-piece role;
- a high-floor DefCon defender;
- short-term fixture streamers.
Do not spend the top waiver claim on a player whose value depends on one recent goal.
Injured-player handling in Draft
Normal FPL lets you sell a player and use the money anywhere.
Draft does not.
That makes injury decisions league-dependent.
Shallow leagues
Long-term injuries can be dropped aggressively because replacement quality is high.
Deep leagues
Holding a premium injured player can be correct if the waiver pool is weak and the return date is manageable.
IR/bench rules
If your platform or league format gives you a usable injured-reserve mechanism, the value of holding increases.
Trade market
Do not trade an injured premium at the absolute bottom unless the return timeline is genuinely long.
Conversely, use strong early-season performers such as Groß or Schade as trade chips if another manager overvalues the recent points relative to role.
Monthly update plan
This page should be refreshed every 3–4 Gameweeks with:
- top-25 reshuffle;
- waiver risers;
- injury fallers;
- role changes;
- positional scarcity notes.
That will keep one of OneFPL's most-read evergreen pages useful throughout the season.