The short answer
Official FPL's expert panel has published an ultimate squad for the opening Gameweeks.
The important part is not copying all 15 players. It is understanding the structure.
The experts choose:
- Two rotating £4.5m goalkeepers: Antonin Kinsky + Bart Verbruggen
- No premium defenders
- Budget defenders including Calafiori, Van Hecke, Maguire, Rodon and Bobby Thomas
- Cheap midfield value through Pascal Groß and Mamadou Sangaré
- A forward line of Haaland, João Pedro and Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Seven decisions worth examining
| # | Expert decision | OneFPL view |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinsky + Verbruggen rotation | Strong if you accept £0.5m on the bench |
| 2 | No Gabriel | Rational if £2.5m saving improves attack |
| 3 | Calafiori at £5.5m | High upside, but Arsenal presser still matters |
| 4 | Maguire | Strong GW1-GW2 fixture play |
| 5 | Groß | Excellent set-piece value |
| 6 | Sangaré | DefCon-focused enabler |
| 7 | Calvert-Lewin at £6.0m | Safest current player in his price bracket |
1. Kinsky + Verbruggen
The experts deliberately spend £9.0m across two playing £4.5m goalkeepers.
Their fixture pattern gives four home matches plus a trip to Coventry across the first five Gameweeks.
The alternative is a £4.5m starter plus a £4.0m reserve, saving £0.5m.
So the decision is really:
Do you value rotation enough to spend £0.5m on your second goalkeeper?
See the updated OneFPL rotation pairs.
2. No premium defender
Gabriel's 209 points last season make him elite, but £8.0m is a major commitment.
The experts prefer cheaper defensive routes and move money into attack.
That strategy makes sense if:
- You can identify secure £4.0m-£5.5m starters
- You expect attacking premiums to dominate captaincy
- You are willing to transfer defenders when roles change
3. Arsenal at £5.5m
The expert squad contains Riccardo Calafiori, while another official expert article says the current £5.5m choice is close between Calafiori and Ben White.
That is a reminder not to pretend Arsenal's defensive hierarchy is completely settled.
Read the updated Arsenal £5.5m defender guide.
4. Maguire attacks the opening fixtures
Manchester United face Hull and Ipswich first.
Harry Maguire can combine:
- Clean-sheet opportunity
- Set-piece threat
- Defensive contributions
- A mid-priced defensive slot
That is exactly the kind of short-term role worth attacking before fixtures turn.
5. Groß and Sangaré show two types of budget midfielder
Groß: attacking value through penalties, corners and free-kicks.
Sangaré: floor through defensive contributions and secure central minutes.
You do not need both, but both show why a budget midfielder should offer a repeatable scoring mechanism.
6. Calvert-Lewin remains the £6.0m benchmark
Official experts prefer Dominic Calvert-Lewin because he combines:
- Good opening fixtures
- Near-90-minute role
- Leeds penalties
Promise David is now another £6.0m option, but he has arrived too late to match DCL's minutes certainty.
Read the updated best £6.0m forwards.
7. Do not copy the squad blindly
Expert consensus is useful because it reveals which assumptions are strongest.
It does not mean all other structures are wrong.
Compare the expert squad with:
OneFPL verdict
The most transferable lessons are goalkeeper rotation, cheap defensive structure and Calvert-Lewin as the current £6.0m benchmark.
The biggest area to challenge is Arsenal defence, where late team news can still move the preferred £5.5m option.
FAQ
Which goalkeepers did the FPL experts pick?
Antonin Kinsky and Bart Verbruggen, both £4.5m.
Did the expert squad include Gabriel?
No. The experts chose cheaper defenders.
Which £6.0m forward did the experts prefer?
Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Sources
OneFPL analysis. OneFPL is an independent Fantasy Premier League companion and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Premier League or Fantasy Premier League.
Was this useful?