How to Build Your FPL Gameweek 1 Squad
A strong Gameweek 1 squad is not the eleven players you expect to score most this weekend. It is the squad that still works after the first deadline.
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A strong Gameweek 1 squad is not simply a collection of the players expected to score most during the opening weekend.
It must remain functional after the first deadline.
The best initial squads combine:
- Secure starters.
- Reliable captaincy.
- Flexible price points.
- Useful opening fixtures.
- A playable bench.
- Several routes to points.
- Limited dependence on early transfers.
If you are new to the game, read our beginner guide to how FPL works first — this article assumes you know the squad rules and scoring.
Step 1: Choose a captaincy structure
Begin with likely captain choices rather than filling cheap positions first.
Review the first six Gameweeks and identify:
- Premium players with strong home fixtures.
- Players on penalties.
- Players expected to play 80–90 minutes.
- Assets with multiple routes to attacking returns.
- Clubs likely to score several goals.
You do not need the best captain for all six Gameweeks, but your squad should contain credible options without requiring weekly premium transfers. The captain picks page ranks the leading options each week.
Step 2: Decide how many premiums to own
Common structures include:
One premium
Advantages:
- More money across midfield and defence.
- Stronger bench.
- Fewer budget compromises.
Risks:
- Limited captain alternatives.
- Difficult to buy a second premium quickly.
Two premiums
Advantages:
- Captain rotation.
- More routes to explosive scores.
- Easier access to popular elite players.
Risks:
- Greater dependence on budget starters.
- Weaker mid-priced positions.
Three premiums
This structure should only be used when several cheap starters offer exceptional value.
Do not force three expensive players into a squad if it creates several uncertain starters.
Step 3: Prioritise expected minutes
Gameweek 1 is not the time for excessive rotation risk.
Classify every player as:
- Secure starter.
- Likely starter.
- Rotation risk.
- Substitute.
- Fitness doubt.
Aim for at least 13–14 players who are expected to receive regular minutes. Check the injury and doubt list before finalising anything.
Step 4: Build a flexible price structure
Avoid creating a squad where every midfielder or forward occupies an unusual price bracket.
Flexibility makes transfers easier.
For example, owning a mid-priced midfielder allows movement to several alternatives without requiring two transfers.
Step 5: Use fixtures intelligently
Analyse at least six Gameweeks.
Target:
- Strong captaincy fixtures.
- Teams with repeated favourable matches.
- Defenders with clean-sheet opportunities.
- Rotating budget players.
- Fixture swings beginning in Gameweek 3 or 4.
Do not exclude an elite asset solely because of one difficult fixture. Our guide to the best and worst opening fixtures breaks down every club's first six.
Step 6: Select a functional bench
The bench should protect against:
- Unexpected rotation.
- Minor injuries.
- Late team-news uncertainty.
- Short-term suspensions.
A cheap bench is acceptable when the players genuinely start.
A non-playing minimum-priced player can restrict future formations and leave you exposed. The promoted teams guide covers where the season's budget enablers are most likely to come from.
Step 7: Avoid booking transfers
A booked transfer is a move you expect to make before the season has begun.
Examples include:
- Selecting an injured player for a later return.
- Planning to remove a player after one fixture.
- Owning a temporary starter who will soon lose their place.
Some planned transfers can work, but every additional dependency increases risk.
Step 8: Build three drafts
Create:
- A safe draft.
- A premium-heavy draft.
- A balanced draft.
Compare them using:
- Expected minutes.
- Captaincy coverage.
- Fixture difficulty.
- Bench quality.
- Transfer flexibility.
- Number of uncertain starters.
Final Gameweek 1 checklist
Before the deadline, confirm:
- Every player's latest fitness.
- Final pre-season lineups.
- Penalty takers.
- Set pieces.
- Official prices and positions.
- Captain and vice-captain.
- Starting XI.
- Bench order.
- Goalkeeper selection.
- Any Friday deadline caused by the opening fixture.
The 2026/27 season opens on Friday 21 August, so the Gameweek 1 deadline falls earlier in the week than managers may expect.
Build multiple plans in the OneFPL transfer planner** and compare them side by side before the deadline.
FAQ
How many premium players should a Gameweek 1 squad contain?
There is no single correct answer. One premium frees money elsewhere, two allow captain rotation, and three should only be used when several genuinely cheap starters exist.
How many of my 15 players should be nailed starters?
Aim for at least 13 or 14. Gameweek 1 is the worst time to carry rotation risk, because you have no Premier League evidence to work from.
What is a booked transfer, and why avoid it?
It is a move you already expect to make — such as owning an injured player for a later return. Each one adds a dependency, and several together can force early point deductions.
How many Gameweeks of fixtures should I analyse?
At least six. That horizon captures the opening fixture swings without relying on projections that are too far ahead to be useful.
When is the Gameweek 1 deadline?
The season starts on Friday 21 August with Arsenal against Coventry City, so the deadline falls before that Friday evening kick-off rather than on the Saturday.