Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 1: Must-Have Players and Traps to Avoid

The Fantasy Premier League season kicks off on Friday 21 August, and the tinkering has already started. To cut through the noise, four seasoned FPL voices – Pras, FPL Heisenberg, Gianni Buttice and Holly Shand – have gone club by club, picking out one must-have talisman, one daring differential and one trap to dodge from each of the 20 Premier League sides.

Here’s how their radar looks heading into Gameweek 1.

Arsenal

Talisman: Gabriel (£8.0m, defender)
Pras doesn’t overthink this one. The Brazil centre-back was last season’s top-scoring defender with 209 points and remains the premium route into one of the league’s most secure backlines. Expensive, yes. But as a set-and-forget rock in Arsenal’s defence, he’s the standout pick.

Differential: Ben White (£5.5m, defender)
With Jurrien Timber still sidelined, White looks nailed at right-back and offers attacking threat on top of clean sheets. Pras doesn’t see him as a season-long lock, but for the opening run, he’s a sharp, lower-priced alternative to Gabriel.

Avoid: Christos Tzolis (£6.5m, midfielder)
The talent is obvious and pre-season returns have turned heads. The problem? Mikel Arteta’s rotation on the left wing. With Arsenal still in the market for another wide player, Tzolis’ minutes look too fragile for FPL managers seeking reliability.

Aston Villa

Talisman: Ollie Watkins (£8.0m, forward)
Holly highlights the £1.0m price drop as a gift. Watkins has averaged 16 league goals over each of his last four Villa seasons and, with Morgan Rogers gone to Chelsea, the attack leans on him more than ever. With Youri Tielemans now at Manchester United, there’s also a realistic chance Watkins steps up from the spot.

Differential: Matty Cash (£4.5m, defender)
Nine clean sheets last season and plenty of attacking intent. Cash is first-choice at right-back, sits in around 8% of squads and racked up three goals, three assists, 30 shots and 30 key passes. Holly sees multiple routes to points at a very friendly price.

Avoid: Alejandro Garnacho (£6.0m, midfielder)
On loan from Chelsea and attractively priced, Garnacho will tempt many. Holly isn’t buying it. Emi Buendia is hard to dislodge, and Garnacho managed just 1,261 minutes last season with one goal and four assists. There are safer options at this bracket.

Bournemouth

Talisman: Marcus Tavernier (£6.0m, midfielder)
Gianni notes that with Antoine Semenyo gone, Bournemouth lean on the collective – but Tavernier is the creative hub. On most set-pieces and with 11 attacking returns last season, he again profiles as their main FPL outlet. Justin Kluivert is on penalties when he plays, but Tavernier steps up when the Dutchman is off the pitch.

Differential: Adrien Truffert (£5.5m, defender)
At just 5% ownership, Truffert is a classic all-action full-back pick. He finished second for FPL points at the club last season (165), roams into advanced areas, and combines clean-sheet potential with open-play goal and assist threat plus bonus points. Gianni loves him as a differential.

Avoid: Evanilson (£6.0m, forward)
Six goals in 32 league games last season is not enough to stand out in a crowded £6.0m forward pool. Gianni namechecks Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Igor Jesus and Brian Brobbey as clearly stronger options at the same price.

Brentford

Talisman: Igor Thiago (£8.0m, forward)
Heisenberg’s pick is straightforward. Thiago smashed 22 league goals last season, finishing on 181 FPL points. His price has jumped to £8.0m, and Brentford will again funnel attacks towards him. The question is value at that tag, but the upside – especially against weaker sides – is obvious.

Differential: Dango Ouattara (£6.5m, midfielder)
More than five points per start and four double-digit hauls last season. Ouattara offers strong attacking output at a mid-range price and low ownership. Heisenberg loves the combination: he doesn’t need to be elite to be excellent value, and early returns could give managers a big rank boost.

Avoid: Callum Wilson (£5.5m, forward)
A former FPL darling, but not this time. With Thiago leading the line and other options like Ouattara or Kevin Schade able to fill in centrally, Heisenberg doesn’t see Wilson getting the minutes to matter.

Brighton

Talisman: Pascal Gross (£5.5m, midfielder)
Pras goes for reliability. Gross is on all set-pieces, including penalties, and delivers steady returns from midfield. At £5.5m he’s not just a points source, he’s also a crucial enabler for more expensive assets.

Differential: Luka Vuskovic (£5.0m, defender)
The new signing from Spurs is tipped to start regularly at centre-back. Brighton kept 10 clean sheets last season, and Vuskovic offers both defensive contribution points and shut-out potential at low ownership.

Avoid: Georginio Rutter (£5.5m, forward)
Reclassified as a forward, Rutter now earns fewer points per goal and faces competition from Charalampos Kostoulas. Pras sees a minutes risk and reduced upside, making him a tough sell.

Chelsea

Talisman: Joao Pedro (£7.5m, forward)
Cole Palmer is the priciest Chelsea asset, but Joao Pedro is the people’s choice. Holly notes he’s already in over half of FPL squads. Fifteen goals, nine assists last season and a summer off – which he used to sharpen up with a pre-season hat-trick – make him a standout.

Differential: Levi Colwill (£5.0m, defender)
Back from injury and £1.0m cheaper than Maxence Lacroix, Colwill looks well-priced at centre-back. Holly expects him to mop up defensive contribution points, and a home tie against promoted Hull in Gameweek 4 jumps off the fixture list.

Avoid: Enzo Fernandez (£7.0m, midfielder)
Two World Cup goals but a red card in the final capped a mixed summer. Strong rumours of a move away from Chelsea and the likelihood of a late return before Gameweek 1 leave Holly cold on Enzo as an FPL pick.

Coventry City

Talisman: Haji Wright (£5.5m, forward)
Seventeen Championship goals last season make Wright the obvious focal point. Gianni flags him as a tempting option for those planning a bench boost in Gameweek 2, when Coventry host Hull. The caveat: he’s often substituted around the 70–80 minute mark.

Talisman (alternative): Carl Rushworth (£4.5m, goalkeeper)
At just 1% ownership, Rushworth is an intriguing rotation keeper. Gianni points out he pairs neatly with Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m), offering a cheap, flexible goalkeeping combo.

Avoid: Milan van Ewijk (£4.0m, defender)
Fifteen percent ownership for a £4.0m defender with eight assists in the Championship sounds great on paper. Gianni isn’t convinced. He prefers lower-owned budget options more likely to rack up defensive contribution points, such as team-mate Bobby Thomas.

Crystal Palace

Talisman: Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m, midfielder)
Heisenberg sees Sarr as central to Palace’s attack. High volume of shots, plenty of big chances and some penalty responsibility when Jean-Philippe Mateta is off the pitch. At £6.5m, Sarr might even be slightly underpriced if he keeps hoovering up opportunities.

Differential: Daniel Munoz (£5.5m, defender)
One of the league’s most attacking defenders under Oliver Glasner, Munoz offers an arsenal of scoring routes: clean sheets, defcon points, assists, goals. Heisenberg is keen to see how Pierre Sage uses him, but even with transfer rumours swirling, he remains a premium FPL full-back option wherever he lands.

Avoid: Jorgen Strand Larsen (£6.0m, forward)
A capable striker, but probably behind Mateta in the pecking order. For Heisenberg, £6.0m is too much to risk on uncertain minutes when someone like Calvert-Lewin offers near 90-minute security and penalties.

Everton

Talisman: James Tarkowski (£6.0m, defender)
Pras calls him almost fixture-proof. Tarkowski’s defensive contributions powered him to 170 points last season, the fifth-highest among defenders. He just churns out points regardless of opponent – a classic “set and forget” pick.

Differential: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.5m, midfielder)
Eight goals and seven assists last season underline his importance. With some set-piece duties too, Dewsbury-Hall looks well placed to deliver again, and Pras sees him as a value midfield option.

Avoid: Beto (£5.5m, forward)
Minutes shared with Thierno Barry and a blunt Everton attack spell trouble. Nine goals from 17 starts last season isn’t enough to offset the risk. Pras advises finding the extra £0.5m for a more secure striker.

Fulham

Talisman: Rodrigo Muniz (£5.5m, forward)
With Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez gone, Fulham’s attacking options thin out. Muniz is one of their priciest FPL assets and the obvious focal point, but Holly notes he managed just one goal and one assist from 10 starts last season. New signing Gonzalo Garcia, priced £0.5m higher, adds competition.

Differential: Antonee Robinson (£4.5m, defender)
Ten assists two seasons ago, nine clean sheets last term. Robinson dipped in 2025–26, but the routes to points remain. Holly even floats a slim possibility of penalty duties in the wake of summer departures, making him a quietly interesting pick.

Avoid: Sander Berge (£5.0m, midfielder)
Three assists and five defcon returns from 34 starts brought Berge to 91 points last season. Solid, not spectacular. Persistent transfer links away from Craven Cottage introduce uncertainty Holly doesn’t want in a Gameweek 1 squad.

Hull City

Talisman: Oli McBurnie (£5.5m, forward)
McBurnie’s stoppage-time winner in the play-off final sealed Hull’s promotion, capping a 17-goal, eight-assist Championship campaign. Heisenberg admits he’s one of the more interesting £5.5m forwards, but still prefers to pay up for Calvert-Lewin or Brobbey and is avoiding Hull assets altogether early on.

Differential: Ryan Giles (£4.0m, defender)
Eight assists in the promotion push underline his delivery from left-back, but he now faces competition from Matty Targett. Add Hull’s shaky clean-sheet prospects and Heisenberg urges managers to look elsewhere for budget defenders.

Avoid: Liam Millar (£5.0m, midfielder)
Heisenberg is blunt: almost any Hull player could have filled this slot. Attacking chances will be limited and clean sheets rare. If you absolutely had to pick a cheap Hull midfielder, he’d rather drop down to Regan Slater at £4.5m.

Ipswich Town

Talisman: Emersonn (£5.5m, forward)
Signed for a then-club record fee from Toulouse, the Brazilian is expected to lead the line. Gianni sees him as the man Gary O’Neil will build his attack around, with clear potential to grow into a star for both club and FPL managers.

Differential: Daizen Maeda (£5.5m, midfielder)
Listed as a midfielder but operating as a wide forward, Maeda arrives from Celtic with 50 goals in 149 Scottish Premiership games and a strong World Cup for Japan behind him. At just 0.4% ownership, Gianni flags him as a low-owned flier worth tracking.

Avoid: Chuba Akpom (£5.0m, forward)
A familiar name from his prolific spell at Middlesbrough, but Gianni expects him to be used mainly from the bench. For now, he’s one to swerve.

Leeds United

Talisman: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m, forward)
Fourteen goals and two assists last season, plus penalties, at just £6.0m. Holly understands why roughly a quarter of managers have already backed him. Thirty-five appearances in his debut season at the club eased long-standing fitness fears and cemented him as the standout budget forward.

Differential: Harry Wilson (£6.5m, midfielder)
Nineteen goal involvements (10 goals, nine assists) last season for Fulham underline his quality. Now part of a revamped Leeds attack, Wilson could dominate set-pieces if he nails a starting role. The price – £0.5m more than Calvert-Lewin – is the main sticking point.

Avoid: Jaka Bijol (£5.0m, defender)
Leeds kept eight clean sheets last season and have added James Trafford in goal to improve that. Even so, Holly points to cheaper, safer routes into the defence. Joe Rodon, at £4.5m, looks more secure after racking up 20 defcon points.

Liverpool

Talisman: Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m, midfielder)
Pras sees Szoboszlai as the clearest Liverpool pick. Regular minutes, set-piece involvement and well-rounded output have already convinced nearly half of FPL managers. He offers stability in a side undergoing tactical tweaks under Andoni Iraola.

Differential: Florian Wirtz (£7.5m, midfielder)
Brought closer to goal in the new system, Wirtz’s creativity gives him a huge ceiling. Pras expects him to comfortably surpass last season’s five goals and four assists if the structure clicks.

Avoid: Jeremy Jacquet (£5.0m, defender)
Returning from a long-term injury, with limited pre-season and Ronald Araujo arriving on loan, Jacquet looks set for a slow introduction. Pras advises patience rather than early investment.

Manchester City

Talisman: Erling Haaland (£15.5m, forward)
Gianni’s verdict is simple: he’s the ultimate FPL talisman. A record starting price and, once again, the most-owned player in the game. His minutes against Bournemouth in Gameweek 1 aren’t guaranteed after a light pre-season, but with Crystal Palace and Coventry to follow, going without him is a bold – maybe reckless – call.

Differential: Phil Foden (£7.0m, midfielder)
A full pre-season and likely starter against Bournemouth, Foden sits in just 7% of squads. The ceiling is enormous, but so is the rotation risk in a stacked City squad. One bad outing could see him benched, which is exactly what makes him a thrilling differential.

Avoid: Marc Guehi (£6.0m, defender)
Fourth-most popular defender in the game, yet far from assured a starting spot under Enzo Maresca. Gianni notes the manager’s praise for Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, both cheaper centre-back options, and urges caution on Guehi.

Manchester United

Talisman: Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m, midfielder)
Heisenberg points to 235 points last season, fuelled by 24 assists, penalties and relentless creative duty. The price hike to £12.0m is steep, but United’s opening fixtures – Hull and Ipswich – are tailor-made for big hauls. Add captaincy appeal and bonus magnetism, and he becomes hard to ignore.

Differential: Matheus Cunha (£8.0m, midfielder)
Only 12.7% ownership compared to Bryan Mbeumo’s 23.9% makes Cunha a genuine differential. Four goals and an assist in his final seven matches of last season hint at form, and his ability to play across the front line increases his threat – even if it also opens the door to some rotation.

Avoid: Benjamin Sesko (£7.0m, forward)
Eleven goals in his first Premier League season show the potential. Heisenberg’s concern is minutes. With Champions League commitments and competition up front, Sesko still doesn’t look secure enough, especially when Fernandes and Cunha offer more stable paths into United’s attack.

Newcastle United

Talisman: Nick Woltemade (£6.0m, forward)
A turbulent summer at St James’ Park has left Woltemade as the primary FPL focal point. Eight goals and four assists from 24 starts last season suggest promise, and he’ll look to keep Yoane Wissa at bay for minutes. Holly sees him as the standout in a weakened Newcastle squad.

Differential: Malick Thiaw (£5.0m, defender)
Only seven clean sheets last season, yet Thiaw still emerged as Newcastle’s top-scoring defender. Four goals in 33 appearances and 12 defcon returns underline his value. If he repeats anything close to that, Holly believes he’ll justify his £5.0m tag.

Avoid: Lewis Hall (£5.0m, defender)
Three goal involvements but 47 fewer points than Thiaw last season. Hall’s underlying output doesn’t suit the scoring matrix as well, and with transfer links away from Newcastle, Holly is steering clear early doors.

Nottingham Forest

Talisman: Morgan Gibbs-White (£8.0m, midfielder)
Fifteen goals and four assists last season made him the third-highest scoring midfielder in FPL. Pras expects Gibbs-White to thrive under Oliver Glasner in a left-sided No 10 role. The big question: can he match those numbers again?

Differential: Neco Williams (£5.0m, defender)
Wing-back in Glasner’s system, partial set-piece duty and strong defcon output. Williams ticks every box Pras wants from a £5.0m defender. The comparison with Daniel Munoz’s success under Glasner last season is no accident.

Avoid: Chris Wood (£6.0m, forward)
Now 34 and coming off an injury-hit campaign, Wood faces stiff competition from Igor Jesus, who has impressed in pre-season. Reduced minutes and age combine to make him an avoid for Pras.

Sunderland

Talisman: Enzo Le Fee (£6.0m, midfielder)
Five goals, six assists and a steady stream of defensive contributions in his debut Premier League season. Heisenberg sees Le Fee as the most consistent FPL option at Sunderland, with possible penalties adding extra appeal at £6.0m.

Differential: Granit Xhaka (£5.5m, midfielder)
Not a prolific goalscorer, but a reliable points collector. One goal, six assists and 26 defcon points from 32 starts show how Xhaka accumulates returns. Sunderland’s start – Ipswich away, Fulham at home – gives him an immediate platform.

Avoid: Wilson Isidor (£5.5m, forward)
The price and goal threat scream “bargain”, but Brian Brobbey blocks his path to regular starts. With so many cheap forwards available, Heisenberg doesn’t see the need to gamble on Isidor’s minutes.

Tottenham Hotspur

Talisman: Pedro Porro (£5.5m, defender)
Gianni calls him Spurs’ closest thing to a true talisman. Their highest-owned asset and standout performer last season, Porro rides into Gameweek 1 on the back of an excellent World Cup with Spain. Attacking full-back, set-piece involvement, and clean-sheet potential – the package is obvious.

Differential: Mathys Tel (£6.0m, midfielder)
Under 0.5% ownership, favoured by Roberto De Zerbi and finishing last season in eye-catching form high and wide on the left. Tel’s pre-season included a 30-yard free-kick against Sydney FC, underlining his flair. Gianni sees him as a pure upside punt.

Avoid: Marcos Senesi (£6.0m, defender)
One of last season’s FPL stars at Bournemouth, but now a clear wait-and-see. De Zerbi’s exact setup is still uncertain and Spurs are deep at centre-back. Senesi could easily find himself on the bench, making £6.0m far too much to risk from the start.

The deadline looms, the drafts keep changing, and the same question hangs over every squad: chase the obvious talismans, or lean into the differentials and trust your nerve?