Summary of The GW1 Preview
All your key FPL questions answered before the first GW of the season
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Fellow FPL Manager,
Welcome back! I’m thrilled to kickoff another exciting season with you. Today’s email dives into the GW1 Preview Thread, answering the most pressing questions as we gear up for the new campaign.
This season, I’m introducing an audio version of the newsletter—click Listen Online in the top right corner to hear all the insights and advice on the go.
Don’t forget to vote in this week’s captain poll. The decision whether to include Salah or not will have a big impact on this - more below.
Let’s dive right into the summary👇
Q) Eze too risky to pick with the transfer rumours?
Eze is not too risky. He’s a standout pick for his price.
Despite transfer links, there is nothing concrete yet. Eze is an incredible pick and I am happy to start the season with him.
Q) Barco worth picking with Estupinan back training?
Hesitant to pick Barco despite him being the best £4m defender.
Barco will likely be on your bench until GW4 & 5, by then Estupinan may be match fit.
Q) Is Joao Pedro too risky to pick now? Armstrong or Muniz?
I have removed Joao Pedro from my team. Armstrong is a better replacement than Muniz.
With Brighton signing Rutter, another forward, it’s best to avoid the Brighton attack altogether due to concerns with expected minutes.
Armstrong is the best replacement in this price range. Completely nailed and on penalties. Cheaper than Muniz with similar points potential.
Q) Does Rogers warrant selection?
Due to long-term minutes, Rogers is too risky if he’s your 7th attacker, but is a solid choice if he is your 8th attacker.
Likely to start in GW1 and his price will skyrocket if he scores in GW1 or 2. However, his long-term minutes might be a risk, especially after the Champions League begins.
Q) Gabriel, Saliba or Gvardiol and why?
Very hard to split them. My preference is Gabriel.
Prefer the Arsenal defence because of better data last season and I doubt Gvardiol will be as attacking as we saw at the end of last season.
Gabriel is preferred to Saliba due to better attacking stats. More than double the xG than Saliba and was top for xG among all defenders last season.
Q) Bruno or Jota – and why?
Bruno is a better long term pick. Jota is a better short term pick.
Bruno will be consistent with points and will likely not be a rotation risk. Less headaches each week. Better long term pick.
Jota would be my pick if wildcarding early. He should do well in the short term.
Q) Who is the best captain in GW1?
Salah is the best captain pick. My captain will be Isak - the standout choice for FPL managers who do not own Salah.
If you’re picking Salah, you should captain him. Especially at his price point.
Isak is the favourite to score anytime this gameweek and has an incredible home record.
Q) Flekken or Hendersen – and why?
Flekken is the better long term pick over Henderson.
Brentford GKs historically tend to make more saves than Palace GKs - I expect Flekken to outscore Henderson.
With Flekken, you also get a £4m playing backup.
Q) Salah, Haaland or both?
Having both Salah and Haaland comprimises the rest of the team too much.
Having both means you will have a weak bench and possibly some weak starters. Some examples of the compromises you’ll have to make:
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) in your team or a £4.5m defender and Salah? TAA + Saka are clear.
Diogo Jota (£7.5m) and Saka or Morgan Rogers (£5.0m) and Salah? Much better off starting Jota + Saka.
On paper, Salah drafts are better than Haaland drafts - they allow a premium defender or midfielder. However, I am still likely to pick Haaland, here’s why:
The gap between Haaland and the next FWD is bigger than Salah and the next best mid.
Harder to bring in Haaland later on if you start without him
The biggest reason: FOMO. Fear of missing out.
Can you imagine not owning (and captaining) Haaland when he plays Ipswich at home in GW2? Scary thoughts.
Saka is captainable in gameweeks 1 and 3 and rotates really well with Haaland for the armband.
Even during Salah’s easy fixture run, Haaland is the standout captaincy option in GW2 – and possibly GW4 – with Saka being the leading contender in GW3
Q) Saka, Son or Palmer – and why?
Saka over Son or Palmer.
Saka is the best pick among the 3 simply because he is the standout captaincy pick in GW3.
Q) Is Quansah too risky a pick?
Quansah is worth the risk. Could emerge as the standout defender in his price range.
Though he might not be the safest choice, it’s rumored that he might have a starting position. He played more than double the pre-season minutes of Konate.
Liverpool have incredible opening fixtures. Worth the risk to get Quansah.
Q) Which Newcastle defender is worth picking?
No Newcastle defender is worth picking.
If Trippier stays, Livramento could be a risk.
If Guehi signs, Burn/Hall may be risks as well.
Q) Is it fine to pick a team with 2 four million defenders?
Not ideal to pick 2 £4m defenders.
Better to pick sustainable, long term squads in GW1.
Q) What is my Wildcard strategy?
Don’t commit to a specific Wildcard strategy this early.
The best strategy is to start the season without committing to a specific Wildcard week.
If you found this valuable, I would really appreciate you sharing it with friends.
Best of luck in GW1,