Fantasy Premier League – FPL Gameweek 1 Picks

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Just like every Premier League manager, it’s time for all the Fantasy Football managers to put the finishing touches to their first team of the 2020/21 season.

The Gameweek 1 deadline is at 11:00 (BST) on Saturday, September 12, so make sure you’ve got your team finalised before then.

Let’s start by looking at the opening-day fixtures, before covering the best picks – bargain buys and premium players – to select for Gameweek 1.

• Fulham vs. Arsenal
• Crystal Palace vs. Southampton
• Liverpool vs. Leeds
• West Ham vs. Newcastle
• West Brom vs. Leicester
• Tottenham vs. Everton
• Sheffield United vs. Wolves
• Brighton vs. Chelsea

As you can see, there are only eight fixtures taking place between Saturday and Monday, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Burnley and Aston Villa all sitting out.

With the two Manchester clubs going deep into European competitions last season, they have been given extra rest ahead of the new campaign.

It wouldn’t be the worst idea to include one or two players from these teams, especially with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes likely to be extremely popular picks.

However, it’s important to remember that you will have one free transfer on Tuesday, so you can easily bring in a replacement after Gameweek 1.

Right, now that the fixture business is out of the way, let’s get stuck into some picks.

Goalkeepers

Aaron Ramsdale looks set to make his Sheffield United debut against Wolves on Monday following his switch from relegated Bournemouth. Only two EPL goalkeepers made more saves than the 22-year-old in 2019/20, and with the Blades finishing the previous campaign with the fourth-best defensive record, Ramsdale will surely keep more clean sheets this term.

Only Brentford shot-stopper David Raya kept more clean sheets in the Championship than Leeds’ Kiko Casilla last season, while Marek Rodak – who kept 16 clean sheets in 36 games for Fulham last year – is also a solid budget option.

If you’re looking for a premium pick in this position, look no further than Liverpool’s Alisson. The Reds conceded just 33 goals in 38 games on their way to the title last term.

Defenders

Of course, we all know that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are likely to be in the majority of FPL teams this season. Don’t get me wrong, they are both excellent picks. But there is certainly better value to be found elsewhere.

Having racked up eight goals and 15 assists over the past two seasons at Wolves, Matt Doherty looks set to thrive at Spurs, with Jose Mourinho likely to give the wing-back the freedom of the right flank.

Southampton have a favorable opening fixture against Crystal Palace on Saturday, so adventurous right-back Kyle Walker-Peters looks like a great value pick.

Midfielders

Big guns Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz are the premium players FPL managers should be considering in this position.

However, there are plenty of exciting budget midfield options. West Brom’s Matheus Pereira – who topped the Championship’s charts for assists (16) and chances created (116) last season – could prove to be a very shrewd acquisition.

Crystal Palace new boy Eberechi Eze is destined to play a big role for the Eagles in the coming months, having bagged 14 goals and eight assists for QPR in the second-tier last season.

Forwards

Aleksandar Mitrovic returns to the Premier League with bags of top-flight experience already under his belt. The Fulham striker finished as the Championship’s top scorer last season with 26 goals, and he’s already proved that he can hit the target consistently in England’s top-flight.

There are also some exciting new faces to consider in this position, with Chelsea’s Timo Werner and Leeds’ Rodrigo likely to be popular choices.

Callum Wilson will surely go straight into Newcastle’s starting XI following his move from the Cherries, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks destined to benefit from the service of Everton’s star signing James Rodriguez.