Fitting the big three into your opening-day team leaves you with £64.5m for the remaining eight starters and four bench slots. The key to unlocking this premium core lies in identifying underpriced starting defenders, out-of-position attacking threats, and budget set-piece takers. We have already covered the manager turnover this summer but now let’s concentrate on sorting your fantasy team out for the season start/
Here is how to structure a high-upside starting line-up for Gameweek 1.
Goalkeeper
- Antonin Kinsky (Tottenham Hotspur) – £4.5m
- Why he’s picked: Spurs’ defensive stats improved significantly in the second half of last season, conceding a league-low 10 big chances under Roberto De Zerbi. With transfer speculation surrounding Guglielmo Vicario, Kinsky represents a high-value route into a refined defensive system for just £4.5m.
Defenders
- Gabriel (Arsenal) – £8.0m
- Why he’s picked: The centerpiece of the league’s top defense. Combining massive clean-sheet potential with set-piece threat, Gabriel is worth the heavy outlay for reliable baseline returns.
- Cristhian Mosquera (Arsenal) – £5.5m
- Why he’s picked: With William Saliba (£6.0m) recovering from injury, Mosquera has been heavily featured alongside Gabriel in pre-season. At £5.5m, he offers a direct, cheaper route into Arsenal’s backline.
- Harry Maguire (Manchester United) – £5.0m
- Why he’s picked: Manchester United enjoy the best opening schedule of any club, facing promoted sides Hull City and Ipswich Town in Gameweek 1 and 2. Maguire is a goal threat from corners and led United defenders in defensive contribution (DC) points last season.
Midfielders
- Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) – £12.0m
- Why he’s picked: The creative engine for United with maximum upside against favorable early opposition. On penalty duties and involved in virtually every attack, he is a primary captaincy candidate for the opening fixtures.
- Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United) – £8.0m
- Why he’s picked: Doubling up on United’s early schedule gives major leverage. Mbeumo has impressed in pre-season playing in a forward role—scoring twice against Atletico Madrid—and his £8.0m price tag allows for easy transfers to other mid-priced midfielders later on.
- Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion) – £5.5m
- Why he’s picked: Set-piece dominance meets penalty duties. Following Danny Welbeck’s transfer to Chelsea, Gross has assumed penalty responsibilities for Brighton, complementing his existing role on corners and indirect free-kicks.
- Enzo Le Fée (Sunderland) – £6.0m
- Why he’s picked: Sunderland open their campaign against Ipswich and Fulham. Le Fée offers multi-route return potential through goal contributions, bonus points, and baseline defensive contributions (DC).
Forwards
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – £15.5m
- Why he’s picked: The non-negotiable captain option for most managers. Despite his record price tag, his explosive goalscoring ceiling makes him an essential fixture in the squad.
- Joao Pedro (Chelsea) – £7.5m
- Why he’s picked: A vital mid-priced forward who bridges the gap between ultra-premiums and budget assets, offering strong goal threat for a dominant top-six attack.
- Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest) – £6.0m
- Why he’s picked: The form budget forward of pre-season, scoring four goals in four matches under Oliver Glasner. Forest enjoy three home fixtures in their opening five games against Leeds, Tottenham, and Coventry.
The £16.5m Bench Enablers
To afford this starting lineup, the squad relies on four maximum-value bench players:
- Martin Dubravka (Tottenham) – £4.0m: Pairs with Kinsky to lock down the Spurs goalkeeping slot for an £8.5m combined outlay.
- John Egan (Hull City) – £4.0m: Averaged 10.1 clearances, blocks, interceptions, and tackles (CBIT) per 90 in the Championship, making him ideal for triggering the 2-point defensive contribution (DC) threshold when called off the bench.
- Bobby Thomas (Coventry City) – £4.0m: Offers emergency defensive coverage with an added attacking threat (3 goals, 4 assists last season).
- Regan Slater (Hull City) – £4.5m: Sitting at the lowest price point for midfielders to free up funds for the starting XI.
Key Takeaway Strategy
By taking advantage of £4.0m promoted defenders and £5.5m–£6.0m penalty-taking midfielders, you can start six players who face a promoted side in Gameweek 1 while keeping Haaland, Fernandes, and Gabriel in your team.