GW1 FPL Guide
Captain Picks · Transfer Targets · Differentials
What should I do in FPL Gameweek 1?
— Onside (onsidearena.com), predictions graded in public.
The Onside engine projects every player in the game each gameweek. These are the 25 it rates highest for GW1 — the captains, the transfer targets and the differentials, ranked by projected points.
FPL GW1 Key Stats
Captain Picks for GW1
Ranked by the engine's captain expected-value model — the #1 pick is our highest-confidence armband recommendation.
Captain — BHA are scoring freely. xP 7.3.
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Consider buying — NEW have a friendly run-in. xP 6.9.
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Consider buying — BRE are scoring freely. xP 6.8.
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Consider buying — HUL are scoring freely. xP 6.5.
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Consider buying — BHA are scoring freely. xP 5.1.
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Consider buying — BRE are scoring freely. xP 4.4.
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Consider buying — CHE are scoring freely. xP 4.3.
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Consider buying — AVL are scoring freely. xP 4.3.
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Consider buying — CRY are scoring freely. xP 4.2.
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Consider buying — FUL have a friendly run-in. xP 3.5.
View full profileTransfer Targets for GW1
Every player the model rates a buy for this gameweek, ranked by projected points — injured and doubtful players left out.
| # | Player | Club | Pos | Price | Owned | xP | Range | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Groß | BHA | MID | £5.8m | 29.1% | 7.3 | 3.7–11.7 | MUST CAPTAIN |
| 2 | Barnes | NEW | MID | £6.1m | 5.8% | 6.9 | 3.5–11.0 | BUY |
| 3 | Schade | BRE | MID | £6.2m | 11.6% | 6.8 | 3.4–10.9 | BUY |
| 4 | Belloumi | HUL | MID | £5.1m | 5.2% | 6.6 | 3.3–10.6 | BUY |
| 5 | Vuskovic | BHA | DEF | £5.0m | 3.7% | 6.5 | 3.3–10.4 | BUY |
| 6 | Tarkowski | EVE | DEF | £6.2m | 16.6% | 5.6 | 2.8–9.0 | BUY |
| 7 | Kostoulas | BHA | FWD | £5.6m | 4.3% | 5.1 | 2.6–8.2 | BUY |
| 8 | Mitchell | CRY | DEF | £4.5m | 6.1% | 5.0 | 2.5–8.0 | BUY |
| 9 | Schuster | BRE | DEF | £4.5m | 0.3% | 4.5 | 2.3–7.2 | BUY |
| 10 | Murillo | NFO | DEF | £5.5m | 2.1% | 4.5 | 2.3–7.2 | BUY |
| 11 | Rogers | CHE | MID | £7.7m | 40.5% | 4.4 | 2.2–7.0 | BUY |
| 12 | Janelt | BRE | MID | £5.0m | 2.5% | 4.4 | 2.2–7.0 | BUY |
| 13 | De Cuyper | BHA | DEF | £5.0m | 27.8% | 4.4 | 2.2–7.0 | BUY |
| 14 | Davis | IPS | DEF | £4.0m | 6.9% | 4.4 | 2.2–7.0 | BUY |
| 15 | Buendía | AVL | MID | £5.9m | 1.0% | 4.3 | 2.2–6.9 | BUY |
| 16 | Maitland-Niles | EVE | DEF | £4.5m | 1.4% | 4.3 | 2.2–6.9 | BUY |
| 17 | Kamada | CRY | MID | £5.0m | 0.5% | 4.2 | 2.1–6.7 | BUY |
| 18 | Dasilva | COV | DEF | £4.0m | 0.7% | 4.1 | 2.1–6.6 | BUY |
| 19 | Pickford | EVE | GKP | £5.5m | 9.1% | 4.1 | 2.1–6.6 | BUY |
| 20 | Leno | FUL | GKP | £4.5m | 3.4% | 4.1 | 2.1–6.6 | BUY |
| 21 | Verbruggen | BHA | GKP | £4.5m | 21.6% | 3.9 | 2.0–6.2 | BUY |
| 22 | Rushworth | COV | GKP | £4.5m | 0.8% | 3.9 | 2.0–6.2 | BUY |
| 23 | Branthwaite | EVE | DEF | £5.5m | 2.4% | 3.8 | 1.9–6.1 | BUY |
| 24 | Hall | NEW | DEF | £5.3m | 17.4% | 3.6 | 1.8–5.8 | BUY |
Differentials for GW1
Low-ownership picks our engine tags as DIFFERENTIAL — highly rated players most managers won't own, giving you a potential rank edge.
Consider buying — NEW have a friendly run-in. xP 6.9.
View full profileConsider buying — HUL are scoring freely. xP 6.5.
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Consider buying — BHA are scoring freely. xP 6.5.
View full profileConsider buying — BHA are scoring freely. xP 5.1.
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Consider buying — CRY are scoring freely. xP 5.0.
View full profileModel Reads for GW1
Beyond the picks — the macro calls from our season simulation that shape the opening weeks.
The promoted sides are not equal
Our season simulation does not price the promoted clubs the same, so budget assets from the best-organised promoted defence carry real clean-sheet value while the weakest is a points sink. Do not buy “a promoted defender” on price alone — buy the right one.
See the predicted table →Newcastle are a wider bet post-Howe
Newcastle open 2026/27 under a new head coach after Eddie Howe’s exit on the eve of the season. A managerial change unsettles roles, minutes and set-piece duties, so every Newcastle asset carries a wider outcome band early. Treat them as ceiling plays, not safe floors, until the new system beds in.
Check the fixtures →Floors are conservative until line-ups settle
Before a ball is kicked, nobody’s minutes are locked. Early projections carry wider bands than mid-season, so our floors sit low by design — the ceiling is where the pre-season signal lives. Expect the range to tighten once rotation and starting XIs become clear over the opening weeks.
See the captain ladder →GW1 Planning Checklist
Run through this before the GW1 deadline to maximise your expected points and avoid common mistakes.
- 1Confirm captain pick — choose your highest expected-points starter with a favourable fixture. See GW1 captain analysis →
- 2Check injuries before deadline — late team news can invalidate your captain and starting XI. View player availability →
- 3Review fixture difficulty — avoid players facing a Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR) of 4–5 unless they have exceptional form. Check fixture difficulty →
- 4Monitor price changes — rising players gain value overnight; falling players lose it. Act before the price falls. Track price changes →
- 5Identify differentials — any highly-rated player below 10% ownership is a rank-up opportunity. Captaining a differential that delivers can jump you thousands of places. GW1 differentials →
- 6Check ownership data — know what the template squad looks like so you can decide where to be brave vs. where to follow the crowd. Most owned players →
Explore More on Onside Arena
Also researching GW1:
Player profiles featured in this guide:
GW1 — Common Questions
Answered by Onside AI engine
Who should I captain in GW1?
Onside's top captain pick for GW1 is Groß (BHA) with 7.3 projected points. Captain — BHA are scoring freely. xP 7.3. Alternative: Barnes.
What are the best transfer targets for GW1?
Onside's top GW1 transfer targets are: 1. Groß (£5.8m, 29.1% owned, 7.3 projected xP); 2. Barnes (£6.1m, 5.8% owned, 6.9 projected xP); 3. Schade (£6.2m, 11.6% owned, 6.8 projected xP). These are the highest-projected players the engine rates a buy for GW1, with injured and doubtful players left out.
Who are the best FPL differentials for GW1?
Top differential for GW1: Barnes (only 5.8% owned, 6.9 projected xP). Consider buying — NEW have a friendly run-in. xP 6.9. A differential is a high-rated, low-ownership pick that gives a rank edge if they score big.
When is the GW1 FPL deadline?
The GW1 Fantasy Premier League deadline is Fri 21 Aug, 18:30 UK time. Make sure to finalise your transfers, captain pick, and vice-captain before this time.
How does Onside generate GW1 recommendations?
Onside blends nine independent signals into an expected-points score, then runs Monte Carlo simulations to rank captains by expected value — the median of doubled-score distributions. Data refreshes every hour. How the signals are built is proprietary.
What happened in FPL GW1?
GW1 is complete. The average FPL score was 50 points. The highest score was 131 points. The most captained player was Haaland. Top individual scorer: De Cuyper with 17 points. Check the retrospective section above for full details.
Who should I captain in FPL GW1?
Onside's top captain recommendation for GW1 is Groß (BHA), projected at 7.3 expected points. For a full captain deep-dive with fixture analysis, visit /captain/1.
What is a good FPL score in GW1?
A good FPL score varies by gameweek depending on how many matches are played and how many bonus points are distributed. As a rule of thumb, scoring 10+ points above the gameweek average puts you in a strong rank-gaining position. The average FPL score across all managers typically sits between 40–65 points per gameweek. For double gameweeks, average scores can reach 80–100+ points. Check the GW1 retrospective section above once the gameweek finishes for the official average and highest scores.
Get the GW1 verdict before the deadline
One email per gameweek: captain call, transfer targets and differentials from the model — graded in public. Free.
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Data from the Fantasy Premier League API. Rankings by the Onside v5 engine, refreshed every hour and graded in public after each gameweek.