Fantasy Premier League Insights: Top Picks for Gameweek 1

The Fantasy Premier League itch is back. Screens glow, drafts pile up, and across the world managers are trying to squeeze one more premium into a budget that refuses to stretch.

With the Gameweek 1 deadline set for 18:30 (UK) on Friday 21 August, there is still time for unlimited changes. No chips burned yet, no hits taken. Just pure tinkering – and Manchester City assets are once again at the heart of it.

Three names stand out.

Haaland: The Game’s Ultimate Heavy Hitter

Erling Haaland is no longer just expensive. He’s set a record.

Priced at £15.5m, the City striker becomes the most expensive FPL player ever. It’s a figure that would usually scare off even the most bullish manager. It hasn’t.

Haaland racked up 239 FPL points last season, more than any other player in the game. He led the league for attacking returns with 35, an avalanche of goals and assists that made the captain’s armband feel permanently glued to his arm.

The response from FPL managers has been predictable and ruthless. As things stand, 75.2% of them have already found a way to fit him in. Three-quarters of the game are building their squads around one man, accepting the compromises elsewhere just to lock in his output.

If there’s a template this season, it starts with Haaland.

Guehi: Clean Sheets and Consistency

At the other end of the pitch, Marc Guehi has quietly turned himself into one of the most reliable defensive options in FPL.

Last season he delivered 179 points, a total bettered by only one defender in the entire game. That’s not a fluke. It’s the product of a complete defensive profile that FPL’s scoring system loves.

Fourteen clean sheets formed the backbone of his haul, but Guehi added far more than just shutouts. Three goals, five assists and 22 defensive contribution points underlined his all-round influence, while 14 bonus points rewarded his steady, often understated dominance.

Managers have noticed. Guehi currently sits in 24.7% of squads, a substantial ownership figure for a defender at his price point of £6.0m. He’s not the flashy pick. He’s the dependable one you lock in and forget.

In a game of fine margins, that reliability is gold.

O’Reilly: From Differential to Mainstream

Nico O’Reilly arrives at this new campaign in a very different place from 12 months ago.

The 2025/26 season transformed him from fringe option into a genuine FPL asset. Listed as a defender, he produced five goals, four assists and 14 clean sheets, powering his way to 160 fantasy points.

The scale of that leap is striking. He improved by 129 points on his 2024/25 total, a surge that has forced a significant price rise. Now at £6.5m, O’Reilly no longer sneaks under the radar.

Managers aren’t shying away from the new tag. He features in 24% of teams so far, almost matching Guehi’s popularity and underlining the trust being placed in his ability to repeat – or even build on – last season’s numbers.

He’s no longer a hidden gem. He’s part of the core conversation.

As the first deadline creeps closer and drafts move from wild experimentation to something resembling a final plan, these three City assets are already shaping the landscape. Haaland as the immovable premium, Guehi as the defensive rock, O’Reilly as the fast-rising star.

The question now is simple: who blinks first and dares to go without one of them?