FPL Gameweek 1 preview
The fixtures the market favours, who the bookmakers expect to score and to keep clean sheets, what the crowd is doing with its chips and transfers, and who is flagged. Arsenal five to one on at home to Coventry, the crowd's first Bench Boost going in the opening week, and Pedro Porro carrying a fitness flag in one in five squads. Here's your GW1 preview.
Fixtures to target
favourite at 60% or betterThree fixtures clear the 60% line: Arsenal at home to Coventry at 83%, Man Utd at Hull at 71% and Man City at home to Bournemouth at 65%.
ARSArsenalvCOVCoventry City
Fri 20:00
HULHull CityvMUNMan Utd
Sat 12:30
MCIMan CityvBOUBournemouth
Sun 14:00Clean sheet chance is the favourite's.
Most likely to score
anytime goalscorerBookmakers price Haaland at 63% to score at home to Bournemouth, with Gyökeres at 53% and Havertz at 49% both at home to Coventry. The poll has Haaland first, Fernandes at Hull a close second and Mbeumo third.
Chance of scoring at any point in the match, taken from the median bookmaker price.
Clean sheet favourites
Arsenal at home to Coventry is the only shutout priced above evens, at 60%. Man Utd at Hull sit at 48% and Man City against Bournemouth at 34%.
Chips and the crowd
community consensusThe crowd's first Bench Boost is going in Gameweek 1 or 2, on the logic that opening squads are at full strength and there are no double gameweeks to wait for.
- GW1Bench Boost
- GW2Bench Boost
Captain: Haaland at home to Bournemouth leads the captaincy poll, with Fernandes at Hull a close second and Mbeumo third.
Our read of what the FPL community is planning this week, not a recommendation.
Flags
5%+ ownedTwo players above five percent ownership are out: Pedro Porro, in one in five squads, and Van de Ven, both expected back on 29 August.
Pedro Porro20.8% owned0%Lack of match fitness - Expected back 29 Aug- Van de Ven6.6% owned0%Unspecified injury - Expected back 29 Aug
Most owned
top 10 before the opening deadlineHaaland and João Pedro sit in nearly two thirds of squads before first kickoff, and Fernandes in half.
- Haaland£15.5m69.5%
João Pedro£7.5m64.4%- B.Fernandes£12.0m51.8%
Szoboszlai£7.0m41.7%- Calafiori£5.5m38.5%
- Mbeumo£8.0m38.5%
- Raya£6.0m37.4%
Calvert-Lewin£6.0m31.3%- Gabriel£8.0m29.7%
- Semenyo£8.5m26.3%
Most expensive
top 10 by opening priceHaaland costs £3.5m more than anyone else; Fernandes is the only other player above £10m.
- Haaland£15.5m£15.5m
- B.Fernandes£12.0m£12.0m
- Palmer£9.5m£9.5m
- Saka£9.5m£9.5m
- Isak£9.0m£9.0m
- Semenyo£8.5m£8.5m
- Mbeumo£8.0m£8.0m
- Gabriel£8.0m£8.0m
Thiago£8.0m£8.0m
Gibbs-White£8.0m£8.0m