This FPL Gameweek 1 Team reveal blog is written by @AK_FPL1 who has Three top 5K (FFScout HoF:250th, India All-time number 7, Best OR: 1140, 17/18)
This blog is part of our free-to-access FPL Team reveals of our allaboutfpl specialists which is a team of six writers with multiple top 10k, 5k, and top 500 finishes amongst them. You can find all of the team reveals here for free.
Please note the draft is the current version and the allaboutfpl specialists might change it closer to the deadline. The team will be updated in the blog and also on their Twitter accounts. So follow @AK_FPL1 on Twitter to stay updated!
The start of the season is upon us with only a few hours left until the deadline of Gameweek 1 of the 2021/22 season. I waited for as long as I could to share my draft with you, so that it’s updated and there aren’t many changes (hopefully) by the time our teams are locked for the first Gameweek.
FPL Gameweek 1 Team Reveal
Introduction and FPL Playstyle
Before talking about my picks, I feel I should talk about my playing style first, which is a very important exercise in my opinion.
I am usually a risk-averse and conservative manager. I do have an appetite to take risks, but these are calculated and you would usually see me taking risks in and around Blanks or Double Gameweeks.
My objective usually is to create a long-term team when I have Unlimited Transfers (Before GW1 or in Wildcard weeks), and also to not book any future transfers. For that to happen, I believe you need to have a strong balance in your team. Flexibility is key, especially in Gameweek 1 since it’s the only Gameweek of the season where you do not have any past data or information relevant to the current season.
FPL Gameweek 1 GOALKEEPERS
My starting keeper is Brighton’s Robert Sanchez (4.5m) and I have doubled up on Brighton here, with his teammate Jason Steele (4.0) on the bench. Pairing up two Goalkeepers from the same team ensures that I will always have the Brighton Goalkeeper playing.
If any injury/suspension were to happen to Sanchez, I will be safe with Steele taking his position in both teams, Brighton as well as mine. It reduces the wastage of a free transfer to change Goalkeepers, which is an area of very less variance in terms of points.
Picking the Brighton pair was an easy decision for me. The Seagulls were only behind Manchester City and Chelsea in terms of xG Conceded (35.86) last season, beating the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool quite comfortably. They also position themselves third in the league in terms of Shots Conceded Inside the Box (222) and Big Chances Conceded (51).
FPL Gameweek 1 DEFENDERS
Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.5m) is always my first pick at the back. After a shaky first half of the season, the Liverpool full-back went out all guns blazing in the second half.
Trent had Created the most Chances (49), most Big Chances (11) and had the highest xA (5.12) of all players in the league, in the second half of the season. The fact that he is also on direct and indirect free kicks and corners, make it a no brainer for me.
Luke Shaw (5.5m) was my second Defender pick. In the same time frame as above for Trent (GW20-38), Shaw came in behind Trent for Chances Created (46) in the league. Even though he only managed to create 3 Big Chances, the Left back found himself in the top 5 players in the league in terms of Expected Assists with an xA of 3.84. Manchester United have also strengthened their backline with the signing of Raphael Varane, which only boosts his appeal.
I am willing to rotate the third defender spot between the other 3 defenders.
After his move to Arsenal, Ben White (4.5m) is my third pick as I believe Arsenal are strong enough at the back to keep at least 10 clean sheets in the league this season. White for this reason, provides very good value for me. The fourth defender spot is where I am not sure yet, but at the moment I have Leeds United’s Luke Ayling (4.5m) as he rotates well with White, especially after Gameweek 3.
For my final pick, I have picked Konstantinos Tsimikas (4.0m), who will be deputising for Liverpool (most likely) at the Left back role, until Robertson is fit to play. The fundamentals behind this pick can be seen from a thread I did yesterday
FPL Gameweek 1 MIDFIELDERS
Mohammed Salah (12.5m) was the first name on my team sheet as soon as the fixtures launched. The Egyptian has been awarded a great run of fixtures until Gameweek 6, where they face two newly promoted sides and two other sides that finished in the lower half of the table.
The Egyptian also has the armband for me after analyzing the candidates for captaincy in my Captaincy article: FPL GW 1 Captaincy Analysis, Metrics & Top Picks | AK FPL
Bruno Fernandes (12m) is my other premium Midfielder after Salah. Manchester United have also been handed a decent run of games to start the season. It is also important to note that Bruno faces a new-look Wolves side in Gameweek 3, when Salah plays Chelsea. Wolves have been playing a high-line at the defence, which Bruno could enjoy playing against. He looks like an automatic captaincy option in Gameweek 3.
The third and the fourth Midfielders are where I am not sure, at the point of writing. There are many options in the bracket of 6m to 8m, and I keep twisting to different sets of players on a daily basis.
For now, I have put Jack Grealish (8m) in my team with Raphinha (6.5m). I feel Grealish has a real chance of starting against Tottenham in Gameweek 1, and then he has a tasty fixture against Norwich in Gameweek 2.
Pep brought Grealish on in the second half of the Community Shield defeat for a cameo at Left Wing. I liked what I saw of Grealish, although only for 20-odd minutes and at this moment, I have him in my team.
Raphinha is a player that I have always liked. He can create magic out of nowhere in a game and although Leeds United’s fixtures are not exactly favourable, he still manages to find a place in my team at this stage.
For the fifth spot, I have picked Burnley’s Josh Brownhill (4.5m) and put him on the bench. Brownhill can provide at least 2 points on a rainy day where some player or another does not play at all in my first team.
FPL Gameweek 1 FORWARDS
Danny Ings (8.0m) finds a way into my team after his shock move to Aston Villa last week. Villa’s opening fixtures look very good to bank on, as they face two newly promoted sides in Watford and Brentford, with a Home game against Newcastle sandwiched between the two fixtures and I feel very confident about Ings getting attacking returns in the first few games.
I have picked Michail Antonio (7.5m) in my team. After a strong last season with West Ham, I expect Antonio to pick up from where he left off. Antonio managed 10 goals and 5 assists in just 1972 minutes, providing an attacking return in every 132 minutes, which is not too shabby for a player of this price. West Ham also have been given a favourable fixture list, as they face Newcastle (away), Crystal Palace (home) and Southampton (away) in the first four Gameweeks of the season.
And for the final pick, I have gone for Ivan Toney (6.5m), who broke the record for most goals in a season in the Championship (31). Toney is on penalties, as well as Direct free kicks for his team, meaning he will have ample chance to score goals. Brentford also have decent fixtures after their opener against Arsenal in Gameweek 1.
Final FPL Gameweek 1 Team
I do not know where I will land with my team nearer to the deadline, but this is the core of my team, except for maybe 2-3 positions which I pointed out above. I am very excited going into the new season with the team that I have created, after days of planning and reading of articles on our website.
I would also like to wish our readers all the luck going into the new season. As the saying goes, “Well begun is half done” and we hope you begin the season well!
Who are the other experts in the allaboutfpl panel who’ll be revealing their teams?
@FPLOsama ~ One top 5K and two top 1OK (Best OR: 4059, 18/19) ~ FPL Gameweek 1 Team Reveal: Building a BruNO Draft | FPLOsama
@AK_FPL1~ Three top 5K (FFScout HoF:250th, India All-time number 7, Best OR: 1140, 17/18)
@ShivaFPL ~ Two top 5K finishes and One top 10K finish, 8 top 25K finishes (Best OR: 1642, 14/15, FFScout HoF: 137) FPL GW1 Team Reveal by Shiva FPL – FFScout HoF: 137 | Three Top 10K
@FPL_EZE ~ Top 500 last season, Palace number one(20/21) (Best OR: 493, 20/21) ~ FPL GW 1 Team Reveal by FPL Eze – Last Year OR ~ 274 and Palace No 1
@FPLComeback ~ Last season 274th (Best OR: 274th, 20/21, 2550 ~15/16 season)
@FplSinghs ~ Last season top 10K, (Best OR: 7745, 20/21) FPL Gameweek 1 Team reveal by FplSinghs | 20/21 TOP 10K(7745)
Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of the 2021/22 Season:
Thanks for reading the FPL Gameweek 1 Team Reveal. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for regular blogs. Also, follow our 20000+community on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay updated on regular Posts and FPL updates. Link to all our 2021/22 FPL pre-season blogs.
Check out our Rules and Basics Guide, FPL Team Structure Guide, FPL Goalkeepers, FPL Budget Strikers, FPL Midfielders, FPL position-wise player analysis, FPL Individual player comparison and analysis, FPL Strikers, FPL Defenders, FPL Chip Strategy, FPL Chips, FPL Team reveals, FPL History, FPL Team Analysis, FPL Eye Test, Captaincy Picks, Differential Picks, and FPL Player Analysis.
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AK - Anurag Khetan
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