FPL Gameweek 1 Drafts with Haaland and Salah with Keynotes

The start of the FPL campaign is just around the corner, and once again, two names dominate every conversation: Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland. They are the most explosive assets in the game and also the most expensive in this year’s player pool. Salah comes in at 14.5 million, while Haaland isn’t far behind at 14.0 million.

Naturally, the question on every manager’s mind is: Can I afford both? And if so, what does the rest of my team have to look like to make it work?

This article will analyse five draft structures that include both Salah and Haaland, showing how you can build a competitive squad without completely compromising team balance.

With a total starting budget of 100 million, selecting both Salah and Haaland locks up 28.5 million, or nearly 29 % of your funds. That is a significant investment for just two players, especially when other premium assets like Saka, Palmer, and Bruno Fernandes are also demanding attention.

To make it work, managers need to get creative with the rest of their squad. It also raises a key question: is it possible to fit in other big names without completely unbalancing your team?

Luckily, there are a number of less well-known players in the game this season who could offer excellent value. These hidden gems may not have high ownership or headline-grabbing price tags, but they can play a crucial role in unlocking a Salah–Haaland draft by offering consistent returns at a low cost.

Building around Salah and Haaland is difficult, but far from impossible. So, with that in mind, let’s have a look at our options.

Link to all our 2025/26 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, differentials, players to target, budget enablers and more. Completely free to access as well!

2025/26 FPL Gameweek 1 Drafts with Haaland & Salah

FPL Gameweek 1 Draft 1 – Balance

(Salah, Haaland, Wirtz)

This draft is well-balanced and would likely work best in either a 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 formation. It spreads value across all areas of the pitch, with premium options in defence, midfield and attack.

Goalkeepers

Sanchez is my preferred goalkeeper at 5.0 million. He’s slightly cheaper than other popular picks like Pickford and Alisson and benefits from a nice run of opening fixtures. Kinsky is included as the 4.0 million backup as he could still potentially start over Vicario.

Defenders

Ait-Nouri comes in at 6.0 million and is the premium defender in this setup. He showed strong attacking potential at Wolves last season and should be looking to build on that this year. Wan-Bissaka, priced at 4.5 million, is currently the most selected defender in the game. While he may face competition from new signing Kyle Walker-Peters, also at 4.5 million, Wan-Bissaka is expected to be first choice at the start of the season, and West Ham’s opening fixture against newly promoted Sunderland adds to his appeal.

Aina (He has missed the last few friendlies due to a knock, so watch out for updates, you can also get Neco Williams at the same price) and Konsa (4.5 million) rotate really well, and if managed correctly, you can avoid playing any of last season’s top six in the opening 12 gameweeks. Esteve at 4.0 million rounds out the back line and looks like one of the most reliable options available at this price point.

Midfielders

Salah is, of course, central to this draft, and he is joined by new Liverpool teammate Wirtz, priced at 8.5 million. Wirtz arrives from the Bundesliga with impressive numbers, scoring 21 goals and providing 25 assists across the last two seasons before joining the reigning champions.

Rogers offers great value at 7.0 million and comes into the season in strong pre-season form, having already scored twice. However, he did pick up an injury in his last pre-season game, but he is expected to be okay for GW1(Watch out for injury news going into GW1 deadline).

Ndiaye (6.5 million) is currently selected by 11.8 percent of managers. He found the net in Everton’s final game of the Summer Series against Manchester United and is expected to be on penalties for the Toffees.

Anderson (5.5 million) completes the midfield and is a strong differential, selected by just 3.1 percent at the time of writing. He is nailed to start and should be on corners and indirect free kicks. With an average of 13.4 CBIRT/90 last season, he is likely to pick up two bonus points in most matches, on top of any attacking returns. He has the potential for more, having scored twice and registered six assists last season.

Forwards

Haaland leads the line and is supported by Wolves’ striker Strand Larsen, priced at 6.5 million. With Cunha having moved on, Larsen is expected to become Wolves’ main striker and could also take over penalty duties.

Sunderland’s Marc Guiu rounds out the forward line. He has joined Sunderland on loan from Chelsea. While he might not start every game, he should get regular minutes, making him a strong option as a second or third bench player in this setup.

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FPL Gameweek 1 Draft 2 – No premium defenders

(Salah, Haaland, Bruno, and Joao Pedro)

This draft prioritises a solid defensive base, without using a premium defender. There is also depth in midfield, aiming for a consistent points haul through clean sheets and reliable returns. A 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 formation provides stability, balancing two premium forwards with dependable support behind them.

Goalkeepers

My preferred goalkeeper rotation at 4.5 million combines Bournemouth’s Petrovic and West Ham’s GK(Replace Areola with Hermansen once he’s in the game, who’s joining West Ham soon from Leicester City). While neither is a standout option individually, rotating them effectively can minimize tough fixtures by playing only one game against last season’s top six in the opening 13 gameweeks.

Defenders

This draft doesn’t include any premium defenders. Aina(Aina has missed the last few friendlies due to a knock so watch out for updates you can also get Neco Williams at the same price) is in again at 5.0 million due to his favourable fixtures. If you have an extra 0.5 million in the bank, I prefer Murillo and Milenkovic, both priced at 5.5 million, but Aina remains a solid 5.0 million option. Esteve (4.0 million) also makes a return here and rotates well with Udogie/Van de Ven (4.5 million).

If rotated correctly, you will face zero matches against last season’s top six in the opening nine gameweeks, and four out of nine against newly promoted teams. It’s worth keeping an eye on Udogie, though, as he has missed most of pre-season due to injury. Van De Ven (4.5 million) could be a better alternative, while still benefiting from rotation with Esteve.

Mykolenko (5.0 million) offers a cheaper route into Everton’s defence, who according to FFH have the easiest overall fixtures between Gameweeks 1 and 7. Finally, De Cuyper (4.5 million) is favourite to start the season at left-back for Brighton following the departure of Estupiñán. De Cuyper has contributed 75 goals or assists in 220 career club appearances so far.

Midfielders

Salah and Rogers are also included in this draft. They are joined by Manchester United’s captain Bruno Fernandes, priced at 9.0 million, who has already scored three goals and provided one assist in pre-season.

Fernandes will be on penalties again and is expected to have more support in the final third thanks to United’s signings of Mbeumbo and Cunha, both priced at 8.0 million. With this season’s defensive contribution points, Fernandes could score even more than before, for reference, he would have gained 22 extra points last season if the new rules had applied.

Sarr, at 6.5 million, offers an affordable route into Crystal Palace’s attack, having scored eight goals and provided seven assists in the league last season. Finally, Sunderland’s new signing Xhaka completes the midfield. The ex-Arsenal man scored seven goals and provided eight assists in his last season at the Gunners before joining Bayer Leverkusen. He is likely to pick up a fair number of defensive contribution points and is, in my opinion, the best 5.0 million midfielder available.

Forwards

Haaland leads the attack again and is joined by 4.5 million striker Marc Guiu. Joao Pedro, priced at 7.5 million, completes the forward line in this draft. Chelsea’s new striker is currently the most selected forward in the game and has already scored three goals in pre-season. While there are concerns he might be rotated with Delap, priced at 6.5 million, Joao Pedro remains very popular among managers.

Further Read: Best £4.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2025/26 FPL Season

FPL Gameweek 1 Draft 3 – The Big Dogs

(Salah, Haaland, and Palmer)

This draft is as balanced as possible, considering it includes Haaland, Salah, and Palmer. Selecting all three will use up nearly 40% of your budget, so careful planning with the remaining players is essential.

Goalkeepers

Kelleher (4.5 million) is currently the most selected goalkeeper in the game. No keeper recorded more points per match last season than the Republic of Ireland international. Now as the number one at Brentford, he is guaranteed to start more games.

He also rotates well with Bournemouth’s Petrovic (4.5 million). If you rotate them correctly, you will play zero games against last season’s top six in the opening eight gameweeks, and during this time you will face six games against teams that finished 11th to 17th last season and the promoted sides.

Defenders

Aina(Aina has missed the last few friendlies due to a knock so watch out for updates you can also get Neco Williams at the same price), Wan-Bissaka, Konsa, and De Cuyper have all been mentioned in previous drafts. The only new addition to this backline is Leeds’ Rodon (4.0 million). He is a strong option at this price, having started all 46 Championship games for Leeds last season. As a centre-back, he has plenty of opportunities to accumulate defensive contribution points.

Midfielders

Salah leads the midfield once again, joined by Andersen and Ndiaye, both previously discussed in the article. The main change in this midfield is the inclusion of Cole Palmer (10.5 million). The Englishman has already scored three goals and provided three assists in pre-season and will be looking to carry that form into their opening game against Crystal Palace.

Chelsea have favorable fixtures early on, and they look set for a strong start to the season. Palmer has scored 37 goals and provided 23 assists across his last two Premier League seasons. With over 50% of managers selecting him, you could be at a disadvantage if you don’t include him in your squad.

His Blues teammate Enzo (6.5 million) completes the midfield as a differential option. He has one goal and three assists in pre-season and should reward managers with defensive contribution points thanks to his style of play.

At 6.5 million, Enzo’s attacking returns in pre-season make him a tempting addition to any Gameweek 1 squad. If you didn’t want the double-up of Chelsea in midfield, another popular option could be Saka (10.0m), who is dangerous, but nowhere near as popular as Palmer this season.

Forwards

Haaland and Marc Guiu once again lead the attack, with Brighton’s Welbeck (6.5 million) completing the forward line. Welbeck is expected to be Brighton’s main striker this season, following the permanent departure of João Pedro and the loan move of Evan Ferguson. He is likely to take penalties and has already scored four goals in pre-season.

Further Read: Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £6.0 Million) | 25/26 FPL Season

FPL Gameweek 1 Draft 4 – Premium Defence with Forwards Firepower

(Haaland, Salah, Mateta, Van Dijk)

This draft opts for a more robust backline, including three premium defenders, and consists of three dangerous forwards who will 9/10 start all games. Naturally, that means the midfield is slightly weaker in terms of raw value but still made up of five influential midfielders who are capable of delivering regular returns.

Goalkeepers

Kelleher keeps his place once again in this draft. Alongside him is Dubravka (4.0m), now the best 4.0m goalkeeper in the game following his recent move to Burnley. With Trafford departing for Manchester City, Dubravka is expected to take over as the Clarets’ number one, making him a strong value pick.

Defence

Konsa has already been discussed in a previous draft and remains a great value option. New to this version is Van Dijk (6.0m), the most nailed-on defender in the champions’ backline. Liverpool should rack up plenty of clean sheets this season, especially after bolstering their defence with the signings of full-backs Kerkez (6.0m) and Frimpong (6.0m).

While both of those may offer greater attacking upside than Van Dijk, they also carry rotation risk. The Community Shield on Sunday will give us a better idea of Arne Slot’s preferred back four, so that is definitely one to watch.

Next up is Saliba (6.0m), a long-term stalwart at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. While the Gunners face a tough opening run of fixtures, Saliba remains a dependable option and should come good over the season.

Completing the premium defence is Gvardiol (6.0m). With Aït-Nouri joining City from Wolves, there is a chance we see Gvardiol operate more as a centre-back this year. Either way, he is one of the few City defenders who might regularly escape ‘Pep Roulette’. City’s opening fixtures are favourable, facing Wolves, Burnley, Everton and Brentford in the first eight gameweeks.

Finally, Gudmundsson (4.0m) offers a budget-friendly defensive pick. Recently signed by Leeds from Lille, he is nailed on at left-back and made 13 appearances in the Champions League last season. Capable of playing in a more advanced left-midfield role as well, he offers more attacking threat than many of his 4.0m peers.

Midfield

The midfield may not contain multiple premiums, but it is still packed with potential. Salah leads the line again as your marquee asset and is joined by Anderson and Xhaka, both solid budget options.

Malen (5.5m) gets the nod after a strong pre-season with Aston Villa, registering two goals and three assists. With Rashford and Asensio both leaving the club, Malen looks set for significantly more minutes. Villa also have a nice run of fixtures to start the season. Do note Villa have signed Guessand recently, and Malen might have competition for a starting spot on the right side of Villa’s attack.

Kudus (6.5m) rounds out the midfield. Now up to 26% ownership, he is gaining serious traction among managers. Initially, I had reservations due to concerns over his minutes. But with Son’s departure and Maddison’s serious pre-season injury, I now expect Kudus to feature far more regularly. Spurs open their season with a favourable home fixture against Burnley, which could offer early returns.

Forwards

This draft once again includes three forwards, all capable of scoring consistently. Haaland leads the line, supported by Welbeck, who should continue to see decent minutes for Brighton.

Joining them is Mateta (7.5m) of Crystal Palace, who has been in red-hot pre-season form, notching four goals and one assist. He will also be in action during Sunday’s Community Shield match. Mateta is coming off an impressive 2024 to 2025 campaign, where he scored 14 goals and added two assists. Palace do have a tough start, but they are an attacking side. Even if they do not win many of these games, they are still capable of scoring a goal or two, and if they do score, I cannot imagine Mateta will be too far from the action.

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FPL Gameweek 1 Draft 5 – “It’s always better when we’re together” 

(Haaland + Marmoush and Salah + Wirtz)

This draft focuses heavily on the midfield and forwards, meaning the defence is slightly weaker compared to previous versions and includes two 4.0m defenders. Despite that, the team still includes our two key premiums Haaland and Salah, but this time they are supported by teammates from their respective clubs, along with a highly rated new Gunner.

The thinking here is simple: Liverpool and Manchester City are expected to be among the strongest teams again this season. So, if either side scores a couple of goals but Salah or Haaland blanks, there is a good chance Marmoush or Wirtz picks up the slack.

As Jack Johnson once sang, “It’s always better when we’re together”, and that could be true for FPL as well. Stacking premium players together with their teammates might just be a smart route this year.

Goalkeepers

Sels gets the nod as the number one keeper in this draft. He finished last season as the second-highest scoring goalkeeper and joint Golden Glove winner, keeping 13 clean sheets. In fact, he outscored popular FPL names like Eze, Solanke, Van Dijk, and Saliba.

With good opening fixtures and a price of just 5.0 million, he represents excellent value. I would urge managers to have at least one Forest defender in their drafts, whether it is Sels or someone from the back line. Dubravka is once again the backup keeper, as discussed in previous drafts.

Defence

Esteve of Burnley and Gudmundsson of Leeds have already been covered in earlier drafts, so we will not go into detail again. They are joined by Diouf (4.5m), West Ham’s new signing. He is a bit of a differential compared to his teammate Wan-Bissaka, who is currently the most selected defender in the game. Diouf operates at left wing-back and registered 10 attacking contributions last season. With a Gameweek 1 fixture against Sunderland, he is a tempting pick.

Van de Ven (4.5m) also received a brief mention earlier. If you are looking at a 4.5 million Spurs defender, it is likely between him and Udogie. At the moment, Van de Ven is the more popular of the two.

Completing the back five is Agbadou of Wolves, a starting centre-back who rotates well with Spurs defenders. He has decent CBIT numbers and could be a threat from set pieces.

Midfield

Once again, Salah leads the midfield and is supported by Xhaka and Wirtz, who were discussed in previous drafts. Joining them are Caicedo (5.5m) and Marmoush (8.5m).

Caicedo has long been a forgotten man in FPL, quietly doing the dirty work at Brighton and Chelsea without much reward. But with the new CBIT scoring system, he becomes far more appealing. If those defensive stats had counted last season, Caicedo would have totalled an impressive 140 points.

He is nailed on, having started every league game for Chelsea last year, and is the sort of player you can set and forget. His average of 12.2 CBIT per 90 minutes last season suggests he should regularly hit at least four points per game.

Marmoush has been reclassified as a midfielder this season. After joining City midway through last season, he made 14 starts, scoring seven goals and providing one assist. However, those starts largely came while Haaland was injured. There is hope that Pep finds a system where both can start, but as always with City, rotation is a concern.

Forwards

Up front, Haaland leads the line, joined once again by Marc Guiu, with Gyokeres (9.0m) making his first appearance in our drafts.

Gyokeres arrives in north London off the back of two incredible seasons in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 68 goals and registered 16 assists in just 66 league matches. He was also their designated penalty taker, but that might not be the case at Arsenal, with Saka and Odegaard already in the pecking order. In fact, 28 percent of his goals at Sporting came from the penalty spot.

Still, his numbers are impossible to ignore, and he is a player many football fans are excited to see in the Premier League. The main concern is his game time early on — will he start ahead of players like Havertz from the beginning? We will have to wait and see.

Further Read: Best Mid-Priced FPL Midfielders (£6.5 -£8.0 Million) | 25/26 Season

Summary

Across these five drafts, we have looked at a range of different strategies for building a strong FPL squad around two of the most essential assets in the game, Haaland and Salah. Each draft offers something different, whether it is prioritising premium defenders, stacking attackers from top teams, or finding value through budget-friendly picks.

You might decide to go with one of these drafts as it is, or you might take certain ideas and build the rest of the team your own way. Either way, I hope this has given you some inspiration and fresh ideas ahead of the new season.

Thanks for reading! Best of luck this season. If you have any questions or want to chat FPL, message me on Instagram @bazzabarrett20.

Good luck and happy tinkering!

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2025/26 FPL Season

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Position Wise Analysis:

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Midfielders:
Best Budget FPL Midfielders for the 2025/26 FPL Season
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Forwards:
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Fixture Analysis:
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Fan Team Articles:
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If you’re new to FPL, here is a link to all our FPL Beginners Guide including FPL Beginner’s Guide- How to play?, Bench boost, Team value, Triple captain, Effective ownership, Price Changes, Free Hit, Bonus Points, and more.

Link to all our 2025/26 Pre-Season articles including all position-wise analysis, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 1 of the 2025/26 FPL Season?

We’ll be covering team previews, FPL team structures, must-own players, player comparisons, differential picks, fixture analysis, captaincy metrics, multiple FPL drafts with pros and cons, chip strategy, rules guide, beginners guide, FPL tips, and more. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for all our blogs and subscribe to our free newsletter through the link below. We’ll also be posting regularly about the same on our social media accounts, so follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook keep our notifications ON.

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