AK FPL’s Final GW1 Draft & Team Reveal | 3x Top 5K Finishes

The Captaincy Master @AK_FPL1 returns with his FPL GW1 Final Draft & Team Reveal. With three Top-5k finishes to his name, AK breaks down his final draft.

There have been some big developments in the pre-season, especially this past weekend, which has shifted the thinking of the FPL community. Certainly, enough data has been collected since the first draft we created last month to finally enable us to create the final drafts, or has it?

This is already a special season, as there are so many different strategies at play already. There is no true template even with less than 48 hours until the deadline. I have not been updating my team much as I wanted to collect all the information first and then tinker with my team. Without further ado, here it goes.

Link to all our 2026/27 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, best drafts, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, differentials, players to target, budget enablers and more. Completely free to access as well!

AK’s FPL Final GW1 Draft & Team Reveal for 26/27 Season

I am pretty much set to play my Bench Boost Chip in Gameweek 1. The idea is to play it now, get the points on the board, ride the first few weeks with this team, and Wildcard by GW6 and not worry about playing the Bench Boost while making the squad again on the Wildcard. I have not planned to play the Free Hit and Triple Captains chips yet, and will wait for the right time to deploy these according to how the team performs.

GOALKEEPERS

As for the picks. I have been very much set on the pairing of Verbruggen (4.5) and Kinsky (4.5) since the launch and have not moved at all. Even though Brighton (26%) and Tottenham (21%) have quite low market odds for a clean sheet, I personally feel these may be a bit undervalued considering the strength of the opposition and the strength of the defences of both teams going into this season.

Fantasy Football Hub(FFHUB) Free AI Team Rating Tool

DEFENDERS

Calafiori (5.5) has made his way into my draft, especially after it was revealed today that Konsa (4.5) might be joining Arsenal as the deal between the clubs is being agreed, since it puts Mosquera’s (5.5) spot at risk in the medium-to-long term. Calafiori might not be nailed for minutes himself, having been subbed off at the 59th minute in the Community Shield win against Manchester City. But it’s easier to pick him as he looks to be the starting defender at least and has the better goal threat.

Maguire (5.0) is a pretty strong defender to start the season as well. The Englishman has hit Defcon 7 times out of 14 games under Carrick, while he also will be the primary target at set pieces again after the departure of Casemiro. With the opening fixtures of Hull (A) and Ipswich (H), Maguire is too good to pass on with his goal threat and ability to hit Defcon.

For the other 3 spots, I have gone for Rodon (4.5), Kadioglu (4.5) and Diop (4.0). Rodon and Diop are generally good for Defcon, while decisions had to be made between Kadioglu and De Cuyper (4.5). De Cuyper is widely believed to start the season out of position on the left wing, with Kadioglu supporting him at Left back. Although, it’s a great opportunity to get in a defender that is playing on LW, its important to note that Mitoma could be back soon and Brighton may dip into the market for a Left winger. For this reason, I have selected Kadioglu as he is quite attacking himself and should be the longer term pick out of the two.

MIDFIELDERS

The double up on Manchester United’s attack is too good of an opportunity to turn down with those opening games. Bruno Fernandes (12.5) and Bryan Mbeumo (8.0) are locked in my team. Even though Mbeumo did not start their last friendly, I believe it was just rotation to give more minutes to the ones returning late including Cunha (8.0). Cunha also did not look very sharp and it is believed that Mbeumo should start as the furthest forward attacker in their opener against Hull.

Szoboszlai (7.0) has been in my team since the launch day, but I am less confident on him now. He has just about survived in my team primarily due to the fixtures. Possible penalties when Isak is not on the pitch is an added bonus.

Arsenal’s new boy Christos Tzolis (6.5) has found his way into my team after a brilliant performance in the Community Shield. Further, Pascal Gross (5.5) has been shown the door after it was announced that Brighton have signed a new striker in Promise David (6.0), and he may be on penalties now, as he has a good record of scoring these. The fifth midfielder spot is occupied by Diego Gomez (5.0), who should be starting on the right side of the wing for Brighton.

FORWARDS

Haaland in GW1-4 since joining Man City.

The easiest and perhaps, the most boring picks at the start of the season. Although many in the community are going without a certain Erling Haaland (15.5), he is in my team. There is definitely merits of not going with Haaland, but I believe he should get around 70 minutes in the opener, which for Haaland is more than enough to haul. Joao Pedro (7.5) has not left my draft at all, especially after a very strong showing in the pre-season with 7 goals. Lastly, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (6.0) rounds up my team selection after a strong showing in the pre-season and a favourable fixture list in the first 5 Gameweeks.

Captaincy is undecided for now, in case Haaland’s xMins are not looking great, I will not hesitate to switch to Bruno Fernandes.

Before you leave, do vote in our FPL Gameweek 1 captaincy poll below:

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2026/27 FPL Season

FPL Basics:
2026/27 FPL Season – New Rules & Changes | What’s New in FPL?
Best & Funny FPL Team Names for 2026/27 PL Season

GW1 Articles:
FPL GW1 Scout Selection based on Stats, Fixtures and Matchups
Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW1 Deadline
2026/27 PL Season: Predicted GW1 Lineups of All 20 PL Teams
FPL Gameweek 1 Bench Boost Drafts- BB1 vs BB2 vs BB Later Analysis
2026/27 Pre-Season Summary of All 20 Premier League Teams
2026/27 Premier League Penalty and Set Piece Takers for all 20 Teams
Top FPL Gameweek 1 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics | 26/27 Season

Must Read Articles:
FPL Team Structure Guide with Drafts, AI Team Rating, Formations, Pros, Cons and Key Notes
2026/27 Premier League Penalty and Set Piece Takers for all 20 Teams
Best FPL GW1 Drafts for the 26/27 FPL Season with Pros & Cons
FPL Chip Strategy Guide- Best Windows to Play Free Hit, Wildcard, Triple Captain and Bench Boost
Ultimate DEFCON Analysis: Top Players & Best Opponents to Target
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for 2026/27 FPL Season
Eight Simple FPL Tips to Secure a High Rank | 26/27 Season
2026/27 Pre-Season Summary of All 20 Premier League Teams
FPL Fixture Analysis for 2026/27 Season- Teams with Best and Worst fixtures
Five Must Own Players in GW1 for FPL 2026/27 season
AK FPL’s Final GW1 Draft & Team Reveal | 3x Top 5K Finishes
How Chelsea could line-up under Xabi Alonso for 2026/27 season
FPL Players To Avoid in Your GW1 Drafts | 2026/27 FPL Season

Position Analysis:

GKs and Defenders Series:
Best FPL Goalkeepers to Target based on Stats and Fixtures
Best FPL Defenders at Each Price Point for the 2026/27 Season
Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders for 2026/27 FPL Season
Best Premium Defenders for 2026/27 season based on Stats and Fixtures
Best £5.0-5.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for 2026/27 FPL Season
Best £4.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season
Best Value for Money Defenders and GKs for 2026/27 FPL season

Midfielders Series:
Best FPL Premium Midfielders(8.0-12.0) for 2026/27 FPL season
Best FPL Midfielders at Each Price Point for the 2026/27 Season
Best Mid-Price FPL Midfielders for the 26/27 Season | £6.5 to 7.5M
Best Budget FPL Midfielders for 26/27 Season | £4.5m to £6.0m
Best Value for Money Midfielders for 2026/27 season

Forwards Series:
Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £6.0 Million) | 26/27 FPL Season
Best £6m Forwards Comparison for the 2026/27 FPL Season
Best FPL Premium and Mid-Priced Forwards (6.5 million and above) for 2026/27 season
Top Forwards at every price point for the 2026/27 FPL Season

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 2026/27 Pre-Season articles including all position-wise analysis, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!

Thanks for reading the “AK FPL’s GW1 draft for 2026/27 FPL Season” blog. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for regular blogs. Also, follow our 230,000+ community on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay updated on regular Posts and FPL updates.

What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 1 of the 2026/27 FPL Season?

We’ll be covering 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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