FPL Players To Avoid in Your GW1 Drafts | 2026/27 FPL Season

Every season brings with it uncertainties. Player transfers, international tournaments, manager changes, falling outs, tactical changes, and so many variables are constantly changing, sometimes making stars of last year into mere bench warmers at the blink of an eye. This also brings chaos into everyone’s FPL GW1 drafts. At times, though, you can see these traps, and if you can decode which FPL players to avoid in GW1, you can have yourself a start not many would be able to match!

In this article, we will focus on some of these obvious traps so that you can avoid the temptation to bring them in your GW1 drafts.

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!

Why is GW1 so chaotic this season?

The simple answer is the World Cup. GW1 is set to kick off just weeks after the sport’s most premier tournament gets over, meaning that some of those expensive picks and star players you have got in your lineup are most likely coming off a grueling summer in North America, tired. This could mean rotation and easing players back in rather than just throwing the best XI on game day.

Minutes become the entire game now. Players who went deep in the tournament or accumulated heavy numbers are the ones at risk here. These include players like Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Enzo Fernandez, and Pedro Porro who went till the final stages of the tournament and racked up a decent amount of gametime. A gamble with one of these could lead to an early -4, this compounds over time, and hence avoid those early hits are important.

So who are these FPL Players you should avoid in GW1?

The Saka & Rice Question

With 3 starts in the 7 games that England played at the World Cup, Bukayo Saka (£9.5m) accumulated just about 360 minutes or 4 full-length games. While he was in pretty decent form at the World Cup, scoring 3 goals, all of which came against France in the 3rd place matchup, and assisting a further 3, he is still managing the Achilles injury he sustained in March.

This puts a lot of doubts on his start in GW1 as Arsenal have a dream FPL Fixture opening against the newly promoted Coventry City at home. At 9.5 million, this would require putting a lot of trust in Saka and a clear understanding of Mikel Arteta’s plans.

Similarly, Declan Rice (£7.5m), who is up by a million in his price, is coming off an even more taxing World Cup Campaign. His 558 minutes in this cup means he also makes the list of FPL Players to Avoid before GW1. He is also struggling with a hamstring issue for a while, which means he might miss the opening gameweek. Also, with the better and more guaranteed options available for cheaper, Rice looks like a sure avoid.

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The Alternative?

Bukayo Saka is arguably one of the most talented players in the Premier League and given Arsenal’s good start to the season, he is also a tempting option. However, keeping the risk in mind, Cole Palmer provides a better alternative to him. At the same price point, he arrives fully rested, having not been picked by Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup over the summer.

Cole Palmer also doesn’t have the midweek European fixtures this season and, like Arsenal, has a good start to the season playing Fulham(A), Brighton (H), Arsenal (A), Hull City (H) and Brentford (A) in the first five gameweeks.

As for Declan Rice, there are multiple alternatives that exist in the same price range. Dominik Szoboszlai, Phil Foden, Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson are just some of the good options in the £6.5 to £7.0 range. If you want to go a little cheaper, Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m), Enzo Le Fée (£6.0m) and Pascal Groß (£5.5m) offer good value too.

The Rotation Risks

With summer enforcements coming in for a number of teams and tactical decisions ahead, there are some teams, even the best ones, whose starting XI is not very predictable, and that brings with it a few very obvious FPL traps and players you should look to avoid in GW1.

Take a look at the league holders, for example. The striker question is yet to be answered, which makes both Viktor Gyökeres and Kai Havertz an avoid for GW1. While both start at the same price of £7.5m, who will lead Mikel Arteta’s remains unclear. Both have played about 355-360 minutes in the WC, with both getting 3 G/A in the tournament. Havertz had only 7 starts last season, resulting in just 36 points, and while Gyokeres did score 14 goals and got 1 assist in 26 starts, he was not very consistent. Who takes this berth will be a question that is most likely to be answered only in GW1.

If we go across to Arsenal’s rivals, Tottenham, we see the same pattern. The centre-back position is currently being contested by Cristian Romero (£5.0m) and the new signings Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.0m) and Marcos Senesi (£6.0m). While Romero and Van Hecke might be in the lead here, we will need the pre-season for a complete picture, especially if the Romero to Arsenal news gets more legs.

This same issue exists with the Left-Back Position at Spurs. With Pedro Porro (£5.5m) most likely to start for Tottenham at right-back, this leaves Djed Spence (£4.5m) and Destiny Udogie (£4.5m) fighting for the left-back spot, and with Andy Robertson (£4.5m) joining too, this leaves a lot of uncertainty around that spot. If you do want a Spurs defender, watch the pre-season, and if Pedro Porro gets enough game time and looks fit, he should be the most cemented and best asset from their defense.

The Overpriced Stars

Ollie Watkins (£8.0m) and Gabriel (£8.0m) are two examples of the type of players who were brilliant in the previous seasons and proven to be brilliant picks, but this season they look not just overpriced, but also non-essential due to better value being offered elsewhere.

Watkins is yet to report for training following a prolonged break after the World Cup. While he has played just 51 minutes in the tournament, his absence could be a much-needed long break after a run of grueling seasons for Aston Villa. For £8.0m, the uncertainty makes him a guaranteed FPL player to avoid in GW1. Joao Pedro (£7.5m), Igor Jesus (£6.0m), DCL(£6.0m) offer better value for price and also more guaranteed minutes.

While Gabriel is fit and looks set to the start, an £8.0m price tag is still hard to justify. With Cristhian Mosquera(£5.5m) set to start the season owing to injuries to both Timber and Saliba, he offers a cheaper route into Arsenal’s defense.

Another player to avoid in your FPL drafts ahead of GW1 is Former Magpie and the newest Gooner, Bruno Guimarães (£7.0m). In a blockbuster switch to Arsenal, Bruno has made his intentions of winning trophies very clear. However, Bruno’s role and whether he continues taking set-pieces at Arsenal are still under a cloud of uncertainty. I would suggest Bruno for now and look at some of the other midfield picks in FPL.

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AFC Bournemouth Picks

Last season’s 6th place finisher, Bournemouth were a brilliant team to target. Players like Semenyo, Hill, and Senesi formed the backbones of countless FPL teams. However, this season will be a little different for them. Not only have key players like Semenyo and Senesi left the club, but Andoni Iraola too has moved on to Liverpool.

Under a new manager with a new squad, Bournemouth face a tough start to the season. In the first 5 fixtures, they play: Manchester City (A), Everton (H), Newcastle (A), Brentford (H) and Liverpool (H). This makes even the exciting players like Adrien Truffert (£5.5m), who has 7 G/A last season playing left-back, and James Hill (£5.5m), who averaged more than 11 defcons per 90, an FPL avoid for GW1.

Another FPL Player to avoid in GW1 from Bournemouth would be youngster and last season’s record breaker, Junior Kroupi (£7.5m), who is currently injured, with him targeting a return to first team football only by October/November.

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!

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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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