With the Gameweek 1 deadline rapidly approaching on Friday, August 21 at 18:30 BST, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers worldwide are finalizing their squads. To assist, a panel of the world’s top FPL experts has combined forces to build the ultimate 15-man draft.
This template highlights a clear shift in tactical strategy for the upcoming season: saving cash in defense to spend heavily on premium attackers.
The Budget-Saving Goalkeeper & Defense Strategy
Rather than spending heavy capital on premium goalkeepers, the experts have opted for a classic £4.5m rotation pairing. By selecting Spurs' Antonin Kinsky and Brighton's Bart Verbruggen, managers can alternate them to ensure a home fixture almost every single week.
The budget-first trend continues in defense, with no premium defenders selected.
- Riccardo Calafiori (£5.5m): The Arsenal signing is the most expensive defender in the squad, boosted by his goal-scoring performance in the FA Community Shield.
- Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.0m) & Harry Maguire (£5.0m): These mid-priced options offer solid clean-sheet potential. Maguire enters the season with momentum after scoring in Manchester United's recent pre-season clash with AC Milan.
- Joe Rodon (£4.5m) & Bobby Thomas (£4.0m): This cheap bench pairing maximizes team value and gives managers the financial flexibility to make quick transfers in the opening weeks.
Midfield Value and Differential Enablers
The experts have locked in the game's three most-owned midfielders to protect against rank drops, but they have balanced the budget with highly capable, low-priced enablers.
Brighton’s Pascal Gross (£5.5m) is highly favored, as he appears set to take over penalty duties following Danny Welbeck’s transfer to Chelsea.
Alongside him is Brentford's new signing Mamadou Sangare (£5.5m). Sangare showcased his attacking potential by scoring against Eintracht Frankfurt in pre-season, and his underlying defensive metrics from Lens in Ligue 1 suggest he will offer a steady baseline of points.
The Three-Man Strike Force
Up front, the expert panel chose not to overcomplicate things, selecting the three most popular forwards in the game.
Erling Haaland (£15.5m) is the mandatory premium captaincy option. He is paired with Joao Pedro (£7.5m) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m), offering a potent mix of high-volume talismanic forwards at highly competitive price points.
