We’re just days away from the kickoff of the FPL season and GW1. As the deadline draws near, the timing is perfect for us to roll up our sleeves and start crafting our GW1 teams.
In this article, we’ll be conjuring up three GW1 wildcard squads, employing various strategies and formations as we piece together our teams. The first GW1 wildcard team will put an emphasis on a solid defensive setup. In the second squad, our focus will shift toward bolstering the midfield lineup. Lastly, the third team will see us going all-in on the forward positions.
This promises to be an enlightening read, as we’ll be unveiling a slew of GW1 teams. This exploration will provide you with an array of options and avenues to consider as an FPL manager in the upcoming season and in GW1.
Table of Contents
Some important things to keep in mind as we create our GW1 FPL teams
Here are some important things to keep in mind as you create your GW1 FPL teams:
- Player form: This is probably the most important factor to consider when creating your GW1 team. Players who are in good form are more likely to continue scoring points, so you want to make sure you have them in your team.
- Fixture difficulty: The fixture difficulty of a player’s upcoming fixtures can also have a big impact on their performance. Players with easy fixtures are more likely to score points, so you want to make sure you have them in your team when they have favorable matchups.
- Team strategy: You also need to consider your team strategy when creating your GW1 team. If you are looking to build a team that scores a lot of goals, you will need to focus on bringing in attacking players. If you are looking to build a more defensive team, you will need to focus on bringing in defenders and midfielders who are good at keeping clean sheets.
- Price: The price of a player is also an important factor to consider. You don’t want to spend too much money on a player who is not going to perform well. However, you also don’t want to miss out on a good player because you are too cheap.
- Risk: Finally, you need to consider the risk involved in creating your GW1 team. There is always a risk that a player will get injured or lose form. However, if you do your research and make informed decisions, you can minimize the risk of making a bad selection.
Here are some additional tips for creating your GW1 FPL team:
- Don’t be afraid to take risks: If you see a player who you think has the potential to be a big player this season, don’t be afraid to bring them into your team. The early stages of the season are a good time to take risks, as you have more time to make changes if things don’t go your way.
- Be patient: It takes time to build a successful FPL team. Don’t expect to win the league overnight. Just keep making good decisions and eventually you will start to see results.
- Have fun: FPL is a game, so make sure you are having fun. If you are not enjoying yourself, you are less likely to be successful.
The best teams to target as you create your GW1 FPL team
When selecting players for your FPL team, it is always good practice to pick players who have great fixtures not just for GW1, but players who have good fixtures across five gameweeks. To help you identify teams with good fixtures from GW1-6, Here is a really nice fixture ticker done by fpltips__:
Here are some of the teams with good fixtures(FDR) in FPL from GW1-GW6:
- Arsenal
- Man City
- Chelsea
- Brentford
- Brighton
It’d be a really good idea to target FPL assets from the teams listed above, as these teams have great fixtures and their players would be great long-term FPL picks.
The best gameweek 1 wildcard FPL teams and drafts
1. GW1 wildcard team: Going big at the back
This is our first GW1 draft and in this draft, we’ve decided to go big at the back – focusing on mid-priced and premium FPL defenders. It is a really solid draft as the players we’ve selected are all nailed on starters and have the potential to deliver FPL points.
In defense, we’ve gone for some of the best picks in Ederson(Man City cover), Estupinan, Gabriel, Chilwell, Arnold and James. These are all FPL defenders that have the potential to get clean sheet points and some form of attacking return.
We’re confident that these defenders can deliver attacking points because the majority of the defenders selected are attacking full-backs that play for teams that are attack-minded.
Let’s now look at some of the pros and cons of this 4-4-2 FPL draft for GW1.
Pros of our 4-4-2 going big at the back GW1 draft
- 5 upside defenders: This means that we have multiple ways of picking points in this team as the defenders can keep clean sheets, score, or assist.
- Long-term planning: This GW1 draft is ideal for managers who have the long term in mind since we have FPL assets from Arsenal, Man City, Brentford, Chelsea and Brighton.
- This team as quite a solid bench that can bail us out if any of our starting players pick up an injury and are rotated or rested.
- We’ve also got a pretty solid attack and midfield since we’ve selected Haaland, Rashford, Saka and Watkins.
Cons of our 4-4-2 going big at the back GW1 draft
- Weakened midfield could be a problem. Using the likes of Mbeumo and Eze might prevent you from gaining maximum points from your midfielders as they might not be as consistent as other premium picks.
- Going all in on defenders might be overkill as the chances of defenders keeping clean sheets or scoring and assisting is pretty low.
Find out what teams have the best clean sheet odds in GW1, by reading our article: FPL GW1: Clean Sheet Odds, Anytime Scorer Predictions, and FPL Points Projections
2. GW1 wildcard team: Investing in midfielders
The next GW1 draft that we’ve got is one where our focus is on targeting midfielders – it is a 3-5-2 draft one of our favorite drafts and strategy this season.
One of the reasons why we like this draft is because it focuses less on defenders and more on midfielders. As we all know in FPL, midfielders tend to pick up a lot of FPL points if they perform well in gameweek. So going all in on midfielders means we can maximize and take advantage of this opportunity.
Just like we did with the 4-4-2 draft, let’s now look at the pros and cons of this 3-5-2 draft.
Pros of our 3-5-2 midfield-focused GW1 draft
- Strong starting XI: In this draft, we have a strong 11 from the defense all the way to the attack.
- 4x 8.0-9.0 midfielders: We have strong midfielders who are playing for top teams and are capable of returning FPL points on a regular basis.
- Flexible and covers lots of price points: We this team, we have a lot of players in reasonable price points. This would allow for quick and easy changes if our selected choices don’t perform.
Cons of our 3-5-2 midfield-focused GW1 draft
- Not enough squad depth. The players on the bench aren’t as good so we’re relying heavily on our first eleven.
Similar Read: FPL GW1 tips: the best FPL players to own in gameweek 1
3. GW1 wildcard team: going in on forwards
Yet another one of our favorite drafts. 3 at the back and 3 forwards – a pretty balanced team that has the potential to pop off during the course of the season. There’s a lot to love about this GW1 draft. The one thing that stands out here, is the midfield and the forward.
We’ve got a midfield that comprises top midfield assets who play for top PL sides. A midfield four of Saka, Martinelli, Bruno and Rashford is pretty solid. The only downside is, that there’s no variety as there are two midfield players from Arsenal and two from Man United.
Up top we’ve got three forwards in Watkins, Haaland and Joao Pedro – a forward line that has great potential. The only issue is Joao Pedro and the amount of game time he’d get this season. If he fails to get enough game time, then he isn’t a great pick. That being said, the potential is there for a 3-4-3 draft to be the template for this season.
The defense is quite solid as well – we’ve got defenders that play for Brighton, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City. The only downside is the fact that the defenders are center-backs. Having center backs in defense means that we’re relying heavily on them keeping clean sheets. To fix this, we can swap Gabriel for a Zinchenko and Dias for Stones.
Find out the best gameweek one captains in our article: FPL GW1 captain picks: Salah, Haaland, Kane, and Saka the best gameweek 1 captain
Explore a roster of FPL differentials for Gameweek 1, players who possess high potential while maintaining low ownership. Unlock hidden gems for your team: FPL GW1 Differentials: Players with Low Ownership but High Potential
More articles about FPL forwards: Nico Jackson in FPL GW1: A Wise Acquisition or Worth the Wait?, Is Harry Kane a must-have for your FPL team?
Other than that it is a really solid GW1 draft. Feel free to check out some other forward options in our: The Best Mid-Priced FPL Forwards (7.0 – 8.0million) For GW1 – 23/24.
For other midfield options then our article, The Best Mid-Priced(6.5-7.5million) FPL Midfielders 23/24 and The Best FPL Premium Midfielders 8.0-12.5Million For GW1 – 23/24 would provide you with the necessary information to make a good decision.
Finally, for defender picks, check out: The Best 5.0-5.5 million mid-priced FPL Defender Picks 23/24 season and The Best FPL 4.0-4.5 million Budget Defender Picks 23/24 – Botman, Mings, or Bell.
Looking for FPL drafts that have three premiums like Salah, Kane and Haaland then check out: GW1 FPL Team Selections: Top Experts Reveal Their Picks.
You can also stay up-to-date with the latest predicted lineups and injury news for Premier League Gameweek 1. Access the comprehensive coverage right here: Gameweek 1 Premier League: Predicted Lineups and Injury News.
Redeyedrae, is an FPL content writer with years of experience in playing and writing about FPL. He has written for major FPL blogs like ALLABOUTFPL, Fantasytipsters, FF Titans, and nevermanagealone. With his deep knowledge of the game, he has become a trusted source for FPL fans worldwide. His content is well-researched and always up-to-date. He’s passionate about helping FPL managers gain an edge in their leagues by sharing insights and analysis about everything fantasy football on raensports.
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