Who to pick, who to avoid - your team's FPL assets analysed
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- Fantasy Premier League's 2026-27 season begins Friday 21 August, with experts Pras, FPL Heisenberg, Gianni Buttice, and Holly Shand providing picks for all 20 Premier League teams in three categories: talisman, differential, and player to avoid.
- Gabriel (£8m, Arsenal defender) is highlighted as the standout pick after finishing as last season's top-scoring defender with 209 points, described by Pras as "easily the standout pick for the champions."
- Ollie Watkins (£8m, Aston Villa forward) sees a £1m price drop and is recommended following Morgan Rogers' departure to Chelsea, with Holly Shand noting his consistency of 16 goals per season across the past four years.
- Igor Thiago (£8m, Brentford forward) is the clear Brentford talisman after netting 22 league goals and 181 FPL points last season, though FPL Heisenberg flags whether he can justify the significant price rise.
- Joao Pedro (£7.5m, Chelsea forward) sits in over half of FPL teams going into Gameweek 1 after 15 goals and nine assists last season, boosted by pre-season form including a hat-trick.
- Pascal Gross (£5.5m, Brighton midfielder) is flagged as the safest Brighton option, involved in all set-pieces including penalties, and valued as a budget enabler to free up cash elsewhere.
- Haji Wright (£5.5m, Coventry forward) scored 17 Championship goals last season and is specifically targeted by managers running a bench boost in Gameweek 2 against Hull City, though he is often substituted around the 70-80 minute mark.
Why it matters: Pricing decisions directly shape FPL squad construction, and premium picks like Gabriel at £8m force trade-offs elsewhere, while budget enablers like Pascal Gross at £5.5m free up cash for high-upside attackers — making the August 21 deadline the single point where these expert recommendations translate into competitive advantage across millions of mini-leagues.
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