FPL Players to Avoid Selecting in Gameweek 1

The new Fantasy Premier League season is just a few days away, and managers are busy picking their perfect squads within the allotted budget, which isn’t an easy thing to do. Every £0.1m valuation is important in the FPL, and poor selection can cost a manager hugely.

Starting the FPL season with a good team is very important for a manager, as it gives huge confidence to the manager. Although there is no single right choice for the FPL managers, as everyone has different views on the right FPL team formation despite the presence of a must-own FPL players list, there are certain FPL players who can be avoided for the early gameweeks of a season, like Gameweek 1.

Talking about the FPL players to avoid, we aren’t talking about any of the worst FPL players. Rather, we are talking about those FPL players who have high FPL values and are popular among the managers, but are very risky to choose for Gameweek 1.

FPL Players to avoid selecting in gameweek 1

Son Heung-min

Starting with the big and obvious name, Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, who has already confirmed leaving the Premier League club. He was one of the most important FPL players, with his valuation set at £8.5m for the beginning of the new FL season (2025/26). His last nine seasons’ FPL scores were 174, 178, 159, 169, 228, 258, 152, 213, and 129 points, respectively.

Dominic Solanke

In the absence of Son, the Spurs’ FPL forward Dominic Solanke is set to earn more popularity, who has an FPL value of £7.5m. But he recently missed friendlies, as he is recovering from his ankle injury. He is expected to be available for the selection in their last pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich, and it can bring some important pictures about him. It is better to stay away from him at least for the first few gameweeks of the new FPL season.

James Maddison

Also, there is no doubt about Spurs midfielder James Maddison (£7.0m), as he is set to miss many matches of the season following a recent ACL injury.

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha

Manchester United has recorded two crucial signings this summer, Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and Matheus Cunha from Wolves. Both have FPL valuations of £8.0m each, as both were consistent in the last two FPL seasons. However, they will start with a new PL team, Man United, one of the most successful clubs in England, but they are struggling at present. As both the FPL midfielders have strong FPL values, their form and status in the team will be crucial before strongly putting these FPL players' values in a team.

Ederson and James Trafford

Manchester City have a goalkeeping competition between Brazilian Ederson and English James Trafford, who is the new no.1 jersey holder. While both have a £5.0m FPL valuation, it is better to start the new FPL season in wait-and-watch mode on the Man City goalies. There are a lot of alternatives available in the goalkeeping section.

Erling Haaland, Omar Marmoush, and Phil Foden

Also, talking about the Manchester City squad under the management of Pep Guardiola, it is not easy to select the highly valued FPL players due to the infamous rotation policy. Here, we are especially pointing out forward Erling Haaland (£14.0m), the second most valued FPL player; last-winter joinee midfielder Omar Marmoush (£8.5m), and the dependable midfielder Phil Foden (£8.0m).

Jarrod Bowen

West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen has an £8.0m valuation, and he has been very consistent for the last five seasons. However, the new season is going to be slightly different for the English footballer, as he has been reclassified from a midfielder to a forward in the FPL. It means that his goal-scoring points will be one fewer (4 points) with no availability of one clean sheet point, and these are very minor changes. Also, in this season, the forwards have two defensive contribution points (at least 12 CBIRT in a match) available, just like the midfielders. Although Bowen is still a favourite selection, his valuation and new position in the FPL will be tested.

High Value Picks and Their Problems

Alexander Isak

Newcastle forward Alexander Isak has a valuation of £10.5m for producing 172 and 211 FPL points for the last two seasons, respectively. However, there is a massive transfer rumour regarding the Swedish striker, where the defending champions Liverpool are reportedly looking to sign him. Isak is also reportedly absent from Newcastle’s recent practice, and he is completely doubtful at least for the first gameweek of the new PL season. So, it is better not to start the new FPL season with him, especially when he is among the costliest FPL players.

Florian Wirtz

Liverpool’s newly signed German attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz has a huge FPL valuation of £8.5m. Although there is no doubt about his consistency level on the field, the managers should avoid him at least early in the PL season, especially when some top PL-experienced players are available in this position.

Jeremie Frimpong

The same story also goes for The Reds’ Dutch right back Jeremie Frimpong (£6.0m), who is among the most expensive FPL defenders this season. Managers should take more time before putting a costly defender value on him.