XI Predictor

Best free hit team for Gameweek 1

An optimised free hit XI for Gameweek 1 maximising expected points within a £100m budget.

The short version
  • • 3-4-3 formation projects 54.7 xPts before captaincy.
  • • Captain pick is Haaland.
  • • Squad cost: £93.5m.
Total xPts
54.7
Cost
£93.5m
Formation
3-4-3
Captain
Haaland
Always up to date
Live best free hit team — always up to date
Open
Total xPts
54.7
Cost
£93.5m
Formation
3-4-3
Captain
Haaland

The XI

#PlayerPricexPts GW1
1Raya
Arsenal · GKP
Also in: Top picks · Value · Goalkeepers
£6.0m4.4
2Gabriel
Arsenal · DEF
Also in: Captains · Top picks · Defenders
£8.0m5.7
3Guéhi
Man City · DEF
Also in: Defenders
£6.0m4.1
4Virgil
Liverpool · DEF
Also in: Defenders
£6.5m3.7
5B.Fernandes
Man Utd · MID
Also in: Captains · Top picks · Midfielders
£12.0m6.4
6Gibbs-White
Nott'm Forest · MID
Also in: Captains · Top picks · Midfielders
£8.0m4.8
7Rice
Arsenal · MID
Also in: Captains · Top picks · Midfielders
£7.5m4.5
8Semenyo
Man City · MID
Also in: Top picks · Midfielders
£8.5m4.5
9Haaland
Man City · FWD
Also in: Captains · Top picks · Forwards
£15.5m6.7
10João Pedro
Chelsea · FWD
Also in: Captains · Top picks · Forwards
£7.5m5.1
11Thiago
Brentford · FWD
Also in: Captains · Top picks · Forwards
£8.0m4.8

Expected points (GW1)

PlayerxPts
Raya4.4
Gabriel5.7
Guéhi4.1
Virgil3.7
B.Fernandes6.4
Gibbs-White4.8
Rice4.5
Semenyo4.5
Haaland6.7
João Pedro5.1
Thiago4.8

Why this XI

  • GKP: Raya — combined 4.4 xPts on an average fixture difficulty of 2.0.
  • DEF: Gabriel, Guéhi, Virgil — combined 13.5 xPts on an average fixture difficulty of 2.7.
  • MID: B.Fernandes, Gibbs-White, Rice, Semenyo — combined 20.2 xPts on an average fixture difficulty of 2.3.
  • FWD: Haaland, João Pedro, Thiago — combined 16.6 xPts on an average fixture difficulty of 3.0.

Captain & strategy

This team looks solid for the gameweek. A strong defense with Raya and three reliable centre-backs offers clean sheet potential. The midfield is creative with Bruno Fernandes and Gibbs-White, supported by the ball-winning of Rice. Upfront, Haaland is a proven goal scorer, and João Pedro provides an exciting attacking option. Semenyo adds a wildcard threat.

Tweak this XI in the live best free hit team tool

Glossary
xPts
Expected points: our model's forecast for the player's next gameweek score.
FDR
Fixture difficulty rating, 1 (easiest) to 5 (hardest).
xG / xA / xGI
Expected goals, expected assists, and the sum (expected goal involvements).
ICT
The Influence-Creativity-Threat composite published with official data.
Ownership
Percent of managers who currently own the player.
Form
Recent points-per-match average over the last several matches.
xPts/£m
Expected points produced per £1m of price — our value score.
Snapshot taken 13 Aug 2026
Picks are deterministic from a snapshot of player news, prices, fixtures, and form at publish time. The model blends Expected Points (xPts) with fixture difficulty, expected minutes, and bonus likelihood. Read the full methodology.

More for Gameweek 1