XI Predictor

Best value picks for Gameweek 1

Cheap, high-output players for Gameweek 1. Maximum expected points per million spent.

The short version
  • • Verbruggen is the value pick at £4.5m (0.76 xPts/£m).
  • • Average price across the top 10 is £5.0m.
Top-10 avg xPts
3.7
Top-10 avg ownership
13.2%
Cheapest
Diop (£4.0m)
Most expensive
Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m)
Our top pick
Verbruggen
3.4
xPts GW1
Brighton · GKP · £4.5m · 18.0% owned
Fixture:
Aston Villa (H)

Full ranking

#PlayerPricexPts GW1
1Verbruggen
Brighton · GKP
Also in: Goalkeepers
£4.5m3.4
2Calvert-Lewin
Leeds · FWD
Also in: Top picks · Forwards
£6.0m4.5
3Martinez
Aston Villa · GKP
Also in: Differentials · Goalkeepers
£5.0m3.7
4Lammens
Man Utd · GKP
Also in: Goalkeepers
£5.0m3.7
5Roefs
Sunderland · GKP
Also in: Goalkeepers
£5.0m3.7
6Raya
Arsenal · GKP
Also in: Top picks · Free hit · Goalkeepers
£6.0m4.4
7Diop
Ipswich Town · DEF
£4.0m2.9
8Kelleher
Brentford · GKP
Also in: Goalkeepers
£5.0m3.6
9Pope
Newcastle · GKP
Also in: Goalkeepers
£5.0m3.6
10F.Kadıoğlu
Brighton · DEF
£4.5m3.2
11Leno
Fulham · GKP
£4.5m3.2
12Schade
Brentford · MID
Also in: Differentials · Midfielders
£6.0m4.2

Expected points (GW1)

PlayerxPts
Verbruggen3.4
Calvert-Lewin4.5
Martinez3.7
Lammens3.7
Roefs3.7
Raya4.4
Diop2.9
Kelleher3.6
Pope3.6
F.Kadıoğlu3.2

Price vs expected points

PlayerPrice (£m)xPts
Verbruggen4.53.4
Calvert-Lewin64.5
Martinez53.7
Lammens53.7
Roefs53.7
Raya64.4
Diop42.9
Kelleher53.6
Pope53.6
F.Kadıoğlu4.53.2
Leno4.53.2
Schade64.2

Top by position

GKP
DEF
MID
  • Schade — 4.2 xPts · Brentford
FWD

What stands out

Barto Verbruggen looks like a strong option at a low price. His projected points are high for a £4.5m keeper. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's projected points suggest he could offer good value at £6.0m. Emil Martinez and young midfielders Lammens and Roefs are also priced attractively for their potential output this gameweek.

Per-player notes
Verbruggen — 3.4 xPts, form 0.0, 3.4 ppg, 18.0% owned. xG 0.00 · xA 0.06 · ICT 95.
Calvert-Lewin — 4.5 xPts, form 0.0, 4.1 ppg, 25.1% owned. xG 15.57 · xA 1.06 · ICT 195.
Martinez — 3.7 xPts, form 0.0, 3.8 ppg, 4.9% owned. xG 0.00 · xA 0.08 · ICT 79.
Lammens — 3.7 xPts, form 0.0, 3.4 ppg, 19.7% owned. xG 0.00 · xA 0.00 · ICT 64.
Roefs — 3.7 xPts, form 0.0, 3.9 ppg, 4.9% owned. xG 0.00 · xA 0.10 · ICT 93.
Raya — 4.4 xPts, form 0.0, 4.4 ppg, 31.0% owned. xG 0.00 · xA 0.07 · ICT 58.
Diop — 2.9 xPts, form 0.0, 2.4 ppg, 18.6% owned. xG 0.80 · xA 0.05 · ICT 23.
Kelleher — 3.6 xPts, form 0.0, 3.9 ppg, 5.7% owned. xG 0.00 · xA 0.22 · ICT 94.
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