fpl Briefing · launch preview · rebuilt Nightly

The 2027/28 launch briefing

One page, four answers, every gameweek: the XI the model would field, who gets the armband, which low-owned picks are worth the risk, and what moved overnight. Everything comes from the same backtested projections — no pundit hedging, and the misses are published alongside the hits. Bookmark this URL: it always shows the upcoming gameweek.

Pos	Player	Club	Price	Owned	xPts
GKP	Raya	ARS	£6.0m	31.0%	3.80
DEF	Gabriel	ARS	£8.0m	26.9%	5.06
DEF	Virgil	LIV	£6.5m	16.8%	3.82
DEF	Thiaw	NEW	£5.0m	2.0%	3.62
MID	B.Fernandes	MUN	£12.0m	48.1%	5.04
MID	Palmer	CHE	£9.5m	11.2%	4.60
MID	Mbeumo	MUN	£8.0m	25.3%	4.21
MID	Wirtz	LIV	£7.5m	14.4%	3.92
FWD	Haaland	MCI	£15.5m	73.5%	5.26
FWD	Isak	LIV	£9.0m	13.5%	4.05
FWD	Thiago	BRE	£8.0m	16.1%	3.90

Picked purely on projected points in a legal formation, max three per club. Full method and the value XI live on best team; build your own against it in the team builder.

#	Player	Club	Pos	Price	Owned	xPts	Big haul
1	Haalandnew mgr	MCI	FWD	£15.5m	73.5%	5.26	16%
2	Gabriel	ARS	DEF	£8.0m	26.9%	5.06	12%
3	B.Fernandesnew mgr	MUN	MID	£12.0m	48.1%	5.04	16%
4	Palmernew mgr	CHE	MID	£9.5m	11.2%	4.60	14%
5	Mbeumonew mgr	MUN	MID	£8.0m	25.3%	4.21	12%

The week-by-week proof of this ranking — 187 v 176 against the most-owned captain over 31 gameweeks — is on captain picks.

#	Player	Club	Pos	Price	Owned	xPts	Big haul
1	O.Dango	BRE	MID	£6.5m	1.4%	3.63	9%
2	Thiawnew mgr	NEW	DEF	£5.0m	2.0%	3.62	7%
3	Tarkowski	EVE	DEF	£6.0m	9.7%	3.60	6%
4	Collins	BRE	DEF	£5.5m	2.1%	3.58	5%
5	Enzonew mgr	CHE	MID	£7.0m	5.5%	3.56	10%

Differentials blank more often than template picks — take the risk on projection, not vibes. Backtested hit-rates on differentials.

Full 20-club matrix, model-vs-official disagreements included, on fixture difficulty.

Updated 13 August 2026, 15:15 UK · Source: Official FPL API