The early FPL template is strong. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Chelsea’s Joao Pedro currently sit in more than half of teams.
So if you’re wanting to gain an early edge on your rivals, who are the best differentials for the opening four gameweeks of the season?
Three reasons to join Fantasy Football Hub:
- Get your team rated instantly by AI for free, simply by uploading a screenshot and then explore your AI recommended transfers.
- Win your league or your money back. Fantasy Football Hub are so confident that you’ll win your league following their AI advice, that if you don’t you’ll get a full refund. There’s also 50% off right now.
- A New App, Built to Win. The Fantasy Football Hub App has been rebuilt from scratch, ready for the 2026/27 season.
10. Harry Maguire (Man Utd)
- Price: £5.0m
- Teams selected by: 8.4%
- Predicted points: 18.5
Harry Maguire made 15 appearances for Manchester United in the second half of last season, keeping five clean sheets and collecting defensive contribution points on seven occasions. He is a firm favourite under Michael Carrick, with an enviable pair of opening fixtures against promoted teams Hull City and Ipswich Town. The defender has 10 goal involvements across his last three seasons, providing a significant aerial threat from set-pieces.
9. Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace)
- Price: £5.5m
- Teams selected by: 11.6%
- Predicted points: 18.6
Crystal Palace are entering a new era under Pierre Sage. But Daniel Munoz is still expected to be a key attacking player in his traditional wing-back role, where he produced four goals and four assists last campaign. His attacking output continued for Colombia at the World Cup this summer, scoring goals in consecutive starts in the group stages. Defensive contribution points in seven appearances is a good return for a full-back.
8. Daniel Ballard (Sunderland)
- Price: £5.0m
- Teams selected by: 3.8%
- Predicted points: 18.6
Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard was one of the surprise packages last season. The Black Cats were unusually solid at the back for a promoted side, with Ballard contributing to 11 clean sheets. He was also one of the biggest beneficiaries of the introduction of defensive contribution points, with his 28 points among the top 10 for defenders. Ballard provided the complete package of routes to points, with four goal involvements also in the mix.
7. Jeremy Doku (Man City)
- Price: £7.5m
- Teams selected by: 6.4%
- Predicted points: 18.7
Jeremy Doku is one of two Man City midfielders to make this top 10 and is a huge differential in the game, in just 6.4% of sides. Predicting his minutes under Enzo Maresca is a challenge, but he’s likely to be first choice on the left-wing, where he produced 13 goal involvements in 30 appearances last season. Given Erling Haaland’s extraordinarily high ownership, doubling up on the Man City attack will be key to benefit from their goals.
6. Alexander Isak (Liverpool)
- Price: £9.0m
- Teams selected by: 11.4%
- Predicted points: 19.0
Alexander Isak had an underwhelming first season for Liverpool having signed from Newcastle, producing just three goals and one assist. However, we know from his two full seasons on Tyneside that he is capable of scoring 20 goals in a season. And with Hugo Ekitike set to miss a significant amount of the campaign with an achilles injury, Isak has the minutes to prosper, if he can stay fit. He faces his old employers in Gameweek 1.
5. Phil Foden (Man City)
- Price: £7.0m
- Teams selected by: 7.5%
- Predicted points: 19.0
Enzo Maresca described Phil Foden as one of his “pillars” in a pre-season press conference, along with Haaland and Josko Gvardiol, which has got fantasy managers extremely excited about his potential this season. Foden could make a mockery of his price tag if he makes the No.10 spot his own, with hopes he can replicate the 2023/24 campaign, where he produced 19 goals and eight assists. He may get a share of set-pieces.
4. Matheus Cunha (Man Utd)
- Price: £8.0m
- Teams selected by: 13.8%
- Predicted points: 19.2
Bruno Fernandes is owned by around half of fantasy managers ahead of the 2026/27 season and given the strength of their opening three fixtures, plenty are considering doubling up on their attack. Matheus Cunha comes in at £8.0 million, having netted 20 goals and four assists in his debut season with the club. His minutes are slightly riskier than Bryan Mbeumo’s, who comes in at the same price point and is 18.3% owned.
3. Maxence Lacroix (Chelsea)
- Price: £6.0m
- Teams selected by: 11.8%
- Predicted points: 20.0
Chelsea’s big money signing Maxence Lacroix jumps to the very top of the defender predictions, ranking third behind Arsenal’s Gabriel and Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk over the opening four gameweeks of the season. He was a magnet for bonus points last season, sitting third among defenders, with points in 21 of his 35 starts. He’ll need to maintain that to justify his price tag in this Chelsea side under Xabi Alonso, with no Europe this season.
2. Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)
- Price: £6.5m
- Teams selected by: 9.2%
- Predicted points: 20.5
Only Bruno Fernandes and Cole Palmer have a higher predicted points for the opening four gameweeks of the season than Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr. He comes in at a kind price point after producing 11 attacking returns in 24 appearances last season. His campaign was interrupted by injury and Africa Cup of Nations participation, so there’s definitely room for improvement from the Senegal star, who scored four goals at the World Cup this summer.
1. Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Price: £9.5m
- Teams selected by: 12.1%
- Predicted points: 21.2
There’s been little interest in the second-most expensive midfielder in the game, Cole Palmer, following an injury hampered 2025/26 campaign, where he produced 12 goal involvements in 26 appearances. He had the summer off and so should benefit from a full pre-season, but there have been reports of injury, which does raise some question marks. Right now, I’d be opting for teammates Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers, both £7.5 million.
Fantasy Football Hub is purpose-built to turn FPL managers into FPL winners. From their industry-leading AI to the experts who reveal their teams every gameweek, it’s no surprise tens of thousands of managers gain the edge with the Hub every season. Get your team rated today!