Bakar's Gameweek 1 Bench Boost Team

A lot of top managers are Bench Boosting in Gameweek 1. Here are the reasons I’m considering it and my current Bench Boost team.

In previous seasons, the Bench Boost has been most powerful when it’s combined with a recently played Wildcard. Picking your Gameweek 1 team is essentially like having a Wildcard, so it’s an excellent opportunity to pick a squad optimised for a Bench Boost.

It’s also less likely that we’ll be caught out by unforecasted injuries or fatigue-based rests. Teams will be fresh, keen to get off to a great start and still figuring each other out.

On the other hand, we won’t have a clear understanding of the nailed-on players, form or fixture difficulty until we’re further into the season.

I could go either way. Here’s the squad I’m looking at if I do decide to Bench Boost:

Why Thiago?

If Yoane Wissa ends up leaving Brentford, Thiago could emerge as a genuinely compelling FPL option.

Brentford have historically centred their attack around a traditional number nine, and that role has consistently produced strong FPL returns.

Whether it was Ivan Toney or Wissa leading the line, the central striker has always thrived within their system.

Should Thiago step into that position, and potentially take on penalty duties as well, he could become one of those rare low-cost forwards you can simply set and forget. Given his price, it would be difficult to find a more attractive option in that bracket.

Salah and Palmer

Mohamed Salah remains a central figure in any serious FPL draft. His combination of reliability, high ownership, and consistent captaincy appeal makes him a difficult omission.

Choosing to go without him could backfire, particularly early on when ownership and effective ownership are sky-high.

Cole Palmer is priced attractively given his role as Chelsea’s first-choice penalty taker. He’s entering the season with a brilliant fixture run and has carried strong form from the Club World Cup into pre-season.

Given his price and attacking responsibility, he could match the output of more expensive assets like Haaland in the early weeks.

The best budget player in the game?

Marc Guiu could emerge as the standout £4.5m forward option in FPL this season. Recently loaned to Sunderland by Chelsea, early reports suggest there are strong assurances regarding his game time.

In fact, it has been reported that his loan deal includes a clause that would be triggered if he fails to play a minimum number of minutes. That added level of protection significantly boosts his appeal as a budget enabler, making him one to watch closely during the opening Gameweeks.

Why the double Spurs defence?

Tottenham’s opening schedule is particularly favourable, which makes their defence an appealing area to target despite last season’s underwhelming underlying numbers.

With a new manager in charge and the addition of João Palhinha, a defensively solid midfielder who offers much-needed protection, there is reason to believe Spurs will be more organised at the back this time around.

Their Gameweek 1 home fixture against Burnley, where they currently have the highest clean sheet odds of any team, further strengthens the case for doubling up defensively, especially for those pursuing a Bench Boost in Gameweek 1.