Forward slots decide whether your £100m squad has a ceiling. For Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 1 2026/27 you need one true premium (usually Haaland), one mid-price scorer and a £4.5–£5.5m enabler who actually starts. Deadline: Friday 21 August 2026, 18:30 BST. Prices below match FootballDream’s live FPL list.
Premium forwards (template spine)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City, ~£15.5m) — home vs Bournemouth in GW1. Confirm Community Shield minutes first; still the default premium if fit.
- Alexander Isak (Newcastle) — elite ceiling at St James’ Park, but GW1 vs Liverpool is a tough open; fine as a hold if you love the season-long upside.
- João Pedro (Chelsea, ~£7.5m) — five goals in four pre-season games under Alonso; West London derby at Fulham is harder than a home smash, but the form is real.
Mid-price scorers (£5.5m–£6.5m)
- Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest, £6.0m) — four goals in four friendlies; Glasner’s attack needs a focal point — watch competition from Wood/Awoniyi/Kalimuendo.
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds, £6.0m) — ownership climbing after braces in friendlies; promoted-side minutes + early fixtures make him a popular differential.
- Yoane Wissa / William Osula (Newcastle, £6.0m) — only one is the weekly starter under Jaissle; wait for Edinburgh minutes before locking.
- Igor Thiago (Brentford, £8.0m) — returned from World Cup break with a goal; still a premium-ish forward if you skip Haaland.
- Georginio Rutter / Charalampos Kostoulas (Brighton, £5.5m) — Welbeck exit opens the door; Groß on pens helps whoever starts.
Budget / third-forward enablers
- Oli McBurnie (Hull, £5.5m) — Championship form carrying into friendlies; GW1 vs United is tough, so treat as a season play not a GW1 punt.
- Chris Wood / Taiwo Awoniyi (Forest, £5.5–£6.0m) — only if minutes beat Igor Jesus.
- £4.5m fodder — only if confirmed starters; never park three unused kids up front.
Structure tip
- Most GW1 drafts: Haaland + one mid-price + one enabler.
- Going without Haaland? Fund Isak/Thiago/João Pedro and spend the spare cash on midfield premiums (Saka/Palmer/Bruno).
- Re-check /fpl-prices/forwards after tonight’s friendlies and Community Shield.
Play it free
Lock the same front three in FootballDream Gameweek Fantasy, captain your premium for 2× points, and compete with friends — no download, no entry fee.