Essential last-minute cheat sheet for Dream Team bosses ahead of Gameweek 1 deadline

THE deadline for Gameweek 1 is at 8pm today! Whether you’ve spent the last fortnight tinkering with your Dream Team or have left it until the last minute, we encourage you to read our concise cheat sheet — everything you need to know in just a couple of minutes. PLAY DREAM TEAM NOW: £100,000 PRIZE POT! The waiting is over! Credit: Dream Team Fixtures, Fixtures, Fixtures It’s easy to fall into the trap of looking too far into the future when building your initial team. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Generally, it’s a better idea to let the schedule determine your strategy and that means identifying imminent fixtures to target. On paper, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Leeds have relatively favourable openings this season. And Sunderland’s first three fixtures catch the eye: Ipswich (a), Fulham (h), Brentford (a). Additionally, it’s important to note that 11 Premier League clubs – those not involved in Europe – will play twice in Gameweek 1 with Carabao Cup second round fixtures set to take place across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Rotation is to be expected in the early rounds of the domestic cups but there could be some juicy points of offer from match-ups such as: Chelsea v Luton, Spurs v Charlton and Fulham v AFC Wimbledon. And it’s not too early to take the European fixtures into equation either as the Champions League will commence in earnest from early September (Gameweek 3). Most read in Football The best managers milk the schedule for all it is worth and that sometimes means planning three, four or five weeks in advance while remaining flexible and reacting appropriately to the unfolding drama. Saliba picked up an injury at the World Cup Credit: GETTY Availability Issues This may sound obvious but we strongly recommend you take the time to check your players are available. A quick glance at the Stats Centre reveals that more than a few gaffers are backing the likes of William Saliba (£5m), Jurrien Timber (£5m) and Hugo Ekitike (£5m), who are all injured. While Bruno Guimaraes (£4m), Benjamin Sesko (£4m) and Jeremy Doku (£5m) are among the doubts. Gameweek 1 is unique in that the deadline falls approximately 75 minutes after the starting line-ups for the first fixture are confirmed. This will give you time to check your Arsenal/Coventry players but you can’t afford to take risks with the other fixtures — although our Substitute feature provides a helpful safety net. Play Dream Team this season! £100,000 in prize money up for grabs in 2026/27 Free to enter Play in Mini Leagues against your mates £60,000 jackpot for the overall winner £1,000 prize for winning Gameweek 1 PLAY DREAM TEAM NOW! Build Your Budget Earning points is the name of the game but smart Dream Team bosses know the importance of building budget throughout the first few months of the season. Player prices will fluctuate based on performance with changes coming into effect at the start of each Gameweek (from GW2). You should take this into account when making transfers as savvy swaps will allow you to recruit players before they become more expensive while simultaneously ditching assets before they depreciate. Work the stock market to your advantage and eventually you’ll see be able to afford several pricey superstars — this is particularly beneficial for juicy Champions League Gameweeks. Expensive stars such as Erling Haaland (£8.5m) and Bruno Fernandes (£7m) will have to work hard to maintain their lofty prices – though of course they’re capable – while cheaper assets are held to a lower standard. Knowing when to go all out for points and when to prioritise your budget is a key strategic element of the game. How will Wirtz fare this season after a slow start in 2025/26? Credit: Reuters New Arrivals This time last year, Florian Wirtz (£5m) was among the most popular players in Dream Team as managers expected the German midfielder to hit the ground running at Liverpool. As it happened, the former Bayer Leverkusen needed some time to adjust to his new surroundings and provided precious few points before December, by which time his ownership had plummeted. The lesson being, it’s incredibly difficult to predict how new signings will bed in, even those as talented as Wirtz. This is not to say you should avoid all new arrivals as, inevitably, some will make an instant impact. It’s just that selecting too many of these players from the get-go can be risky. Proven performers usually guarantee a steady start before the season has taken shape. Enjoy yourself Credit: Getty Have Fun! Above all, remember that Dream Team is supposed to be entertaining. If following the advice given above would make reduce your enjoyment then disregard it and play your own game. Picking a player on pure gut feeling and getting 20 points from them on a Saturday afternoon is greatly satisfying — don’t deny yourself that feeling because a stranger on the internet makes some quip about xG. Last season’s overall winner banked £60,000 by trusting his instincts and one of his very few mistakes came when he was swayed by other opinions. Equally, if you enjoy discussing strategy with others, that’s fine too — we’ll be on hand throughout the campaign with tips, tricks, stats and facts. Open to residents of UK and Rep of Ireland, 18+ only. T&Cs apply. 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