10 Aug, 2025
Big Man Bakar’s Best No Salah or Haaland GW1 Draft
Big Man Bakar brings you his high-risk, high-reward no Salah or Haaland GW1 FPL draft. How to build a successful FPL team without King Mo Salah or the goal scoring machine that is Haaland.
Sometimes the biggest risk-takers gain the biggest rewards. It is safe to say less than 10% of FPL managers will have GW1 drafts that do not include Salah or Haaland, but is it possible FPL managers could gain an advantage by not owning either and investing your budget elsewhere? Big Man Bakar is here to explore the no Salah or Haaland team build and what would be the best FPL GW1 draft you could put together without FPL’s two most expensive players!
No Salah or Haaland GW1 FPL draft:
Goalkeepers:
Robert Sánchez (£5.0m) and Martin Dubravka (£4.0m) form my goalkeeper pairing.
Chelsea ended last season with one of the strongest defences in the league, ranking second only to Arsenal for expected goals conceded (xGC). With a generous run of fixtures to open the campaign, Sánchez offers a reliable and affordable route into their backline.
Dubravka’s move to Burnley changes the £4.0m goalkeeper landscape completely. A nailed, playing £4.0m keeper is an instant enabler — freeing up funds elsewhere, providing dependable cover, and opening up the option of a Bench Boost in Gameweek 2 or Gameweek 8, when Burnley host Sunderland and Leeds.
Defenders:
Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m), Pedro Porro (£5.5m), Cristian Romero (£5.0m), Neco Williams (£5.0m), Maxime Esteve (£4.0m)
Van Dijk is my premium defensive anchor — nailed, reliable, and perfectly suited to the new defensive contributions scoring system. While players like Frimpong and Kerkez may be more attacking, Van Dijk’s minutes security gives him the edge early on.
A double-up on Spurs defenders (Porro and Romero) makes sense given their plum opening fixtures — starting with Burnley at home in Gameweek 1. Spurs’ defensive numbers were poor last year, but with a new manager and João Palhinha offering protection in midfield, there’s optimism for improvement. Porro’s attacking threat and set pieces make him the standout pick, while Romero could quietly rack up defensive contributions.
Neco Williams at £5.0m offers nailed minutes and early clean sheet potential for Nottingham Forest.
For those needing a playable budget option, Esteve (£4.0m) looks the best in class. He fits neatly into the new scoring system and offers rotation cover for those key Bench Boost weeks.
Midfielders:
Cole Palmer (£10.5m), Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m), Florian Wirtz (£8.5m), Omar Marmoush (£8.5m) , Iliman Ndiaye (£6.5m) .
Palmer is first-choice on penalties, has a dream opening fixture run, and becomes the go-to captain when Salah isn’t in your squad.
Bruno Fernandes could quietly thrive under the updated scoring rules thanks to his consistent defensive work — recoveries, blocks, and clearances now directly contribute to his points. He remains United’s penalty taker, plays 90 minutes almost every game, and even with a deeper role, is central to their attacking patterns.
Wirtz currently profiles as Liverpool’s second-best attacking asset behind Salah. His positional flexibility and Liverpool’s significant investment suggest a nailed starting role.
Marmoush provides a relatively cheap route into Manchester City’s attack. His low ownership makes him an intriguing differential, though as with all City players, rotation will be a watchpoint.
At £6.5m, Ndiaye could be a shrewd pick. If classified as a midfielder last season, he would have scored 17 more points. With possible penalty duties, he’s a reliable mid-priced option.
Forwards:
Ollie Watkins (£9.0m), Evanilson (£7.0m), Igor Thiago (£6.0m)
Watkins is hard to overlook given the shortage of premium forwards beyond Haaland. Back-to-back prolific seasons, plus strong early fixtures make him tough to ignore.
Evanilson was steady last season and could push on this year. With Kluivert’s fitness a doubt, he might also take penalties. Liverpool away in Gameweek 1 is a tough start, but his fixtures improve immediately after.
Igor Thiago at £6.0m could be the season’s biggest bargain — if Wissa leaves Brentford. Their attack is built around the central striker, and that role has consistently delivered FPL points, whether filled by Ivan Toney or Wissa. Thiago could also take penalties, making him a perfect low-cost “set-and-forget” forward.
If a no Salah or Haaland draft isn’t for you, and you’re looking for some premium heavy drafts, Big Man Bakar also has you covered with the best Salah and Haaland draft or Salah, Palmer and Bruno GW1 draft. If you are looking for a slightly different GW1 premium players draft, then we tried our hand at a wild Salah, Haaland, Palmer and Isak super draft.
If you favoured our premium player drafts, but wanted some alternative cheap options to help you build these premium player heavy teams, then look no further than our best budget Defenders, Midfielders and Forwards in FPL 25/26.
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Big Man Bakar is one of the leaders in the FPL space, previously ranking as high as 4th in the world. Bakar has been a regular and valued contributor to Ingenuity Fantasy since our inception, helping managers around the world win their mini-leagues and climb rankings.