Tomos Williams will make his Six Nations debut for Wales in Friday's tournament opener against France.
The Cardiff Blues scrum-half, who featured in six Tests last year, has been preferred to Gareth Davies for the game in Paris.
Head coach Warren Gatland has announced two other changes from the side who beat South Africa in November, with Scarlets prop Rob Evans and Blues flanker Josh Navidi both gaining call-ups.
Evans takes over from Nicky Smith, who has been battling to recover fitness, and Navidi returns after missing this season's entire autumn series because of injury.
Davies, meanwhile, has shaken off a thigh strain, but he will be among the replacements as Wales target a seventh win from their last eight starts against Les Bleus.
Williams, 24, is partnered at half-back by his Blues colleague Gareth Anscombe, with Dan Biggar joining Davies on the bench.
Number eight Ross Moriarty makes a first appearance since mid-December after being sidelined because of concussion, packing down in the back-row alongside Navidi and openside flanker Justin Tipuric.
Leigh Halfpenny misses out as he continues his recovery from concussion, with Liam Williams retaining full-back duties and George North and Josh Adams being selected on the wings.
Victory for Wales at Stade de France would extend their unbeaten run to 10 games, matching a longest winning sequence since 1999. Their last defeat was against Ireland in last season's Six Nations.
Centre Romain Ntamack will start his first game for France after the 19-year-old was named in the team at the expense of the experienced Mathieu Bastareaud.
Bastareaud was left out of the squad that will also feature debutant lock Paul Willemse.
Les Bleus kick off their campaign against a side they have only beaten once in the last seven years.
They also face tricky trips to Twickenham and the Aviva Stadium to face England and Ireland, who are fourth and second in the world rankings, respectively.
Coach Jacques Brunel has recalled scrumhalf Morgan Parra and centre Wesley Fofana after the Clermont duo missed the November series through injury, handing both of them a start on Wednesday for the Stade de France clash.
Ntamack, the son of the former France player and ex France assistant coach Emile, has been instrumental in Toulouse’s return to the top of the Top 14 league this season.
Weighing 86 kilos to Bastareaud’s 126, he may lack in power, but his speed and technical abilities are seen as a top asset for Les Bleus against Wales.
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🇫🇷🏴 Voici la composition de votre #XVdeFrance pour l'ouverture du tournoi des @SixNations_FR contre le Pays-de-Galles ! #NeFaisonsXV #FRAPDG pic.twitter.com/X3itWclpJO
— FF Rugby (@FFRugby) January 30, 2019
France: Maxime Medard, Damian Penaud, Wesley Fofana, Romain Ntamack, Yoann Huget, Camille Lopez, Morgan Parra; Louis PIcamoles, Arthur Iturria, Wenceslas Lauret, Paul Willemse, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Uini Atonio, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Jefferson Poirot.
Replacements: Julien Marchand, Dany Priso, Demba Bamba, Felix Lambey, Gregory Alldritt, Baptiste Serin, Gael Fickou, Geoffrey Doumayrou.
Wales: Liam Williams, George North, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Ross Moriarty, Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Adam Beard, Tomas Francis, Ken Owens, Rob Evans.
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Wyn Jones, Samson Lee, Cory Hill, Aaron Wainwright, Gareth Davies, Dan Biggar, Owen Watkin.
