Fantasy Premier League 2025/26 Tips – The Ultimate Guide
The 2024/25 Premier League season is over and that means one thing – preparations for the 2025/26 FPL campaign are well underway! Whether you are looking to defend your crown or climb your way up your fantasy league, we have the ultimate FPL guide for you. It’s always important to make a fast start in Fantasy Premier League, so let’s take a look through all the tips, tricks, rules, and info you need to know ahead of the 25/26 season.
How do you Join Fantasy Premier League 2025/26?
Signing up to FPL could not be easier. All you have to do is head over to the official Fantasy Premier League website. If you already have an account from past seasons, click ‘login’. If you are a new player, click ‘sign up now’ to get started. FPL will take you through a simple process of entering your basic information before you can finally get your teeth stuck into the game itself.
When does FPL open for the 2025/26 season
The golden question on the lips of Fantasy Premier League fans across the world – when will the website open for the 2025/26 season? The simple answer is that FPL like to keep their launch date a secret until much nearer the time. You can always tell the new season is about to open when FPL start teasing new player prices across social media, so keep an eye out for that. If the last three years are anything to go by, the FPL season usually opens in early-to-mid July, 30 days or so before Gameweek 1 kicks off.
2024/25: FPL launched on 17 July, 30 days before Gameweek 1
2023/24: FPL launched on 5 July, 37 days before Gameweek 1
2022/23: FPL launched on 5 July, 31 days before Gameweek 1
With the Club World Cup running until Sunday, July 13, it would be safe to assume that FPL will launch almost immediately after. Keep Monday, 14 July in the calendar as a prediction for the 2025/26 FPL season opening.
How do you Build Your Perfect Fantasy Team?
The concept of building your fantasy team is simple – but the reality is anything but. Every manager is given £100m to play with at the start of the season. You have to spend that money on 15 total players – two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders, and three forwards. You are only allowed a maximum of three players from each team, so you can’t just load your squad full of Manchester City and Liverpool assets. The high scorers and big names from last season will set you back a healthy portion of your budget, so choosing the perfect FPL team is all about balancing the big hitters with under-the-radar bargains. Don’t worry, we’ll have more tips and tricks on that later! If you are struggling to come up with ideas, you can use the ‘Auto Pick’ feature to randomly fill your squad with suggested players as a starting point.
Fantasy Premier League Rules
There is one simple aim in FPL – to accumulate as many points as possible every week in order to cement your place at the top of the table. Each week, you have to select a starting XI based on who you think stands the best chance of earning the most points. Any formation is allowed, as long as you always have at least one goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders, and one forward at any one time. The rest of your squad goes onto the bench. The order of your bench can be important because players will be substituted on if any of your starting XI fail to play a minute. You must also select a captain and a vice-captain every week. The captain will see their total points doubled, while the vice-captain will take over the armband in case your captain does not play.
Fantasy Premier League Points Guide
There are different ways you can accumulate points in Fantasy Premier League. Different positions come with different potential points. For example, the bread and butter of an FPL defender is how many clean sheet points they will earn you, while forwards are all about goals and assists. Let’s take a look through the points each position can earn:
Goalkeeper:
- Playing up to 60 minutes = 1 point
- Playing 60 minutes or more (not including stoppage time) = 2 points
- Clean sheet = 4 points
- For every three saves made = 1 point
- Penalty save = 5 points
- Goal scored = 10 points
- Assist = 3 points
- For every two goals conceded = -1 point
- Yellow card = -1 point
- Red card = -3 points
- Own goal = -2 points
Defender:
- Playing up to 60 minutes = 1 point
- Playing 60 minutes or more (not including stoppage time) = 2 points
- Clean sheet = 4 points
- Goal scored = 6 points
- Assist = 3 points
- For every two goals conceded = -1 point
- Yellow card = -1 point
- Red card = -3 points
- Own goal = -2 points
Midfielder:
- Playing up to 60 minutes = 1 point
- Playing 60 minutes or more (not including stoppage time) = 2 points
- Clean sheet = 1 point
- Goal scored = 5 points
- Assist = 3 points
- Yellow card = -1 point
- Red card = -3 points
- Own goal = -2 points
Forward:
- Playing up to 60 minutes = 1 point
- Playing 60 minutes or more (not including stoppage time) = 2 points
- Goal scored = 4 points
- Assist = 3 points
- Yellow card = -1 point
- Red card = -3 points
- Own goal = -2 points
Additionally, bonus points are awarded to the best players in each Premier League match. Generally speaking, the best player is awarded an extra three points, the second-best gets two, and the third-best gets one.
You can also accumulate extra points using your captain’s armband and your four FPL chips, which we will go into greater detail on now.
Wildcard, Free Hit, Bench Boost, Triple Captain, Assistant Manager
There are five chips you can use throughout the regular FPL season, with each presenting an opportunity to boost your points and strengthen your squad.
Wildcard: You get two Wildcards through the season. One is available right away to be used at any time. If you use your Wildcard in the first half of the season, it will be refreshed come the January transfer window. A Wildcard allows you to make as many transfers as you like without having to pay additional point fines.
Free Hit: You get one Free Hit per season. This allows you to make unlimited free transfers in one Gameweek. However, your squad will return to how it was before you played the Free Hit come the end of the week.
Triple Captain: Instead of having your captain’s score doubled for the week, it gets tripled instead. You get one Triple Captain chip to use.
Bench Boost: The points earned by players on your bench are included in your total for the week. You get one Bench Boost chip to use.
Assistant Manager: You can buy a Premier League manager for between £0.5m and £1.5m to add to your squad. They will remain in your team for three games weeks, but you can chop and change which manager you select from week to week. No other chips can be used during that three-week period. The assistant manager earns you the following points:
- Team win = 6 points
- Team draw = 3 points
- Goals scored = 1 point per goal
- Clean sheet = 2 points
- Beating a team five or more places higher in the league table = 10 points
Fantasy Premier League Tips and Tricks
There are numerous tips and tricks you can learn to improve your chances of beating your friends in the 2025/26 FPL table. Let’s take a look through some of the most important:
Set-piece takers are important
Choosing strikers and midfielders who are their clubs’ primary penalty-takers is a great way to guarantee extra points throughout the season. For example, players like Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, and Mo Salah are always going to have inflated points thanks to spot kicks. However, choosing penalty-takers from lower teams is also a great way to get a goal from nothing. Defenders like Reece James and Pedro Porro who are regular corner and free-kick takers are also great assets when it comes to picking up more assists and goals.
Attack-minded defenders
Of course, clean sheets are your bread and butter when it comes to defenders, but goals and assists can be absolute game-changers. A 90-minute performance with a clean sheet can earn you six points. A 90-minute clean sheet with a goal and three bonus points can turn that into a 15-point haul. That’s what made Trent Alexander-Arnold one of the best FPL assets for so many years. It always pays to pick defenders who actually play in more offensive positions. Daniel Munoz was a great example last year of an FPL defender who actually played as a very attacking wing-back for Crystal Palace. Ryan Sessegnon also played right-wing for Fulham at the end of last season, meaning his goals were worth a lot of points. Keep an eye on those gold dust defenders who end up more like attackers.
Save your money
You always want a well-rounded squad, but don’t waste money on a bench you will never use. Having a couple of strong options on the bench is a good idea, but don’t break the bank doing it. Your first-choice goalkeeper will play almost every week, so choose the cheapest second option available to save money. Remember, you can always make changes later. If you have a £10m player on the bench, you’re doing something wrong.
Don’t be afraid to mix things up
You get one free transfer every single week, and you can save up as many as five to use at one time. Make the most of that by constantly rotating your team based on which players have the best fixtures that week. This is especially powerful when rotating defenders with easy clean sheet opportunities.
Price rises and falls
Player prices go up and down depending on how they perform each week. If your players had an excellent week, hold them to make sure your squad value increases. If someone had a poor week, you can always transfer them out quickly before the price drops, especially if you have a better option in mind.
Bargain players are a must
After the first five to ten weeks of an FPL season, a few bargain options always emerge that almost every manager jumps on. Last season, the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Chris Wood, Danny Welbeck, Jacob Murphy, Daniel Munoz, and co spring to mind. Once these players emerge, jump on them ASAP.
Captains are powerful
Remember, your captain gets double points every single week. Choosing the likes of Mo Salah or Alexander Isak is a good idea due to their sheer consistency. However, don’t be afraid to take a risk by selecting a player no one else has captained. You might miss out on a Salah haul, but you might also choose an outlier that earns you a bunch of extra points.
Save your chips for blank and double gameweeks
You should really only be using Triple Captain and Bench Boost on a double gameweek to maximise the extra points you can earn from them. Wildcards are perfect for refreshing your squad when it needs a complete overhaul or setting your team up for the perfect double gameweek. Wildcards and Free Hits can also be used to make sure you can field a starting XI on a blank game week.
Always think three weeks ahead
You only get so many chips and free transfers, so it pays to think ahead. Don’t just bring in a player who has an attractive fixture this week – look for players who have a good run of three of four fixtures. Remember not to use your Assistant Manager chip if you want to play any other chip in the next three gameweeks too.
Differentials and reliability make the perfect squad
The perfect squad has a blend of two types of players. One – the reliable big hitters and bargains who everyone has because they are simply too good to pass up on. Two – the differentials few of your rivals have taken a punt on, meaning you stand to lose or gain depending on how they perform. The best FPL players keep a steady base of reliable players while rotating their differentials successfully each week.
New summer signings are risky
How many new summer signings actually hit the ground running in the opening weeks of the Premier League? It’s pretty rare. You are always better off starting with the old reliables and jumping on the bandwagon later when it comes to new signings. Of course, you can always pick one or two to get ahead of the curve, just don’t fill your entire squad with unproven talent.
Fantasy Premier League Picks and 2025/26 Hidden Gems
Fantasy Premier League is all about the race to find the hidden gems for the new season. Fortunately, we have done the research for you ahead of the 2025/26 season to give you the best chance of success. Let’s take a look through our favourite potential hidden gems for the new campaign:
Ryan Sessegnon: If he stays as a defender next year while actually playing as a right-winger, he could be one of the bargain assets to own.
Amad Diallo: You get the feeling that Amad is ready to explode next season after 11 goals and 10 assists last time out.
Jarrod Bowen: More expensive than others on this list, but if he stays as a midfielder then he is one of the most reliable points scorers on the game – and a good differential at times.
Manor Solomon: If he makes a permanent move to Leeds United, he could pop up with a few differential goals next season.
Anthony Elanga: Likely to remain a relatively cheap midfield option. Does he kick on after last season or do Forest struggle to compete on all fronts?
Pedro Porro: He could end up playing as a wing-back next season which could result in some big attacking returns.
Daniel Munoz: If he can repeat his performances at wing-back from last season, Munoz is one of the best cheaper defensive assets out there.
Conor Bradley: Someone has to fill Alexander-Arnold’s boots and Bradley will have a nice, cheap price to start with on FPL.
Tino Livramento: You get the feeling his goals and assists will kick on next season after an impressive 10 clean sheets last time out for Newcastle.
Jordan Pickford: Always among the top points scorers yet it never seems to be fully reflected in his price tag on FPL.
Rayan Ait-Nouri: Manchester City’s potential new left-back comes with Premier League experience which could make an early punt worth it.
Reece James: His injury problems should keep his price down a little. If owners can get a full season out of James, he could come in with a major points haul.
Matheus Nunes: A position change to a defender would make Nunes a very interesting asset next season after so many appearances at right-back.
Matheus Cunha: A big move to Man United and a potential position change to midfield could make Cunha a must-have, even if his price is a little higher.
Keane Lewis-Potter: A position change to defender would make him an attractive Brentford asset, especially if he features further up the pitch eventually.
Myles Lewis-Skelly: MLS should finally be made a defender for the 2025/26 season, and he will be one of the most attractive Arsenal assets due to his price/return ratio.
How Does the FPL Bonus Points System Work?
The best three players from each Premier League match are awarded bonus points based on performance. The top player gets an extra three points, followed by two and one. These rankings are decided according to the Bonus Points System (BPS) which takes into account a wide range of Opta statistics from each and every player on the pitch – including goals, assists, tackles, passes completed, clearances, chances created, and more.
What is Fantasy Draft and How is it Different?
Fantasy Draft gives you and your friends the chance to draft unique teams, rather than picking from the same pool of players every week. A random order is generated to see who goes first, followed by 15 rounds of ‘snake draft’ picks until everyone has a full squad of 15 players. Snake draft means the managers pick their players in reverse order each time. So, if you got the first pick in Round One, you will get the last pick in Round Two, then the first pick in Round Three again, and so on. Each manager gets between 30 and 120 seconds to make their next pick. Once a player is drafted, they cannot be drafted by anyone else in the league. Throughout the season, managers have the chance to chop and change their squad by making waiver picks, free transfers, and trades with other managers.
What Prizes Can You Win in Fantasy Premier League?
The official prizes for the 2025/26 FPL season are yet to be announced, but they follow a general pattern. Last season, the grand prize was a seven-night break in the UK as well as VIP hospitality tickets to two Premier League matches. The overall winner was also given a Hublot watch, headphones, a smartphone, an EA SPORTS FC video game, and more. Prizes are also handed out to the runners-up from second down to 20th in the world, winners of the Manager of the Week and Manager of the Month awards, and the winner of the FPL Cup.
Last updated: 13.06.25
