17 August 2026
Fantasy Premier League is back ahead of the new Premier League season, with tens of millions of players around the world preparing for Friday’s opening fixture as defending champions Arsenal begin against Championship winners Coventry City.
As ever, FPL managers have to put together a title-chasing squad within a fixed £100m budget. That means striking the right balance between costly premium players who are expected to finish among the top scorers over the 38-match season, and the hidden gems who could prove decisive across the campaign.
Before getting started, it is worth reading the 10 things every FPL manager should think about before the new season, and then moving on to this expanded watchlist.
Forwards
There is only one premium striker option in the game. Unsurprisingly, that is Erling Haaland (£15.5m), who begins the season as the most expensive FPL player ever. The Manchester City forward all but guarantees goals and usually starts seasons in explosive form, although this is the first time he is returning after a major tournament and he played only an hour in the Community Shield on Sunday. He is owned by almost 75 per cent of FPL managers and is also likely to be the most popular captain in most gameweeks, so going without him carries huge risk. Even so, freeing up that extra budget could create some intriguing alternatives.
Erling Haaland (£15.5m)
Midfielders
The argument in favour of picking Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) is straightforward: Manchester United’s talisman collected the second-highest FPL points total last season and contributes in every area at Old Trafford — goals, assists, set-pieces and penalties. The question is whether that output fully justifies his price in a season when United will also be juggling Champions League football and the 31-year-old will no longer have the advantage of playing just once a week. For now, though, United’s early schedule looks kind, beginning with two newly promoted teams in Hull and Ipswich.
The case against Fernandes also lies in the strength of the premium midfielders available for less. Managers may prefer to wait for early proof that either Bukayo Saka (£9.5m) or Cole Palmer (£9.5m) is fit enough to sustain a full season before committing. At this stage, Antoine Semenyo (£8.5m) and Morgan Gibbs-White (£8.0m) may look like steadier picks if they can carry over last season’s form, although both significantly overperformed their xG last year. Another workable route is to use either Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) or Mathues Cunha (£8.0m), either alongside Fernandes or instead of him.
Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m)
Antoine Semenyo (£8.5m)
Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m)
Morgan Gibbs-White (£8.0m)
Defenders
Not since Trent Alexander-Arnold has a defender started an FPL season as expensive as Gabriel Magalhaes (£8.0m), but there are sound reasons for that. Thanks to Arsenal’s defensive strength and his threat from set-pieces, Gabriel blanked only six times last season and his total points return was the third-highest ever recorded by a defender in the game. There are, however, a few issues to weigh up before selecting him this year: will Arsenal suffer any kind of drop-off after an emotionally and physically draining campaign, and can the Gunners remain as solid at the back without the injured William Saliba (£6.0m) alongside Gabriel?
Gabriel still looks like the safest Arsenal defender, given that Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) is also injured and there are rotation concerns elsewhere across the back four. The ever-present Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) became a popular choice again last season once Liverpool sorted out their set-piece problems, while Nico O’Reilly (£6.5m) has had a significant price rise. The Manchester City full-back occupies advanced areas and Enzo Maresca is also expected to use a system that lets him invert into midfield, but Josko Gvardiol (£5.5m) has returned from injury and could cut into his minutes at left-back.
Last season’s top three defenders for Defensive Contributions — Marcos Senesi, James Tarkowski and Maxence Lacroix — are all now priced at £6.0m. But the question is whether Senesi and Lacroix will have the same influence after moving to Tottenham and Chelsea respectively, compared to Tarkowski, who remains at Everton.
Gabriel Magalhaes (£8.0m)
Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m)
Marc Guehi (£6.0m)
James Tarkowski (£6.0m)
Goalkeepers
Arsenal’s David Raya (£6.0m) is the only genuine set-and-forget goalkeeping option. He has kept the most Premier League clean sheets in each of the last three seasons and has missed only one match in two years, so unlike some Arsenal or even Manchester City defenders, he appears completely immune to rotation. The downside is that Raya often depends more on clean sheets than save volume. Only three other goalkeepers are priced above £5.5m and among them only Jordan Pickford offers a different profile to Raya, with Alisson Becker and Gianluigi Donnarumma instead fitting the high-volume mould.
David Raya (£6.0m)
Jordan Pickford (£5.5m)
Forwards
With one exception, there are plenty of doubts surrounding the strikers priced just below Haaland. Alexander Isak (£9.0m) may recover from last season’s dreadful campaign, but he surely looks too expensive to pair with Haaland at the moment. Igor Thiago (£8.0m) has gone up in price and although the Brentford forward scored 22 goals last season, eight came from penalties and that may not be sustainable. Benjamin Sesko (£7.0m) could soon become an option but is injured before the season starts, while Viktor Gyokeres (£7.5m), despite being much cheaper this time, was not always convincing in his debut season and may be rotated with Kai Havertz (£7.5m) in some Arsenal matches.
Ollie Watkins (£8.0m) remains a boom-or-bust pick, but he has scored consistently for four straight seasons and ended last season in excellent form, even if he will be without Morgan Rogers at Aston Villa this term and did not play a single minute in pre-season. Jean-Philippe Mateta (£6.5m) also has a habit of reaching double figures and starts this season cheaper than last year, though he too did not feature in pre-season. By contrast, there is little doubt that Joao Pedro (£7.5m) looks a dependable choice. He is expected to get plenty of minutes as Chelsea’s first-choice striker and does not have Europe to worry about, while the Brazilian has already become hugely popular with more than 50 per cent ownership after scoring eight goals in seven pre-season appearances.
Joao Pedro (£7.5m)
Igor Thiago (£8.0m)
Midfielders
The pool of midfielders priced between £6.0m and £7.5m is very deep. The question is whether it is deep enough to justify a few gambles. Straight away, Phil Foden at £7.0m stands out for a player of his quality. It is a risk, but if Enzo Maresca can restore the 26-year-old to his best level, he could become an outstanding bargain over the longer term. The same applies to Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz (£7.5m), another player whose price has dropped, if he can take even a couple of steps forward from his debut season.
Morgan Rogers is popular at only £7.5m, but he could also be placed in the gamble bracket after his move to Chelsea and the uncertainty over how Xabi Alonso intends to fit him and Cole Palmer into the same side. Or perhaps the appeal lies with some of Arsenal’s cheaper midfielders. Captain Martin Odegaard (£6.5m) would look a bargain if he can rediscover the level he showed a couple of years ago after an injury-hit campaign, and he has looked sharp in pre-season. New signing Christos Tzolis (£6.5m) appears likely to start on the left wing for the champions and has already supplied assists in pre-season.
What many managers may really want from this bracket is reliability: a set-piece taker who adds goals and assists as well as Defensive Contributions — essentially the version of Declan Rice (£7.5m) seen last season. Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) is the second-most popular midfielder with 40 per cent ownership, which may partly be down to uncertainty over Rice’s fitness. Does Bruno Guimaraes (£7.0m), one of the game’s best performers before injury last season, now fit the Rice profile after joining Arsenal? And if he stays at Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez (£7.0m) also comes into the conversation if used in midfield next to Moises Caicedo, given his numbers from last season.
Then there are the premium DefCon specialists. Elliot Anderson (£6.5m) was the king in that category last season, but his role could shift now that he is at possession-heavy Manchester City. Bournemouth’s Alex Scott (£6.0m) may be an outside, though still relatively expensive, contender for that role, especially given Everton’s James Garner (£6.0m) and his pre-season injury situation. On top of that, it is worth considering wingers from mid-table clubs if they also have favourable fixtures, such as Aston Villa’s Emi Buendia (£6.0m), Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m), Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m), Bournemouth’s Rayan (£6.5m), Sunderland’s Enzo Le Fee (£6.0m) or Brentford’s Dango Ouattara (£6.5m). That is already far too many names.
Morgan Rogers (£7.5m)
Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m)
Martin Odegaard (£6.5m)
Christos Tzolis (£6.5m)
Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m)
Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m)
Enzo Le Fee (£6.0m)
Alex Scott (£6.0m)
Defenders
If Arsenal do not bring in another centre-back to help cover for the injured William Saliba, then Cristian Mosquera (£5.5m) could be a budget-friendly alternative for managers unable to afford Gabriel Magalhaes. Riccardo Calafiori (£5.5m) is also tempting because of the attacking positions he takes up from left-back, although he does rotate with Piero Hincapie (£5.5m). Harry Maguire (£5.0m) looks set for regular minutes and carries set-piece threat, so he would be cheap if Manchester United continue last season’s level. Josko Gvardiol (£5.5m) was once a must-have and may start the season ahead of Nico O’Reilly. Further down the table, two towering new centre-backs are attracting attention because of their Defensive Contribution potential: Leeds United’s Tarik Muharemovic (£5.0m) and Brighton’s Luka Vuskovic (£5.0m), who scored six goals while on loan in the Bundesliga last season.
If you are pairing one of them with a premium Arsenal or Manchester City defender, it is also worth looking at a full-back who offers some clean-sheet potential along with strong attacking output. Oliver Glasner’s work with Daniel Munoz (£5.5m) at Crystal Palace has now generated excitement around Neco Williams (£5.0m) at Nottingham Forest. Munoz himself may be on the move after Palace signed another right-sided player in Anan Khalaili, and he has been linked with Everton. Pedro Porro (£5.5m) certainly offers attacking threat, but after not featuring in pre-season following the World Cup, Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.0m) may currently be the better option for anyone looking at a Tottenham defender in this price bracket.
Cristian Mosquera (£5.5m)
Josko Gvardiol (£5.5m)
Harry Maguire (£5.0m)
Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.0m)
Tarik Muharemovic (£5.0m)
Neco Williams (£5.0m)
Goalkeepers
Brentford’s Caoimhin Kelleher (£5.0m) is a cheaper high-volume goalkeeper option than Jordan Pickford and has an excellent penalty-saving record, but the standout value may lie with Manchester United’s Senne Lammens (£5.0m), provided Michael Carrick’s team remain a top-three side this season. Lammens has clean-sheet upside and could also have more matches where he is called upon to make saves than someone like David Raya or Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Caoimhin Kelleher (£5.0m)
Senne Lammens (£5.0m)
Forwards
For most managers, this comes down to who can be afforded alongside Erling Haaland and Joao Pedro. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) is an appealing option because he is on penalties, posted a good goal return last season, has strong early fixtures and is clearly Leeds United’s first-choice No 9. That does not mean you could not get a better long-term return by taking a chance on someone like Bournemouth’s Evanlison (£6.0m) or Nottingham Forest’s Igor Jesus (£6.0m), both of whom are more rounded creators and can also contribute assists.
If your budget is tight or you simply want to save money up front, dropping below the £6.0m mark narrows the field considerably. Aston Villa’s 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo (£5.5m) has become one to monitor after scoring against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup, but he is expected to be injured at the start of the season. Everton’s Beto (£5.5m) scored five goals in seven appearances towards the end of last season, although he shares minutes with Thierno Barry (£5.5m). Among the promoted clubs, Hull’s Ollie McBurnie (£5.5m) at least brings Premier League experience and is on penalties, while Coventry are set to open the season with the slightly cheaper Ellis Simms (£5.0m) leading the attack.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m)
Igor Jesus (£6.0m)
Evanlison (£6.0m)
Ollie McBurnie (£5.5m)
Midfielders
Brighton’s Pascal Gross (£5.5m) has become a leading favourite in this category. Although the 35-year-old midfielder may face some rotation because of Brighton’s European commitments, the German is expected to take both set-pieces and penalties and remains a key figure in Fabian Hurzeler’s team. With goal threat fairly limited in this price range, the other route is to target Defensive Contributions: Leeds United’s Ethan Ampadu (£5.5m) accumulated points steadily last season, but the notable new arrival this year is Brentford’s record signing Mamadou Sangare (£5.5m) because of his expected DefCon potential. Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka (£5.5m) would also be a solid pick but, as with Gross, European involvement would need to be factored in over the course of the season.
Pascal Gross (£5.5m)
Mamadou Sangare (£5.5m)
Ethan Ampadu (£5.5m)
Granit Xhaka (£5.5m)
Defenders
The main doubt around Luke Shaw (£4.5m) is whether he can cope with European football as well as a full Premier League campaign, but he started all 38 league matches last season and Manchester United’s opening fixtures make the left-back attractive, provided they do not sign another player in that position.
Among the mid-table clubs, the dependable Tyrick Mitchell (£4.5m) comes in slightly cheaper than last year, though Crystal Palace’s defence is likely to be weaker. Ola Aina (£4.5m) is expected to play as a wing-back for Nottingham Forest under Oliver Glasner and is only cheaper than Neco Williams because last season was disrupted by injury. Brentford’s Michael Kayode (£4.5m) is an energetic option, though his upside may be reduced by Aaron Hickey’s return. Leeds United underperformed defensively relative to their underlying numbers, and any improvement there could bring someone like Joe Rodon (£4.5m), because of possible DefCon returns, into the frame.
Picking a defender from a newly promoted side can be risky but, as Sunderland showed last season, it can also offer huge upside because nailed starters can be found cheaply. Coventry’s defensive record on the way to winning the Championship was respectable, although Burnley’s record-breaking campaign last season showed there is no certainty that such form will carry over. Bobby Thomas (£4.0m) offers set-piece threat, while Milan van Ewijk (£4.0m) is a very attack-minded right-back who led Coventry for assists last season.
Goalkeepers
Using two budget goalkeepers and rotating them according to fixtures is a perfectly viable strategy, and over a full season the gap between a premium keeper and a cheaper one is often not especially large. With Guglielmo Vicario expected to leave Tottenham, Antonin Kinsky (£4.5m) is set to become their No 1 after recovering from his Champions League humiliation to help save them from relegation. Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) starts every week for Brighton, although his fixture rotation does not align perfectly with Kinsky. Better £9m rotation combinations for the opening weeks may be Kinsky with Fulham’s Bernd Leno (£4.5m), or Verbruggen with Coventry’s Carl Rushworth (£4.5m).
