Fantasy Premier League 2026/27: Essential FPL tips for the season ahead

With the 2026/27 Premier League season on the horizon, now is the perfect time to start formulating your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) squad.

Without further ado, read on as we offer our essential fantasy football tips for the season ahead, starting with a look at the budget busters.

Big-hitters are worth the expense

Plenty of FPL managers built their squad around Gabriel, Bruno Fernandes and Erling Braut Haaland last season. Many of them will be reconsidering their options.

The trio had a combined price of £29 million at the start of last season, but will now cost £35.5m of your £100m budget this time around.

Fernandes isn’t cheap at £12m, yet back-to-back matches against Premier League new-boys Hull City and Ipswich Town are hugely favourable.

A strong argument can be made for also including teammate Matheus Cunha (£8m), who was in excellent form for United towards the end of last season.

Selecting Gabriel (£8m) also makes perfect sense. With defensive partner William Saliba (£6m) set for a spell on the sidelines, Gabriel will be needed more than ever.

Any of Arsenal’s £5.5m options are also worth considering once it becomes clear how manager Mikel Arteta will reshape his defence in Saliba’s absence.

Haaland will inevitably be a popular pick as he strives to be the Premier League’s top scorer, despite his eye-watering £15.5m price tag. Finding value forwards to play alongside him is tricky.

Joao Pedro (£7.5m) has been a popular pick since the game was launched, and Chelsea’s early fixtures give him every chance of putting some points on the board.

Newcastle United’s William Osula (£6m) is also tempting, although it will be worth monitoring whether the club signs another striker this summer.

Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka (£5.5m) was a shrewd midfield acquisition last year, and his price point makes him an attractive proposition this season.

Leeds United star Anton Stach (£6.0m) is another midfielder worth considering, while the newly-promoted teams offer plenty of options for low-cost defensive purchases.

FPL defenders earn two DC points if they make ten clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles, so it is scouring the new-boys for potential bargain buys.

Beware falling into the post-World Cup trap

The expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup has created an unwanted selection headache for FPL managers during the early part of the campaign.

Players involved during the latter stages of the tournament are expected to receive approximately three weeks away from club football.

Players from Spain, Argentina, England and France may not return to training until August 12, which gives them little time to get up to speed for the first round of matches.

Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka (£9.5m) and Declan Rice (£7.5m) leap off the page as expensive options who may be handled carefully during the early part of the season.

Rice has been battling injury issues over the past few months and desperately needs some time on the sidelines to rediscover full fitness.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez (£5m) is another risky option. He featured in the World Cup final for Argentina and may be given extra time to recover.

The Aston Villa star has also been linked with a move away from the club, which adds further uncertainty.

With Villa facing several tough Premier League fixtures early in the season, it would be prudent to avoid choosing Martinez and his defensive teammates.

Some Chelsea players also need to be treated with caution, albeit for different reasons. They include Enzo Fernandez (£7m) and Reece James (£5.5m).

Fernandez featured for Argentina in the World Cup final, while strong links with Real Madrid add another layer of uncertainty to his situation.

James has repeatedly struggled with injuries during his career and picked up another problem during the World Cup. He should be avoided.

Cole Palmer (£9.5m) and Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) will be tempting propositions for many FPL managers, but they may not be worth risking from the outset.

Palmer was underwhelming last season and needs to demonstrate he has rediscovered his form before FPL managers take the plunge.

Rogers looks decent value at £7.5m, but may need time to settle into life at Chelsea following his big-money summer move from Villa.

Alexis Mac Allister (£5.5m), Lisandro Martinez (£5.0m), Cristian Romero (£5.0m) and Pedro Porro (£5.5m) are other players who could be risky early-season picks.