The new season of the English top flight is fast approaching, and with that will come the long-awaited return of Fantasy Premier League.
As pre-season gives us a glimpse of potential top performers, many players will have already picked their squads for the opening gameweek of the 2025/26 campaign, though even at this stage, new signings and potential injuries might change things.
The usual suspects – your Erling Haalands and Mo Salahs of the world – will be among the most popular picks, with history dictating their unwavering ability to rack up points.
However, there are plenty of other players across the Premier League who might offer genuine value this season, from breakout stars to marquee new arrivals, with the potential of setting your team apart from the rest in your mini-league.
Here are 30 players we think might be solid additions to your FPL side:
Goalkeepers
Premium
David Raya, Arsenal – £5.5m
Arsenal conceded just 34 goals in the Premier League last season, the least of any side. David Raya kept 13 clean sheets and was third on the list of points scored by goalkeepers having amassed 142 points. He may face competition from Kepa Arrizabalaga this year, but should he kept hold of the No 1 spot the Arsenal man will be a fine choice for FPL managers.
Mid-range
Bernd Leno, Fulham – £5.0m
Accumulating more points than Alisson Becker is no mean feat and Bernd Leno did that. Fulham had a superb season in 2024/25 and could kick on this year. Leno only managed five clean sheets so there is room for improvement, but he will bring in over 100 points across the season having done so in six of the last seven campaigns.
Dean Henderson, Crystal Palace – £5.0m
One of the better mid-range picks from last year, Henderson has made himself a regular in the Crystal Palace team and is in confident touch. A strong 135 points last year was his second highest tally in five FPL seasons and 11 clean sheets justifies his lower price tag.
Budget Enabler
Bart Verbruggen, Brighton – £4.5m
The price point is the main draw here. A cheaper goalkeeper allows more leeway in choosing the rest of the squad. Only six teams conceded more goals than Brighton last year though Bart Verbruggen managed to keep seven clean sheets. He is a consistent starter so that guarantees points though probably not as many as the more expensive options.
Caoimhin Kelleher, Brentford – £4.5m
Caoimhin Kelleher could be one of those risky but incredible picks. He was a fine No 2 at Liverpool but must now perform week in, week out after a switch to Brentford. Despite only starting 10 matches last year Kelleher kept four clean sheets. There’s an unpredictability about how he will cope this year but based on his potential the reward (a high points tally) is arguably worth the risk.
Defenders
Premium
Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool – £6.0m
Ranked third last season with 143 points and without Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk is the safest defender from the title contenders, given Pep Guardiola has more depth now, which could lead to Josko Gvardiol rotating more.
Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City – £6.0m
The top scoring defender last season with 153 points, eight more than any other defender, with five goals, backing up his four from his debut season. High potential, but Rayan Ait-Nouri’s arrival gives more depth and the chance for Pep Guardiola to rotate a little more this season.
Mid-range
Daniel Munoz, Crystal Palace – £5.5m
A risk after rumours linking him with a move away, but Daniel Munoz had the highest expected goal involvements (8.38) for a defender last season by far, with Keane Lewis-Potter, who should be another consideration in this tier, next on 7.90. A defender with four goals and six assists probably falls off a little, but the upside is there.
Tino Livramento, Newcastle – £5.0m
A versatile defender and integral to Newcastle’s plans moving forward. At 5.0, Tino Livramento could outperform his price with 3.03 expected goal involvements last term and only one assist last term.
Trevoh Chalobah, Chelsea – £5.0m
With Levi Colwill crocked with an ACL injury, there is little doubt that Trevoh Chalobah will cement his place as a mainstay in the Chelsea starting XI off the back of a fruitful back-end of last season. And with the Blues a possible title contender, 5.0 could be cheap if Enzo Maresca can build on the Club World Cup triumph.
Budget Enabler
Chris Richards, Crystal Palace – £4.5m
The American centre-back has become a nailed-on starter under Oliver Glasner but could go into GW1 relatively low-owned, despite his vast upside potential. Chris Richards will be expected to rack up plenty of bonus points through defensive contributions, and his ability as an aerial threat means he could also chip in with a goal every now and again.
Maxim De Cuyper, Brighton – £4.5m
A new arrival to the Premier League and thus FPL, Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper could prove a masterstroke for players. The full-back models his game after Trent Alexander-Arnold – a notorious FPL points-scorer who is now no longer in the mix – comfortable inverting and playing in the midfield role. Don’t be surprised if the Belgian starts racking up assists this term.
Pau Torres, Aston Villa – £4.5m
Aston Villa have emerged as one of the top defensive sides in the Premier League over the past couple of years, and Pau Torres has been at the heart of their success. His penchant for defensive contributions and strong passing acumen will guarantee him points, and with Villa boasting a pretty favourable run of games at the start of the season, the Spaniard could be a no brainer.
Midfielders
Premium
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool – £14.5m
Need we explain more? Mohamed Salah is the FPL GOAT. The Egyptian has never finished a campaign with less than 200 points to his name, and last season broke his own record for most points racked up in a single season – with his 48 goal contributions delivering an eye-watering 344 points to FPL players in 2024/25. Everyone will have him in their teams – but if you choose to be different, you’re playing a dangerous game.
Cole Palmer, Chelsea – £10.5m
Chelsea’s talisman endured a tough spell last term when he went 12 league games without scoring a goal. Even with that dry patch, he racked up 15 goals, nine assists, and a whopping 214 FPL points. His output is undisputable, and after tearing European champions PSG apart in the Club World Cup final in July, we’re betting his numbers are about to go even higher.
Florian Wirtz, Liverpool – £8.5m
This one isn’t rocket science: Florian Wirtz will play a lot of minutes for the Premier League champions, mainly in the No 10 role, feeding chances to Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and quite possibly Alexander Isak. Wirtz’s 10 goals and 12 assists last season came from only 25 league starts. Repeat that rate of return and he will become an essential for every fantasy manager.
Mid-range
Anthony Elanga, Newcastle United – £7.0m
Anthony Elanga was excellent for Nottingham Forest last season and can now kick on at Newcastle. The winger filled in up front in a recent pre-season friendly with Isak absent, but whatever his role he is likely to be heavily involved in Newcastle’s attacking play if he’s on the pitch. The only question mark is his minutes, with Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon all vying for starting berths.
Declan Rice, Arsenal – £6.5m
Every FPL needs an affordable Mr Reliable in midfield, and Declan Rice offers just that, with 90 minutes virtually guaranteed every week. But he’s more than just a minutes machine: Rice scores, assists and the new defensive contribution points will play massively in his favour, making him the kind of player who can sit in your team all season long.
Iliman Ndiaye, Everton – £6.5m
If Everton are to improve this season in their shiny new stadium, Iliman Ndiaye will be at the heart of that progress. He has grown into Everton’s talisman and when the team scores, Ndiaye is usually involved. He doesn’t have much competition for minutes and Everton have some appetising early fixtures to capitalise on.
Budget Enabler
Elliot Anderson, Nottingham Forest – £5.5m
The midfielder is surprisingly cheap considering his knack for picking up goals and assists, but the key with Anderson is his defensive contributions: he would have been one of the biggest benefactors of the points last season. With some relatively gentle opening fixtures, he’s the perfect budget midfielder.
Tijjani Reijnders, Manchester City – £5.5m
Another new arrival to the English top-flight, the Dutch midfielder comes off the back of an outstanding 2024/25 season, notching 10 goals and four assists in Serie A with AC Milan. While he is expected to have a deeper role for Man City, his goal-scoring ability from midfield is exceptional for his price point, which suggests he could be one of the bargains of the year.
Jhon Arias, Wolves – £5.5m
One of the breakout stars of the Club World Cup, Wolves appear to have snatched up a gem. Jhon Arias, nicknamed “The Colombian Pele” by Fluminense fans, had been tearing up Brazilian football before bursting onto the global stage, where he earned a big move to the Premier League. He remains relatively unknown to the average FPL player, however, which means this pick could do wonders in separating your team from the pack.
Forwards
Premium
Erling Haaland, Manchester City – £14.0m
An ever-popular choice, Erling Haaland will actually set you back £1m less than last season – the question is, is he still worth the eye-watering price tag after a season of diminished returns for Man City? The Norwegian still racked up 22 goals in 31 appearances last season, plus Mo Salah is a more expensive option at £14.5m.
Alexander Isak, Newcastle – £10.5m
Alexander Isak is the transfer market’s hottest property at the moment and the same can be said for the FPL market. His 27-goal haul in all competitions last year and regular presence in the starting XI makes him a safe bet up front, whether he stays on Tyneside or makes the big-money move to Liverpool.
Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal – £9.0m
Arsenal’s new frontman may be the joint-third most expensive striker in FPL, but if can even come close to emulating his goalscoring exploits at Sporting, he’ll be worth every penny. Viktor Gyokeres racked up an incredible 97 goals and 28 assists in just 102 games in Lisbon, becoming one of the most sought-after strikers on the planet. He’s done damage to Premier League opposition before in Europe, and we can see him doing the same as a resident goalscorer in English football.
Mid-range
Joao Pedro, Chelsea – £7.5m
A well-timed purchase by Chelsea ahead of the Club World Cup, Joao Pedro immediately repaid his new club with key contributions Stateside, including a brace in the semis and a goal against PSG in the final. He appears to have immediately silenced any doubters over his £60m price tag and could also prove great value for money for FPL players. The only downside is his fine form means he’s likely to be a hugely popular player on FPL teams.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace – £7.5m
The Frenchman may prove a less popular option up front compared to the likes of Isak and Haaland, but at a considerably lower price, could be a bargain pick for the economical FPL player. The 28-year-old was a regular starter last term and, with rival clubs circling for Palace’s other attacking talents, should be a key figure up front again this season.
Budget Enabler
Jorgen Strand Larsen, Wolves – £6.5m
It took until the tail-end of the season for fans to realise just what Jorgen Strand Larsen was doing for Wolves. Seemingly out of nowhere, the big Norwegian crept into the goalscoring charts as he notched seven goals and two assists in his final nine games of the campaign. We expect him to keep up that prolific form going into the new term, making him a bargain buy for any player.
Igor Thiago, Brentford – £6.0m
Signed last summer for £30m, Igor Thiago’s Brentford career got off to the worst possible start as his first season was maligned by two serious knee injuries. However, he’s finally getting into the swing of things in pre-season and should be starting week-in week-out, especially if Yoane Wissa departs. Perhaps he can fill the Congolese striker’s shoes as an FPL hidden gem.
Beto, Everton – £5.5m
Arriving from Udinese in 2023 to a lot of hype, Beto took his time to bed in on Merseyside. But just as fans began to write him off, he enjoyed a good run under David Moyes last season and could keep his place as the Scotsman’s central striker this term, with Moyes tending to stick to his guns. Everton also have a favourable fixture list over the first seven gameweeks, giving Beto ample opportunity to get on the scoresheet.
