Photo: Pete Nowakowski from Sydney, Australia / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
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Fantasy Premier League opened for the 2026/27 season last week, with millions of managers worldwide selecting their 15-man squads within a £100 million budget ahead of the campaign opener on Friday, August 21.
Several positional changes have been made ahead of the new season. Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly (£5.5m) is among 11 players reclassified, moving from defender to midfielder following his performances in central midfield during the second half of 2025/26. Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi (£7.5m) has also been moved to midfielder, a shift that raises his goal tally from four points to five points per strike for FPL managers who own him.
Manchester City's Omar Marmoush (£7.0m) moves in the opposite direction, now listed as a forward. Brighton's Mats Wieffer (£5.0m) gains eligibility for clean sheet points after being recognised in a defensive position, while Manchester United's Patrick Dorgu (£6.0m) is reclassified as a midfielder.
The bonus points system has been updated, including changes to defensive contributions (DefCon), which added significant points to top defenders and midfielders and boosted squad values during its first season last term.
New features for 2026/27 include a squad recommendation tool for less experienced managers, in which answering a short questionnaire generates a suggested 15-man selection. The squad can be adjusted with unlimited changes until the Gameweek 1 deadline on August 21 at 6:30pm. Live mini-league ranking updates — including projected bonus points — will also be available during matches.
Two further tools have been enhanced: the Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR) can now be viewed alongside a manager's current squad, and an incoming Price Change Predictor (PCP) will assist with transfer planning and budget management within the £100 million cap.
The scoring system will also operate on a revised timeline. Points totals will not be finalised until 9am UK time the day after a Gameweek's final match, replacing the previous cut-off of one hour after the last whistle. The change is designed to improve accuracy in calculations made alongside Opta.
The chip structure remains unchanged. Wildcard, Bench Boost, Triple Captain and Free Hit are each available twice — once before the Gameweek 19 deadline and once after. The 2024/25 Assistant Manager chip will not return.
Among early squad selection trends, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya (£6.0m) has been picked by nearly 30% of managers after winning the Golden Glove in 2025/26. Defender Gabriel (£8.0m), now the third-most-expensive defender in FPL history, appears in 25.3% of provisional squads after surpassing 200 points last season. Declan Rice (£7.5m) is included by 22% of managers.
Following a medical update on William Saliba (£6.0m), Cristhian Mosquera (£5.5m) has emerged as a popular alternative, appearing in 16.8% of squads. The young Spanish defender ended 2025/26 with a Premier League winners' medal and a start in the Champions League final.