Fantasy Premier League for beginners

The squad

You pick a squad of 15 players with a budget of £100.0m:

You can have no more than three players from any one Premier League club. Each gameweek you choose 11 starters in a valid formation; the other four sit on the bench and come on automatically if a starter does not play.

Captain

Each gameweek you name a captain, whose points are doubled, and a vice-captain, who takes over the double points if your captain does not play.

How players score

Points come from playing time, goals, assists and clean sheets, with goals and clean sheets worth more for defenders and goalkeepers. Bonus points go to the best performers in each match. Yellow and red cards, own goals and conceding goals cost points. Check the official rules for the current values; the bonus system was rebuilt for 2026/27.

Transfers

You get one free transfer per gameweek. Unused free transfers can be saved, up to five. Extra transfers cost four points each, so most managers avoid them unless a player is injured or suspended.

Chips

Chips are one-off boosts. In 2026/27 there are four kinds, and you get two of each: one for each half of the season.

• Wildcard: unlimited free transfers for one gameweek, permanently.
• Free Hit: unlimited transfers for one gameweek, after which your squad goes back to how it was.
• Bench Boost: your bench players score too, for one gameweek.
• Triple Captain: your captain scores three times his points, for one gameweek.

The Assistant Manager chip from 2025/26 has been removed.

Five habits for a first season

1. Build around fixtures. Players from teams with several easy matches in a row tend to score more.
2. Keep a playing bench. Cheap substitutes who actually play save you when starters are injured.
3. Do not chase last week's points. One big score does not make a player a good buy for the next six weeks.
4. Save transfers. Banking a free transfer gives you room to react to injuries.
5. Plan your chips. Use Bench Boost and Triple Captain in weeks when teams play twice.

How FPL differs from single-match fantasy cricket

Sources

• Premier League – FPL basics: how to pick a squad
• Beat FPL – FPL 2026/27 rule changes
• OnsideArena – FPL rule changes 2026/27