Fantasy Premier League Updates for 2026-27 Season
The 2026-27 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season has launched with some fresh changes that affect player selection, live scoring, and pricing predictions. Managers now have new tools to help build their teams and track progress more closely.
Assistance in Choosing Your Starting Squad
Choosing a starting lineup within the £100m budget and 15-player limit can be tricky. This season, FPL offers a feature where managers answer a few questions, such as their favorite team and playing style, and receive a suggested starting squad. Of course, managers remain free to adjust their squads right up until the deadline before gameweek one.
Live Mini-League Updates
Mini-leagues are often the heart of FPL competitions among friends and colleagues. Now, league tables will refresh live throughout match days rather than waiting until all games finish. Bonus points earned by players will also appear during matches from the 20th minute onward, offering a real-time view of team standings.
Predicting Price Changes
A new price-change predictor forecasts whether a player's value will rise or fall at midnight the next day. It ranks likelihood into five categories: very likely to rise, likely to rise, unlikely to change, likely to drop, and very likely to drop. This tool gives managers insight into potential market movements without guaranteeing results.
Adjustments to Bonus Points and Lockdown Times
Following last season's overhaul, bonus points rules have been fine-tuned further:
- Players will no longer lose points for being tackled, benefiting attacking midfielders who were frequently targeted last year.
- The threshold for defenders to earn bonus points through clearances, blocks, and interceptions has increased, reducing the chance of high defensive contribution scores.
- Goalkeepers now get two bonus points for all saves, removing extra points for shots outside the penalty area. They earn an additional point when denying big chances expected to be goals.
- Saves on penalties now yield seven bonus points instead of eight, but an extra point for big chance saves balances this out.
- Bonus points finalization has shifted from one hour after matches end to 09:00 UK time the following morning, allowing more accurate data review.
Retained Elements From Last Season
Two major changes remain:
- Each chip can be used twice—once in the first half and once after gameweek 20. Chips include Bench Boost, Free Hit, Triple Captain, and Wildcard.
- Defensive contribution points (defcon) continue. Players earn bonus points for defensive actions: two points per 10 actions for defenders, two points per 12 actions for midfielders and forwards. This has influenced player selection strategies significantly.
Player Price Updates and Position Changes
Erling Haaland retains his place as the priciest player in FPL history, rising from £15m to £15.5m. Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes has seen a substantial price jump from £9m to £12m after setting a Premier League assist record last season. Arsenal's defender Gabriel is now valued at £8m, tying him as one of the most expensive defenders ever in FPL.
Position changes for 11 players impact squad dynamics:
- Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Lamare Bogarde (Aston Villa), Keane Lewis-Potter (Brentford), and Patrick Dorgu (Manchester United) moved from defense to midfield.
- Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth) switched from forward to midfield.
- Mats Wieffer (Brighton), Rio Cardines (Crystal Palace), Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham), and Eric Moreira (Nottingham Forest) shifted from midfield to defense.
- Omar Marmoush (Manchester City) and Georginio Rutter (Brighton) changed from midfield to forward roles.
Additional Tools: History Checker and Weekly Recaps
The new history checker allows managers to compare their current rankings with previous seasons and see percentage rankings alongside overall positions. Weekly performance recaps are now available in image form, highlighting top players and summarizing results visually after each gameweek.
Joining the BBC Sport FPL League
BBC Sport will host its own FPL league again this season, providing a space for readers to compete directly. Instructions for joining will be released closer to the Premier League kickoff.
