Once managers in Fantasy Premier League have completed the registration process, they can begin picking their squad.
Picking a squad: The basics
Managers are given an initial budget of £100.0m to spend on a squad of 15 players, who have each been allocated prices.
That squad must comprise of:
- 2 goalkeepers
- 5 defenders
- 5 midfielders
- 3 forwards
A maximum of THREE players can be chosen from any one Premier League club.
Easier ways to pick your squad
New for this season, FPL will help make a team for you if you select the "Yes, Help Me Out" option during the sign up process. It will then ask you three quick questions and create a personalised team.
If you want to change the whole team again, you can select the "Auto Pick Again" option. You can go back and answer the questions again or make manual selections if you want to.
When you are happy you can then select the enter squad option.
After this, the "What To Do Next" page will guide you through the next steps for managing your team.
Making further changes
To select a player for your squad by club, click on the "All players" dropdown filter in the left-hand column and scroll down to the club of the player you would like to pick and select that club.
To add the player to your squad, click on the "+" sign alongside their name and then "Make Transfers" below the pitch graphic, and click "Confirm."
You then have access to the club's player list, which is sorted by position. Clicking on the + sign next to the player you wish to own will place him in your squad after you select "Make Transfers" and then "Confirm."
Alternatively, you can type the player's surname into the menu search function to find them, as shown below.
Picking a squad: Top tips
So, which players should you pick? Here are four top tips for compiling a squad.
1. Balance
Try and put together a squad that is strong across all four positions. While it's tempting to fill your team with all of the best attacking players, you don't want to be left short of funds in defence.
Selecting bargain attackers can pay off - over the last couple of seasons, both Junior Kroupi (£7.5m) and Elliot Anderson (£6.5m) enjoyed strong campaigns despite having starting prices of £4.5m and £5.5m respectively.
With the introduction of defensive contribution points last season, we saw a large number of defensive midfielders and centre-backs become excellent options in Fantasy. There were 1,417 defensive contribution returns last season across the 20 Premier League sides. Marcos Senesi (£6.0m) and Anderson returned the most, hitting the defensive contribution threshold 26 times each.
The £4.5m goalkeepers have excelled in recent seasons. This season, two of the best goalkeeper picks from last season in Bart Verbruggen and Djordje Petrovic are both priced at £4.5m, alongside the Tottenham Hotspur 'keepers. Handily for managers in 2026/27, there appear to be a host of £4.0m-priced defenders among the promoted clubs who are regular starters.
2. Take note of player ownership
At the start of a season, it's not a bad idea to follow the herd so you don't get left behind.
In the "Total points" dropdown filter in the left-hand column, click and scroll down to "Team selected by %". This sorts players by their ownership.
Many of the most-owned players are widely selected for a reason. These are often the proven performers who have delivered in the past.
If you go without a lot of these players, and they then make a strong start to the season, you'll already be playing catch-up. So, if you're not sure who to pick, there's often some wisdom in the crowd. You can always increase your appetite for risk during the season.
3. Fixtures
Good fixtures can breed good form. While selecting your squad, make sure to check out the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) for the weeks and months ahead.
The FDR is based on a complex algorithm developed by FPL experts. A set of formulas generate a rank for the perceived difficulty of each Gameweek opponent, ranking from one (easy) to five (hard).
It is designed to help FPL managers plan their transfer and team selection strategy. It is reviewed on a weekly basis and updated as the season progresses.
Liverpool, for example, have just one match with an FDR rating higher than three across the first eight Gameweeks. As a result, many Fantasy managers will be selecting a couple of Liverpool players in their opening squad.
4. Leave money in the bank
Players' FPL prices will go up and down depending on whether they're being bought or sold by the masses.
So, it's advisable to leave a bit of money in the bank when picking your squad. Having £0.5m or £1.0m left over may mean that you can more easily transfer in someone who catches your eye over the first few Gameweeks.