How to Build Best FPL team for 2025/26 Season

The Premier League 2025/26 season is less than a month away from beginning, and with that, the excitement surrounding Fantasy Premier League 2025/26 is just growing every minute.

Every FPL manager tries to create the best FPL team, which seems simple but is very tough. It requires skill, experience, and some luck to pick the best FPL team, where even small details matter. It brings maximum points that help the FPL manager to get a chance to win the exciting FPL prizes. Here, we are discussing how to build the best FPL team for the 2025/26 season. But before that, let's look at some key rules, including the latest changes for the FPL 2025/26 season.

Fantasy Premier League Team: Key points system

General Points

Playing up to 60 minutes in a match: 1 point

Playing 60 minutes or more in a match (excluding stoppage time): 2 points

Points for scoring a goal

Forward: 4 points

Midfielder: 5 points

Defender: 6 points

Goalkeeper: 10 points

Points for an assist

Every player: 3 points

Points for a clean sheet in a match

Defender/Goalkeeper: 4 points (playing at least 60 minutes) – The eligible player can earn 4 points even after his team concedes a goal after his substitution out (excluding the player out due to a red card).

Midfielder: 1 point (playing at least 60 minutes) – The eligible player can earn 1 point even after his team concedes a goal after his substitution out (excluding the player out due to a red card).

Points for defensive contributions

Defender: 2 points for 10 CBIT (clearances, blocks, interceptions, and tackles), maximum 2 points for each defender in a match.

Midfielder/Forward: 2 points for 12 CBIRT (clearances, blocks, interceptions, ball recoveries, and tackles), maximum 2 points for each midfielder/forward in a match.

Points for saves

Goalkeeper: 1 point for each 3 saves in a match, and it is unlimited for a goalkeeper.

Points for a penalty save

Goalkeeper: 5 points

Bonus points

Any top 3 players (both teams combined): 3, 2, or 1 point

Negative points

Conceding every two goals in a match (only for the on-field defenders and goalkeeper, including the red card defenders or goalkeeper): – 1 point

Each yellow card: – 1 point

Each red card: – 3 points

Each penalty miss: – 2 points

Each own goal: – 2 points

Fantasy Premier League Team: 15-Member Squad Selection Rules

The following ratio needs to be followed for a maximum of a £100M budgeted 15-member squad for the FPL team.

• 2 Goalkeepers
• 5 Defenders
• 5 Midfielders
• 3 Forwards

A maximum of three players can be selected from a Premier League team in the 15-member squad.

Fantasy Premier League Team: Playing XI Selection Rules

Must follow the below rules, which are the minimum numbers that must be present in a playing XI.

• 1 Goalkeeper (no addition)
• 3 Defenders (up to 5)
• 1 Forward (up to 3)

Although there are no specific rules officially suggested for the midfielders, an FPL manager technically can’t go without at least two midfielders.

Best FPL Team Formation

The FPL manager can go with any formation that the person likes. It can be easily changed, and the manager can go with different formations for different gameweeks. Each manager has their own formation according to their knowledge, experience, and confidence. All the below formations can be used for any FPL gameweek.

• 3-4-3
• 3-5-2
• 4-3-3
• 4-4-2
• 4-5-1
• 5-2-3
• 5-3-2
• 5-4-1

Best FPL Team Strategies

For Goalkeepers

Go for the consistent goalkeeper, who has the chance to provide regular clean sheets. Therefore, a strong defence in the PL team is also crucial for the goalkeeper's choice. Also, a favourable schedule (lesser difficulty) and a good number of saves are important stats for the goalkeeping choices.

For Defenders

Despite the presence of very limited defensive contribution points (minimum or maximum 2 points), the attacking full-backs, regular set-piece takers, and reliable starters will be favourites for the defensive selections for the FPL 2025/26. To achieve a clean sheet, a solid defensive team is required in a PL team, while the defenders can also earn important points from an assist (3 points) and a goal (6 points).

Without strong defenders, the best FPL team can’t be built. However, the quick suggestion is never to go with too much money for the defenders.

For Midfielders

Scoring goals (5 points) and assists (3 points) are the key points for the midfielders, and they also have the opportunity to earn a maximum of two points from defensive contributions. Also, the clean sheet brings one point for the effective midfielders. The attacking midfielders, in-form midfielders, regular dependable players, etc., are very important names from midfield in each of the best FPL teams.

While we can’t ignore the high-priced midfielders, we also have to focus on mid-budget midfielders that can provide valuable points. Especially, for the mid-budget or low-budget midfielders, the form, fitness, and favourable schedule (lesser difficulty) are the key factors.

For Forwards

While the forwards can score the same assist points (3), they earn fewer points for a goal (4 points), but they get more chances to earn points from the assists or goals. Meanwhile, they can’t earn any clean sheet points but can earn a maximum of two points from defensive contributions.

A forward's value becomes very crucial, as it can prove to be costly for FPL managers if the top-valued forwards fail to bring rich points. So, the form and fitness become very crucial to select the forwards.

The Captain and Vice-Captain

The captain and vice-captain selections become very important for the FPL managers. A captain can bring double the points he earns, while the vice-captain can only earn the higher points if he replaces the captain due to his unavailability. The following factors are key in the selection of the captain and vice-captain.

• Strong form
• High goal-scoring involvements (assists or goals)
• Regular positive set-piece taker
• Strong fitness
• Favourable schedule (lesser difficulty)

*Also, remember that the top three players of a match can earn bonus points. The bonus points can bring good information about the form of a player.

The Chips

There are four chips available for the FPL 2025/26 season, which are:

• Wildcard – All transfers for a gameweek (including already made for the gameweek) are free of charge.
• Free Hit – Unlimited free transfers for a single gameweek, but the previous squad before the “Free Hit” chip will return after the effective gameweek.
• Triple Captain – For a gameweek, a captain can score three times the original points earned rather than the original rule of double points.
• Bench Boost – All the remaining four benched players’ points will be added for a gameweek.

For the FPL 2025/26, all four chips will be available twice. Gameweek 19 (at 18:30 GMT on December 30, 2025, Tuesday) will be the deadline for the first set of chips. If there are any chips left, they can’t be carried forward. At the end of Gameweek 19, the second set of chips will be available. Also, only one chip can be used for a gameweek.

As the chips can be very useful, which can boost the points and confidence of an FPL manager, the timing of using them is very important. Form, fitness, favourable schedule (lesser difficulty), etc., are the key factors before selecting the right chip.

Transfers

Transfers also play key roles in the best FPL team selection. Each gameweek provides one additional free transfer, and the free transfers can be extended a maximum of five times for a gameweek. So the advance planning (at least for three gameweeks), fitness status, price tags, etc., are the key factors for effective transfers.

Best FPL Team for 2025/26

Here is a suggestion for selecting the 15-member squad within a maximum of £100m budget. You can choose your own team. You can also opt for auto-pick, where the squad will be built automatically instead of manually.

Goalkeepers: Mets Sels (£5.0m), David Raya (£5.5m)

Defenders: Nikola Milenković (£5.5m), Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m), Nathan Collins (£5.0m), Tyrick Mitchell (£5.0m), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m)

Midfielders: Mohamed Salah (£14.5m), Antoine Semenyo (£7.0m), Declan Rice (£6.5m), Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m), Tomáš Souček (£6.0m)

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m), Dominic Solanke (£7.5m), Chris Wood (£7.5m)

After selecting the 15-member squad, you can choose your best playing XI from the 15-member squad. Choosing the playing XI, you always need to watch out for the fixture difficulty (lesser difficulty can be favourable) and form. Just like every season, the best FPL team for 2025/26 will also teach us many lessons.