What Is FPL? Learn How Fantasy Premier League Works and How To Win

FPL or Fantasy Premier League is one of the biggest names right now when it comes to engaging in football squad-building games attracting millions of football fans every season.

People who enjoy the analytics of football games find FPL to be perfect for them. With a great player base and widespread influence on football discussions, FPL has become a staple for Premier League enthusiasts. From pundits to football fanatics, everybody participates in the game.

FPL is way more than just another football game. However, there aren’t many who are fully accustomed to what it is.

What is FPL?

Fantasy Premier League is a management game where users utilize real-life Premier League players. The goal is to collect the most points over the season, depending on the real-life performances of the players that they have chosen. The managers need to balance the budgets, transfers, and tactical decisions to maximize the points and climb the rankings. This goes for both overall and mini-league competitions.

The Fantasy Premier League is updated every season to reflect real-life player transfers, injuries, and form to make it more dynamic. Moreover, managers need to adapt their squads throughout the season.

Is Fantasy Premier League Free?

Yes, Fantasy Football Premier League is very much free to play. It is accessible via the official Premier League website and the Fantasy Premier League application. There are no mandatory fees needed to participate. This makes it accessible to fans of all backgrounds.

But there are different official and unofficial mini-leagues where the participants may enter paid contests with a lot of win prizes. The leagues operate within fair play guidelines, but they introduce an additional level of competitiveness for those willing to stake an entry fee.

You can also check our earlier coverage on FPL Mystery Chip.

From workplaces to friend groups, users create private leagues to go head to head against each other, making this a great social experience as well. There are some betting companies and third-party websites that offer cash-prize leagues. However, these are separate from the official FPL game.

How To Sign-Up for FPL Season 2025/26 Season

Here is a guide on how to sign in as an 'FPL Manager' in the new season of the Fantasy Premier League 2025/26.

• Visit the Official FPL Website: Go to fantasy.premierleague.com or use the FPL mobile app (available on iOS or Android).

• Create or Log In to Your Account: Existing Users: Click "Sign In" and enter your email and password. If you’ve forgotten your password, use the "Forgot Password" link to reset it.

  New Users: Click "Register" to create an account by providing your email, creating a password, and filling in required details like name and country.

• Verify Your Account: Ensure your account is verified by checking your email for a confirmation link from FPL. This step is crucial for new accounts or if prompted for returning users.
• Set Up Your Team: Once logged in, select your squad of 15 players within the £100m budget. You can make unlimited transfers until the Gameweek 1 deadline on August 15, 2025.
• Join Leagues (Optional): Navigate to the "Leagues & Cups" tab, select "Join a League," and enter a league code (e.g., bbcfpl for BBC Sport’s league) or create your own private league.
• Stay Updated: Opt in for FPL emails and notifications via the website or app to receive player price updates and gameweek deadlines.

Understanding the FPL Points System

Points in FPL are given depending on how the player (who is chosen) plays in the real-life matches in the Premier League. Below is a breakdown of the key scoring actions:

Points for attacking contributions

For Goals Scored:

• Forwards: 4 points
• Midfielders: 5 points
• Defenders & Goalkeepers: 6 points

For Assists: 3 points (In the new FPL season, players will be awarded assist points even if it gets deflected or goalscorer receives the ball inside the box after a single defensive touch that isn't a pass)

Winning a penalty: If the other player scores, 3 points will be awarded.

Points for defensive contributions

For Clean Sheets:

• Goalkeepers & Defenders: 4 points
• Midfielders: 1 point

For Saves: Goalkeepers get 1 point for every 3 saves.

For Tackles: A small change in the point system is there for tackles. Earlier, 2 points were given for net tackles (tackles won minus lost) but now players will be rewarded 2 points for every successful tackle, and no demerit points will be there for failed attempts.

Note: New defensive contributions system (2 points for 10 CBIT for defenders or 12 CBIRT for midfielders/forwards), which is a major addition for 2025/26.

Points for Penalty

Earlier, FPL used to reward different points to different players if they converted a penalty, which has been changed now; every penalty scored will yield 12 points irrespective of the player's position.

Bonus points system

There are extra bonus points (1-3) given to the players who have performed the best in every match, depending on the Bonus Points System (BPS), which evaluates player contributions such as goal involvement, key passes, and tackles.

Players who create great chances, finish a high number of passes or make goal-line clearances have a better chance of earning bonus points.

Negative points

• Yellow Card: -1 points
• Red Card: -3 points
• Penalty Missed: -2 points
• Own Goal: -2 points
• Goals Conceded: There is a -1 point deduction for defenders and goalkeepers for every 2 goals conceded.

How to build an FPL squad?

Creating a competitive fantasy premier league squad needs tactical planning. Here is how it works:

Squad selection rules

• Every manager is given a budget of £100 million.
• There are player restrictions as well. A maximum of 3 players from a single Premier League club is allowed.
• As far as the squad size goes, there should be a total of 15 players: 2 Goalkeepers, 5 Defenders, 5 Midfielders, and 3 Forwards).
• The managers can choose 11 players every gameweek, with the remaining 4 on the bench.
• The selected captain scores double points in that gameweek.

Tips for a strong squad

Let us now have a look at some fantasy premier league tips for squad building:

• You should focus on balancing premium and budget players. Consider including high-scoring premium players but pair them with budget-friendly picks.
• Keep an eye on the fixtures. Consider favoring the teams with easier upcoming matches.
• You should also focus on consistency. The players who deliver steady points over the season are more valuable than the ones who occasionally scores.
• Moreover, you should use the wildcards cautiously. These enable unlimited transfers and can be used only twice every season.
• Also, monitor the player injuries and rotation-prone teams to avoid point losses.
• Picking the highly owned players can be safe. However, the lowly-owned players who perform well might give you an edge.
• The values of the players fluctuates on demand. Therefore, purchasing the players early might help secure them, at a lower price.
• xG and xA along with shots on target might indicate the potential of a player if they have not been scoring regularly.
• Do not rely on one single team. Spreading the assets across more than one club minimizes the risks associated with the poor team performance.
• The triple-captain chips should be used smartly. These can massively boost scores in double gameweeks.

Blank gameweeks and Double gameweeks

• BGWs: These occur when specific teams do not play, needing managers to have backup players.
• DGWs: These happen when the teams play twice in a single week, making it an ideal time to use chips such as Bench Boost or Triple Captain.

Wildcard strategy and Captaincy selection

Remember, the early wildcard helps fix poor squad selections after the first few weeks. The late wildcard, on the other hand, is used to prepare for BGWs and DGWs, maximizing points.

The safe captains are reliable high-scoring players such as Mo Salah or Haaland. The risky captains are the differentials who have an easy fixture but lower ownership.

The reason why Fantasy Premier League app​ is so famous because it offers the fans an interactive way to engage with the sport that they love. While enjoying the gameweek, they get to involve themselves in decision making that requires experience and tactics of their own.

Additional FPL 2025/26 Changes

FPL 2025/26 is just a few weeks away from commencement, and people are confused about all the new changes. This section will explain all the new changes in the simplest manner. Let's check all the FPL rules that have been introduced in the new season of FPL.

• Chips: The Assistant Manager Chip, used in 2023/24, is no longer available. Instead, FPL managers get two sets of chips (Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain, Bench Boost) per season: one for Gameweeks 1–19 and one for Gameweeks 20–38.
• AFCON Transfers: Managers receive five free transfers in Gameweek 16 to navigate the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (December 21, 2025–January 18, 2026, Gameweeks 16–22), regardless of prior transfer accumulation.
• Elite Leagues: New Top 1% and Top 10% leagues for managers who finished in the top 114,319 or 1,143,193 in 2024/25, respectively, with prizes like Puma merchandise and FPL certificates.
• Player Price Changes: Examples include Mohamed Salah (£14.5m, up from £12.5m), Erling Haaland (£14.0m, down from £15m), and Jordan Pickford (£5.5m, up from £5m).
• Position Changes: Players like Cody Gakpo, Omar Marmoush, and Iliman Ndiaye switched to midfielders, Jarrod Bowen to a forward, and Myles Lewis-Skelly to a defender.