FPL Beginners Guide 2025/26
Everything you need to play Fantasy Premier League — how it works, how to pick your squad, make transfers and use chips to score more points every week.
Quick answer:
FPL is a free game where you pick 15 Premier League players within a £100m budget. Each gameweek your selected 11 score real points based on their actual match performances — goals, assists, clean sheets and more. You make 1 free transfer per week and use 4 special chips over the season. The manager with the most points at the end of GW38 wins their mini-league.
How to play FPL — 6 steps
Create a free account
Register at fantasy.premierleague.com — it is completely free. You start with a virtual £100m budget and a blank squad of 15 slots.
Build your 15-player squad
Pick exactly 2 GKs, 5 DEFs, 5 MIDs and 3 FWDs within the £100m cap. Maximum 3 players from any one Premier League club. Aim to balance premium picks (£10m+) and budget fillers (£4–5m) across your bench.
Set your starting 11 and captain
Choose 11 starters in any valid formation (at least 1 GK, 3 DEFs, 2 MIDs, 1 FWD). The other 4 sit on the bench as cover. Name a captain for ×2 points — and a vice-captain as backup in case your captain does not play.
Score points each gameweek
FPL runs across all 38 Premier League gameweeks. Points come from appearances, goals, assists, clean sheets, saves and bonus points. Deductions hit for yellow cards, red cards and goals conceded.
Transfer players between gameweeks
One free transfer per week (roll over unused ones, up to 2 max). Extra transfers cost 4 points. Use transfers reactively — injuries, suspensions, a player losing their starting place — rather than chasing last week's points.
Deploy your chips at the right moment
You have four chips: Wildcard (×2), Bench Boost (×1), Triple Captain (×1) and Free Hit (×1). Each chip used well is worth 15–30 extra points. Time them around double gameweeks for maximum upside.
FPL scoring system
Points awarded per action, by position.
| Action | GK | DEF | MID | FWD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playing 1–59 min | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Playing 60+ min | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Goal scored | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Assist | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Clean sheet (full game) | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 saves (GK) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Penalty save (GK) | 5 | — | — | — |
| Penalty miss | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 |
| Yellow card | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| Red card | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 |
| Bonus points | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
Goals conceded: GKs and DEFs lose 1 point for every 2 goals let in after the 60th minute.
How to spend your £100m budget
There is no single right answer, but experienced managers broadly follow this allocation:
Pick one premium GK (£5.5–6m) from a clean-sheet-threat team; use the cheapest available second GK as a sub (£4–4.5m).
2 premium attacking DEFs (£6–7.5m each) from top clubs. 2 mid-range DEFs (£4.5–5.5m). 1 cheap bench DEF (£4m).
2–3 premium mids (£9–13m) who play every week and get attacking returns. Fill the rest with in-form budget options (£5–6m).
1 premium striker (£9–12m) as a reliable captain option. 1 mid-range forward (£7–8m). 1 budget filler on the bench (£4.5m).
Your 4 FPL chips explained
Chips are one-use power-ups. Each one used well is worth 15–40 extra points. Full chip strategy guide →
Unlimited free transfers for one gameweek. One available first half of season (GW1–19), one in the second (GW20–38). Use before a double gameweek run.
All 15 players score points this gameweek (including bench). Save for a gameweek when your bench players have double or easy fixtures.
Your captain scores 3× points instead of 2×. Best deployed on a premium player with a home fixture in a double gameweek.
Make unlimited transfers for one gameweek only — your squad reverts to its original 15 after the GW. Ideal for blank gameweeks to field 11 players.
6 tips every FPL beginner needs
Fix the deadline, not the clock
FPL deadlines are usually 90 minutes before the first match of each gameweek — often Friday or Saturday at 11:00 or 11:30. Late Sunday kick-offs still fall in the same gameweek. Set a phone reminder.
Budget your squad correctly
The classic split: spend big on 2–3 premium attackers (£11–13m), 2 premium mids, and fill the rest with strong value picks. Never spend £5m+ on a bench player.
Captain your highest-ceiling starter
The captain decision accounts for roughly 15–20% of your weekly score. Target attacking players at home against weak defences. Avoid captaining defenders or goalkeepers.
Check fixtures before buying
A £9m midfielder with six easy home games coming up is worth more than a £12m striker with six away games against top-4 sides. Always check the next 6 GW fixture run before committing.
Resist panic transfers
One bad gameweek for a premium player is not a sell signal. Look at underlying stats — shots, key passes, xG — not last week's score. Taking a −4 hit for a single bad week costs more than it saves.
Join or create a mini-league
Mini-leagues with friends and colleagues are where the real fun is. You can also join public leagues — Onside has a community league you can enter via the League tab.