The new Fantasy Premier League prices and game mode have been released for the 2025/26 season, and with it, new rules and stat inclusions. Unlike most offseasons, FPL made fairly significant changes to the game, including adding stat categories and changing the usage of chips.
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NEW STATS
DEFENSIVE CONTRIBUTIONS
Defensive contributions are a new way to score points in FPL, which adds a different layer to scoring and another way to strategically build lineups.
Why have FPL introduced this?
Defensive contributions will allow players from typically unpopular positions to be given extra value and point-scoring ability. This change will particularly help center-backs and defensive midfielders.
How will these points be awarded?
All players will be rewarded for clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles, while midfielders and forwards will also be given points for ball recoveries.
Defenders who carry out 10 or more clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles in a game will receive two FPL points.
Midfielders and forwards who total 12 or more ball recoveries, clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles in a game will also receive two FPL points.
Two points is the maximum number of points that can be received, and there is no way to earn one point. It puts a fine line between being good and elite in these categories.
Which players would have benefited the most in 2024/25?
All of these players fall into the category of center-back or defensive midfielder.
| Player | Extra Points Given |
|---|---|
| James Tarkowski | 44 |
| Moises Caicedo | 42 |
| Jan Bednarek | 40 |
| Dean Huijsen | 38 |
| Murillo | 38 |
| Elliot Anderson | 36 |
| Joao Gomes | 36 |
| Idrissa Gueye | 36 |
| Wout Faes | 34 |
| Christian Norgaard | 34 |
BONUS POINT SYSTEM (BPS) AND ASSIST UPDATE
FPL also made small changes to both the bonus system and how assists are counted.
Fantasy Assists criteria have been broadened to include passes that are deflected with only one touch and end up in the path of a goalscorer, even if they weren't the intended target.
The new BPS scoring can be likened to that of Daily Fantasy Soccer, which accounts for a wider range of statistics than FPL normally scores. The top three scoring players in BPS each game will receive up to three extra FPL points.
Goalkeeper saves will be differentiated within BPS scoring. An outside-the-box save will remain at two points, while a save from inside the box will increase to three points. Goal-line clearances will increase from three points to nine points. Goals from penalties will be differentiated from normal goals, and their scoring on BPS will drop from 24 or 18 to 12 points across the board.
Tackles won will be the only tackles that are awarded BPS points. Tackles lost will no longer detract from the BPS score.
These changes won't change how you play FPL, but they're important to know if you want to dig deeper into the Bonus Scoring System.
How can you utilize the changes for the 2025/26 season?
While it's a bevy of changes, they're ultimately small ones and strategy shouldn't be widely affected until the season starts. Some players will benefit more than others, but they've also been priced up for that reason, meaning it's not as easy as plugging in the obvious benefactors.T
Tarkowski started last season at $4.5m, but for the 2025/26 season he's priced at $5.5m. Caicedo started last season at $5.0m and will be priced at $5.5m.
The defensive boost should mostly be considered when deciding between two specific players. If they have a similar attacking threat and clean sheet probability, then this will be the best time to use defensive contributions as a deciding factor.
Double Chips & No Assistant Manager
Like previous seasons, there are four chips to play throughout the campaign.
- Bench Boost allows managers to receive points for all players on the bench in addition to the normal starters.
- Free Hit allows for one week of unlimited transfers, and the team would revert to the original one at the end of the gameweek.
- Triple captain allows for one chosen captain to receive triple the points rather than the usual double points.
- Wildcard provides unlimited transfers for one gameweek, giving a full reset of an FPL team. Two wildcards were in play each year: one between GW 1 and 19, and one from Gameweek 20 on.
- The assistant manager chip was introduced last season and will not be returning for 2025/26.
In 2025/26, the major change is that all chips, like the wildcard, will be available twice per season. They can be utilized in the first half and then the second half of the season.
CHIP STRATEGIES
The use of chips in FPL mostly revolved around how managers chose to navigate the blank and double gameweeks later in the season. The addition of chips means there are new strategies to take for the first half of the campaign.
Free Hit: In the first half of the season, the Free Hit will be best used to navigate any short-term struggles. This may include if you have suspended players in the same week or if a number of one-week injuries occur at the same time. If managed well, this could also be used to navigate when the stronger teams play each other.
For example, if you roster three Liverpool players and three Arsenal players, who play each other, as well as two players who face Man City that gameweek, a Free Hit could be used to navigate that gameweek.
Bench Boost: The key to a good bench boost is getting players on the field. In the second half of the season, a double gameweek allows for the best chance of each player playing in at least one game. In the first half of the season, the best way to use it will be picking a gameweek when you know all your players will play. A bench boost in Gameweek 1 will be a popular option.
Triple captain: This is another chip typically used during a double gameweek, but in the first half of the season, it will be about targeting a fixture you feel a player has the best chance of scoring two or more goals. Most of the popular situations will be players like Mohamed Salah or Erling Haaland at home against one of the newly-promoted sides.
FREE TRANSFERS DURING AFCON
Prior to Gameweek 16, some players will head to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and be out a good portion of January. They'll be unavailable for their Premier League clubs until after the tournament has concluded for their nation.
To allow for this, FPL are giving all managers the maximum of five free transfers in Gameweek 16.
How to make the most of these transfers?
This number of transfers seems quite generous, as you'll be able to replace a third of your squad for free when much less than a third of the useable players will be away at AFCON.
The main way to maximize this is to make sure you have zero free transfers left after Gameweek 15. If you have free transfers "in the bank," you'll miss out on some of the new free transfers given to you for AFCON.
Who are the top players going to AFCON?
The obvious player who will be missing for this period is Mohamed Salah. He broke the record for FPL points in a single season in 2024/25 and comes in at $14.5m.
He's joined in the Egypt team by Omar Marmoush, who will be a popular option in FPL if he cements a place in the Manchester City starting lineup.
Manchester United will be heavily impacted if they are more useful for FPL this season, as newly-signed Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Andre Onana will all be away.
Sunderland added four players this summer who could all be away during AFCON, which could mean an extremely difficult month for the club. It could also make Sunderland a more attractive target when choosing players who face them.
