Fantasy Premier League don open for 2026/27 season, and managers all over the world don start to dey tinker with dem squads before the August 21 deadline. Four experts – Pras, FPL Heisenberg, Gianni Buttice and Holly Shand – don go through all 20 teams and choose dem key players. Dem pick talisman, differential, and player wey dem say make you avoid. The pikin don begin hot!
For Arsenal, Gabriel na the talisman. The Brazil centre-back na the top-scoring defender last season with 209 points, and e dey cost £8m. Pras say Gabriel be the most reliable way into the strong Arsenal defence. For Aston Villa, Ollie Watkins get price drop to £8m, and Holly say e go be Villa main man after Morgan Rogers go Chelsea. Watkins score average 16 goals for past four seasons, and e fit even take penalty now say Youri Tielemans don go Manchester United.
Man United get Bruno Fernandes as dem talisman. E bin produce 235 FPL points last season, with 24 assists. E dey cost £12m now, but e get set-piece, penalty, and creative responsibility. For Man City, Erling Haaland don break record with £15.5m starting price. Gianni say e go still be the highest-owned player, though e no get much pre-season. But with Crystal Palace and Coventry fixtures after Bournemouth, e hard to no pick am.
For differential picks, Matty Cash dey stand out for Aston Villa. The defender dey in about 8% of sides, and e produce six goal involvements last season. Holly talk say e get 30 shots and 30 key passes, so e get plenty routes to points. For Bournemouth, Marcus Tavernier na talisman, e be chief creator and dey take set-pieces. E get 11 attacking returns last season. But the differential na Adrien Truffert, only 5% owned, e score 165 points last season and dey ghost into dangerous positions.
Some players dem say make you avoid. Christos Tzolis for Arsenal na one, because Mikel Arteta fit rotate for left wing. Alejandro Garnacho for Aston Villa na another, though e dey cheap, e no get enough minutes. For Man United, Benjamin Sesko hard to assess, but e fit share minutes with other attackers. And for Newcastle, Lewis Hall dey linked with move wey make am avoid.
Beyond the picks, FPL get new features this season. The Sky Sports Broadcaster League don come back, and managers for United Kingdom fit win match tickets. Dem also adjust the Bonus Points System to reduce overlap with defensive contribution points, and make lockdown time later. Managers get eight chips total, two sets of Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost. And dem no go get extra free transfers for Africa Cup of Nations this time.
Fantasy Football Fix also highlight some differentials wey dey under 10% owned. Harry Maguire for Man United fit be better pass Luke Shaw, because e get higher DEFCON per 90. Marcus Tavernier get excellent underlying numbers, though e face Man City first. Kevin Schade get eye-catching goal threat with 12.19 xG. Ismaila Sarr score nine goals last season, and e go get good fixture against Ipswich. But the biggest surprise na James Tarkowski for Everton. E produce 170 points last season, and e get 377 DEFCON, second-most among defenders. E don project to score at least 4.3 points for every one of the first six Gameweeks.
