FPL 2026-27: The Picks We’re Backing, the Traps to Dodge and Our Boldest Differentials

The new FPL season is nearly here and if you haven't finalised your squad yet, you're running out of time. We've gone through all 20 clubs and pulled together the players worth owning, the low-key picks that could win you your league, and the names that look appealing but will almost certainly let you down.

This isn't about picking the 15 most popular players and calling it a day. It's about building a squad with the right balance of reliable points, captaincy options and smart differentials. Let's get into it.

The Premium Options You Can Actually Trust

Let's start at the top. Erling Haaland at £15.5m is the big call every manager has to make. His pre-season has been limited and a full 90 minutes in gameweek one isn't guaranteed, but Crystal Palace and Coventry follow that opener. Blanking those two fixtures without him feels risky.

Bruno Fernandes at £12m is the other elite pick that catches the eye. He racked up 235 FPL points last season with 24 assists and now faces Hull and Ipswich in the opening two weeks. That combination of set-pieces, penalties and captaincy potential makes him almost impossible to leave out if you can stretch the budget.

For those wanting a premium player without going full Haaland, Joao Pedro at £7.5m is the one. He scored 15 and assisted nine last season, took the summer off properly, and has looked sharp in pre-season. He's already in over half of squads and for good reason.

Gabriel at £8m is the defensive anchor. He was the top-scoring defender in the game last season with 209 points. That's not luck, that's a system, a reliable clean-sheet source and a player who eats bonus points. Own him if you can.

The Differentials That Could Win Your Mini-League

This is where the real edge comes from in football fantasy games. Everyone owns the same talismans. It's the low-owned picks that separate the good managers from the great ones.

Dango Ouattara at £6.5m for Brentford stands out. He averaged over five FPL points per start last season, produced four double-figure hauls and doesn't need to become a premium asset to justify that price. With Igor Thiago drawing the attention inside the box, Ouattara has the space to operate.

Neco Williams at £5m for Nottingham Forest is one of the most underrated picks in the entire game. Under Oliver Glasner's wing-back system, he'll push forward regularly, contribute defensively and chip in with set-piece involvement. Remember how Daniel Munoz performed under Glasner at Palace? That blueprint already exists.

Adrien Truffert at £5.5m for Bournemouth is only 5% owned but scored the second-most FPL points for the Cherries last season. He attacks with purpose, earns bonus points and his low ownership means any double-digit haul is a rank-boosting event for you.

Granit Xhaka at £5.5m for Sunderland is a steady operator who will eat assists, defensive contributions and set-piece points without much fanfare. He starts almost every week and Sunderland open with fixtures that should suit him immediately.

Matty Cash at £4.5m is arguably the cheapest reliable pick in the whole game. Villa kept nine clean sheets last season and Cash had six goal involvements. At that price, he's a budget slot that punches well above its weight.

The FPL Traps That Will Cost You Points

Every season there are players who look good on paper and drain your squad of value. We're flagging them now before they drain your gameweek.

Christos Tzolis at £6.5m for Arsenal has pre-season buzz around him, but Mikel Arteta rotates his wide options constantly and Arsenal are reportedly looking to bring in another left winger. Consistent starts are far from guaranteed for a new signing in that environment.

Benjamin Sesko at £7m for Manchester United is the most tempting trap in the game. Eleven goals in his debut Premier League season, great fixtures early on and Champions League football adding more opportunities. The problem is the very same Champions League also increases rotation risk. Cunha and Fernandes offer more reliable routes into United's attack right now.

Marc Guehi at £6m for Manchester City looks appealing given his profile, but Enzo Maresca has talked up both Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol ahead of him. Spending that on a player who might not start regularly is a mistake.

Evanilson at £6m for Bournemouth only scored six goals in 32 league games last season. At that price point, Calvert-Lewin, Igor Jesus and Brian Brobbey are all offering considerably better value.

Chris Wood at £6m for Forest is an age and competition risk. He's 34, spent big chunks of last season injured and now has Igor Jesus pushing hard in pre-season. Avoid.

Our Picks for the Season

Football fantasy success isn't built on one good team, it's built on making fewer mistakes than everyone else across 38 gameweeks.

Our squad would start with Gabriel and Cash locked in at the back. Szoboszlai or Fernandes in midfield depending on budget. Joao Pedro up front is a must. And from there we're adding Truffert and Williams as the differentials that most managers will overlook until it's too late.

The biggest call is Haaland. We're backing him from gameweek one, accepting the rotation risk in the opener and targeting those Palace and Coventry fixtures that follow. Missing out on those two clean-sheet-likely hauls feels like a worse outcome than the small chance he doesn't start week one.

Get your squad in. The season waits for no one.