Last updated on July 7th, 2025
The 2025/26 Premier League season resumes in August, and that means one thing for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers: it’s time to battle. Everyone is bringing out their drafts, preparing their best picks and thinking of how they can perform better than they did last season. With the first deadline approaching as Liverpool and Bournemouth kick off the season on August 15th, many FPL managers will be focused on their first draft, but experts know that the first week is their least concern.
A good FPL manager knows that the league isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. You have to strategise, re-strategise and put in the work from start to finish. It’s not a matter of one size fits all, you have to assess many choices throughout the season, just like you would when signing up for safe non Gamstop betting options. These are offshore betting sites that are not bound by strict UK gambling laws. And because they are overseas, one has to be careful to only pick safe and fully licensed sportsbooks. You have to look at your options and see which one has the best advantages.
The only way to be among the best FPL managers is to build a flexible squad that can survive anything. You need a squad that can survive fixture postponements, injuries, multiple blank weeks and of course, the ‘Pep Roulette’. Building a flexible squad that survives anything can help you stay ahead, but it isn’t an easy task. This article simplifies that task by giving you tips on how you can build a flexible FPL squad that can survive anything when the Premier League season returns in August.
1. Work Within Your Budget
Coming into the new season, remember that your budget is fixed at £100 million and you’re expected to build a squad of 15 players with that budget. Two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards. This is where many managers make the mistake.
While the game ensures you stick to the budget and number of players, many FPL managers start chasing star players, and by the time they are done buying, the money isn’t enough, and you have to start managing, trimming the squad, and eventually, you don’t have a solid squad. Start by drafting the players that you can always rely on for points across all these positions before you begin buying. Premium players are good, but sometimes, they aren’t the best options.
2. How To Choose The Best Players
For goalkeepers, it’s best to go with those who are guaranteed to give you clean sheets. Names like David Raya of Arsenal and Alisson Becker of Liverpool fall into this group. Raya co-won the Golden Glove award for the 2024/25 season and the one before that. Raya and Alisson are some of the best bets for clean sheets, but you can also explore mid-priced options who will definitely face a ton of shots but can squeeze out a clean sheet. You can also look at players like Dean Henderson and Jordan Pickford in this category. Your backup keeper shouldn’t be more than £4.5-5 million, and he should be able to alternate for your main keeper if he has an easier run of fixtures.
For defenders, most managers avoid centre-backs except the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, William Saliba or Gabriel Magalhães, who are sure to return clean sheets. Your safest options are attacking full-backs and defenders who take set pieces, like Reece James, Pedro Porro, Milos Kerkez and Antonee Robinson. You can easily profit off their attacking returns if the clean sheet returns don’t come regularly.
Buying midfielders is where it gets tricky because you have a lot of options here, and midfielders often give the most points. This is where you would want to spend a lot. A good way to go about this is to buy a few star players, mid-priced assets, and budget-friendly players. You should go for players like Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer, who are expensive but are sure to deliver points against almost any opponent.
Mid-priced assets like Bryan Mbuemo, Justin Kluivert, Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze can help find a balance for both the good days and the bad ones. To ensure you stay within your budget, buy players within £5-6 million that are sure to start and give you filler points in case someone misses out on an injury. You can also target wingers who have been listed as midfielders in the game; these players can be your differential.
For strikers, you can’t go all in. Many premium players will hurt your budget. Instead, go for balance. Choose a top striker, a mid-priced one and a striker from a lowly ranked team that isn’t costly but is sure to start.
3. Rely on Your Chips and Team News
Many FPL managers use their chips towards the end of the season, and this is a costly move. Use your chips during the season, when you notice something isn’t right or you need to quickly sign a few in-form players and you don’t have enough transfers, rely on your free-hit and wildcard.
Team news is an underrated way to get reliable information and stay ahead of the curve. Follow the latest player news, find out who might not be in the squad, possibly injured or gets the nod from the managers. Sometimes you may not watch the game and you need information to guide your decisions, rely on news articles from the club, and media houses and find who performed and who didn’t, what clubs they play next and refine your strategy with the information.
Building a squad that survives anything means refining your strategy, making informed decisions and making them on time.
