Last updated on June 26th, 2025
The Premier League is the most watched division on the planet with more than one billion people tuning into watch each week. For those who engage with the English top-flight, Fantasy Football has added another dimension to the the thrill of matchday. Football followers who select a team can go up against friends, family and even strangers in the battle for managerial supremacy.
If you are new to the game or a seasoned Fantasy Football gamer who wants to gain an edge on rivals during the 2025/26 campaign, this article will offer tips and advice on how you can pick the ultimate starting XI to win your respective Fantasy league come next May.
Become an Expert
Before making your picks or even thinking about your team, it is important to boost your knowledge on every Premier League club and player. Just like you would sign up to view current casino promotions before playing blackjack or roulette, it is always a smart move to do your research before getting started so you know exactly how to enhance your gameplay.
Begin by assessing each position and get to know the usual starters for each club. Check out which clubs are expected to be at the top of the table and look at which teams have been tipped to struggle which oftentimes include the three promoted clubs from the Championship which this season are Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland. Look at the narrative around each team so that you quickly get an understanding around the state of play heading into the new campaign.
Learn the Game
It’s also worth looking over how the actual Fantasy pastime works. Put simply, a player will earn points based on what they achieve out on the pitch in the real world. So, if you have selected Alexander Isak and the attacker nets a hat-trick for Newcastle, that will earn you double figures and mark a great return.
Points are also earned for appearances, clean sheets, assists and Man of the Match performances while they can be lost for penalty missed and being yellow and red carded. Don’t forget, captaining a player will double his points for the gameweek.
Assess the Player Price List
You may assume that picking a team involves merely selecting the very best players in the league but if only it was that simple. Every player taking part in Fantasy Football starts with a budget of £100million to buy 15 players – that’s eleven starters and four substitutes. For context, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was priced at more than £15million last season after his record-breaking 2023/24 campaign which left just an average of just over £6m on the rest of the team. Tough decisions have to be made to get the most of the players available within the budget.
Each Fantasy manager must select two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards. Being aware of these limits is crucial when starting to put your side together. Every week you can make a transfer though no more than two per matchday. However, if you don’t make a change one game, then the option to switch another player will carry over. With this in mind, keep an eye on the prices throughout the season as they will certainly move up and down depending on the form of the player.
Focus on the Players not the Clubs
It is tempting to pick the players who play for Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table but there are points to be made, and plenty of them, by utilising the stars of the sides who may often feature lower down the standings. Take Bryan Mbeumo, for instance, who played Brentford last time out, appearing in every single fixture and scoring 20 goals, a rate better than one every two games. The Cameroon international was on top form and recorded 236 points, the second highest tally of any player in the Premier League, behind only Mohamed Salah. Remember that there are efficient and effective players who can boast your team even if playing for one of the less glamorous and storied clubs.
Don’t always focus on the most exciting players either. Most gamers will head straight to the forwards and wingers when picking their XI but players like goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Jarrad Branthwaite regularly picked up six points or more during the 2024/25 campaign as Everton racked up a number of clean sheets.
Track Summer Transfers
While it’s always to look at the top performers previously, you must also assess the players who arrive as new signings. Florian Wirtz has arrived at Liverpool and is already being tipped to thrive in England so could be a good pick. However, with summer arrivals, it may actually be worth waiting to select them in your eleven until September or even October so that you can see how they settle in to the Premier League.
Assess the Fixture List
In the early weeks of the season, pay attention to the fixture list and continue this for the entire campaign. The opposition can have a major impact on how many points a player picks up so if one of your possible selections has an early run against the top six teams in the table, chances are games will be tight and the chance to add to your tally will be limited.
Overall, there are a number of strategies to follow when your picking Fantasy Football team and it can be a tough but enjoyable challenge putting together a side at the outset of the campaign.
