What is FPL and what’s new this season?
FPL, or Fantasy Premier League, is the official fantasy football game where you build a 15‑player squad from Premier League teams and score points based on real‑life performances.[3] For the 2025/26 season, FPL has launched with major updates to scoring, chips and league structures that change how managers approach the game.[1][2]
Beyond the familiar mechanics of transfers, captaincy and mini‑leagues, the new season puts greater weight on defensive work and long‑term planning.[1][3] Official guidance and specialist fantasy sites now emphasise understanding these changes before locking in your Gameweek 1 team.[1][2][5]
Defensive contribution points and scoring changes
A key 2025/26 innovation is the introduction of defensive contribution points, which reward clearances, blocks, interceptions, tackles and ball recoveries.[1][3] Defenders earn two points for reaching 10 such actions in a match, while midfielders and forwards need 12, including recoveries, to gain the same bonus.[1][3]
These additions sit alongside the existing scoring rules for goals, assists, clean sheets, saves and bonus points from the BPS.[3] Pre‑season analysis has recalculated last season’s totals using the new system, revealing that centre‑backs and defensive midfielders stand to gain the most, encouraging managers to reassess traditionally unfashionable picks.[2]
Double chips, elite leagues and strategy
Managers now have two full sets of the four main chips – Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost – one set for each half of the season, while the Assistant Manager chip has been removed.[1] The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline, which means you cannot carry unused early‑season chips into the second half of the campaign.[1][6]
FPL has also added elite global leagues for managers who finished in the top one per cent and top 10 per cent worldwide last season, raising the stakes for high‑ranked players.[1][2] Expert content focuses on combining these extra chips with fixture analysis, blank and double Gameweeks and European schedules to create a season‑long strategy that maximises rank and mini‑league success.[2][6]