Making a poor start in FPL can be a tough task to recover from. To get your team off to a winning season, avoid these five big mistakes, provided by Fantasy Football Hub.
1 - Picking Non-Starters
There is nothing worse than selecting a player who does not even start in Gameweek 1, and some popular picks could fall into that category this season. Spurs goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (£4.0m) has been selected by 22.4% of managers, with many hoping for a starter at the lowest price point. However, it is his teammate Antonin Kinsky (£4.5m) who will be first choice between the sticks.
You can defend against blatantly poor picks by getting your latest draft rated for free by AI in seconds on Fantasy Football Hub. Simply take a screenshot of your team, upload it to the site, and the AI will give you a percentage score out of 100.
2 - Falling for Pre-Season Form
It is easy to be lured by pre-season form, with many fantasy managers still carrying scars from backing Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku in 2024/25, whose hot streak in the summer failed to translate into actual fantasy points come August. This pre-season has been more truncated than ever, given that some sides were already back in training in early July when some of their squad were still in the US at the World Cup. For example, Manchester City were still welcoming players back with less than 10 days to their opening fixture.
Jamie Gittens (£6.0m) has two goals and two assists for Chelsea in pre-season but did not make the starting line-up for their final pre-season friendly. Crystal Palace's top performers Matheus Franca (£5.0m) and Eddie Nketiah (£5.5m) were only substitutes in their final friendly, with three goals apiece.
3 - Backing the Unknowns
This season there is more uncertainty than ever, with plenty of managerial changes across the Premier League, some teams in Europe for the first time, and disruption to pre-season caused by a World Cup hangover. It is important to avoid as much of that uncertainty as possible by selecting nailed starters in settled squads. Actively avoid new signings to the Premier League and players from the promoted sides in your Gameweek 1 starting line-up.
Try to avoid players who are heavily speculated of moves in the transfer window, like Everton's Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m). Then there are players like Arsenal's Christian Mosquera (£5.5m) who could be quickly displaced if the Gunners sign another centre-back before Tuesday September 1.
4 - Having No Plan
To fail to plan is to plan to fail. The worst thing to do at the start of the season is failing to think ahead. As a starting point, look at the fixtures for the opening five gameweeks, which come before a long international break. Also ensure you have cover on your bench, in case injuries or suspensions hit early.
Within the FPL community, there is momentum for playing the Bench Boost chip early in one of the opening two gameweeks, with cheaper picks from Ipswich Town in Gameweek 1 for the visit of Sunderland, or from Coventry City in Gameweek 2 against Hull. Do not go too much the other way and book in transfers either, since the start of the season is the most unpredictable, especially with the transfer window still open. Also have a look at how your team might shape up from one gameweek to the next.
5 - Being Too Different
Picking a low-owned fantasy asset for Gameweek 1 that nobody is talking about and that goes on to score a double-digit haul is the ultimate fantasy flex. There are early bragging rights as you take an early lead in those mini leagues against your mates. However, with over 500 players to choose from, and perhaps only a few diamonds in the rough, it is very easy to get it wrong with a differential pick and end up playing catch up early doors. Taking those risky chances with captaincy is even more extreme.
FPL managers sometimes fear the highly owned picks and the boring play. But it is important to remember that the template picks have earned that status for a reason. They have the most potential for fantasy points, it is as simple as that.
