With the new Premier League season kicking off tonight, millions of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are frantically tinkering with their squads ahead of this evening's deadline. The annual scramble to build the perfect 15-man team is well and truly underway as we hurtle towards the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
But before you finally click confirm and lock in your squad, there's some crucial housekeeping you need to be aware of. FPL bosses are constantly looking for ways to keep the game fresh and exciting - and this coming year is certainly no exception.
A raft of major tweaks and system updates have been rolled out for the 2026/27 season that could fundamentally alter your strategy - and the makeup of your squad. To ensure you don't get left behind by your rivals, here are six of the biggest changes you need to be aware of.
Live updates to your mini-leagues
No longer will you be forced to wait until the final match of the day for your league tables to be updated. This is because FPL has finally introduced real-time updates directly into the game.
You'll now be able to watch your overall rank and mini-league position shift instantly as the goals go in. To add to the drama, projected bonus points will now be added to a player's score after just 20 minutes of each match.
Bonus Points System (BPS) changes
The Bonus Points System has been tweaked this season to give a little more love to attackers, goalkeepers and full-backs. Following the introduction of defensive contribution (DC) points last season, the game-makers want to limit the crossover of players scooping up both DC points and bonus points in the same game.
Players will no longer be punished for being tackled, something which did count towards bonus points last season. The number of clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBIs) needed to earn a BPS point - used to calculate bonus points - has also increased from two to three. That is meant to make it less likely for defenders to score high amounts of defensive contribution points and bonus points.
The way goalkeeper saves contribute to BPS has also been tweaked. Under the old system, a save was worth three points if the shot came from inside the box and two if it was taken from outside. Going forward, every save will be worth two BPS points, regardless of where the shot originated, with the outside-the-box distinction scrapped.
Elsewhere, the number of BPS points for saving a penalty has dropped from eight to seven. However, goalkeepers will also earn an additional BPS point when denying a 'big chance' where the player shooting is expected to score.
Price-change predictions
Trying to predict when a player is going to rise or drop in value has always felt like a dark art. Not anymore. The official game will now feature a progress bar, giving managers a massive hint as to whether a player is about to jump up or down in price.
This new tool will use official FPL data to track the transfer activity for every player, providing the best possible indication of who is likely to rise and fall each day.
Position changes
A total of 11 players have had their FPL positions reclassified ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. Four players who were defenders last season have been moved into midfield: Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Lamare Bogarde (Aston Villa), Keane Lewis-Potter (Brentford) and Patrick Dorgu (Manchester United).
Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi is the only player switching from forward to midfielder, while four midfielders have been reclassified as defenders: Mats Wieffer (Brighton), Rio Cardines (Crystal Palace), Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham) and Eric Moreira (Nottingham Forest).
At the other end of the pitch, Manchester City's Omar Marmoush and Brighton's Georginio Rutter have both been moved from midfield into the forward category.
History checker and Gameweek recaps
FPL has introduced a revamped history checker, allowing managers to compare their previous season rankings with those of other FPL players more easily. The tool will also show your rank as a percentage, so you can track your best-ever finish relative to the rest of the game rather than simply looking at your overall position.
There is also a new visual Gameweek recap. Once each Gameweek has finished, managers will be able to view an image summarising their performance, including details of their top-scoring player.
Points locked in later
If you've ever celebrated a dubious FPL assist only for it to be heartbreakingly wiped out hours later, this one is for you. Gameweek points will now be officially finalised at a set time of 9am UK time the morning after the final match of the round.
This extra buffer allows FPL to iron out any late data corrections from Opta, meaning fewer controversial overnight point swings.
