The Premier League is back, so it’s time to set up your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team. With millions of players competing, winning takes more than picking your favourite stars. You need a good strategy, a bit of planning, and smart moves each Gameweek.
This guide walks you through the best fantasy football strategy for 2025. These tips can help new and experienced Fantasy Premier League players improve their decision-making, avoid mistakes, and achieve high mini-league rankings.
Understanding Fantasy Football Basics
Before we dive into strategy, here’s a quick reminder of how FPL works. You get a £100m budget to build a 15-man squad:
- 2 Goalkeepers (GK)
- 5 Defenders (DEF)
- 5 Midfielders (MID)
- 3 Forwards (FWD)
You can’t have more than 3 players from the same team. Each Gameweek, you choose 11 players to start and pick a formation (you must have at least 3 defenders, 2 midfielders, and 1 forward).
Simplified FPL Point Scoring
Here’s how players earn or lose points:
| Action | Goalkeeper | Defender | Midfielder | Forward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playing up to 60 minutes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Playing 60+ minutes | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Goal Scored | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Assist | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Clean Sheet (must play 60+ mins) | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Every 3 Saves | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Penalty Save | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Penalty Miss | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 |
| Bonus Points (Top 3 players per match) | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| Every 2 Goals Conceded | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow Card | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| Red Card | -3 | -3 | -3 | -3 |
| Own Goal | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 |
You also pick a captain who gets double points and a vice-captain in case your captain doesn’t play. You get one free transfer weekly; extra ones cost 4 points each.
Read more:
- Top 10 Fantasy Premier League Tips to Win Your Mini-Leagues in 2025
- Top 5 FPL Mistakes to Avoid and How to Fix Them
How to Build a Strong FPL Squad
Getting your first squad right can save you from wasting transfers later. Here’s how to do it:
- Spread your budget: Don’t overspend on just midfield or attack. Keep your team balanced.
- Stay flexible: Things change fast in FPL. A player might get injured or lose form. Leave room to adjust.
- Spot value players: Look out for cheap players starting games and getting points. These are usually new signings or players filling in for injured teammates.
- Track value for money: Use fantasy football stats like ‘Points Per Million’ or just look at how much a player scores for their price. This helps you get more from your budget.
Picking Players and Formation
There’s no best formation, but most managers prefer 3-4-3 or 3-5-2. Pick yours based on fixtures and player form.
Goalkeepers:
- Either get a safe starter (£4.5m–£5.0m) and a backup
- Or rotate two £4.5m keepers based on who has better fixtures
Defenders:
- Clean sheets are harder to come by, so pick defenders who also go forward, especially fullbacks who cross or shoot.
- Mix premium defenders with cheaper ones to give yourself options.
Midfielders:
- This is where most points come from.
- Go for at least one or two top midfielders (£8.0m+), a few mid-priced ones (£6.5m–£8.0m), and one budget pick (£4.5m–£6.5m) who plays regularly.
Forwards:
- Apart from Haaland, many forwards haven’t been consistent.
- One premium striker with two cheaper options is usually better. Focus on those who take penalties or have high expected goals (xG).
Related posts:
- EFL Fantasy Football: How It Works & Best Players to Watch
- EPL vs Bundesliga Fantasy Football: 5 Key Differences
Smart Weekly Management
FPL is a weekly game, so checking team news, injury updates, and player form greatly helps. Here’s how to manage things well:
Transfers:
- Think 4–6 Gameweeks ahead, not just one.
- Use tools to check fixture swings.
- Don’t follow the crowd blindly. Look at expected stats like xG and xA to see which players perform.
Point Hits:
- Taking a -4 hit is okay if you believe the player coming in will earn you more over time.
- Don’t rush into hits because of hype or one good week.
Bench Tips:
- Have bench players who play each week.
- This becomes useful during rotation, injury, or Double Gameweeks.
2025 Fantasy Football Strategy Tips
Before the season kicks off, keep an eye on:
- Fitness and form in pre-season
- Transfers in and out
- Who’s on penalties or free-kicks
- Lineups from friendlies
Also:
- Watch players who ended the 2024 season strong
- Look out for standout names from promoted teams
- See if any players have moved to bigger clubs. They might now offer better points potential.
Use Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) to spot teams with easier starts, but don’t be too rigid. Just one or two matches can change everything.
You might also like:
- How Do Fantasy Points Work?
- PL Fantasy Football vs. Sky Sports Fantasy
Turn Your FPL Skills into Real Prizes with FantasyFi
If you enjoy playing Fantasy Premier League, you’ll love FantasyFi.
FantasyFi lets you pick your best 11 from real-life daily matches and compete against thousands of other fans for cash prizes.
It’s simple:
- Choose your 11-player team from both sides.
- Enter contests with entry fees starting as low as $0.10.
- Watch the match and track every goal, assist, and save as your points increase in real time.
Win big even if you don’t finish in the top 10. With contests that pay out to the top 25,000 players, you’ve always got a chance to walk away with something.
FantasyFi offers new and experienced players a fresh perspective on football and a chance to capitalise on their expertise. Sign up for FantasyFi and test your fantasy football strategy tonight. Why wait till the weekend when you can play and win daily?