FPL 2026-27: The best players, insider tips and flops

FPL 2026-27: The best players, insider tips and flops

According to Bbc.

Background

Arsenal and Aston Villa have talented players who can play an important role in the Fantasy Premier League. Gabriel and Ollie Watkins have been identified as key players, while Ben White and Matty Cash are considered dark horse picks with the potential to shine in the coming weeks.

Why this is important

The assessments of the FPL experts are crucial for managers who want to optimally position their squads. Players like Gabriel and Ollie Watkins could have a significant impact on the season, particularly in terms of their scores and their teams' overall performance. Choosing the right players can be the difference between a successful and a less successful fantasy team.

Key findings

• FPL 2026-27: The best players, insider tips and flops.
• BBC Sport's FPL experts give their assessments of the best and worst players for the 2026-27 season.
• FPL 2026-27: Best picks, differentials and who to avoid this year - BBC Sport.

The Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season begins on Friday, August 21st. To help managers plan ahead of the start of the season, we've taken a close look at the squads of all 20 Premier League teams. Our four experts - Pras, FPL Heisenberg, Gianni Buttice and Holly Shand - have each selected a talisman, an insider tip and a player to avoid. ###Arsenal **Talisman: Gabriel (£8m, defender)** **Pras:** The Brazilian centre-back is clearly the Gunners' best choice. He was the FPL's top-scoring defender last season (209 points) and remains the most expensive but also most reliable way to get into Arsenal's strong defense. **Insider tip: Ben White (£5.5m, defender)** **Pras:** The English right-back offers a good mix of offensive and defensive qualities. He is expected to play regularly next season. **Player to avoid: Christos Tzolis (£6.5m, midfielder)** **Pras:** The newcomer has talent, but was not yet planned in the preparation so that one can certainly expect regular appearances. ### Aston Villa **Talisman: Ollie Watkins (£8m, striker)** **Holly:** Watkins has come down in price and is expected to be Aston Villa's main target after Morgan Rogers moved to Chelsea in this transfer window. **Insider tip: Matty Cash (£4.5m, defender)** **Holly:** Cash sits in around 8% of FPL teams and is Villa's first choice right-back. Last season he was involved in six goals and also had a lot of completions and “key passes” that point to points. **Player to avoid: Alejandro Garnacho (£6m, midfielder)** **Holly:** While Garnacho could be interesting as he joined Villa on loan from Chelsea this summer, he will be hard-pressed to secure a regular spot in Villa's midfield. ### Bournemouth **Talisman: Marcus Tavernier (£6m, midfielder)** **Gianni:** Tavernier is the main creative contact at Bournemouth and is also responsible for many set pieces. **Insider tip: Dango Ouattara (£6.5m, midfielder)** **Gianni:** The less than 5% occupied French winger could become an insider tip this season. **Player to avoid: Evanilson (£6m, striker)** **Gianni:** The Brazilian striker doesn't get enough playing time to be interesting for the FPL. ### Brentford **Talisman: Igor Thiago (£8m, striker)** **Heisenberg:** Thiago is Brentford's clear talisman after his outstanding last season in which he scored 22 goals. **Insider tip: Dango Ouattara (£6.5m, midfielder)** **Heisenberg:** Ouattara has great potential and could score a lot of points this season. **Player to avoid: Callum Wilson (£5.5m, striker)** **Heisenberg:** I doubt he'll get much playing time this season. ###Brighton **Talisman: Pascal Gross (£5.5m, midfielder)** **Pras:** Gross is the most reliable points collector at Brighton and is also very cheap. **Insider tip: Luka Vuskovic (£5m, defender)** **Pras:** Brighton's new central defender could collect a surprising number of points as he can also make an impact in attack. **Player to avoid: Georginio Rutter (£5.5m, striker)** **Pras:** Rutter probably won't get enough playing time to be interesting for the FPL. ###Chelsea **Talisman: Joao Pedro (£7.5m, striker)** **Holly:** The Portuguese striker is expected to be Chelsea's main goalscorer this season. **Insider tip: Levi Colwill (£5m, defender)** **Holly:** Colwill could be a very good and cheap option for FPL. **Player to avoid: Enzo Fernandez (£7m, midfielder)** **Holly:** There is too much uncertainty about Fernandez's role at Chelsea. ### Coventry **Talisman: Haji Wright (£5.5m, striker)** **Gianni:** Wright was Coventry's main goalscorer in the Championship and is expected to score in the Premier League too. **Insider tip: Carl Rushworth (£4.5m, goalkeeper)** **Gianni:** Rushworth is a very cheap secondary goalkeeper to have in the FPL. **Player to avoid: Milan van Ewijk (£4m, defender)** **Gianni:** Van Ewijk might be interesting, but there are better options in the same price range. ### Crystal Palace **Talisman: Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m, midfielder)** **Heisenberg:** Sarr was very important for Crystal Palace last season and could also collect a lot of points this season. **Insider tip: Daniel Munoz (£5.5m, defender)** **Heisenberg:** Munoz has great potential and could score a lot of points. **Player to avoid: Jorgen Strand Larsen (£6m, striker)** **Heisenberg:** I doubt he'll get much playing time. ### Everton **Talisman: James Tarkowski (£6m, defender)** **Pras:** Tarkowski will also collect a lot of points for the FPL this season. **Insider tip: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.5m, midfielder)** **Pras:** Dewsbury-Hall will play an important role at Everton next season. **Player to avoid: Beto (£5.5m, striker)** **Pras:** The Everton striker is not interesting for the FPL. ###Fulham **Talisman: Rodrigo Muniz (£5.5m, striker)** **Holly:** Muniz is Fulham's most reliable points scorer. **Insider tip: Antonee Robinson (£4.5m, defender)** **Holly:** Robinson could be a very good and cheap option for FPL. **Player to avoid: Sander Berge (£5m, midfielder)** **Holly:** There is too much uncertainty about Berge's role at Fulham. ### Hull City **Talisman: Oli McBurnie (£5.5m, striker)** **Heisenberg:** McBurnie is an interesting option in the FPL as he scored a lot of goals in the Championship last season. **Insider tip: Ryan Giles (£4m, defender)** **Heisenberg:** Giles could be a very cheap option in FPL, but he will likely have to fight for his place in the squad. **Player to avoid: Liam Millar (£5m, midfielder)** **Heisenberg:** Millar is a less than trustworthy option in FPL. ### Ipswich Town **Talisman: Emersonn (£5.5m, striker)** **Gianni:** The Brazilian is Ipswich's most expensive signing and is expected to score the most goals. **Insider tip: Daizen Maeda (£5.5m, midfielder)** **Gianni:** Maeda could become an interesting insider tip in the FPL. **Player to avoid: Chuba Akpom (£5m, striker)** **Gianni:** Akpom probably won't get enough playing time. ### Leeds United **Talisman: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6m, striker)** **Holly:** Calvert-Lewin comes to the FPL at a very reasonable price and is expected to score a lot of goals. **Insider tip: Harry Wilson (£6.5m, midfielder)** **Holly:** Wilson could be a very good points provider for Leeds this season. **Player to avoid: Jaka Bijol (£5m, defender)** **Holly:** Bijol isn't necessarily a trustworthy option in FPL. ### Liverpool **Talisman: Dominik Szoboszlai (£7m, midfielder)** **Pras:** Szoboszlai will collect a lot of points for the FPL. **Insider tip: Florian Wirtz (£7.5m, midfielder)** **Pras:** Wirtz has great potential and could score a lot of points. **Player to avoid: Jeremy Jacquet (£5m, defender)** **Pras:** There is too much uncertainty about Jacquet's role at Liverpool. ### Manchester City **Talisman: Erling Haaland (£15.5m, striker)** **Gianni:** Haaland is also the best points provider in the FPL this season. **Insider tip: Phil Foden (£7m, midfielder)** **Gianni:** Foden is an interesting insider tip as he is owned very little in the FPL. **Player to avoid: Marc Guehi (£6m, defender)** **Gianni:** Guehi is a very popular FPL option, but he is unlikely to play regularly. ### Manchester United **Talisman: Bruno Fernandes (£12m, midfielder)** **Heisenberg:** Fernandes will also collect a lot of points for the FPL this season. **Insider tip: Matheus Cunha (£8m, midfielder)** **Heisenberg:** Cunha could be an interesting insider tip. **Player to avoid: Benjamin Sesko (£7m, striker)** **Heisenberg:** Sesko is a less than trustworthy option in the FPL. ### Newcastle United **Talisman: Nick Woltemade (£6m, striker)** **Holly:** Woltemade is Newcastle's only FPL option that can be trusted at the moment. **Insider tip: Malick Thiaw (£5m, defender)** **Holly:** Thiaw could score a lot of points. **Player to avoid: Lewis Hall (£5m, defender)** **Holly:** Hall is an unsafe option in FPL. ###Nottingham Forest **Talisman: Morgan Gibbs-White (£8m, midfielder)** **Pras:** Gibbs-White will score a lot of points. **Insider tip: Neco Williams (£5m, defender)** **Pras:** Williams is a very good and cheap option in the FPL. **Player to avoid: Chris Wood (£6m, striker)** **Pras:** Wood is not a trustworthy FPL option. ### Sunderland **Talisman: Enzo le Fee (£6m, midfielder)** **Heisenberg:** Le Fee is a very reliable FPL option. **Insider tip: Granit Xhaka (£5.5m, midfielder)** **Heisenberg:** Xhaka will score a lot of points. **Player to avoid: Wilson Isidor (£5.5m, striker)** **Heisenberg:** Isidor is not a trustworthy FPL option. ###Tottenham **Talisman: Pedro Porro (£5.5m, defender)** **Gianni:** Porro is Tottenham's most reliable FPL option. **Insider tip: Mathys Tel (£6m, striker)** **Gianni:** Tel is an interesting insider tip. **Player to avoid: Marcos Senesi (£6m, defender)** **Gianni:** Senesi is not a trustworthy FPL option at the moment.

What happens next

With the start of the season on August 21st, managers need to finalize their lineups. Players like Ben White and Matty Cash could prove to be valuable additions, while others like Christos Tzolis may not perform as hoped. The first few games will be crucial to assess the form and impact of these players on the season.

Frequently asked questions

When does the 2026-27 FPL season start?

The FPL season starts on Friday, August 21st.

Who are the best players for Arsenal in the FPL?

The talisman for Arsenal is Gabriel, while Ben White is considered an insider tip and Christos Tzolis is a player to avoid.

Who is the talisman for Aston Villa in the FPL?

The talisman for Aston Villa is Ollie Watkins.

How did Matty Cash perform last season?

Matty Cash had six goals last season and was an important defensive option.

Which players should you avoid in the FPL?

Arsenal's Christos Tzolis and Alejandro Garna cho from Aston Villa are recommended players to avoid.

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