For FPL enthusiasts, the start of the new Premier League campaign provides another opportunity to build a potentially world-beating fantasy team. However, recruiting players and slotting them into a preferred formation is only a part of the puzzle. To be successful, FLP managers must also know how and when to use their chips…..
The 2025/26 Premier League season promises to be another thrilling campaign. Defending champions Liverpool have invested heavily to enhance their already star-studded squad, laying down a marker to the league’s other title contenders. However, the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea have also been extremely active in the summer window, as they plot to steal the Merseysiders’ crown.
At the other end of the table, Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland will hope to buck the trend of the past two seasons, which have seen the three promoted sides immediately return to the Championship. A handful of clubs will once again battle it out for the European places, while some will be more than happy to bask in mid-table mediocrity.
Running in parallel to the ‘real-world’ English top-flight, the Fantasy Premier League catches the imagination of millions of football fans up and down the country. Enabling its players to assume the often-unenviable role of a Premier League manager, FPL is not for the faint-hearted. The best managers possess tactical intelligence, in-depth player knowledge, and a keen analytical brain. Oh, and they often carry a fair bit of luck…..
FLP experts know the optimum moment to deploy their chips, which often makes a substantial difference to the volume of points they accrue throughout the season. Indeed, learning how to use chips wisely could develop an average player into a league leader, so it’s vitally important to know the best strategies to support this activity. In the notes below, we discuss which chip strategies are gaining most traction as we enter the new season, and how these may feature in the three opening gameweeks.
New updates and familiar approaches: A brief overview of FPL rules for the 2025/26 season
Several notable changes have been introduced ahead of the 2025/26 FPL campaign, but the most significant is the decision to allocate two of each chip.
In previous years, FPL managers were only afforded one opportunity to use a bench boost, free hit, and triple captain bonus – now they can reap the rewards of these three chips on two occasions. However, managers must stagger their usage, ensuring one of each chip is redeemed before and after the season’s midway point. That means the first set of chips needs to be cashed in prior to gameweek 19 deadline (6.30pm, Tuesday 30th December), with the others available from the start of gameweek 20 onwards. The wildcard remains in its existing format, so managers will once again receive two of these chips, which must also be used separately in the first and second half of the campaign.
This season also sees the addition of defensive contribution points, encouraging managers to shift some of their focus from the final third of the pitch. All players (except goalkeepers) are eligible to receive these points regardless of the position they assume, but defenders follow a slightly different scoring criterion.
Defenders earn two points each time they complete a combined total of 10 clearances, blocks, interceptions, and tackles (commonly referred to in FPL as CBIT), although this reward is capped at a maximum of four points per match. Meanwhile, midfielders and forwards are also able to earn points for ‘CBIT’ actions, but any ball recoveries they deliver will also count as a defensive contribution. As this audience benefits from an additional scoring method, midfielders and forwards must complete a total of 12 ‘CBITR’ action to earn their equivalent two points.
This update is set to have a fundamental impact on squad selections, as FPL managers consider whether to recruit defensive acumen or attacking prowess. Clearly, it makes sense to prioritise the latter when choosing forwards and advanced playmakers, but there’s an important decision to be made regarding the profile of defensive picks. For example, managers would traditionally select a forward-thinking full-back, as this gives them the best chance of accruing points within an attack-oriented rewards system.
The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James were attractive purchases, given their ability to register goals and assists from their deep-lying position. However, as the new points model rewards players for doing actual defensive work, more ‘conventional’ full-backs – such as Bournemouth skipper Adam Smith and West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka – should now be far more popular.
Following negative feedback from some members of the FPL community, the ‘assistant manager’ chip has been scrapped after just one season in circulation. This chip enabled FPL managers to gain points each time their chosen ‘real-world’ Premier League manager delivered a positive match result over a three-week period, but proved unpopular due to its tedious set-up process.
Available Chips
Here's a quick reminder of the function of each chip:
Bench Boost: Every member of a player’s 15-man squad is eligible to score points, not just those in the starting XI
Free Hit: Enables managers to make unlimited transfers for one gameweek. Usually, managers are able to make one transfer per gameweek, with any unused credits rolling over to the next week (to a maximum of five transfer credits). After the free hit chip has been used, the player’s squad will return to its original appearance. Please note that this chip cannot be redeemed in the first gameweek, and managers must still adhere to the £100 million budget restriction.
Triple Captain: The number of points scored by the team captain is tripled, rather than doubled, as per a typical game week. If the captain does not play, the chip is passed on to the team’s vice-captain. If the captain and vice-captain both do not play, the chip delivers no value but cannot be reclaimed.
Wildcard: In similarity to the free hit chip, the Wildcard enables managers to make as many transfers as they wish during two chosen gameweeks. However, any squad changes made while using the wildcard are permanent. Therefore, this chip provides an opportunity for managers to completely refresh their teams. Again, the squad’s value must not exceed the £100m limit following any transfer activity.
Strategy Review
Prior to the 2025/26 FPL season, managers would often resist using chips until the latter stages of the season. This enabled them to better navigate ‘blank’ (when some or all PL clubs have no fixtures) and ‘double’ (when some or all PL clubs have two fixtures) gameweeks, which are far more frequent in the second half of the campaign. However, the introduction of an additional bench boost, free hit, and triple captain chip will serve to disrupt this pattern, as managers are now compelled to exploit these bonuses once before the new year following the increased allocation.
So, when will be the ideal time to use each chip? We review the FLP community’s favoured strategies below.
Triple Captain: It may be an uncomfortable truth for the football purist, but the stats indicate that newly-promoted teams are the most susceptible to conceding a high volume of goals. Therefore, it makes sense to use the Triple Captain chip on a lethal striker or forward-thinking midfielder who is set to face either Leeds United, Burnley, or Sunderland. Clearly, the league’s strongest attacking teams are most likely to score the most goals, so look for out when the likes of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres are up against one of the aforementioned teams.
Bench Boost: The opportune moment to deploy the Bench Boost is highly dependent on a player’s squad personnel, so there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for this chip. However, many believe using it in the very first gameweek is potentially the best course of action. This is because starting line-ups are often easier to predict in the early exchanges of the season, with marquee signings and those who have performed well in pre-season invariably given the nod. The reality is that it’s much harder to accurately gauge who will feature on team sheets as the season progresses, as selections are influenced by niggling injuries, European fixtures, squad rotation efforts, and general form.
The introduction of defensive contribution points will clearly have an impact on Bench Boost usage, as FPL managers consider the specific attributes of their substitutes. Consequently, it may not always be wise to redeem this chip when the bulk of a squad is lining up against so-called inferior opposition, as positive defensive work could theoretically be more valuable than goals and assists in certain weeks.
Free Hit: The Free Hit empowers managers to completely overhaul their squads for one isolated week, so comprehensively examining fixture lists is a must before spending this coin. By shipping out those who are poised to face tough opposition and recruiting representatives of teams with favourable fixtures, managers can easily supercharge their points scores.
Hot tips for gameweek 1 through to 3
It’s crucial for players to get off to a positive start, as this provides an early endorsement of their team selections. A manager’s approach will constantly change and evolve as the season progresses, with dynamics such as player/team form, fixture configuration, and chip deadlines impacting the decision-making process. As a result, any advice given to FPL managers at the start of the campaign may differ to guidance offered late on.
We’ve carefully analysed the FPL’s first three gameweeks, checking the facts and crunching the stats to provide you with the best tips and chip strategies for the opening stage of the 2025/26 campaign.
So, which teams, players, and chips should you be exploiting straightaway?
Chelsea
Having clinched a maiden UEFA Conference League triumph before swatting aside Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, Chelsea were already heading into the season in buoyant mood. However, a forgiving early fixture schedule could provide Maresca’s men with another boost, as they look to build a platform from which to launch a sustained title challenge.
The Blues host Crystal Palace on the opening weekend and then travel east to West Ham, before Fulham arrive at Stamford Bridge to contest the West London derby. In fact, Chelsea don’t play any Premier League fixtures outside of the capital until mid-September, as they meet Brentford following the early-season international break.
Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Fulham conceded a combined total of 167 goals in the Premier League last term, and therefore could be soft targets for Chelsea’s irresistible attacking force. The West Londoners put five alone past West Ham, and scored at least once in every meeting with Palace and the Cottagers. Although they matched Chelsea’s impressive record of eleven clean sheets, the Hammers only managed to net an average of 1.2 goals per match after drawing a blank in several ‘winnable’ fixtures (i.e., vs. Wolves at Molineux, and vs. Everton at the London Stadium).
If the visitors once again fail to pack a punch on game week 2, the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Cucurella can find themselves earning a decent handful of defensive contribution points. Spanish international Robert Sánchez made 95 saves in his second Premier League season at Stamford Bridge – Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez was the only representative of a top-six club to stop more shots.
Cole Palmer struck 15 of Chelsea’s 64 Premier League goals last season, while racking up an impressive eight assists. Expect the talented English international to weigh in with several goal involvements in the first few weeks of the campaign, as he aims to continue the scintillating form he showed at this summer’s Club World Cup. Therefore, Palmer offers a viable early Triple Captain opportunity.
Everton
Time will tell whether Everton have turned a corner following a fresh batch of investment in the club, but there are several reasons why FPL managers might be tempted to ransack David Moyes’ squad in the early weeks of the season.
The Toffees have made a slew of shrewd acquisitions during the summer window, strengthening in various positions. French Under-21 international Thierno Barry arrives at the Hill Dickinson Stadium after netting 11 La Liga goals for Villarreal last season, while industrious midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall further enhances their attacking proposition.
Irish ‘keeper Mark Travers offers Jordan Pickford some healthy competition between the sticks, and highly rated teenager Adam Aznou leaves Bayern Munich to join the five-time FA Cup winners. However, the club’s marquee signing is undoubtedly Jack Grealish, who looks to revitalise his career with a loan spell on Merseyside.
Although results were generally poor, FPL managers may have also clocked Everton’s improving performances throughout pre-season. After failing to beat Lancashire duo Accrington Stanley and Blackburn Rovers in mid-July, Everton went on to suffer humbling losses to Bournemouth and West Ham in the Premier League Summer Series. However, a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the final match of the tournament highlighted their recent progress, as a first-half effort from Iliman Ndiaye and Ayden Heaven’s own goal gave them a deserved share of the spoils.
However, Everton’s most appealing feature is arguably their early-season fixture schedule, which commences with a Monday night clash against Championship titleholders Leeds United. After returning from Elland Road, Moyes' men welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to their newly constructed home before travelling to the West Midlands to face Wolves. All three matches provide ample points-scoring opportunities for the likes of Barry and Grealish, who will both be desperate to showcase their attacking qualities early on.
Arsenal
After once again failing to acquire any silverware last time out, this feels like a make-or-break season for Gunners boss Mikel Arteta. The Basque tactician has been handed several reinforcements ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, including the highly sought-after Viktor Gyökeres. It’s hoped the free-scoring Swede can add a more clinical edge to Arsenal’s attacking set-up, which has arguably been the catalyst behind their failure to mount a successful title challenge. Gyökeres netted an eye-watering 54 goals across all competitions last term, while Arsenal’s top marksman – the injury-plagued Kai Havertz – was only on the scoresheet on nine occasions.
FPL managers might decide to ride the halo effect of Gyökeres’ arrival, before flushing out their Arsenal contingent ahead of their trip to Anfield. This could be achieved by utilising the first Free Hit chip, or hoarding transfer allowances from gameweeks 1 & 2 to make a trio of changes before the gameweek 3 deadline.
Before their showdown with the reigning Premier League champions, the North Londoners host Leeds United after visiting Old Trafford this Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United mustered an average of just 1.26 points per game from their 19 home fixtures last season, as the troubled club endured its worst-ever Premier League campaign. The Red Devils didn’t even manage to score in damaging defeats to Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Wolves at the so-called Theatre of Dreams, highlighting a severe lack of firepower in the final third. A clean sheet for David Raya may be forthcoming, as could a slew of goals at the other end.
Daniel Farke’s players will have enjoyed slightly less recovery time than their esteemed opponents when they land at the Emirates on matchday two, thanks to Monday night’s encounter in West Yorkshire. This could have a material impact on whether the Whites can match Arsenal’s intensity for the full duration of the 90 minutes, given that players are yet to achieve full match fitness at this stage of the campaign.
Although the safest course of action is to remove Arsenal squad members following their clashes with Manchester United and Leeds United, FPL managers would be forgiven for holding onto these assets for at least another week.
While last season’s Premier League top scorers have added former Bundesliga duo Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike to their embarrassment of attacking riches, one must never underestimate the quality of Arsenal’s backline. Now that a brand new suite of points is on offer, the rearguard actions of central defensive pairing William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães – who combined to deliver 207 clearances, 44 blocks, 37 interceptions, and 87 tackles (CBIT) during the 2024/25 campaign – will now be handsomely rewarded.
Will Raya be forced to pick the ball out of his net on several occasions, or can Arsenal’s watertight defence resist the advances of Salah & Co? Many FPL managers will have to address this quandary if they are to score a decent number of points in the third gameweek.