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It’s an exciting week at FanTeam, as we’re just a few days away from the start of 2025/26 EPL Fantasy.
With a strategy hopefully now in place, one which aims to take advantage of the small differences in point-scoring compared to Fantasy Premier League (FPL), managers need to identify the best players to own in their quest for success.
- READ MORE: A season-long FanTeam strategy guide
- READ MORE: Scout’s initial FanTeam draft for 2025/26
After all, with a guaranteed minimum prize pool of £175k up for grabs, the fight to finish inside the top 10% will be extremely competitive. The season-long game costs £10 to enter.
We at Scout are delighted to partner up with FanTeam, providing insightful articles between now and the opening weekend.
DON’T MISS OUT, CLICK HERE TO JOIN FANTEAM AHEAD OF AN EXCITING SEASON
WHAT IS FANTEAM EPL FANTASY?
Managers will be familiar with this simple, straightforward format that embraces the roots of Fantasy Football.
Just like FPL, managers have a £100m budget to select 15 players (no more than three per club), making weekly decisions about captaincy and how to use the latest free transfer.
The only chip is a Wildcard – one for each half of the season. There aren’t any defensive contribution (DC) points either.
PREMIUM PICKS
Let’s start at the top, where Mohamed Salah (£13.5m) and Erling Haaland (£13.0m) are a whole million cheaper than in FPL. Never mind selecting one of them, it’s even feasible to have a squad featuring both.
FanTeam rewards attackers with 0.4 points for each shot on target and these two accumulated a league-high 59 of them last time. They were also the best duo in terms of big chances.
29-goal Salah was number one for attempts (130), narrowly ahead of Cole Palmer (£11.0m). The Chelsea midfielder was next-best for shots on target (49), also finding time to set up 89 chances for others.
Arguably less appealing are Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) and Alexander Isak (£10.5m). The former could lose penalties to Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m), while the latter’s future is still being sorted.
MID-TO-LOWER TIER TARGETS
Meanwhile, midfielders and forwards who avoid being substituted and complete a full match are given an extra point. Bryan Mbeumo (£9.0m) did this on 35 occasions at Brentford, but things might be different at Manchester United.
He likely won’t take penalties either, as that’s Bruno Fernandes‘ (£8.5m) duty. The one player to create more chances than Palmer (91), the Portuguese playmaker reached 90 minutes in 28 of the 33 starts where he wasn’t sent off.
FanTeam managers would also be wise to target Antoine Semenyo (£7.0m) and Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m), as they completed at least 27 matches. The Bournemouth man loves to shoot and put 40 of them on target, whereas West Ham’s talisman is still classified as a midfielder here. His final eight outings of 2024/25 delivered six goals and three assists.
Getting coverage of Aston Villa’s attractive early fixtures feels essential, which is where Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) steps in. He was part of 19 goals last season.
Switching focus towards defence, Daniel Munoz (£5.5m) led the way when it came to shots on target (14), expected goals (xG, 4.93) and penalty area efforts (34). He gets to face Nottingham Forest and Sunderland early on.
But it’s also worth checking out some £4.5m bargains, such as James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Maxence Lacroix.
As mentioned in our strategy guide, FanTeam awards half a point for each goalkeeping save. So, for example, if Jordan Pickford (£5.5m), Dean Henderson (£5.0m) or Matz Sels (£5.5m) stop five shots, they’ll gain 2.5 points rather than the one they’d get in FPL.
SOME MAVERICK DIFFERENTIALS
For managers looking to benefit from low-owned players, Neco Williams (£5.0m) deserves consideration. He started every Forest league match from Gameweek 16 onwards and, throughout this period, was the league’s second-best defender for shots.
Another attacking full-back is new Brighton and Hove Albion signing Maxim De Cuyper (£4.5m). His previous three Belgian Pro League campaigns brought in a whopping 15 goals and 23 assists.
West Ham United arrival El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.5m) loves getting forward, as we’ve seen in pre-season. This could be good for striker Niclas Fullkrug (£6.5m), someone who has scored in the Hammers’ latest three friendlies.
The final defender to pick out is Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro (£5.5m). Number two for crosses (196), he could gain set-piece domination now that Son Heung-min has departed and Dejan Kulusevski (£6.5m) and James Maddison (£6.5m) are injured.
Up front, no forwards have a price under £5.0m. So to see Igor Thiago at just £5.5m is interesting. He could be Yoane Wissa’s (£7.5m) replacement for Brentford’s good early games. Before having his debut Premier League season destroyed by knee problems, the Brazilian netted 29 times for Club Brugge in 2023/24.
BEST-EVER WELCOME OFFER
New to FanTeam?
Registrations can take place in more countries than ever before, as some previously restricted territories are now eligible. Head to the registration page and check.
This time, there is a generous welcome offer that should attract new customers.
Register, deposit £10 and play any paid contest, and you’ll get:
- A free ticket to enter the 2025/26 EPL Fantasy Season Game
- An additional £20 in contest tickets to use across a variety of sports
DON’T MISS OUT, CLICK HERE TO JOIN FANTEAM AHEAD OF AN EXCITING SEASON
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