The international break has given us a chance to reflect on the biggest Fantasy Premier League (FPL) disappointments of 2025/26 so far.
We considered factors such as overall score and points per match, as well as price/reputation at the start of the campaign.
Let us know what you think in the comments – is there a notable exclusion, or have we included anyone unfairly?
VIKTOR GYOKERES
- Price (start/now): £9.0m/£8.8m
- Starts (sub apps): 23 (6)
- Goals: 11
- Assists: 0
- Points per match: 3.5
Viktor Gyokeres was meant to be the final piece of the puzzle for Arsenal – a proper centre-forward with the necessary physical attributes to spearhead Mikel Arteta’s attack.
The Sweden international joined last summer, having plundered 97 goals in all competitions over two seasons in Portugal.
However, the transition from Sporting CP to Arsenal has proven too much for Gyokeres up to this point, with questions raised over his ability to adjust to Arteta’s tactical demands.
With 11 goals from 29 Premier League appearances, his output isn’t terrible, yet he has blanked in 17 of his 23 starts, averaging merely 3.5 points per match.
In fact, Gyokeres has served up 101 points in total, fewer than nine other FPL forwards.
There remains a title to compete for and sufficient time to rectify the situation, but thus far, it has been a forgettable FPL campaign for Gyokeres.
OLLIE WATKINS
- Price (start/now): £9.0m/£8.5m
- Starts (sub apps): 27 (3)
- Goals: 9
- Assists: 2
- Points per match: 3.6
Ollie Watkins impressed for Aston Villa in the 2024/25 season, with 16 goals and eight assists in 31 starts and seven substitute appearances.
Subsequently priced up at £9.0m, much was expected of him in this World Cup year, particularly with positional rivals Jhon Duran and Marcus Rashford no longer at the club.
But Watkins has looked well off the pace and was recently dropped from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
To date, he’s scored just nine goals and provided two assists in 30 Premier League appearances, with his 3.6 points per match average beaten by three other players in the Villa squad alone.
Often misfiring in the opposition box, he’s missed 15 of his 23 Opta ‘big chances’:
| Player | Big chances | Big chances scored | Big chances missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | 41 | 17 | 24 |
| Jean-Philippe Mateta | 24 | 7 | 17 |
| Igor Thiago | 36 | 19 | 17 |
| Ollie Watkins | 23 | 8 | 15 |
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | 23 | 9 | 14 |
Above: Players sorted by big chances missed in 2025/26
Compared to last season, and indeed his several years before that, this campaign has yet to experience Watkins at his top level.
MOHAMED SALAH/ALEXANDER ISAK
- Price (start/now): £14.5m/£14.0m, £10.5m/£10.3m
- Starts (sub apps): 19 (3)/6 (4)
- Goals: 5/2
- Assists: 6/1
- Points per match: 4.4/2.9
Mohamed Salah started FPL 2025/26 as the priciest player, having smashed the all-time points record in the previous season, with his 28 goals and 19 assists helping him to 344 points.
But it’s been a really tricky campaign for the Egyptian, exacerbated by a dispute with coach Arne Slot and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) duty, with only one double-digit haul and a mere 97 points to show for it.
As you’ll no doubt know by now, Salah is set to become a free agent this summer.
It marks a significant decline for an FPL icon, with Liverpool not only suffering from his poor form this term, but also because of Alexander Isak’s struggles.
Isak’s transfer to Anfield appeared to guarantee success on Merseyside, having netted 44 Premier League goals in his previous two seasons at Newcastle United. However, the Sweden international has looked a shadow of his former self, with only two goals and one assist in six starts and a handful of substitute appearances.
To be fair to Isak, he has yet to complete a full 90 minutes and has not played at all since Gameweek 17, but his fitness problems have contributed to the issue, and he has undoubtedly fallen short of expectations.
PHIL FODEN
- Price (start/now): £8.0m/£8.0m
- Starts (sub apps): 21 (5)
- Goals: 7
- Assists: 3
- Points per match: 4.3
Phil Foden was hot property in Gameweeks 13-16, when he racked up four consecutive double-digit hauls, thanks to six goals and one assist.
His price consequently skyrocketed, with multiple rises in quick succession.
However, outside of that December period, it’s been a really poor campaign for the England international.
For example, in Gameweeks 1-12, Foden produced just one goal and one assist in 10 matches. After the situation somehow worsened, with merely one assist in 12 Premier League games, during which he’s averaged only 2.5 points per start.
Recent reports even suggest he’s considering a summer exit from Manchester City, having grown frustrated by his limited playing time, with Antoine Semenyo (£7.8m) preferred by Pep Guardiola.
Indeed, Foden has amassed only 95 minutes of football over the last four Gameweeks, failing to even get on the pitch at Elland Road.
YOANE WISSA/ANTHONY ELANGA
- Price (start/now): £7.5m/£7.3m, £7.0m/£6.5m
- Starts (sub apps): 4 (9)/13 (14)
- Goals: 1/0
- Assists: 0/1
- Points per match: 1.5/1.6
Yoane Wissa arrived at St James’ Park in September 2025 in a deal worth £55m, having netted 18 goals and provided six assists for Brentford in the previous campaign.
But the forward picked up a knee injury upon his arrival, and he’s failed to get going since.
His four Premier League starts and nine substitute appearances for Newcastle in 2025/26 have resulted in just one goal and no assists, with only 1.5 points per match.
Since January, Wissa hasn’t scored at all and remained an unused substitute for both legs of the recent UEFA Champions League last-16 defeat to Barcelona.
He’s fallen down the pecking order, too, with winger Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) preferred up top.
“Yoane has had a big injury and I’ve said many times here I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet. Hopefully that will come.” – Eddie Howe on Yoane Wissa
Another summer arrival, Anthony Elanga (£6.5m), has also underwhelmed on Tyneside, often reserving his best performances for Europe, with no goals and just one assist in 27 Premier League appearances.
It’s in stark contrast to his output under Nuno Espirito Santo last season, when he racked up 153 points.
OTHERS
In addition to Watkins, Aston Villa teammate Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) probably deserves a mention, too, as it’s all been a bit ‘feast or famine’ for the England international in 2025/26.
With an average of 4.5 points per match, he has blanked in 20 out of his 31 starts, with 56 of his 138 total points arriving in Gameweeks 12-17.
Evanilson (£6.8m) had a promising first season at Bournemouth, but he has only found the net six times this campaign. In contrast, Eli Junior Kroupi (£4.7m) has three more goals than the Brazilian, despite playing over 1,000 fewer minutes.
With a conversion rate of 10.3% and a record of one goal every 366.3 minutes, Evanilson certainly hasn’t lived up to the levels he previously set.
Elsewhere, Jeremie Frimpong (£5.7m) has struggled to find rhythm. Averaging 3.4 points per match, his arrival at Anfield has been hampered by fitness issues.
Tottenham Hotspur duo Pedro Porro (£5.1m) and Xavi Simons (£6.5m) have undoubtedly underperformed, too.
Porro has just three assists and a 3.1 points per match average, despite his recent appearances as a wing-back/right midfielder under Igor Tudor.
Simons, meanwhile, has only registered one goal and four assists, with his performances in the Premier League mostly anonymous.
