Our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) 2025/26 end-of-season awards are up and running, as the poll for best forward is open for voting in this article and on the sidebar.
We’ll assess the key candidates for each position in four separate articles. Overall score, points per match and value for money are all factors being considered. The rest, we’ll leave up to you!
Let’s now look at the nominees up front, to be updated after the final day’s action.
You can vote here or on the sidebar.
ERLING HAALAND
- Points: 239
- Points per match: 6.829
- Start cost: £14.0m
- End cost: £14.7m
- Value (points per million): 16.259
There’s no better place to start than FPL’s leader for goals (27) and points (239). Normally, his price tag would be problematic, but the poor seasons of Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) and Cole Palmer (£10.3m) mean it hasn’t been an issue.
All four of Haaland’s Premier League campaigns have delivered at least 22 goals and 181 points. The usual explosive start began with an opening day brace at Wolverhampton Wanderers, reaching 13 strikes in his first 10 outings, half of which were double-digit hauls.
16-pointers versus Burnley and West Ham United benefited a combined 1.88 million Triple Captain users.
However, it hasn’t always been a smooth ride. The superb Gameweeks 14, 16 and 17 were followed by a lull of three goals in 13. Between Gameweeks 18 and 35, only one match brought more than seven points. And those who recently used their second Triple Captain chip on Manchester City’s Double Gameweek 36 had to witness the Norwegian be unused in match two.
Still, Haaland ranks first for attempts (126), putting them on target (59) and all other major shooting categories. He’s also hit the woodwork on six occasions.
IGOR THIAGO
- Points: 179
- Points per match: 4.838
- Start cost: £6.0m
- End cost: £7.3m
- Value (points per million): 24.521
Number two to Haaland in many areas – goals (22), box shots (78), big chances (41), expected goals (xG, 20.52), etc. – is a forward whose first season in England was hugely damaged by knee injuries.
This led to a low 2025/26 starting price of £6.0m, which he’s since made a mockery of. Gameweek 6’s brace against Manchester United began a run of nine strikes in eight, until a goalless half-dozen led to 2.5 million sales over several weeks.
Thiago cruelly punished them by bagging a hat-trick versus Everton, almost matching that when Sunderland visited. Yet only one of the next 16 exceeded six points, largely because he’s avoiding assists.
Above: Expected goals (xG) per shot for all players on 5+ goals
At his peak, Thiago boasted a 4.9 million ownership. He’s taken nine penalties and has a high xG per shot (0.25), helping surprise package Brentford fight for European qualification. The club have seamlessly transitioned to him from both Ivan Toney and Yoane Wissa (£7.3m).
JOAO PEDRO
- Points: 176
- Points per match: 5.176
- Start cost: £7.5m
- End cost: £7.4m
- Value (points per million): 23.784
While that Brazilian is going to the World Cup, Joao Pedro strangely won’t be. Maybe Carlo Ancelotti is an FPL owner who has been frustrated by his season.
Considering he’d not yet exceeded 10 top-flight goals at Watford or Brighton and Hove Albion, it was eyebrow-raising to see Pedro be the most-owned individual for a brief, early period. But Gameweek 2’s impressive 15-point output made him a trendy pick.
Of course, there were no goals between Gameweeks 4 and 9, which caused a general fizzing out in the Fantasy community. All until early 2026’s stunning eight-match run of eight goals, six assists, and 76 points, ending with a hat-trick at Aston Villa.
Popular once more, Chelsea then duly lost six in a row, where their sole goal was Pedro’s spectacular stoppage-time overhead kick past Nottingham Forest.
So here he is, on 15 strikes and nine assists. Number two for non-penalty xG (14.36), he’s accumulated the joint-most shots from inside the six-yard box (15).
JARROD BOWEN
- Points: 175
- Points per match: 4.730
- Start cost: £8.0m
- End cost: £7.7m
- Value (points per million): 22.727
In truth, it’s tough to assess Bowen properly. Being the fourth-best FPL forward is worthy of a nomination, but he’s mostly been deployed as a winger, backed up by a mere eight of 77 attempts being big chances.
Meanwhile, Bowen is this position’s leader for chances created (43), big chances created (14), assists (12) and expected assists (xA, 5.08). He’s way ahead for crosses (143), where third-place is on just 18.
Above: Forwards ranked by big chances created (BCC)
But one advantage of this mis-labelling is that he’s one of a rare few to achieve defensive contribution points, doing so a further five times. Also in Bowen’s favour is that he is so pivotal to West Ham’s fight for survival that no forward has played more minutes.
Netting three times in the Hammers’ first 14, he’s currently goalless in 13, but can point towards nine assists in this period – including three against Wolves in Gameweek 32 – that ensure a steady rate of returns.
Overall, while three of Bowen’s previous four seasons ended on at least 22 returns and 182 points, he might just miss out this time.
OLLIE WATKINS
- Points: 154
- Points per match: 4.278
- Start cost: £9.0m
- End cost: £8.7m
- Value (points per million): 17.701
A respectable end to the campaign has gathered six goals and two assists in Watkins’ latest six starts, including 16 and 15 points at home to Sunderland and Liverpool.
This boosts some previously poor numbers. Scoring just once heading into Gameweek 14’s Brighton brace, there was soon some brief momentum across three festive matches, but the 30-year-old found the net only one more time before Gameweek 31.
FPL’s second-best forward when it comes to penalty area touches (170), Watkins is third amongst everyone for box shots (69).
DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN
- Points: 140
- Points per match: 4.118
- Start cost: £5.5m
- End cost: £5.8m
- Value (points per million): 24.138
You know what? Now is a good moment to give credit to Calvert-Lewin. Until recently, the free transfer from Everton had mostly continued his reputation of fluffing huge opportunities.
From the start of 2021/22, all the way until this term’s Gameweek 32, he should have scored 44.97 goals rather than 27. A huge underperformance that made him a ‘Goals Imminent’ regular.
But he’s currently on four in five. It’s like the run he had in late 2025, netting at least once in six successive matches.
Naturally, between these two streaks were 11 blanks from 13, but Calvert-Lewin has done well to stay fit and make it his second-best FPL year for points (140) and goals (14). All for a low, bench-friendly price.
DANNY WELBECK
- Points: 125
- Points per match: 3.472
- Start cost: £6.5m
- End cost: £6.4m
- Value (points per million): 19.531
On a similar note, last season was Welbeck’s best-ever Premier League scoring tally, but this is already three better. Such 13 needed just 56 shots, meaning a 23.2% conversion rate.
Gameweek 6’s cameo brace kicked off a run of seven goals in seven, but that substitute role is a big reason why he was never an essential FPL pick. The veteran hasn’t started five in a row since December got underway – not great for quick turnarounds and Double Gameweeks.
Owners didn’t appreciate two penalty misses from three, and recent blanks versus Wolves, Leeds United and Burnley still linger in the mind.
In fact, eight of his 13 occurred against either Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United or Newcastle United.
ELI JUNIOR KROUPI
- Points: 111
- Points per match: 3.469
- Start cost: £4.5m
- End cost: £4.7m
- Value (points per million): 23.617
Joining Brighton in a surprise push for Champions League qualification is Bournemouth, where Kroupi has only been a regular starter from Gameweek 21 onwards, netting four times off the bench.
Andoni Iraola opted to ease him into English football after scoring 22 times for Lorient last season. And let’s not forget that this player is still a teenager.
13 goals from 46 shots (a rate of 28.3%) and 12 big chances are impressive, though his 4.86 xG overachievement suggests he’s either naturally clinical or being slightly lucky. Of everyone to have reached a minimum of 1,000 minutes, Kroupi is only behind Haaland for minutes per goal (128.6).
Above: Best minutes per goal rate (at least 1,000 minutes played)
He’s even taken the Cherries’ latest couple of penalties. Not bad for someone who began as FPL’s joint-cheapest forward.
