Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has launched for the 2026/27 season, and the first draft team reveals keep coming in!
This time, Sam from FPL Family uses our new, free Team Rater tool to assess the strengths and weaknesses of her early draft.
- READ MORE: FPL Meerkat’s first 2026/27 draft
- READ MORE: FPL General’s first 2026/27 draft – 3-4-3 with Odegaard
- READ MORE: FPL Focal’s team reveal: 3-5-2 + double Arsenal defence
FPL is back and, despite a summer of World Cup Fantasy, I’m so happy to be tinkering again. It’s only been a week since the game went live and already my camera roll is full of screenshots showing different teams and possibilities.
This season’s strategy could go in several different directions and, as a result, all my drafts look different. I can go early with a Bench Boost or Triple Captain, maybe even activate the Free Hit in Gameweek 4.
Previously, such screenshots would have accumulated, and I’d go backwards and forwards weighing up their pros and cons before settling on the one that felt best.
However, Scout now has a brand new Team Rater. So, rather than mentally making judgements about each draft, I can just test them against ‘Rate My Team’ data and stats.
Naturally, there are a few non-negotiable players included in every attempt. But for the most part I’m going with numerous players from the same Premier League team, trying to decide on who looks best.
DOUBLE MAN UTD, DOUBLE LIVERPOOL
There are excellent early fixtures for Manchester United and Liverpool, so doubling, possibly even trebling up, feels good. This fits the Gameweek 5 Wildcard strategy, a moment when both sides’ schedules begin to toughen, as European commitments begin.
This draft pairs Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) and Benjamin Sesko (£7.0m), plus Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) and Jeremy Jacquet (£5.0m). It’s a team rating of 80.
Jacquet is new to the league and, although likely to start as Virgil van Dijk‘s (£6.5m) centre-back partner, we are yet to see how he might compare statistically. Before a shoulder injury ended the Frenchman’s season early, his 19 league games involved five clean sheets.
Plus, the accumulation of 153 defensive contributions (DefCon) is roughly eight per match, meaning extra points every 1.26 outings.
As for Sesko, the centre-forward is risky because Michael Carrick could easily start Amad Diallo (£6.0m) and put Matheus Cunha (£8.0m) up front. It’s hard to judge at this stage of pre-season, as many of the club’s big hitters haven’t yet returned from the World Cup.
By swapping Sesko and Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) for Cunha and Ollie McBurnie (£5.5m), this rating increases to 81.
However, there’d be no Chelsea assets, which feels wrong. I’m expecting a new manager boost under Xabi Alonso, and the well-rested Joao Pedro (£7.5m) already has a pre-season hat-trick.
Bringing in the Blues’ top 2025/26 scorer for Jean-Philippe Mateta (£6.5m) further improves the rating. Turn Mateus Fernandes (£6.0m) into Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m), and suddenly the midfield number shoots to 89, making it 85 overall.
DEFENSIVE ISSUES?
Elsewhere, the goalkeeper situation looks healthy. Should Carl Rushworth (£4.5m) permanently return to Coventry City, there’s a good early rotation with Tottenham Hotspur. Albeit not a perfect home and away alternation.
My midfield is currently at 84, with the forwards at 80. Yet the defenders are way behind at just 66.
In part, this is a conscious decision, as there are two cheap enablers: Ryan Giles (£4.0m) and Tyrick Mitchell (£4.5m).
The draft compromises on Arsenal’s defence, having Cristhian Mosquera (£5.5m) instead of Gabriel Magalhaes (£8.0m) and Jurrien Timber (£6.5m). Interestingly, the tool likes Ben White (£5.5m) significantly more, so let’s see if he secures a starting spot in pre-season.
If the Gunners’ rumoured signing of Ezri Konsa (£4.5m) occurs, he’ll both improve the defensive score (even at Aston Villa) and save an additional £1.0m.
IMPROVING THE RATING
One of my favourite things about the Team Rater is the ability to manually edit a draft once the screenshot has been uploaded, which you can do as a Chief Scout Member.
Keeping Konsa – if he becomes a cheap route into Arsenal’s defence – and moving Giles to Leif Davis (£4.0m) improves things.
As Fulham currently have just one registered forward, putting Rodrigo Muniz (£5.5m) in for McBurnie takes this to 90.
Then again, you’d expect Fulham to sign a replacement for the now-departed Raul Jimenez.
Dominic Solanke (£6.0m) is affordable, brings the squad rating to 89, and saves £0.5m in the bank for those early price rises and falls.
Therefore, all eyes are on Arsenal and Fulham’s upcoming transfer business!
If you haven’t already, try uploading your team onto the Team Rater. It’s incredibly helpful for identifying your team’s weaknesses and then suggesting ways to improve them.
