Team Reveals

Tom Freeman’s FPL team reveal: 3-4-3 with Isak

1 August 2026 41 comments
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Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is live for the 2026/27 season, and the first draft team reveals keep coming in!

Here, Deputy Editor Tom Freeman discusses three players he is monitoring in pre-season. He also shares his first draft.

ALEXANDER ISAK

One of the main priorities for Andoni Iraola this season will be to get the best out of Alexander Isak (£9.0m).

The Swedish international declined in 2025/26, often feeding off scraps, but in the right system and environment, he should do well.

I think there’s a decent chance he’ll be on penalties, too.

“I think he has come in a good place. I think he was good in the World Cup. I saw him comfortable. First training [sessions] here, I think I’ve seen a good version of Alex.

“Still it’s very early because he has just started training, but I hope he can have some minutes against Leeds and build properly a proper pre-season.

“It’s not going to be very long but he will have three or four weeks of quality training, I hope, and we can put him in a good place because he is going to be massive for us this season.” – Andoni Iraola on Alexander Isak

I’m also interested in Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) because a) he’s suited to Iraola-ball, b) he’s versatile and c) he’s cheap for what he does, so you’re getting value for money.

JOHAN MANZAMBI

There have been some major changes at Villa Park this summer, many of which have Fantasy implications.

Among the new arrivals, I’m mostly interested in Johan Manzambi (£6.0m), who has been brought in to replace Morgan Rogers (£7.5m).

He mostly played in the pivot for Freiburg last season, but I’m pretty sure Unai Emery won’t use him there. Instead, I think he’ll play as the No 10, in front of Boubacar Kamara (£5.0m) and Joao Gomes (£5.5m).

I think this position platforms him correctly from a Fantasy perspective, freeing him up to score and assist.

Looking at his time in Germany, Manzambi showed that he can create. He frequently found himself in good, central positions in/around the six-yard box, too, even playing in a deeper role.

Above: Johan Manzambi’s shot map in 2025/26, via Fotmob

Manzambi showed the capacity to play off Breel Embolo at the World Cup, effectively attacking space from deeper areas. I was really impressed by his performances and am hopeful he can quickly establish himself at Aston Villa.

41 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Dutchy FPL
    • 3 Years
    1 hour, 32 mins ago

    Goodmorning all! Any insights on the Forest game? Was pretty keen on Neco and maybe Jesus, but four goals conceded seems pretty bad. Jesus scored again though

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    1. Mr Turnip 1
      • 1 Year
      1 hour, 6 mins ago

      Ignore all pre-season “form”. It’s utterly meaningless. All that matters is the lineups

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      1. Travel Notes
        • 3 Years
        17 mins ago

        .. and injuries. Yes, Tottenham, you lot.

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    2. TiAgoFPL
      • 6 Years
      20 mins ago

      Sporting were on the counter and punishing

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  2. FPL Virgin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    1 hour, 27 mins ago

    No Pedro?

    Very dangerous.

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    1. Moon Dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 1 Year
      40 mins ago

      Yeah, I can't imagine my side without him.

      Isak is super fun, but is he worth £1.5m more than Pedro? That's a ton of cash and it goes a long way elsewhere.

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    2. Malcolm Tucker
      • 5 Years
      36 mins ago

      currently not on the man myself

      can feel him breathing down my neck

      but on the other hand a striker with no pens seems a chunk of change when you look at what 7.5 can get you in midfield and defence

      also a danny welbeck shaped minutes taker there now (won't be many presumably, but could be just enough to be frustrating)

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  3. Justthis
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 24 mins ago

    I'm looking for a few differentials. Can anyone recommend Tarik Muharemović for Leeds? Read some comments from their manager really praising him. Maybe 4.5 m and he would have been an option. Could be a bit pricey at 5m? Any Leeds fans view would be really appreciated

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    1. Malcolm Tucker
      • 5 Years
      41 mins ago

      I'm seriously tempted by Tarik

      some silly stat I heard (admittedly from a Leeds fan) that if the season has started at the half time where they switched to a back three when they played city last season, they would've been in the Europe conversation

      haven't checked it myself but from watching them a lot last year they seem a very solid outfit, with decent fixtures to boot

      a big scrapper at the back in a strong unit, with Harry Wilson whipping in corners into his noggin - this is what my hopeful mind pictures at least

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  4. MikeBravo
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 19 mins ago

    Out of interest, what's the highest rating anyone has concocted on the free team rating tool on here? I've managed a 96 so far.
    I have a feeling that this season is going to get very template, very quickly. I hope not though.

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    1. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      16 mins ago

      What was the team on 96?

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  5. SpaceCadet
    • 12 Years
    1 hour, 17 mins ago

    Better option?

    A. Semenyo Tavernier 3-5-2
    B. Thiago Anderson 3-4-3

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    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 12 Years
      38 mins ago

      Not sure about Anderson so a

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    2. Our Man Charlie
      • 15 Years
      37 mins ago

      I like the possible attacking upside with A. Also a fan of the 3-5-2

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  6. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 12 Years
    1 hour, 10 mins ago

    Like most I have Pedro and Bruno F

    A double up Chelsea with Palmer
    B double up Chelsea with Rogers
    C double up man u with mbeumo

    Thank you and gl

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    1. SpaceCadet
      • 12 Years
      23 mins ago

      C

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    2. BananaDrama
      • 1 Year
      1 min ago

      United double for the first 2 weeks, then reassess

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  7. LangerznMash
    • 10 Years
    1 hour, 3 mins ago

    Thoughts on a 4-3-3 with a strong defence?

    Lammens
    VVD - Mosquera - Calafiori - Maguire
    Palmer - Wirtz - Cherki
    Haaland - Isak - DCL

    (Palmer, Rodon, Yates, Crooks)

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    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 12 Years
      1 hour, 1 min ago

      Not for me sorry 🙂

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    2. Malcolm Tucker
      • 5 Years
      47 mins ago

      just too many 'maybes' for me

      Calafiori / Cherki - deffo getting the minutes? maybe

      Palmer / Isak - deffo hitting the heights we admittedly know they can? maybe

      Is Wirtz actually going to be able to impose his quality in the prem? maybe

      BUT having said that

      Palmer Wirtz Cherki could be incredibly fun, and a nice schism from the disciplined everymanroutestopoints approach that many are taking with the Bruno / Szobo axis

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      1. LangerznMash
        • 10 Years
        4 mins ago

        I agree, quite risky but also high potential.

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    3. Ball Ake
      • 2 Years
      26 mins ago

      Nice, a bit different. I decided to go 442 for a bit of a change, good value at the back.
      Verb
      Cala-Mosq-Tark-Munoz
      Boomo-Szbo-Doku-Palmer
      Pedro-Haaland
      (Steele-Cash-Yarmy-Walle E)

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      1. Ball Ake
        • 2 Years
        8 mins ago

        Palmer and Cala could become Saka and Gvardiol, will see how things shake out after pre season games.

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  8. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    38 mins ago

    FPL are having a right laugh with Haaland's price aren't they. It seems they have completely overlooked the simple maths of it.

    Over the 4 seasons Haaland has been in FPL, his average FPL pts score has been 226 and only once hitting a score over 250pts. In what way shape or form does that warrant a price of 15.5m? It's utterly scandalous. Completely disproportionate.

    Mathematically for that price, you would need a guaranteed minimum of 300pts for the season which he hasn't got close to achieving in 3 years and even his best ever score of 272 in the 22/23 season is still some way short of 300pts. Salah got 344pts in the 24/25 season and was 14.5m last year.

    Haaland is good but his actual FPL pts are not in any way aligned with a price of 15.5m.

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    1. Malcolm Tucker
      • 5 Years
      30 mins ago

      there's other things to consider

      in the landscape where the next closest is a bruno at 12 the lack of definite premium alternatives means they had to hike him, otherwise he's an absolute lock for everyone and their neighbour

      he's also currently what, 70% owned, so even at that price everyone is all over him, which is perhaps an indication he is perhaps too cheap

      its the certainty you pay for and currently he's current the only who provides that, Bruno was brilliant last season, but is 20 odd assists repeatable? it might be but we don't know, what we do know is Haaland is on for 20 odd goals (again)

      so it's not his points that matter per say, but what he provides in the context of everyone else who is available

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      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        13 mins ago

        You don't (or certainly shouldn't) 'hike' a players price just because of a lack of other premiums. What sort of nonsense is that? Only statistics/previous FPL performances should dictate player prices, nothing else. FPL seem to price players now according to what they want their ownership to be which is total nonsense.

        If he's 70% owned at that price then that's a lot of people playing the game wrong who don't understand simple maths. It's not purely about the amount of goals Haaland scores, it's FPL points, he rarely assists. You think 20 odd goals is enough for 15.5m? Maybe if he got 20 odd assists with it and a total FPL score in excess of 300pts he would be somewhere close to justifying that price but only once in 4 seasons has he even got remotely close to 300pts.

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        1. Malcolm Tucker
          • 5 Years
          just now

          by all means go without him my man

          the true beauty of this game is that all questions get answered eventually

          i only fear that without the big man you'll be watching those answers roll in from behind the sofa, again, and again, and again

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    2. Red Red Robins
      • 5 Years
      30 mins ago

      You're not you when you're hungry

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  9. AndyG3007
    35 mins ago

    So where's Tom's team then?
    Only talks about 3 players in the article.

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    1. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      22 mins ago

      Upgrade bait.

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  10. Travel Notes
    • 3 Years
    27 mins ago

    'This content is restricted to Chief Scout Members. Click here to upgrade. Get instant access to over 150+ members only articles like this one, PLUS, industry-leading RMT Projected Points, Opta Data, Expert Team Reveals, Player Comparison Tool and the Elite Captaincy Matrix, as well as our brand-new app. Join today to Win at FPL with Fantasy Football Scout!'

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  11. TiAgoFPL
    • 6 Years
    22 mins ago

    Nice 11 from Chelsea and Archie Gray RB again

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    1. Mother Farke
      • 2 Years
      2 mins ago

      Crucially, back 4 again.

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      1. TiAgoFPL
        • 6 Years
        just now

        Was convinced that he would play a back 3 with all those cbs

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  12. Moon Dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 1 Year
    11 mins ago

    "Lisandro is not serious, and United expect him to be back at the start of the season" - Andy Mitten, Talk of the Devils
    https://youtu.be/bvMyaoyoDKg?t=2490

    Maguire is off the menu, surely?

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    1. x.jim.x
      • 11 Years
      1 min ago

      They play together, Heaven will drop out

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  13. z13
    • 1 Year
    11 mins ago

    Just watching Pras' recent Wire video, it's very interesting.

    So WC4 is an enticing option, as long as you roll all the way so you have 4FT out of the IB heading into GW6.
    That opens up the door for more punts as it's only three GWs, and less Chelsea as the Arsenal game is one third of their fixtures you will have them for. Stacking up on City, Liverpool and United and even some Sunderland before their GW4 swings. I moved JP up to Isak and have also gone for Foden. And if there is not enough info for WC4, there's an option to delay to GW6 and FH in GW4 to avoid the Manchester derby and stack up on Chelsea.

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  14. Qaiss
    • 10 Years
    8 mins ago

    They shouldn’t let us see ownership percentage before GW1. Would make teams have more variety

    Szoboszlai wouldn’t have 50% ownership if that were the case

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    1. TiAgoFPL
      • 6 Years
      4 mins ago

      Good point

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    2. Qaiss
      • 10 Years
      3 mins ago

      For example*

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  15. Dr Funk
    • 14 Years
    3 mins ago

    Not seeing Semenyo in many drafts. Any particular reason?

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