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.
