In our final position-by-position guide, we’re analysing the forwards fighting to make Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers’ opening squads.
Following our look at the best £4.5m-£5.5m picks and £6.0m-£6.5m options, let’s assess the forwards costing at least £7.0m.
OVERVIEW
2025/26 wasn’t a great year for forwards in FPL. Among the top 35 point scorers from last season (who are still in the game), merely four were forwards.
But as you’d expect, five of last season’s best seven forwards came from this price bracket. Erling Haaland (£15.5m) led the way on 239 points.
A couple of this season’s 10 priciest forwards had an injury-hampered 2025/26. Alexander Isak (£9.0m) broke his leg, while Kai Havertz (£7.5m) got injured and barely featured until the run-in.
At the time of writing, there are 10 players now within this price range.
ERLING HAALAND (£15.5M)
After a disappointing 2024/25 by his standards, Haaland was back to elite level last season. The Norwegian produced the exact same number of goals and assists he managed in 2023/24, when Manchester City last won the title, returning 27 goals and eight assists.
His goal tally was five more than the second-highest scoring forward, so his price hike of £1.5m is steep but fair.
His 126 shots were 42 more than any other forward (see image below). He also ranked top for expected goals (xG) with 25.43.
The arguments against starting with Haaland have it that the departure of Pep Guardiola cannot be underestimated, and that City could also be affected by the absences of Bernardo Silva and Rodri (£6.5m). The latter is injured for the start of the season.
But Haaland’s opening fixtures are surely too kind to ignore. A curtain-raiser at home against Bournemouth and a trip to Crystal Palace (both teams with new managers) are swiftly followed by a visit from newly promoted Coventry City.
It will be a major surprise if Haaland doesn’t make hay while the sun shines, especially given his penchant for fast starts (see below). And if he doesn’t get off to a flyer, his price gives managers oceans of room to play with if they want to cash in on him.
JOAO PEDRO (£7.5M)
With a 54.7% ownership, João Pedro is the second-most owned asset in the game after Haaland (75%). It’s not difficult to see why. The Brazilian, who is well-rested after having been left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, was the fourth-highest-scoring forward in FPL last season.
The Brazilian scored 177 points thanks to 15 goals and nine assists – up five and four respectively on the previous season – and can be expected to continue his improvement arc under Xavi Alonso. With Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) and Cole Palmer (£9.5m) providing the chances, Pedro’s number of big chances could improve from the 26 (sixth among forwards) of last season.
Unlike some other forwards, the Brazilian is also a decent creator. His 29 chances created and six big chances created were joint-fourth figures among forwards last season, while no forward still in the game produced as many assists (nine).
When you consider how dysfunctional Chelsea were last season, assess the quality of their arrivals (both on the pitch and in the dugout) and note that he scored a nine-minute hat-trick in his first friendly match for Alonso, Pedro could be a steal at his price point.
ALEXANDER ISAK (£9.0M)
After spending most of last summer on strike at Newcastle United, Isak got his dream move to Liverpool. But it was far from a dream season.
The Swedish striker arrived on Merseyside unfit and didn’t score until Gameweek 13. When his second goal finally arrived, in Gameweek 17, he broke his leg. That kept him out until Gameweek 32, after which he managed only one more goal.
Isak’s debut season at Anfield may have been disastrous, but there were extenuating circumstances.
Playing under a coach of Andoni Iraola’s calibre, the former Newcastle forward could really kick on. Not just through his own improvement but as a result of the upturn that can also be expected from creative attackers like Florian Wirtz (£7.5m) and Rio Ngumoha (£6.0m).
If Liverpool also add the left-sided forward they are seeking, goals will surely flow. Isak can be trusted to get his fair share, especially with Hugo Ekitiké (£7.5m) out injured for the foreseeable future.
Liverpool’s fixtures are very inviting until they host Man City in Gameweek 6, with Newcastle (a) having lost key players.
IGOR THIAGO (£8.0M)
Thiago was the surprise hit of 2025/26. After missing all but one match of the previous season through injury, the Brazilian made up for lost time with some superb numbers. Thiago’s 22 goals were only five fewer than Haaland, as was his xG give or take (20.57 versus 25.43).
He ranked second among forwards for shots (84) and big chances (41), although it is worth noting that eight of his actual goals were from the penalty spot.
Joint-fourth among players in his position for big chances created (six), you do wonder whether FPL managers are missing a golden asset hiding in plain sight. Owned by 15.8% of managers, he is not quite a differential, but if you can find room in your budget, the Bees front man could do well.
Compared to, say, Ollie Watkins (£8.0m), Thiago has a more appetising start to the season. It offers the potential for Thiago to hit the ground running.
Remember that there’s no European football for Brentford in 2026/27, either, so there isn’t the rotation risk affecting Thiago that there is with others in this piece.
OLLIE WATKINS (£8.0M)
It was a season of two halves for Watkins, who struggled for form in what was a nightmare start to the season for Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s side didn’t score until Gameweek 5, and the England international didn’t get off the mark until the following Gameweek.
Slowly but surely, however, Emery used his magic and helped Watkins rediscover his eye for goal. Watkins finished up with 16 goals, which was bettered by only two forwards, and four assists. He also ranked third among forwards for big chances (24) and fourth for xG (15.14).
But how will Watkins fare now that Rogers has left? The hope is that Alejandro Garnacho (£6.0m) can provide him with service from the left, while Johan Manzambi (£6.0m) takes well to the switch to the Premier League.
Watkins is a reliable starter and a class act, who has fallen beneath last season’s total of 167 points only once in the last six seasons. However, Rogers and the PSG-bound Lucas Digne (£4.5m) produced a significant 15 assists between them last term, and Villa’s new-look midfield remains an unknown quantity.
Villa’s opening two fixtures and their slow start to last season suggest Watkins is best left to a watching brief. He has even been linked with a move away from Villa Park in recent weeks, too, so that’s a transfer situation to monitor.
THE OTHERS
Only four forwards scored more than Viktor Gyökeres‘ (£7.5m) 14 goals in 2025/26.
Critics would point to his failure to score against the so-called big-six teams, but so long as FPL managers are aware of that, they can rotate him accordingly. He could have a field day against his old team, Coventry, in Gameweek 1, for example.
Gyökeres will be better for his first season of acclimatisation, but he was forced to play a lot more than Mikel Arteta intended. Kai Havertz (£7.5m) missed most of the campaign through injury, but the fact he was chosen ahead of Gyökeres (and scored) in the Champions League final suggests that Havertz is the Spaniard’s preference for the big occasion.
The German made only seven Premier League starts, yet produced more assists than the Swede (three) and scored twice in the run-in against Man City and Burnley.
Minutes will thus most likely be shared with Gyökeres and Havertz, especially as the German is less likely to feature in midfield with Bruno Guimaraes (£7.0m) on board.
Elsewhere, Ekitike will be worthy of consideration when he returns to fitness. He is not expected to be back from his torn Achilles for some months yet, but his 11 goals and four assists from only 21 starts are evidence of a player of high quality.
Omar Marmoush (£7.0m), to a lesser extent, is also a classy player, but Haaland is the player blocking his path to the City forward line.
Last but not least, Benjamin Sesko (£7.0m). Manchester United used him sparingly last term while he adapted to the rigours of the Premier League, and with the Red Devils in the Champions League this time around, anticipating when the Slovenian is going to be on the pitch may be even more difficult.
Six goals in his last 10 league matches for United is not to be sniffed at, and as Michael Carrick’s side have, in theory, the second-easiest opening six-match sequence, this could be Sesko’s moment to break out. That said, he is still working back towards full fitness, which will need to be monitored ahead of Gameweek 1.
