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FPL 2025/26 first draft team reveals: Triple Forest + Everton

27 July 2025 174 comments
Lateriser 12 Lateriser 12
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With Fantasy Premier League (FPL) live for 2025/26, we’re welcoming back our team of guest writers for the new campaign.

Here, three-time top 200 finisher Lateriser shares his initial thoughts on defenders and puts together a first draft.

Make sure you sign up for the new season to get all the Member-only articles, tools and features to make 2025/26 your best FPL campaign yet!

Lateriser triple Forest

“Nothing underpins our society more than the promise of what the future could be.”

An appropriate quote from a book I’m reading right now, Anxious People by Friedrich Bachmann…

The new season is upon us and the game is back, albeit with some new flashy clothes. We’ll save how we feel about those changes for later but let’s get into some early thoughts.

I’ll be focusing this article on defence and talk about broader chip strategy in the upcoming articles.

DEFENSIVE CONTRIBUTION POINTS: PAY ATTENTION TO OPPOSITION TEAMS

FPL Double Gameweek 24: Are any Everton players worth buying?

There are a few thoughts I have about defensive contribution (DC) points.

The first obvious thing is that centre-backs are back! This increases the player pool we have available to us, especially when we’re looking at middling to lower-level opposition.

And depending on the opposition, your defender may have a better/worse chance of hitting the 10 clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles (CBIT) threshold and securing two defensive contribution points. This could also be an opposition play-style thing and not just an opposition strength thing.

Look at this lovely table from FPL_TomHadley:

triple Forest

So, this means that if your centre-back plays the teams at the top, it isn’t the worst thing for the DC points prospect. Everton and Crystal Palace like to cross a fair bit so centre-halves playing against them will invariably have to make more clearances, hence boosting their CBIT tallies.

The defensive contributions made by left-backs against Mohamed Salah (£14.5m) are chuckle-worthy, not going to lie.

VAN DIJK THE PICK OF THE PREMIUMS

Brighton v Liverpool team news: No start for van Dijk or Diaz
defensive contributions
174 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Bobby Digital
    • 8 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    A. Murphy OG

    2-1 Arsenal

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  2. Deulofail
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Alex Murphy smashes it into his own net

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  3. Deulofail
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Gyokeres will be a great backup to Merino

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  4. SpaceCoyote97
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    An article comparing the Liverpool defensive options would be cool.

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    1. Deulofail
      • 9 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      Who would you like to write it?

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      1. SpaceCoyote97
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 3 Years
        4 months, 10 days ago

        Anyone. I'm currently on Frimpong, but VVD is a good shout also and I've seen some people interested in Kerkez too.

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        1. Baps Hunter
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 months, 10 days ago

          Be my guest. Minutes are unknown and Bradley and Robertson will fet some, Bradley probably more. Until CL starts and we have sample size big enough both Frimpong and Kerkez are minutes risks. Bradley is probably likely to get more minutes than Robbo+ Tsimikas combined.

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    2. Baps Hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      Too many unknowns. Conclusion is however this: From the start choose Virgil and Salah and either start with Wirtz or be prepared to transfer him in if needed. During first WC you can reassess.

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  5. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    too early to speculate

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  6. The Mighty Hippo
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Kelleher | Valdimarsson
    Colwill | VDV | De Cuyper | Konsa | Guehi
    Salah | Palmer | Saka | Kudus | Rogers
    Solanke | Bowen | Barnes

    I'm looking to have one 5.0M and four 4.5 defenders in this 3-5-2 line up, but I'm stuggling to decide the best options. Any suggestions?

    a) best 5.0M defender?
    b) best 4.5M defensive options?

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    1. Conners
      • 6 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      I think you already have the two best 4.5's in Konsa & Guehi.

      I'd say a Forest def is your best bet for 5.0m.

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      1. Won't sleep till after…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        4 months, 9 days ago

        Dalot at 4.5 also? Attacking, plus United's fixtures from GW2 are good.

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    2. teddy.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      There's lots of good options, and your guess is probably as good as anyone's, but these are my picks:

      5.0
      Collins
      Colwill
      Lacroix
      Robinson
      Livramento
      Mykolenko

      4.5
      Konsa
      De Cuyper
      Wan Bissaka
      J Andersen
      Guehi
      Van Hecke
      Senesi

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  7. LangerznMash
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Just watched extended highlights of Man Utd 2-1 West Ham and gotta say Areola is such a dodgy goalkeeper.
    Also, West Ham's entire plan of attack seemed to just be get the ball to Bowen and hope he does something.

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    1. Bada Bing
      • 8 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      I think Hammers will struggle big time this season. Areola is awful, Potter hasn't made them any better and like you say, Bowen is their only hope of doing anything.

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    2. Zenith UK
      • 9 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      We're all not happy.

      I can't understand why, for the life of me, that we didn't at least throw our hat in the ring for Kelleher, especially as he came in at under £20M... Like? What?!

      We looked better when Potts came on for Rodriguez (Guido), we need JWP to also get benched.

      Our best formation (currently is something along the lines of (if Potter is insistent on the back 5);

      Areola
      AWB, Mavro (based on Todibo recent performances), Kilman, Aguerd, Diouf
      Soucek, Alvarez/Potts, Paqueta
      Bowen, Fullkrug

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  8. adstomko
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Rip it apart:

    Raya
    Van Dijk - Rúben - De Cuyper
    Palmer - Saka - Fernandes - Wirtz - Rogers
    Watkins - Solanke
    (Kinsky - Truffert - Rodon - Kroupi.Jr)

    Fernandes/Watkins placeholder for Gyökeres.

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    1. Regi Blinker
      • 7 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      When everybody else is reaping the benefits of captaining Salah or Haaland, you'll be wondering why on earth you don't have either.

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      1. adstomko
        • 9 Years
        4 months, 10 days ago

        Because I wouldn't be captaining either of them for first 3 gameweeks

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        1. Regi Blinker
          • 7 Years
          4 months, 10 days ago

          Bold. Apart from Palmer in GW2 I don't think that will pay off. I'd feel more comfortable with JP over Solanke and I'd take money out of GK. Nothing earth shattering. The no Salah Haaland thing always gets ditched after a couple of games. Just make sure you have an escape plan in place with a buffer for price rises in the bank.

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  9. Bobby Digital
    • 8 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Who's your favourite 7.5m forward? I'm on Solanke atm, but not totally convinced.

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    1. adstomko
      • 9 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      Solanke if fit, then Mateta if Eze stays, Evanilson (7m) otherwise

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    2. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      Solanke

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    3. Baps Hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      Solanke atm, but that 0.5 saving would get starting gk for example.

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    4. Hibbopotamus
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      Wissa if he stays but it's unlikely. really a toss-up otherwise but probably Wood by a hair over Solanke and Mateta.

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      1. Bobby Digital
        • 8 Years
        4 months, 10 days ago

        Wood has arguably the best fixtures of the bunch. Just don't know who will fill Elangas boots in assisting Wood.

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    5. teddy.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      Wood, Mateta or Wissa ahead of Solanke for me

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  10. Hibbopotamus
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    played around with a 4-3-3 draft. what do you think?

    Kelleher (Valdi)
    VVD - Tarkowski - Murillo - Munoz (Esteve)
    Salah - Palmer - Marmoush (Christie, 4.5)
    Bowen - Wood - JSL

    not saying i'd do this but when you look at the new points system, DEFCON-getting defenders are pretty much always the best values at 6.0m and below. makes me wonder. Marmoush is the obvious place to free funds but i think he's being overlooked — as a MID he'd have averaged 5.6 PPG, which is elite territory.

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    1. teddy.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      Very similar to my current plan. I've got Bruno instead of Palmer to give me a better bench. I reckon DefCon could reward more investment in the defence. I also rate Marmoush.

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  11. Ze_Austin
    • 7 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    NEW ARTICLE:

    https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/2025/07/27/fpl-new-signings-is-gyokeres-the-missing-piece-for-arsenal

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  12. Deulofail
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Calafiori injury :((((

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  13. xelaay
    • 2 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Hi,

    kelleher
    (darlow)
    timber
    (alex moreno)
    cucurella
    (mykolenko)
    gvardiol
    palmer
    wirtz
    marmoush
    bruno fernandes
    maddison
    *gyokeres* (pending

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    1. xelaay
      • 2 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      kelleher
      timber cucurella gvardiol
      wirtz palmer marmoush bruno maddison
      (gyokeres) bowen

      OR

      kelleher
      saliba cucurella gvardiol
      wirtz palmer saka bruno maddison
      bowen wood

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  14. CoracAld2831
    • 4 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    They seem to really struggle ondeciding Gyökeres price gathering on how quick they decided on Ekitike.

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    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      They are all vacationing in Ibiza.

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      1. CoracAld2831
        • 4 Years
        4 months, 10 days ago

        Yep, seems so

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    2. CoracAld2831
      • 4 Years
      4 months, 10 days ago

      *on deciding

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  15. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 months, 10 days ago

    Ruddy looks like hes been in a scrap

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