The new Premier League season is almost upon us, bringing with it another exciting Fantasy Premier League (FPL) campaign.
Last year, over 11 million players participated in FPL. This year, the game has already had over seven million registrations with more coming every hour.
Fantasy managers can make unlimited tweaks until 6:30 PM BST on August 15. With just hours to go before deadline, SportsCasting takes a look at the three most popular players in each of the four positions – goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. .
Most Popular Players in FPL 2025/26 Ahead of Matchday 1
Most Popular Goalkeepers in FPL 2025/26
#1 Martin Dubravka (Burnley): 29.1% Ownership
Fantasy managers tend to save precious millions in this position. As a result, Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who costs just £4.0, has been the most popular goalkeeper in FPL.
Burnley open their campaign with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur who are favourites with UK betting sites to win the game.
#2 Robert Sanchez (Chelsea): 21.4% Ownership
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez costs £5.0 in FPL this season. He is expected to start for the Blues and kept four clean sheets in seven Club World Cup matches.
Chelsea face Crystal Palace in their season opener.
#3 Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest): 20.5% Ownership
Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels rounds up the podium, with 20.5% teams selecting him. Forest were excellent defensively last term and at £5.0, Sels is the cheapest way to capitalise on their clean sheet potential.
Nottingham Forest will play Brentford at home on Matchday 1.
Most Popular Defenders in FPL 2025/26
#1 Jeremie Frimpong (Liverpool): 30.2% Ownership
Despite being a Premier League newcomer, Jeremie Frimpong, is the most-owned defender in FPL this season. The Liverpool man, who scored 30 goals and claimed 44 assists for Bayer Leverkusen, is worth £6.0 million.
Liverpool open their campaign with a clash against Bournemouth on Friday.
#2 Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham): 28.5% Ownership
West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka is second with 28.5% ownership. He comes in at £4.5 million and is likely to rack up decent points thanks to the newly introduced Defensive Contributions.
West Ham will face newly promoted Sunderland in their first Premier League game of the season.
#3 Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur): 24.6% Ownership
Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven’s £4.5 million price tag has made him a mighty attractive option. He had an injury-hit 2024/25 campaign, but is now back to full fitness.
Tottenham also have a favourable opening fixture, with Burnley coming to town.
Most Popular Defenders in FPL 2025/26
#1 Cole Palmer (Chelsea): 59.9% Ownership
Cole Palmer has surpassed Mohamed Salah to become the most owned player in FPL. At the time of writing, the Englishman is in the squads of 59.9% fantasy managers.
Palmer fizzled out in the second half of the season, but still finished with 15 goals and nine assists in the Premier League. At £10.5 million, he is expensive but definitely worth keeping in the team.
#2 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): 53.2% Ownership
Mohamed Salah scored a record 344 points in FPL last season. So, it is no surprise that a 53.2% managers have signed the Egyptian for a chart-topping £14.5 million.
The Reds are also the bookmakers’ favourites to win the title, and if they do, Salah is likely to lead the charts in attacking contributions.
#3 Florian Wirtz (Liverpool): 34.8% Ownership
Premier League newcomer Florian Wirtz is the third-most popular midfielder in the game, with 34.8% managers buying the £8.5 million midfielder.
Wirtz got a lot of praise in Micah Richards’ Premier League predictions, with the former Manchester City man calling him the perfect man for Liverpool. A majority of Fantasy managers are seemingly in agreement.
Most Popular Forwards in FPL 2025/26
#1 Joao Pedro (Chelsea): 55.1% Ownership
At 55.1% ownership, Joao Pedro is by far most owned forward in the 2025/26 FPL season. Pedro scored three goals in as many games as Chelsea won the Club World Cup. He has also looked mighty sharp in pre-season.
At £7.5 million, most managers see him as a must-pick. ChatGPT also picked the Brazilian forward in its best FPL team of 2025/26.
#2 Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal): 26.0% Ownership
After chasing him all summer, Arsenal have landed Viktor Gyokeres, and many Fantasy managers are expecting him to hit the ground running. He has already given fans a glimpse of his quality by scoring in a friendly at the Emirates Stadium.
With a price tag of £9.0 million, he is not cheap, but it is still a bargain for a potential Premier League Golden Boot contender.
#3 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa): 23.4% Ownership
Ollie Watkins is the main man in attack for Aston Villa, scoring at least 15 goals in each of the last three seasons. The price tag of £9.0 million seems reasonable for Watkins, especially considering the decent run of early fixtures Villa have.
Unai Emery’s side begin their Premier League campaign with clash against Newcastle United on Saturday.
