The Biggest FPL Mistakes Everyone Makes Each Season and How You Can Dodge Them – Plus a Sneaky £4m Trap
Every season, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers often make the same mistakes – but don’t worry, there are easy ways to avoid them and get ahead of your mini-league friends.
The Premier League kicks off in just a few days, and while fans are excited, FPL managers are busy finalizing their teams. With over 13 million people playing FPL each year, the game is more competitive than ever.
Still, many players slip up in the early weeks, which gives you a chance to climb the ranks slowly but surely among your work pals, family, or mates.
For the 2026/27 season, SPORTbible has put together a helpful guide to the most common mistakes and how you can easily dodge them to stay ahead.
First off, it might sound obvious, but always check the weekly deadline.
With European matches and domestic cups like the FA and Carabao Cup, the FPL deadline can shift from Saturday afternoon to late evening midweek. Most of us have been caught out by this at least once, and it can really mess up your plans.
To avoid this, make a note to check the deadline every week, or better yet, set your lineup the weekend before. That way, even if life gets busy and you forget, you won’t miss out completely.
Another common mistake is picking your favorite players just because you support their club.
Ipswich Town fans might want to pick last season’s top scorer Jack Clarke, but facing tough games against Manchester United and Liverpool early on isn’t easy.
Even if your club usually has great FPL players, it’s important to consider things like form, fixtures, and price. Sometimes that means choosing a rival team’s star player.
For example, Liverpool fans might not want Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United, but he’s so popular because he’s one of the best for the start of the season – nearly 50% of players have him.
Here’s a mistake that trips people up a lot: picking a cheap player just because many others own them.
If you only have £4.5 million left for a midfielder or £4 million for a backup goalie, it’s tempting to pick a popular player without digging deeper.
But if that player doesn’t start or earns very few points, they’ll sit on your bench doing nothing. Soon, many managers will sell them, and their price will drop.
That means you could lose money or waste a transfer getting rid of them later.
Instead, pick a cheap player who’s barely owned by others and plays for a club you won’t want more than two players from, then leave them on your bench all season.
Take Martin Dubravka, for example. He was a great pick last year for just £4.0 million because he played nearly every game for Burnley. But this season, he’s Spurs’ second choice goalie and probably won’t start much, so he’s not a good pick despite being owned by 22% of players.
The same goes for players who had a poor season last year.
Cole Palmer didn’t shine in 2025/26 but is still a very talented player to consider, especially with Chelsea’s easier fixtures from Gameweek four onwards.
Lastly, don’t panic if your team has a slow start and your friends are doing better after a few Gameweeks.
Avoid using all your chips (like Triple Captain or Wildcard) or taking big point hits early on.
Be patient – each week gives you more info and chances to improve your team.
There are some smart early chip strategies, like bench boosting in Gameweek one or two, but unless you have a clear plan, it’s usually best to wait and see how the season unfolds.
Good luck, and have fun!