Hidden Gems for This FPL Season: Under-the-Radar Players Who Could Win You Points

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Under-the-radar FPL picks – The article highlights 7 lesser-known players, such as Maxim De Cuyper, Djordje Petrović, and Morgan Rogers, who could deliver strong returns despite being overlooked by most managers.
• Major 2025–26 FPL rule changes – New features include awarding points for defensive contributions, introducing 2 full sets of chips per season, clearer assist definitions, AFCON planning boosts, and tweaks to the Bonus Points System.
• Strategic season ahead – With 6 English clubs in the Champions League, newly promoted teams, and a more balanced scoring system, managers will need careful planning and early smart picks to gain an edge.

Liverpool won the Premier League last season, while Sunderland, Leeds, and Burnley are back in the top tier. There are 6 English clubs in the expanded UEFA Champions League: Newcastle, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham. This makes it even more important for Fantasy Premier League managers to be on top of their game.

For Fantasy Football fans, the return of Premier League football means one thing: going over all the stats and carefully planning their teams for the next season. If you’re picking a team based on a budget or joining a Draft League, i.e., FPL Draft, where the regulations are a little different, it’s only logical to put the stars who score a lot of goals at the top of your list. And with good reason. Who wouldn’t want to get a lot of Mohammed Salah right away?

Luck indeed plays a role, but to make a good lineup a fantastic one, you need to consider a little more. First, be aware of the new players in the league. They may be tempting to pick because they are new or because they have a huge signing bonus, but they may not be ready to go right away. Then, look for players who are already on a team and are more likely to participate. Or names that are less likely to get hurt for the same reason.

With some of these things in mind, here are 7 choices (that are usually overlooked by Fantasy Premier League managers) to think about. And logically, Salah, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland, and others aren’t there.

Have this in mind too: players can still move until the transfer window closes at the end of August.

Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.)

Aside from fans of Brighton and Club Brugge, this new player in the league may have gone unnoticed.

De Cuyper comes from Belgium and has played in the Champions League. He also poses a goal threat from the full-back position, which is probably more essential. Ex-Brugge defender scores almost once per 7 league games, so he might help coach Fabian Hürzeler’s team get more points, even if his clean sheet record isn’t as good. He’d be a fantastic addition to any lineup.

Djordje Petrović (AFC Bournemouth)

Bournemouth have spent almost €29 million ($34 million) on goalkeeper Petrović, who came in place of Neto, who’s back in Brazil after a loan at Arsenal.

Like the highly rated Caoimhin Kelleher, who left Liverpool for Brentford, competition for places used to be low for the Serb, but now he may be the main character. He was Chelsea’s finest stopper last season, even though he didn’t play for the “Blues” very often. While on loan at Strasbourg, Petrović made the Ligue 1 McDonald’s team of the season. He’s also inexpensive, given he joined a team that finished ninth.

João Palhinha (Tottenham Hotspur F.C.)

Thanks to changes to the rules that promote disruptive activities, defensive midfielders will soon gain more points, and that’s a good thing for Fantasy Premier League managers. It’s still a good idea to pick the greatest strikers and defenders first, but a competitor like Tottenham’s Palhinha might be a good choice later on.

He was a great tackler who stopped the other team from scoring at his old “job” with Fulham in the Premier League. If Thomas Frank, the Spurs coach, uses a counter-attacking style instead of a possession-based one, João Palhinha’s efforts will be useful. The only problem is that the Portuguese player gets a lot of yellow cards.

Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace F.C.)

When Crystal Palace announced their €8 million ($9.5 million) signing of another full-back, Colombian Muñoz, in 2024, he seemed at home in a Palace uniform.

Like De Cuyper, he’s very good at scoring goals and getting assists, having scored 6 goals and assisted 8 last season. He also works hard on defense; according to the records, only Idrissa Gana Gueye from Everton tackled more than Muñoz’s 128 in 2024/25. He’s a player who isn’t getting enough attention.

Igor Thiago (Brentford F.C.)

Brentford will feel like they have a new player in Thiago, even though he has been there since 2024.

The Brazilian striker, who cost the “Bees” about €35 million ($41 million), came last summer as the club’s most expensive acquisition ever, but hasn’t played much. Thiago has been limited so far by injuries and the play of other forwards, Yoanne Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo. However, things are changing because Wissa may leave the club like Mbeumo did. Thiago, who’s 24 years old, has been the leader of Brentford’s preseason. Going into the season with that momentum will only help. For those reasons, any success won’t come out of nowhere.

Iliman Ndiaye (Everton F.C.)

Everton’s offense was weak last season, so it seems strange that they’d be a good place to find an attack-minded guy.

Still, Senegalese showman Ndiaye was a force to be reckoned with, scoring 9 goals in 33 games and leading the “Toffees’” scoring charts. In Fantasy Football, he has moved from a forward to a midfielder, which means that every successful strike will now earn more points. And he’s playing for a team that seems to be better with David Moyes back in charge.

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa F.C.)

Rogers isn’t exactly a top secret in the Premier League.

Still, the strong ball carrier should be at the top of the list based on what we know thus far. The Englishman scored 8 goals and assisted on 11 goals last season, which is just over one important attacking impact every 2 league games on average. So, he may not have had the star power of a Salah or Cole Palmer. Rogers appeared in 37 games in 2024–25. If he stays in coach Unai Emery’s lineup, which is likely to happen, he’s a good choice for Fantasy Premier League.

FPL Novelties for the New Season

New rules, chips, assists, and changes to bonuses. This is a detailed list of what’s new in FPL for 2025/26.

FPL Points Are Now Given for Defensive Contributions

Outfield players can now earn Fantasy points for defensive performance, which is a reward for players who are good at playing without the ball.

• If defenders make 10 clearances, blocks, interceptions, or tackles in a single match, they’ll gain 2 FPL points.
• To get the same reward, midfielders and strikers will need to make 12 defensive contributions, which include recovering the ball.

This move should make ball-winning midfielders and proactive center-backs stand out. Players like James Tarkowski (Everton) and Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea) might become good budget alternatives.

2 Sets of Chips in 1 Season

FPL managers will now have 2 full sets of chips, which is probably the most interesting change.

For each half of the season, you’ll get a Wildcard, a Free Hit, a Triple Captain, and a Bench Boost. That makes 8 chips in all, but there’s no Assistant Manager chip.

The first set must be used by 6:30 p.m. GMT on Tuesday, December 30, which is the deadline for Gameweek 19. Chips that aren’t exploited by then won’t be carried over.

Elite Worldwide Leagues Added to Fantasy Premier League

For top performers, 2 new competitive leagues have been added: One league is for managers who did really well last season and were in the top 1% of all managers. The other is for the top 10% of players in the world.

If you make the cut, you’ll be signed up automatically. For some, this gives them a new reason to work hard: bragging rights and competition at the highest level.

Clearer Rules for Assisting Introduced

There has always been some confusion concerning assists in FPL, but that will change. The requirements have been made easier:

• FPL assists will now better show how clear contributions to goals are.
• The new definition makes it easier to guess points by cutting down on subjective decisions.

If these changes had been made last season, there would have been 41 more assists. The new structure could help creative players obtain more consistent profits.

Extra Bonuses to Help with Planning for AFCON

Fantasy football often had problems during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). FPL is making things easier this season. Every manager will get 5 free transfers in Gameweek 16, no matter how many they had before. This offers everyone a fair chance to change their teams before players leave.

It’s a pleasant boost, especially for managers who have put a lot of money into African players.

Changes to the Bonus Points System

The values of goalkeeper saves, goal-line clearances, penalty goals, and successful tackles will also alter under the Fantasy Premier League’s Bonus Points System (BPS).

The changes are meant to make it fairer to award critical moments in games. The primary BPS formula stays the same, but these small modifications could mean that players who were previously ignored get surprising bonus hauls.

Customized Badges for Each Team Manager

FPL managers can now make their own team badge with the use of Adobe Express and Firefly AI capabilities, thanks to a new partnership with Adobe.

It’s a fun way to change the look of things, but it’s also a method for managers to show their personality in mini-leagues and head-to-heads.

FPL 2025–26 Rule Changes – General Pros & Cons

Final Thoughts

The Fantasy Premier League season of 2025–26 looks like it will be one of the most strategic yet, which will also deepen the interest of players of the best Fantasy Football betting sites, aside from FPL managers. There are a lot of things to be enthusiastic about, like additional chips, clearer rules, and more rewards for top managers. Especially if you start with the 7 guys that don’t get enough credit. On the other hand, the new rules make things fairer and reward players who are active and involved, especially during important events like AFCON or the chip deadlines.

It’s more important than ever to prepare ahead because newly promoted teams like Sunderland, Leeds, and Burnley are bringing freshness into the schedule, and 6 teams are in the Champions League. One thing is for sure: it’s time to get your spreadsheets ready and your watchlists up to date.

Let’s play!