What is the best FPL formation to start 2025/26 with?
New FPL rules have made defenders and midfielders more attractive, so what is the best formation to begin with?
As Gameweek 1 gets closer, let’s throw out some suggestions.
3-4-3
These days, there are more goals and fewer clean sheets than in the past. So, naturally, a manager’s initial thought is to own as many goal-scoring forwards as possible (the maximum is three) and rely less on defenders (the minimum is three).
In between are four attacking midfielders that would ideally have set-piece duties, offering multiple routes to points.
Another benefit of 3-4-3 is that, when looking for cheap bench fodder that enables more money to be in the starting XI, it’s easier to find a playing £4.5m midfielder than a £4.5m forward.
3-5-2
Despite this, it currently feels like going all-in on midfielders has momentum, especially if an early Bench Boost activation isn’t planned.
Earlier this summer, when a bunch of players had their positions reclassified, we lost four forwards.
Only Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m) moved in the other direction – the sole remaining forward who would’ve received any defensive contribution (DC) points at all in 2024/25.
In fact, the huge announcement of such DC rewards could change how we play FPL entirely. That’s why managers are looking to stray from three-man frontlines.
There are simply too many good midfield options, now that defensive-minded names like Moises Caicedo (£5.5m), Elliot Anderson (£5.5m) and Idrissa Gana Gueye (£5.5m) will be frequently rewarded.
4-4-2
Furthermore, if you truly believe that DC points will transform the game, starting with 4-4-2 (or even 5-3-2) could soon be the new trend.
After all, each 2024/25 match saw an average of 3.3 players grab these two points. Defenders James Tarkowski (£5.5m), Murillo (£5.5m) and Jan Bednarek did so in over 50% of starts and averaged over 10 DC actions per match.
If you can identify the next lot of these, it’ll feel like a cheat code that could help overtake your more casual mini-league rivals.
Plus, by having a low-priced final midfielder and forward, the budget suddenly allows lots of expensive premium assets. The example above successfully squeezes in all of Mohamed Salah (£14.5m), Erling Haaland (£14.0m) and Cole Palmer (£10.5m).
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