Fantasy Premier League, usually just called FPL, is the official free fantasy game of the English Premier League. You pick a squad of real Premier League players, and they score you points based on what they do in real matches. It costs nothing to enter, and it runs for the whole season.
Your squad and your budget
You start with a fixed budget and select fifteen players: two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards. There is one hard rule to remember - you may pick no more than three players from any single Premier League club. That limit forces real choices: you cannot simply stack your team with players from the best side in the league.
Each week, called a gameweek, you choose eleven of your fifteen to start. The other four sit on your bench, in an order you set. If one of your starters does not play, the first benched player in a valid formation comes in automatically.
The captain is the biggest decision you make
Before every deadline you nominate one starter as captain. Your captain points are doubled. Over a season, captaincy is worth more than almost any single transfer you will make, because a doubled score turns a good week into a great one - and a blank into a disaster. Never leave the armband on a player who is a doubt.
Transfers, deadlines and the season rhythm
You get one free transfer per gameweek, and unused free transfers roll over to a maximum of two. Extra transfers cost points, so most good managers plan their moves a week or two ahead instead of reacting to every result. Every gameweek has a deadline, usually ninety minutes before the first match kicks off. Miss it, and your team is locked as it stands.
Why FPL is so addictive
FPL turns every Premier League weekend into something personal. A goal by a player you own feels like your own result, and the mini-league against friends, family or colleagues keeps the season alive long after the title race is settled. Start simple, learn the rhythm of one gameweek at a time, and the strategy will follow naturally.