Fantasy Premier League feels arguably trickier yet more rewarding than ever before.Everybody’s favourite Premier League companion game evolves year on year, with the introduction of defensive contribution (DEFCON) this season as well as two sets of super-powered chips.The 2025-26 FPL season came to a close on Sunday and frankly, it won’t be long until we’re all gearing up to compete against our friends, family, colleagues and millions of others across the globe in a contest of selecting the players from the English top flight that outscore the rest of field on any given gameweek.Here, our FPL writers Holly Shand and Abdul Rehman take a look back at the season, picking out their favourite players, reflecting on the assets they wish they’d been less patient with and making a few bold predictions for FPL in 2026-27.Who is your FPL player of the season?Holly Shand: It has to be Bruno Fernandes for me, although that might be my Manchester United bias! He’s the only player in my Gameweek 38 squad who was there right back in Gameweek 1, having produced his best fantasy season since 2020-21 despite a rare period of absence through injury and missing two penalties (against Fulham in Gameweek 2 and Brentford in Gameweek 6).He’s dominated the creativity metrics of key passes (136) and big chances created (34) throughout the entire campaign, and witnessing him level the Premier League assist record in the final home game of the season was something special (he went on to beat it). He’ll be one of the first players on my team sheet for the next campaign and I’m full of hope as to Manchester United’s prospects with Michael Carrick’s appointment now made permanent.Abdul Rehman: Fernandes has to be my player of the season. I didn’t have a great campaign myself but he kept me in it at the worst of times. The Manchester United midfielder was so consistent with nine goals and a monumental 24 FPL assists. This was a season when a lot of the premium players disappointed — the likes of Cole Palmer, Mohamed Salah and even Erling Haaland tailed off a bit in the second half of the season. However, Fernandes just kept on delivering.I captained him in nine games this season and he returned for me every single time. He will no doubt be one of the first players in my team for the 2026-27 season and I imagine he will be one of the highest-owned players come Gameweek 1.Who has been your favourite differential?Shand: I think Dominic Calvert-Lewin has to be up there for me. He’s been a fantastic servant in my squad since I brought him in around December when he went on a purple patch, scoring in six consecutive games. He’s been incredible over the run-in too, ending the season with four goals in six games. It’s been fantastic to see him stay fit over the entirety of the campaign, especially given his recent injury record, and he has become a genuine option once again at Leeds this season.He’s another player who has had his best season since 2020-21, with his side on the up and him in 13.7 per cent of teams.Rehman: Pascal Gross was my favourite differential. I bought him on my Gameweek 32 wildcard when his ownership was super low. He then returned in three gameweeks in a row, including a nice 16-pointer on my Bench Boost in Double Gameweek 34, and in five games got me 32 points, one of my highest gains from a player all season.I remember bringing him in about five minutes before the deadline for Kaoru Mitoma, who got injured after 10 minutes. After a rough season, it was nice to have one of these 50-50 decisions go for me.Leeds’ Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the sixth-highest-scoring forward in FPL in 2025-26 (Michael Regan/Getty Images)Who has been the most frustrating player to own this season?Shand: It pains me to say it but I think it has to be Salah. I began the campaign with him as my premium pick over Haaland, missing the Manchester City striker’s six goals in the opening five gameweeks. Salah produced two goals and two assists over the same period, but then blanked for three consecutive games, missing periods of the campaign through injury, international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, and some conflict with manager Arne Slot.I brought Salah back into my side on a Free Hit in Gameweek 34 only to see him substituted with a hamstring injury before the 60-minute mark for just one fantasy point! He did redeem himself with an assist on the final day and I’ll be sad to see him go.Rehman: Hugo Ekitike. I bought him in Gameweek 18 for Igor Thiago ahead of what looked like a pair of banker fixtures in Wolves (H) and Leeds (H). He only managed an assist in those two matches and then proceeded to get injured, missing out in two games. I kept patience with him as Liverpool were playing Burnley (H) in Gameweek 22, where he played 90 minutes and blanked.