Fantasy Premier League is back for the 2026-27 season, giving managers another opportunity to compete in mini-leagues and attempt to climb the overall rankings. Whether you are playing for the first time or returning for another season, there are several important rules and new features to understand before finalising your Gameweek 1 team. Here is everything you need to know about FPL for the new campaign. When is the first FPL deadline? The first Fantasy Premier League deadline of the 2026-27 season is Friday, August 21 at 18:30 BST (13:30 ET), 90 minutes before the opening Premier League fixture which sees champions Arsenal at home to newly promoted Coventry City.Managers can make unlimited transfers before this deadline, so there is no penalty for changing your squad during pre-season. Throughout the season, each Gameweek deadline will be set 90 minutes before the first match of that round. The Premier League champions Arsenal kick off the new season against Coventry City (Julian Finney/Getty Images)How do you build an FPL squad? No change here. Every manager receives a budget of £100m to build a squad of 15 Premier League players. Your squad must contain:
Two goalkeepers
Five defenders
