If you make a bad start in FPL it’s a tough task to recover. So, get your team off to a winning season by avoiding these five big mistakes, provided by our friends at Fantasy Football Hub.1 - Picking non-startersThere’s nothing worse than picking a player in your FPL squad who doesn’t even start in Gameweek 1 and there’s definitely some popular picks who could fall into that category this season.Spurs goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (£4.0m) has been selected by 22.4% of managers, with many hoping for a starter at the lowest price point in the game. But it’s his team-mate Antonin Kinsky (£4.5m) who will be first choice between the sticks.You can defend yourself against any blatantly poor picks by getting your latest draft rated for free by AI in seconds over on Fantasy Football Hub. Simply take a screenshot of your team, upload it to the site and the AI will give you a % score out of 100!2 - Falling for pre-season formIt’s easy to be lured in by pre-season form, with plenty of fantasy managers still carrying the scars from backing Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku in 2024/25, whose hot streak in the summer failed to translate into actual fantasy points come August.This pre-season has been more truncated than ever given that some sides were already back in training in early July when some of their squad were still in the US at the World Cup. For example, Manchester City were still welcoming players back with less than 10 days to their opening fixture.Jamie Gittens (£6.0m) has two goals and two assists for Chelsea in pre-season, but didn’t make the starting line-up for their final pre-season friendly, while Crystal Palace’s top performers Matheus Franca (£5.0m) and Eddie Nkteitah (£5.5m) were only substitutes in their final friendly, with three goals apiece.3 - Backing the unknownsThis season it feels like there’s more uncertainty than ever, with plenty of managerial changes across the Premier League, some teams in Europe for the first time and some disruption to pre-season caused by a World Cup hangover.It’s important to try to avoid as much of that uncertainty as possible in your FPL teams by selecting nailed starters in settled squads. Actively look to avoid new signings to the Premier League and players from the promoted sides in your Gameweek 1 starting line-up.Try to avoid players who are heavily speculated of moves in the transfer window, like Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m). Then there’s players like Arsenal’s Christian Mosquera (£5.5m) who could be quickly displaced if the Gunners sign another centre-back before Tuesday September 1.4 - Having no planTo fail to plan is to plan to fail. The worst thing to do at the start of the season is failing to think ahead. As a starting point, look at the fixtures for the opening five gameweeks which comes before a long international break. Also ensure you have cover on your bench, in case injuries or suspensions hit early.Within the FPL community, there’s momentum gathering for playing the Bench Boost chip early in one of the opening two gameweeks, with cheaper picks from Ipswich Town in Gameweek 1 for the visit of Sunderland, or from Coventry City in Gameweek 2 against Hull.Don’t go too much the other way and book in transfers either, since the start of the season is the most unpredictable, especially with the transfer window still open. Also have a look at how your team might shape up from one gameweek to the next.5 - Being too differentPicking a low owned fantasy asset for Gameweek 1 that nobody is talking about that goes on to score a double digit haul is the ultimate fantasy flex. There’s early bragging rights as you take an early lead in those mini leagues against your mates.However, with over 500 players to choose from, and perhaps only a few diamonds in the rough, it is very easy to get it wrong with a differential pick and end up playing catch up early doors. Taking those risky chances with captaincy is even more extreme.FPL managers sometimes fear the highly owned picks and the boring play. But it is important to remember that the template picks have earned that status for a reason. They have the most potential for fantasy points, it’s as simple as that.Join Fantasy Football Hub to access team reveals from expert managers and if you don't win your mini league you'll get your money back.