Join our ChildrensFootball.com mini league in the Fantasy Premier League 2026-27
Pre-season is winding down, the lower leagues and EFL games have already started, and the Premier League is nearly back. That means it's time to pick your squad and get ready for the new Fantasy Premier League season.
And also to join our ever-growing ChildrensFootball.com mini league for another year of bragging rights among coaches, parents and fellow grassroots football fans.
How are you going to spend your £100 million budget this season?
Which of the summer signings are going to hit the ground running? Will one of the newly promoted sides throw up a hidden gem at a bargain price? And do you have a rule you never break, like refusing to pick anyone from your closest rival's club?
Plenty to think about before the deadline.
FPL 2026/27: Key Changes at a Glance That Might Influence Your Squad Picks
- Live points and rank updates: Your score, your bench and your mini league position now update in real time as matches are played, rather than waiting for the final whistle.
- Projected bonus points, earlier: Projected bonus points now appear from 20 minutes into a match and can shift as the game goes on, so you get a much better sense of how your squad is doing at half time.
- Bonus Points System reworked: The BPS has been adjusted so it overlaps less with defensive contribution points, and so goalkeepers, full-backs and attacking players have a fairer shot at bonus points.
- Defensive contribution points stay: The defensive points introduced last season are unchanged, so those reliable defenders and tackling midfielders are still worth their place.
- Two sets of chips again: Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost are each available twice across the season, one set per half. The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline.
- Up to five free transfers can still be banked, so there's no need to panic if you miss a week.
- New help for beginners: A squad-building assistant is available for anyone who wants a hand getting started, answering a few quick questions on favourite club, budget split and attacking versus defensive priorities before suggesting a squad.
Standout Players and Price Rises to Watch Before You Pick
Every year the price list is where the big decisions start, and this season is no different.
- Erling Haaland (Man City), £15.5m: now the most expensive player in FPL history, up from £14.0m last season. He was last season's top points scorer with 239, and his debut 2022-23 season, when he racked up 272 points from 36 goals and 9 assists, is still one of the highest single-season totals the game has seen. Still the safest captaincy pick around, but he does take a big chunk out of your budget.
- Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd), £12.0m: the second most expensive player in FPL history, and this season's biggest price riser at +£3.0m after setting the Premier League assist record with 21 last season.
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea) and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), £9.5m each: both a little cheaper than they started last season, but still two of the most reliable creative picks in midfield, especially with penalty and set piece duties to fall back on.
- Alexander Isak (Liverpool), £9.0m: down £1.5m after an injury-hit debut season at Anfield, so one for squads willing to take a bit of a punt for potentially big reward.
- Gabriel (Arsenal), £8.0m: this season's biggest defender riser, up £2.0m after clearing 200 points last season. Only a handful of defenders in FPL history have ever cost more.
- Igor Thiago (Brentford), £8.0m: also up £2.0m after 22 league goals last season, second only to Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
Worth noting for anyone building on a budget: defenders in general are pricier this season than they've been before, with the top defensive contribution performers from last year no longer available cheaply. It might be worth spreading your spend a little differently to previous years.
For the 2026-27 season, join our Fantasy Premier League ChildrensFootball.com mini-league.
Simply use the link below, and you'll be added automatically after you've entered the game.
fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto-join/rbq42i
Alternatively, you can add your team to our ChildrensFootball.com mini league on Fantasy.PremierLeague.com using the league code: rbq42i
The deadline to be in and ready for Game Week 1 is 6:30pm on Friday 21st August 2026. You can join after this time however, your points for the mini league only start counting from the week you join.
There will be a football-themed prize for our overall mini league winner. To be eligible, and so we can contact you, please register your details here and include your team name.
Good luck for the new season!
