Fantasy Premier League 2025/26: Key City Players to Consider
The Fantasy Premier League curtain is about to rise, and the tinkering has already turned into a full-blown frenzy.
With the Gameweek 1 deadline locked in for 18:30 (UK) on Friday 21 August, managers have been handed the annual pre-season luxury: unlimited transfers. Wildcards without the chip. Drafts torn up and rebuilt in minutes. And in the middle of that chaos, three City assets are dominating early selections.
Haaland: The game’s ultimate luxury
Erling Haaland has broken Fantasy Premier League before. Now he’s breaking its pricing model.
After racking up 239 points last season – more than any other player – the Norwegian has been pushed to a record FPL valuation of £15.5m, the highest starting price in the game’s history. Thirty-five attacking returns tell the story: relentless goals, constant involvement, captaincy locked in most weeks.
You’d think that price might scare people off. It hasn’t. Not even close.
Haaland sits in a staggering 75.2% of early drafts. Three out of four managers are building their squads around him, not around formations or balance or budget. He is the structure. Every other decision is a compromise to make that £15.5m work.
Leave him out, and you’re not just going against the grain. You’re betting against the most-owned premium in the game’s modern era.
Guehi: Clean sheets with a sting in the tail
At the back, Marc Guehi has quietly become FPL royalty.
Last season he delivered 179 points, with only one defender in the entire game managing more. That’s not a purple patch; that’s elite consistency. Fourteen clean sheets laid the foundation, but his output went far beyond just defensive solidity.
Three goals. Five assists. Twenty-two defensive contribution points. Fourteen bonus points. Guehi didn’t just sit back and collect the odd six-pointer – he layered his returns, turning solid defensive displays into double-digit hauls.
FPL managers have noticed. Priced at £6.0m, he’s already in 24.7% of squads. Not quite template status, but close enough that going without him feels risky if City’s back line starts the season in the same rhythm.
In a game where defenders are often treated as budget fillers, Guehi has forced his way into the premium conversation.
O’Reilly: From fringe pick to serious asset
If last season was about established stars doing what they do, it was also about one defender stepping out of the shadows.
Nico O’Reilly’s 2025/26 campaign was a genuine breakthrough. Five goals. Four assists. Fourteen clean sheets. By the end of it, he had amassed 160 points – a huge leap of 129 points compared to his 2024/25 tally.
That kind of surge doesn’t go unnoticed by the FPL pricing algorithm. O’Reilly now comes in at £6.5m, a clear statement that he’s no longer a cheap punt or rotation risk in fantasy terms. He’s being treated like a fully-fledged asset.
And managers are buying it. He’s already in 24% of teams, almost matching Guehi’s ownership despite the higher tag. Those attacking numbers from defence are hard to ignore, especially when paired with a strong clean sheet base.
Building around City
Three players. Three different price points. One common thread: trust.
Haaland as the immovable captaincy rock. Guehi as the dependable defensive cornerstone. O’Reilly as the rising weapon at the back who suddenly costs what his numbers deserve.
As the deadline creeps closer and drafts become final teams, the real question for FPL managers isn’t whether to own City players. It’s how many they dare to go without.
