Skonto Rigga
The launch of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) 2026/27 seems to be imminent as some new features and rule changes for the upcoming campaign were announced on Monday afternoon.
- READ MORE: FPL 2026/27: The ultimate pre-season guide, tips + more
- READ MORE: Get ready for FPL 2026/27 with our predicted prices + draft tool!
- READ MORE: When will FPL 2026/27 start?
1. BONUS POINTS, RANKS + MINI-LEAGUES TO UPDATE LIVE
FPL managers already get to see their squad’s appearance points, goals, assists and clean sheets appear live.
Now, however, projected bonus points will be added after 20 minutes of each fixture.
Not only that, your mini-league standings and overall ranks will also be updated live.
2. BONUS POINTS SYSTEM CHANGES
As it seems to be most summers, the Bonus Points System (BPS) has been tweaked.
This year’s changes are made in an attempt to reduce the overlap with defensive contribution points (DefCon).
As such, it should improve the bonus potential of goalkeepers, full-backs, attacking midfielders and forwards.
- Players no longer punished for being tackled. In previous seasons, players were handed a BPS reduction of -1 every time they were tackled. As this is no longer the case, prolific dribblers like Morgan Rogers and Jeremy Doku shouldn’t be as adversely affected.
- Fewer rewards for clearances, blocks and interceptions. Defenders and midfielders are already well rewarded for clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBIs) in the form of DefCon points, so FPL are making a change to make it harder for DefCon magnets to also get bonus points. A player will earn now earn 1 BPS for every three CBIs, instead of getting 1 BPS for every two CBIs (as was the case in 2025/26).
- Goalkeeper saves: These changes – designed to help goalkeepers acquire bonus points – are quite convoluted, so a table probably works best here…
| 2025/26 | 2026/27 | |
|---|---|---|
| Save from a shot taken inside the box | 3 bps | 3 bps |
| Save from a shot taken outside the box | 2 bps | n/a |
| Any other save (eg from a cross that deflects off a defender and forces a save) | n/a | 2 bps |
| Saving a ‘big chance’ | n/a | 1 bps |
| Saving a penalty | 8 bps | 8 bps (actually 7 but +1 for a ‘big chance saved’) |
3. GAMEWEEK SCORES FINALISED LATER
The Gameweek “lockdown”, when FPL scores become final, will now be later.
In 2026/27, this will happen at 9am (UK time) on the day after the final match of the Gameweek. So, for example, that’ll be Tuesday morning if there is a Monday night finale.
Previously, this happened one hour after the final whistle of the last match of the Gameweek.
This should reduce the number of occasions when a player has missed out on/gained extra bonus/DefCon points due to the previously swift Gameweek cut-off.
Maxence Lacroix, for example, should have gained DefCon points from his Monday night fixture in Gameweek 3, but the upgrade from nine contributions to 10 only happened after the Gameweek was locked.
4. NO EXTRA AFCON TRANSFERS!
Last season, FPL managers were given extra free transfers in December to help them plan for the mid-season Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
However, that won’t be a feature this season because the tournament is not taking place until June/July 2027.
5. SEE YOUR RANKS AS A PERCENTAGE
Finally, a new feature that was previously announced.
In a nutshell, the season history page has been improved.
FPL managers could already view their previous ranks going back to 2006/07, when records began.
Now, however, Fantasy bosses can see:
- Their final rank as a percentage of all teams in a given season
- A ‘career average’ points tally, rank and % rank
- A % for your overall rank every Gameweek in the current season
NOT CHANGING IN 2026/27
Finally, a word or two on aspects of the game that won’t change in 2026/27:
- Chips unchanged: Managers still receive two sets of chips (Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost), with one set available in each half of the season. The first set of chips must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline and cannot be carried over.
- Roll up to five free transfers: Managers can still bank a maximum of five free transfers.
- DefCon points remain: DefCons are here to stay – and they look set to remain unchanged in 2026/27. So, for instance, calls to doubly reward defenders making 20 contributions seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
