The clean-sheet-keeping, defensive-contribution-accumulating (and low-scoring…) goliaths of Everton are up next in our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team previews.
In this guide, we’ll be looking at Everton’s best FPL picks for the upcoming campaign.
We’ll also take an early stab at their predicted line-up for Gameweek 1, look at the good and bad on the field, assess the opening fixtures, detail their best players for defensive contributions (DC) and more!
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defensive contributions
The data and graphics in this article come from either our Members Area or Statsbomb, with whom we are again partnering in 2025/26.
Fantasy managers can get access to the wealth of Statsbomb numbers, as well as the usual Opta stats, new defensive contribution (DC) points, recalculated points from last season, exclusive articles, transfer planner, tools and app, with a 47% discounted Chief Scout membership today!
EVERTON: REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
MOYES’ IMPACT
Everton team
The above image from Football365 shows the Premier League table from the point of David Moyes’ appointment.
Moyes lost his first game as returning Everton boss but after that, it was just three defeats in 18 games. Those three losses all came against sides in the top four.
Away form was particularly strong, with five wins and just six goals conceded in nine outings on the road.
According to Statsbomb, Everton didn’t have an expected goals conceded (xGC) of greater than 1.04 in any of their final 16 matches. They had done so on 15 occasions before that.
Can the honeymoon period continue? Oliver Glasner is a cautionary recent example of momentum loss: he had a brilliant spell at the back-end of 2023/24 but Palace were winless in eight in his first full season at the helm.
DEFENSIVELY SOUND
We’ve already touched on Everton’s big selling point above: their defence.
This is a backline that knows each other well and has barely changed over the last two years. The one new addition, Jake O’Brien (£5.0m), is even an upgrade on what went before at right-back, despite being a more natural centre-half.
The continuity, and the pragmatic approaches of Messrs Dyche and Moyes, have produced results. Everton have been in the top five for fewest goals conceded over the last two seasons. A combined 25 clean sheets have arrived in that time, a tally that only Arsenal (31) and Manchester City (26) can better.
Everton team
Above: Premier League clubs sorted by lowest xGC per game over the last two years
EVERTON: REASONS TO BE FEARFUL
FPL pre-season: Kalajdzic goal, bright Armstrong + Semenyo shots
SLOW STARTERS