The wheels of the summer transfer window are still turning, yet pre-season is coming to an end – and that only means one thing: the 2025/26 Premier League campaign is edging closer. As is the return of Fantasy Premier League (FPL), a game that continues to grow in popularity.
What happens every year is that managers, ignoring due diligence, fall into the trap of picking players based off their expectations, rather than what they can provide. Remember: you have £100.0m to spread across 15 players (a starting eleven and four subs).
Alternatively, there are players that tend to get overlooked, thus causing a scramble among the millions that sign up to play as they race to get him into their team. But, today, we are focusing on the former as we answer who are the five overpriced players in the FPL echo chamber this season.
1 Jordan Pickford (GK) – £5.5m
Everton
Historically, Jordan Pickford’s price has sat at £5.0m, which has always been a favourable price point for FPL managers. That’s now increased to £5.5m and while there’s no doubt that England’s No.1 is a great goalkeeper, is he on the same level as the likes of Alisson Becker and David Raya?
Him being the game’s highest-scoring goalkeeper two seasons in a row would suggest so, but is Everton’s defensive prowess sustainable? David Moyes has also tinkered with a three-at-the-back system in pre-season, which has its obvious downfalls. James Tarwowski, who can now earn points through the game’s defensive contributions points system, is priced the same (£5.5m) and would be the more sensible option.
Jordan Pickford – 24/25 Statistics
Games
38
2 Andy Robertson (DEF) – £6.0m
Liverpool
Andy Robertson, in years gone by, has been a tried-and-trusted defender to earn plenty of points. At his peak, he churned out assists as if it was going out of fashion – but with Milos Kerkez now in the Liverpool fold, is the Scottish left-back’s place under Arne Slot so secure? The simple answer to that question is no – and his £6.0m price is not worth it when considering the other options at your disposal.
Even if he does start, there’s the possibility that Jeremie Frimpong’s willingness to join attacks on the right could prevent Robertson from getting as involved in the final third. In comparison, Virgil van Dijk is a guaranteed starter for Arne Slot’s side – and he costs the same as Robertson, £6.0m.
Andy Robertson – 24/25 Statistics
Games
33
3 Erling Haaland (FWD) – £14.0m
Manchester City
This is not to say that Erling Haaland isn’t a good FPL pick because, of course, his vast collection of goals since joining Manchester City in the summer of 2022 speaks for itself – but at £14.0m, there are better means of spreading your limited funds across two/three picks: you could downgrade to a cheaper forward and bolster in other areas.
His importance in the FPL landscape, having notched 181 points last season, is somewhat petering out. For reference: Yoane Wissa, Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen all outscored the Norway international, widely regarded as one of the best strikers in world football, despite being much, much cheaper. Mix in Omar Marmoush’s arrival and Kevin De Bruyne’s arrival and there’s a chance that Haaland, 25, flatters to deceive.
Erling Haaland – 24/25 Statistics
Games
31
4 Joao Pedro (FWD) – £7.5m
Chelsea
Yes, Joao Pedro played very well at the Club World Cup for his new employers Chelsea, but is he really worth the £7.5 million outlay? Last season, albeit for Brighton & Hove Albion, the Brazilian forward notched 11 goal contributions (five goals and six assists) in 27 appearances – but in west London, the inevitable Cole Palmer will continue to be the club’s penalty taker-in-chief.
Enzo Maresca also has plenty of forwards at his disposal: Liam Delap was brought in this summer, while Nicolas Jackson (permitting he stays at the club) will be knocking on the door for minutes. Although Pedro can also play on either wing or in the No.10 position, Chelsea are well-stocked and are bound to rotate a fair bit with the addition of Champions League football.
Joao Pedro – 24/25 Statistics
Games
27
5 Kevin Schade (MID) – £7.0m
Brentford
At £7.0m, Brentford’s Kevin Schade is just £0.5m cheaper than Chris Wood and £1.0m cheaper than Jarrod Bowen, which begs the question whether including the forward is worth it? Whether Bryan Mbeumo’s departure will be a positive or negative for the German remains to be seen – but, on the face of it, it could depreciate Schade’s value given the capital club’s attack continues to thin out.
Something of a Fantasy afterthought last season, he delivered 15 attacking returns despite starting just 26 of the 38 games. Of course, the opposite could happen, and he could become Brentford’s talismanic presence up top – but for his price, there are many more reliable options on offer. Think the talismanic force of Morgan Rogers and Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.
Kevin Schade – 24/25 Statistics
Games
38
All statistics per Transfermarkt and Fantasy Premier League – correct as of 07/08/2025