Summary
FPL has become a massive phenomenon, enhancing the football-watching experience.
Despite not being experts, Lineker and Richards selected an intriguing FPL squad for 2025/26.
Key picks for their squad include Salah, Wirtz, Watkins, Pedro, Gabriel, and Esteve.
On the latest episode of The Rest is Football podcast, Micah Richards and Gary Lineker were challenged to put together their Fantasy Premier League squad ahead of this weekend’s opening fixtures. The game - where you build a team within a set budget and earn points based on players’ real-life performances - has grown into a phenomenon, with millions of players worldwide.
Over time, FPL has added an extra layer of intrigue to watching football, often causing just as much frustration as excitement - even when your own club isn’t involved. These days, there are even dedicated experts who study data and develop strategies to climb the global rankings.
Neither Richards nor Lineker would claim to be experts, but their deep knowledge of the Premier League makes their selections for the 2025/26 campaign an intriguing watch.
Goalkeepers & Defence
Rayan Ait-Nouri
Rayan Ait-Nouri
From their seven goalkeeper and defensive slots, Lineker and Richards chose to keep things relatively light at the back. Their two premium options were Arsenal’s Gabriel and Manchester City’s new signing Rayan Ait-Nouri, who would have delighted his FPL owners by scoring eight points in a 4-0 debut win over former club Wolves on Saturday evening.
In goal, they went budget-friendly with Burnley’s Martin Dubravka (£4.0m) and Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m), freeing up funds to spend further forward. At £4.5m each, Micky van de Ven and Marc Guehi add reliable depth - unlikely to rack up attacking returns, but both offer strong potential for defensive points in teams expected to be solid at the back this season.
Their final pick was Maxime Esteve, another bargain defender. While initially looking like a simple money-saving option, his Burnley side conceded just 13 goals in the Championship last season under Scott Parker, keeping 30 clean sheets - matching Port Vale’s long-standing record from 1953–54. Remarkably, they also became the first English league team ever to avoid conceding more than one goal in any match across a full season. With that pedigree, Esteve could yet prove a shrewd differential while other owners opt for Nottingham Forest defenders or the riskier Liverpool full-backs.
Lineker & Richards' FPL team - goalkeepers & defence
Position
GK
GK
DEF
DEF
DEF
DEF
DEF
Midfield
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah
After racking up 29 goals and 18 assists in the Premier League last season, Mohamed Salah remains the undisputed king of FPL, being the game’s all-time top points scorer, and is considered a set and forget option. Leaving him out is practically a death wish, so it’s no surprise Lineker and Richards made him the first name on their teamsheet - with the captain’s armband likely his for most gameweeks.
He’s one of two Liverpool midfielders they selected, joined by British record signing Florian Wirtz. The two-time Bundesliga Player of the Year comes in at a reasonable £8.5m, making him an attractive option, especially since he's on corner-taking duties. Elsewhere, Cole Palmer at £10.5m is another near-essential pick. Everything Chelsea do in attack flows through him, and after contributing to 23 goals last season, that tally could rise even further following the club’s summer reinforcements.
MixCollage-08-Aug-2025-08-00-PM-9231
For cheaper options, Tijjani Reijnders offers strong differential value. His goal and assist at the weekend showed why his £5.5m price may not stay that low for long. Meanwhile, Mohammed Kudus could become this season’s Bryan Mbeumo for Thomas Frank at Tottenham. Two assists in Spurs’ opening win over Burnley suggest the £6.5m midfielder could provide real bang for Lineker and Richards’ buck.
Lineker & Richards' FPL team - midfield
Position
MID
MID
MID
MID
MID
Attack
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins pointing
Ollie Watkins
Like many FPL managers this season, thanks to the shifting striker landscape, Lineker and Richards opted to start with two forwards instead of three, likely deploying a five-midfielder formation. However, by including Marc Guiu as their £4.5m budget option, they run the risk of losing value if the Chelsea youngster on loan at Sunderland doesn’t get regular minutes.
Their premium striker picks to kick off the campaign are Ollie Watkins (£9m) and Joao Pedro (£7.5m). While Watkins remains one of the most reliable and consistent options in FPL, there are questions over how much game time Chelsea’s forwards will get, with Pedro facing competition from Liam Delap.
That said, the price points of Watkins and Pedro give Lineker and Richards plenty of flexibility. If either - or both - fail to deliver as expected, they might have a range of fallback options, including Viktor Gyokeres, Hugo Ekitike, Jarrod Bowen, or Chris Wood. Watch the full podcast episode below:
Lineker & Richards' FPL team - attack
Position
FWD
FWD
FWD
All statistics courtesy of Premier League (correct as of 17/08/2025)