A new round of Premier League fixtures gets underway tomorrow, and Fantasy Premier League managers are finalising their squads ahead of Gameweek 27.
With only 12 matchweeks remaining this season, FPL managers need to make good, informed decisions in the weeks to come in order to climb their mini league rankings.
In this article, we aim to help you stay ahead as we discuss a premium asset that has been struggling this season but is now being bought in large numbers ahead of the weekend.
We also compare two electrifying midfield options to see which one is the better pick for the upcoming weeks, and finally, we take a look at the players who have had the biggest price increases this season.
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FPL Gameweek 27 Deadline
The Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 27 deadline is Saturday, 21 February 2026 at 13:30 GMT.
FPL Gameweek 27 Fixtures
Aston Villa welcomes Leeds.
Brighton travel to Brentford.
Chelsea will host Burnley.
Bournemouth will play away against West Ham.
Manchester City will face Newcastle at the Etihad.
Wolves are on the road to Crystal Palace.
Nottingham Forest are welcoming Liverpool.
Fulham have an away fixture against Sunderland.
Spurs will face Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Manchester United will travel to Everton.
FPL Assets Leading On Form For Gameweek 27
Let’s start by looking at the current form amongst the best FPL players for Matchweek 27 before getting into our free fantasy football tips.
(Form is a metric that’s issued on the official FPL platform, which uses a player’s average score per match, calculated from all matches played by his club in the last 30 days.)
Goalkeepers:
- Emiliano Martínez is first with 6.5 points
- Gianluigi Donnarumma is second with 5.0 points
- Ðorđe Petrović is third with 4.2 points
Defenders:
- Virgil van Dijk moves to first with 7.5 points
- James Hill is second with 7.2 points
- Nico O’Reilly is third with 5.5 points
Midfielders:
- Cole Palmer jumps to first with 8.5 points
- Antoine Semenyo is second with 7.8 points
- Crysencio Summerville is third with 7.2 points
Forwards:
- João Pedro stays first with 10.0 points
- Jarrod Bowen remains second with 6.8 points
- Erling Haaland is third with 5.5 points
Cole Palmer Is Back On Everyone’s Wish List
Chelsea are in a serious battle with Manchester United and Liverpool for UEFA Champions League qualification spots, and the return of Cole Palmer will undoubtedly be a massive boost for the Blues, as well as for FPL managers who have been hoping that one of the most premium options in the game can regain full fitness for the final stretch of the campaign.
So far this season, Cole Palmer has started only 13 games in the Premier League for Chelsea.
In those 13 games, he has been consistent in terms of attacking returns, scoring eight goals and registering two assists.
In his previous two games, Palmer has accumulated a total of 32 FPL points, scoring a first-half hat trick against Wolves, followed by a match against Leeds in which he scored and assisted.
Chelsea and Palmer face a difficult run of fixtures in the coming weeks.
After a favourable match against Burnley this weekend, Chelsea play Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Everton in their next five fixtures.
Despite this challenging run of upcoming games, FPL managers seem confident that a fit Cole Palmer can remain consistent in delivering attacking returns, as he is currently the most transferred-in player ahead of the new gameweek and the second most transferred-in player overall, trailing just behind teammate João Pedro.
Bryan Mbeumo Vs Phil Foden
Both Bryan Mbeumo and Phil Foden have had stellar FPL campaigns in recent years, but this season they have struggled to fully replicate that form.
Even though they might not have reached the same heights yet this season, both have been good FPL picks and relatively consistent with their attacking returns.
Bryan Mbeumo has made 21 appearances for Manchester United this season, playing a total of 1810 minutes.
Phil Foden has made more appearances for Manchester City, with 23, but has actually spent less time on the pitch, with a total of 1717 minutes this season.
Foden is currently priced at £8.2m and has accumulated a total of 108 FPL points this season.
Mbeumo is priced at £8.6m and has scored 109 FPL points this season.
With their price tags and points tallies matching up so closely, who has looked more promising when comparing their performances on the pitch?
Bryan Mbeumo has scored more goals, with nine compared to Foden’s seven.
Phil Foden has registered more assists, with three compared to Mbeumo’s two.
Mbeumo seems to be more active inside the opposition box, with 101 touches and 19 shots, compared to Foden’s 69 touches inside the box, from where he has taken a total of 13 shots.
Foden has tested the opposition goalkeeper from range more often than Mbeumo, with 14 shots from outside the box compared to eight from Mbeumo.
Both players have hit the woodwork once this season.
Foden has moved the ball around much more frequently than Mbeumo, with 971 passes compared to 600 from Mbeumo.
Mbeumo, however, has taken on the opposition more often, with 42 dribbles completed compared to 36 from Foden.
When it comes to discipline, they match up very closely, with Mbeumo having been booked 15 times and Foden being shown a yellow card on 16 occasions.
With Mbeumo being the more prolific scorer and Foden the more consistent creator, it will be interesting to see which of these players finishes the season with more FPL points.
Top 10 Players With The Biggest Price Increase
Let’s take a look at the players who have been increasing in value the most so far this season:
Gabriel Magalhães
Price Increase: £1.1m
FPL Points: 142
Ownership: 43.1%
Price: £7.1m
Declan Rice
Price Increase: £1.1m
FPL Points: 148
Ownership: 35.0%
Price: £7.6m
Igor Thiago
Price Increase: £1.0m
FPL Points: 133
Ownership: 30.6%
Price: £7.0m
Antoine Semenyo
Price Increase: £1.0m
FPL Points: 153
Ownership: 50.5%
Price: £8.0m
Jurriën Timber
Price Increase: £0.9m
FPL Points: 124
Ownership: 30.7%
Price: £6.4m
Erling Haaland
Price Increase: £0.9m
FPL Points: 187
Ownership: 67.6%
Price: £14.9m
Trevoh Chalobah
Price Increase: £0.8m
FPL Points: 124
Ownership: 23.8%
Price: £5.8m
Bruno Fernandes
Price Increase: £0.8m
FPL Points: 143
Ownership: 36.9%
Price: £9.8m
Marc Guéhi
Price Increase: £0.7m
FPL Points: 124
Ownership: 37.0%
Price: £5.2m
Morgan Rogers
Price Increase: £0.6m
FPL Points: 125
Ownership: 30.9%
Price: £7.6m
Top 3 FPL Gameweek 27 Captain Picks:
- Cole Palmer vs Burnley
- João Pedro vs Burnley
- Antoine Semenyo vs Newcastle
Differential Captain Pick Of The Week
Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool’s new striker has been a silver lining for them this season, as Hugo Ekitike has scored 10 goals in 17 Premier League starts since signing.
This weekend, the Reds face Nottingham Forest, and if they can create a few chances for their French forward, those who select Ekitike as their captain this weekend could be rewarded with a strong return.
Playing Your Free Hit?
FPL managers who are considering using their Free Hit Chip this weekend might find some value below in our FPL Tips for GW27:
GK: Emiliano Martínez (£5.0m)
DEF: Virgil van Dijk (£5.9m)
DEF: Rayan Aït-Nouri (£5.7m)
DEF: Daniel Muñoz (£5.9m)
MID: Florian Wirtz (£8.4m)
MID: Bruno Fernandes (£9.8m)
MID: Cole Palmer (£10.6m)
MID: Morgan Rogers (£7.6m)
MID: Antoine Semenyo (£8.0m)
FWD: Hugo Ekitike (£8.9m)
FWD: João Pedro (£7.7m)
BENCH: Martin Dúbravka (£4.0m)
BENCH: Nordi Mukiele (£4.6m)
BENCH: Josh Acheampong (£3.7m)
BENCH: Ashley Barnes (£4.2m)
Final Thoughts
Gameweek 27 is here, giving FPL managers another chance to make strategic moves and capitalise on in-form players.
As always, fixtures will be a key factor in shaping your decisions.
Some teams face favourable matchups, making certain players appealing short-term picks, while others have tougher challenges that call for careful planning and patience.
Budget options remain essential.
Dependable low-cost players who deliver goals, assists, or clean sheets can provide the flexibility to strengthen other areas of your squad without breaking the bank.
Staying up to date with team news, injuries, and tactical changes will ensure your transfers and captain choices are well-informed and effective.
Gameweek 27 is all about blending form, fixtures, and timely information.
Smart decisions now could give you an edge as the season moves into its crucial final stretch.
Here’s to another exciting FPL gameweek!
