Fantasy Football Premier League has the top managers sniffing out the best players and the real duds early on. How long did it take you? Are four rounds quite enough?
In preparation for Round 5 of the 2025/2026 English Premier League, I’m looking at some of the players who you should immediately improve your fantasy selection.
Remember that you can use these tips directly for your draft in the free FootballCoin contest this weekend. It’s free to join and the prizes are very much real and certainly offered to game users as soon as the results are tallied up. Won’t want to miss that!
These Are the Players You Need for Fantasy Football in the English Premier League for Round 5
Liverpool’s looked a little tired even as it’s won all four of its first games. Everton, by contrast, managed seven points without many expecting them to earn half that. Still, this is a game worth exploiting if you’re a fantasy football manager.
Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have shown that they still come alive in big games. Hugo Ekitike and Dominic Szoboszlai are making the best new surroundings, or a new position. Elsewhere, Michael Keane and Jordan Pickford have impressed in The Toffees’ defence. All good picks!
Oh, Manchester United! The less said about the Old Trafford side at the moment, the better. However, that also means that there are a few Chelsea players who you won’t want to miss out on picking as the two famed EPL sides meet this weekend.
Cole Palmer is back from injury and back in form. Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto are terrorising defences, and the Red Devils’ own don’t quite seem prepared to face them. Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes is, usually the one saving grace. Enough to save Ruben Amorim’s job, though?
Neither Nottingham Forrest nor Burnley has excelled in this start to the season. Forest, however, visitors this weekend seem firm favourites, and Matz Selz will be hoping for a clean sheet as well. This should also positively impact the scoring tally of defenders such as Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic.
The Players You Need to Avoid in Round 5
Some Manchester United fans are consoling themselves by looking at the shots on target stats for last week’s match against City rather than the score line.
But that’s not enough to make me want to suggest you pick anyone from Amorim’s side other than Fernandes. Luke Shaw has been particularly woeful. Patrick Dorgu has spirit, but can’t put in a cross. And was replacing Rasmus Hojlund with Benjamin Sesko really the answer?
Meanwhile, Wolves are sinking deeper than most predicted. Toti Gomes and Jorgen Strand Larsen are particularly worth avoiding for the time being.
And, while most neutral fans love themselves some Aston Villa, current performances aren’t encouraging. Amadou Onana is a gem, but John McGinn, Lucas Digne and Ollie Watkins have looked tired and sluggish. Sunderland could earn some important points here.
