Fantasy Premier League FAQ
Short answers to the questions FPL managers ask most, from the deadline to the captain, hits and price changes.
What Is Fantasy Premier League?
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is the Premier League’s free game. You pick 15 real players within a £100m budget, and they score points each gameweek for what they do in their real matches: playing, scoring, assisting, keeping clean sheets and more.
What Is a Gameweek?
A gameweek is one round of Premier League matches, usually ten games over a weekend or midweek. There are 38 in a season. Your team’s points for the gameweek are added up once its last match ends.
When Is the Deadline?
Each gameweek has a deadline 90 minutes before its first match kicks off. Transfers, your captain and your lineup must be set by then; anything changed after counts for the next gameweek.
How Do I Choose a Captain?
Your captain scores double, so he matters more than any other pick. Look for a player who plays every week, takes penalties or set pieces, and faces a weak defence, ideally at home. Our gameweek guide ranks the best options from FPL’s numbers before each deadline.
What Is the Vice-Captain For?
If your captain doesn’t play at all in the gameweek, the vice-captain’s points are doubled instead. If both miss out, nobody’s are.
How Do Automatic Substitutions Work?
When one of your starting 11 doesn’t play, the first player on your bench who did comes in, as long as your formation stays legal: at least 3 defenders, 2 midfielders and 1 forward. Your bench goalkeeper only replaces your starting goalkeeper.
What Is a Hit?
Every transfer beyond your free ones costs 4 points, called a hit. A hit is worth taking only when the new player should score at least 4 points more than the one he replaces over the next few weeks.
What Are Bonus Points?
After each match the three best players by FPL’s Bonus Points System get 3, 2 and 1 extra points. The system counts things like goals, assists, saves, tackles and key passes, so a quiet defender can still earn bonus.
What Is a Defensive Contribution (DC)?
From the 2025/26 season, players earn 2 points for defensive work in a match: 10 clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles for a defender, or 12, counting ball recoveries too, for a midfielder or forward. It rewards players who defend a lot even without a clean sheet.
Why Do Player Prices Change?
Prices move with how many managers buy or sell a player. A popular player can rise by £0.1m in a night, and one being sold falls. You sell for your buying price plus half of any rise, rounded down.
What Is a Differential?
A differential is a player few managers own, often under 5%. When he scores, you gain on almost everyone around you in your leagues. Our differentials page lists regular starters under 5% owned with the best expected points.
What Is the Safety Score?
The safety score is the gameweek points you need to keep your overall rank: score more and your rank should rise, less and it should fall. The Lions shows it beside your live points and the average.
How Do I Find My FPL Team ID?
Open the FPL website, go to Points, and look at the address: the number after /entry/ is your team ID. Add it in The Lions to see your live points, rank and mini-leagues.
Is The Lions Official?
No. The Lions is a free fan site. It reads FPL’s public data and isn’t affiliated with the Premier League, its clubs or Fantasy Premier League.