FPL Top Picks for Gameweek 8

Club football is back, and so is the Fantasy Premier League. For the next three weeks, managers will attempt to shore up their places in the global standings and their mini/regional leagues. Different strategies have been employed and deployed until now, and many managers have finally settled on one or a few that they will apply for the rest of the season.

Here we are with another in-depth analysis of different matches, selections and players to help guide your choices for gameweek 8. Even if you have a strategy, read on for valuable insights to boost your chances in this season’s game.

Análise da semana de jogo

Gameweek 8’s match schedule looks like this:

• Nottingham Forest v Chelsea
• Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United
• Burnley v Leeds United
• Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth
• Manchester City v Everton
• Sunderland v Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Fulham v Arsenal
• Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa
• Liverpool v Manchester United
• West Ham United v Brentford

Based on the trends from the first seven gameweeks, the one advice we have for Fantasy Premier League managers is to consider changing their formations.

The Defensive Contributions metric has changed the game. If you’re an FPL manager who likes their squad to be top-heavy, consider spreading that money across board. Declan Rice (£6.5m) and Moises Caicedo (£5.8m), for example, aren’t notching the goals and assists, but are keeping up with the likes of Erling Haaland (£14.5m) with respect to overall points haul thanks to defensive contribution points.

The same is true for Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen (£5.0m), who might go all season without a goal or assist because of his role in the squad. The Claret has managed to rack up an average of 4 points every gameweek, bringing his total haul to 37 points this season, two points behind the 2025/26 FPL season’s most owned player, João Pedro (£7.7m).

According to official FPL data from the Premier League, only five defenders had picked up 30+ overall points by gameweek 8 in 2024/25, whereas 20 of them have managed to do so in 2025/26 thanks to the defensive contributions metric. Also, there are more defenders with 40+ overall points at this stage of the game in 2025/26 than in any other position (6).

Spread those funds and change your formation to benefit from this.

Best Budget/Differential Picks for Gameweek 8

Here are our best differential picks for gameweek 8 of the 2025/26 FPL season.

Sean Longstaff (£4.9m) — Leeds

Seeing as our analysis and strategy advice centres around defensive contribution points, we must point you to Sean Longstaff, who is quietly rising up the ranks in FPL. He has secured maximum defensive contribution points in two of his five starts for Leeds this season, which earned him a spot in the team.

Attacking-wise, he has created double the chances in the last two gameweeks than any other player has, with 12 chances created, alongside six shots. He has also been awarded set-piece duty at Leeds, making him a big danger to opponents and a potential assists machine.

Nordi Mukiele (£4.0m) — Sunderland

Nordi Mukiele, on the other hand, is a defender, and you know what that means. At a £4.0m price point, he is one of the cheapest options in the game. Defensive contributions have now gone ahead to make him one of the most potentially valuable assets.

The French centre-back has registered defensive contribution points in four of his five starts for Sunderland this season, also earning two clean sheet points. His average is an impressive 5.4 points per match, and he is a shoo-in to start when Wolves visit Sunderland this weekend.

Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m) — Crystal Palace

Ismaila Sarr has been one of Palace’s most reliable players since he joined the team. However, the popularity of Jean-Philippe Mateta (£6.5m) has overshadowed his contributions. This season, Sarr already has 3 goals and 1 assist, with a further 4 attacking returns in his last 4 Premier League games.

He also has enough defensive contribution points to show that he is a great option among the attackers who are classified as midfielders. If not for his attacking, this should be enough to raise his value. He is also owned by just 6.4% of managers at the moment, presenting you with an opportunity.

Best FPL Players for Week 8

Bukayo Saka (£9.9m) — Arsenal

Bukayo Saka is returning to his best just at the right time, playing crucial games for the Gunners in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League just before the international break. It only took that one appearance to see his price increase, so managers need to consider getting him in before his price crosses the £10.0m mark again.

Also, seeing as he is back, he is also back to being Arsenal’s first choice penalty taker and set-piece taker, giving him more opportunities to haul in points. Fulham away may not be the easiest game, but Saka is never not a wise decision to make when it comes to FPL squad building.

Antoine Semenyo (£7.9m) — AFC Bournemouth

With time, Antoine Semenyo will become a premium asset in FPL. All managers who have not gotten him now have the chance to bring him in to replace their premium assets and spread the rest of the cash on midfielders and defenders who have proven to be able to deliver defensive contribution points. The Ghana forward is the main man at Bournemouth and has only blanked once this season. It will be unwise to continue to keep him out of your squad.

Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m) — West Ham United

West Ham may be struggling, but Jarrod Bowen isn’t. Luckily, they now have Nuno Espirito Santo as their manager, which is an opportunity for the whole team to get back to its attacking best as we previously saw under David Moyes. As the new era begins, now will be a good time to invest in Bowen. The man has not missed a minute this season and has scored three goals in seven matches for them.

Brentford at home is a good fixture for them, and seeing as Bowen is their main man, we expect him to be at the centre of the action if the Hammers can cook up something. Also, other forwards and midfielders who consistently deliver at the level he does or higher will be rotated in the coming months. Bowen, meanwhile, will not, thanks to the Hammers’ poor performances. He is a good investment at this point, even if it’s for the Bench Boost option.