The Premier League, at long last, is back! On Friday, Arsenal and Coventry City will kick off the 2026/27 season, which means Fantasy Premier League is back as well.
With 20 squads and 25 players on each squad, there are plenty of players to choose from for FPL, but not all of them are worth rostering, and some can sink lineups.
At DraftKings Network, we’ve already broken down the top 100 players overall for this season, as well as our position-by-position top 10. This column will take a more negative note, looking at 10 players to avoid for the upcoming season.
FPL Rankings 2026/27: Top 10 Busts
Top 10 FPL Busts 2026/27
| Rank | Player | Team | Position | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan Rogers | CHE | MID | £7.5m |
| 2 | Matty Cash | AVL | DEF | £4.5m |
| 3 | Igor Jesus | NFO | FWD | £6.0m |
| 4 | Dominic Solanke | TOT | FWD | £6.0m |
| 5 | Alisson | LIV | GK | £5.5m |
| 6 | Bruno Fernandes | MUN | MID | £12.0m |
| 7 | Piero Hincapié | ARS | DEF | £5.5m |
| 8 | Kostas Tzolakis | HUL | GK | £4.5m |
| 9 | Nick Woltemade | NEW | FWD | £6.0m |
| 10 | Hayden Hackney | EVE | MID | £5.5m |
Morgan Rogers, Midfielder, Chelsea
Chelsea broke the transfer record for an English player by bringing in Rogers, spending £117 million on his services, but high-cost transfers don’t always bear fruit. Liverpool brought in a pair of massive signings last season, spending £125 million on Alexander Isak and £100 million on Florian Wirtz, and both were flops. Isak was limited to just 14 games because of a broken leg and scored just three goals, and Wirtz took until December 20 to finally notch his first goal contribution. Rogers might be worth it, but he arguably had a less impressive track record than both Isak and Wirtz, and new systems often take a while to adjust to. Unai Emery’s tactics are different from Xabi Alonso’s, and Rogers’ price tag reflects his age and long-term potential more than it does his likely production this season.
Matty Cash, Defender, Aston Villa
Cash had a good 2025/26 season, but Villa seriously overhauled its defense this summer, as left-back Lucas Digne left for Paris Saint-Germain and center-back Ezri Konsa is now at Arsenal. The Villans also brought in Zion Suzuki from Parma after the goalkeeper’s move to PSG fell apart, and with the Champions League to focus on in addition to the Premier League, it’s unclear how much Unai Emery will rotate between the sticks. Either way, the uncertainty in the back can’t be good for Cash, especially if Villa completes a move for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who might well take his starting role. His ceiling would go up if he ends up transferring to Everton, but as long as he splits time with the Congolese star, I’d avoid him in FPL.
Igor Jesus, Forward, Nottingham Forest
Jesus had a decent first season in Europe after making the move from Brazilian side Botafogo, but I still think his salary is too high for his production. Forest has had a quiet transfer window, losing Elliot Anderson and only replacing him so far with Xaver Schlager, a solid player who isn’t as good a passer. Additionally, the Foresters will have to adjust to Oliver Glasner’s system, and last season, Glasner’s Crystal Palace team had the third-worst attack in the Premier League. Glasner is a good tactician overall, but his most successful teams have been more defensive-oriented. Plus, Jesus could soon face competition from Liam Delap if the latter’s move from Chelsea goes through.
Dominic Solanke, Forward, Tottenham Hotspur
Solanke is clearly the odd man out in Roberto de Zerbi’s system after he produced just three goals in 15 appearances in his second season after making the move from Bournemouth, so his £6.0m salary is unjustifiable. Spurs have a crowded forward room that also features Richarlison, Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus, and likely Omar Marmoush and Savinho soon. Additionally, Tottenham has been linked with USMNT star Folarin Balogun, although Marmoush’s arrival could complicate that deal. Either way, Solanke has disappointed in his two seasons in North London, and he’s set to do so again barring another move.
Alisson, Goalkeeper, Liverpool
When he’s healthy, Alisson is still a reliable option, but he’ll turn 34 right after the transfer window closes, and he’s missed at least 10 Premier League games in each of the last three seasons. He’s coming off of his worst season as a pro, saving just 64.8% of the shots on target he faced and keeping his second-fewest clean sheets in the Premier League. With a new manager in Andoni Iraola and the Champions League to balance, the Reds will also have a lot of adjustments to make. Ronald Araujo and Jérémy Jacquet might eventually end up being good enough to replace Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté, but Araujo is coming off of a terrible season at Barcelona and Jacquet’s price tag is more reflective of his age than his current ability.
Bruno Fernandes, Midfielder, Manchester United
I don’t mean to disrespect Fernandes after he broke the Premier League single-season assist record, but £12.0 million is steep, especially since he produced just 33 more total points than Antoine Semenyo (£8.5 million) last season. Throughout his career, Fernandes has been excellent, but not historically brilliant, and his tremendous form after January (14 assists in 18 matches) is too high a level to expect any player to maintain. With the Champions League to balance, he might be a little less fresh, and Youri Tielemans could take some of his playing time in the Premier League if the Red Devils make a deep run in Europe.
Piero Hincapié, Defender, Arsenal
Arsenal’s defense should be just as good as it was last season, when it allowed just 27 goals and kept 19 clean sheets. However, Hincapié might be the odd man out after the Gunners brought in Ezri Konsa. They’ll have to cover for a bit for William Saliba, who’s likely to miss the first few months of the season with a back injury, but Konsa impressed more than Hincapié at the World Cup and is the more versatile player. In addition to splitting time with Konsa, Hincapié will also have to compete with Riccardo Calafiori for the starting left-back. Calafiori’s salary is the same, but I like his upside more than Hincapié’s.
Kostas Tzolakis, Goalkeeper, Hull City
Hull City is going to have a rough go of the Premier League, given that by expected stats, the Tigers were supposed to be relegated from the Championship last season. They already sit back and play a counter-attacking style, so Tzolakis will likely be peppered with shots. As is, Hull already conceded the fourth-most goals in the Championship last season, and while Nobel Mendy and Lucas Herrington are solid signings to shore up the back line, the Premier League could be an adjustment, especially for Herrington, whose primary top-flight experience came in the much weaker MLS. Tzolakis already struggled against top competition in last season’s Champions League, saving just 55.6% of his opportunities.
Nick Woltemade, Forward, Newcastle United
Newcastle and Woltemade struggled in 2025/26, as he produced only 11 goal contributions in 33 appearances, including just one Premier League goal after the start of 2026. Additionally, he had a poor World Cup, featuring only once for Germany and missing his penalty in the shootout loss to Paraguay. Of the Magpies’ forwards, I prefer Yoane Wissa, who was tremendous for DR Congo in the World Cup and has a 19-goal Premier League season under his belt. Newcastle also lost three key playmakers, with Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimarães, and Anthony Gordon all leaving on big-money deals, and I’m not sure youngster Bazoumana Touré poses as much of a creation threat as Gordon.
Hayden Hackney, Midfielder, Everton
It’s hard to predict Hackney’s production in his first season after making the move from Championship side Middlesbrough, but Everton’s midfield room is crowded. The Toffees brought in another player at Hackney’s position with significantly more Premier League experience (Christian Nørgaard), and they have a pair of new attacking midfielders in Merlin Röhl and Brennan Johnson. They also brought back Tyrique George, who started one match as an attacking midfielder last season while on a six-month loan. It’s possible that Hackney could step right into the role vacated by Idrissa Gueye, but making the Championship-to-Premier League jump is easier said than done.
