The New FPL Feature That Revolutionises The Game For Managers
Fantasy Premier League has historically been a game that rewards attacking contributions, meaning more offensive defenders and midfielders have been picked by the millions of virtual managers worldwide.
But this year, the team at FPL Towers have made another game-changing move that will increase variety across teams, something that has been much-needed through a period of template FPL squads. But will this change impact the total amount of FPL players in the game?
Here’s why this new feature is going to change FPL as we know it, and what it really does…
What is the New Feature?
In 2025/26, any defender who reaches a combined total of 10 clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles (CBIT) in a single match will score two FPL points.
Any midfielder or forward who reaches a combined total of 12 clearances, blocks, interceptions, recoveries and tackles (CBIRT) in a match will also score two points.
But unlike the current save points for goalkeepers, defensive contribution points will be capped at two points per match, so if a defender makes 20 CBIT in a match, they would still collect just two points, not four – although they might get further rewards through the Bonus Points System.
The table below shows who would have picked up the most points last season if this new feature was in place:
Top players for defensive contribution points 24/25
| Player | Position | Club | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Tarkowski | DEF | Everton | 44 |
| Moises Caicedo | MID | Chelsea | 42 |
| Jan Bednarek | DEF | Southampton | 40 |
| Dean Huijsen | DEF | Bournemouth | 38 |
| Murillo | DEF | Nott’m Forest | 38 |
| Elliot Anderson | MID | Nott’m Forest | 36 |
| Joao Gomes | MID | Wolves | 36 |
| Idrissa Gueye | MID | Everton | 36 |
| Wout Faes | DEF | Leicester | 34 |
| Christian Norgaard | MID | Brentford | 34 |
Which Players Should Be Targeted?
Cheap centre-backs and defensive midfielders have all of a sudden become intriguing bargain options.
Centre-backs that achieve six points on a good gameweek can now get eight, which can be as good a return as a full-back who picks up a goal contribution. Defensive midfielders who were only picking up a couple of points per game can now double this return.
The table below shows a list of players who made the most defensive actions last season. Those on this graph that end up as £4.5m or £5.0m in-game could be unbelievable value for your FPL team!
In terms of players not on this list, Manchester City’s Rodri and Arsenal midfielders Martín Zubimendi and Declan Rice could be great additions. All three will be part of strong defensive units and also offer something offensively as a wider unit.
The table below shows who the top defenders last season would have been if the DC points were around:
Top-scoring defenders with defensive contribution points added
| Player | 24/25 pts | DC pts | Total pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milenkovic | 145 | 26 | 171 |
| Murillo | 130 | 38 | 168 |
| Van Dijk | 143 | 22 | 165 |
| Gvardiol | 153 | 10 | 163 |
| Collins | 127 | 32 | 159 |
| Munoz | 142 | 14 | 156 |
| Alexander-Arnold | 148 | 6 | 154 |
| Tarkowski | 105 | 44 | 149 |
| Lacroix | 114 | 34 | 148 |
| Huijsen | 104 | 38 | 142 |
Why Have FPL Introduced This New Feature?
Template teams have become standard in FPL, where managers typically have the same 25-30 players in mind who are genuinely good pickups. Boosting the returns of more defensive players (centre-backs and defensive midfielders), increases the number of players that can come into consideration for managers.
Defenders have been reliant on clean sheet points in FPL, meaning centre-backs who don’t make many attacking returns haven’t been picked. It’s the same with defensive midfielders, who tend to be capped at one or two points, with just one clean sheet point being available each game.
This shake-up from the FPL developers is an exciting new addition which can really benefit managers if they understand the system. It’s nearly time to start picking our teams!
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