The Scout's panel of Fantasy Premier League experts discuss the best formation for 2024/25, debating whether you should pick a third forward or a fifth midfielder in your starting XI, and who is the best cheap attacker for your bench.
Sam Bonfield (@FPLFamily)
A front three of Erling Haaland (£15.0m) Alexander Isak (£8.5m) and Kai Havertz (£8.0m) is really appealing to me. This means that I am likely to play 3-4-3.
As a result, I am going to need a cheap option in midfield. Morgan Rogers (£5.0m) has been playing well for Aston Villa in pre-season after a good end to 2023/24. Rogers started eight matches for Villa last season, all coming between Gameweeks 29-36. In that time, he picked up 33 points, registering three goals and an assist.
However, if budget restrictions mean that an extra £0.5m would be useful elsewhere, Harry Winks (£4.5m) could be the perfect cheap midfielder. He played 45 times in the Championship, so has surety of starts, and even managed two goals last season.
Mark McGettigan (@FPLGeneral)
It's going to be a close call between 3-4-3 and 3-5-2. Midfielders have more routes to points, but there's a wider range of good forward options this season. Ideally, the eighth attacker would be a £5.5m option rather than a £4.5m pick.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.5m), Anthony Elanga (£5.5m), Andreas Pereira (£5.5m), Adam Armstrong (£5.5m) and Joao Pedro (£5.5m) are all great eighth attackers. Finding the funds is the hard part!
Utkarsh Dalmia (@ZopharFPL)
I usually opt for a 3-5-2 but I think this season there are some solid forward options in the £5.5m-£6.5m price bracket, which is why I'm favouring a 3-4-3 at the minute. The likes of Chris Wood (£6.0m), Rodrigo Muniz (£6.0m) and Joao Pedro arguably offer more FPL potential than the midfielders who are at the same price.
Lee Bonfield (@FPLFamily)
We have a perfect eighth attacker in Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro. So 3-5-2 looks most likely for me right now. But pre-season usually finds a way to throw my plans into disarray, including the rib injury that Joao Pedro is currently nursing - so I'm definitely keeping an eye on that.
Nick Harris (@WGTA_Nick)
I will likely be rotating between 3-4-3 and 3-5-2, and maybe even four at the back. I think it's useful not to tie yourself to one formation. It's better to be flexible. I like Rogers and Joao Pedro as a fifth midfielder and third forward respectively.
Holly Shand (@HollyShand)
At the moment I'm leaning towards a 3-4-3 formation, with a cheap third forward like Joao Pedro, and then a £4.5m midfielder, who will be my eighth attacker on the bench.
Winks currently takes this spot, but while he guarantees minutes, his routes to additional points through attacking returns are limited, so I'm hopeful a better option at this price point emerges during pre-season.
Az Phillips (@FPLBlackBox_Az)
I imagine I'll chop and change between a 3-5-2 and a 3-4-3 throughout the season. I'll most likely start with a 3-4-3, as there are forwards I like with good fixtures to start the season. I intend to be flexible though and have sufficient depth in my squad should I wish to change things up over the opening Gameweeks.
Ben Crabtree (@FC_CrabDogg)
At the moment I'm on a 3-5-2, with a non-starting third forward. I'm not concerned with rotating attacking players at the start because I want to maximise the money in the starting XI.
Gianni Buttice (@GianniButtice)
I am likely to own a £4.5m midfielder and play a 3-4-3 because there are too many good forwards I like this season, and I want to avoid that third forward effectively being a dead spot in my squad.
Harry Daniels (@FPL_Harry)
For me, 3-4-3 is again the best formation in FPL. There are really good options up front, so I find it very difficult to narrow it down to three forwards, let alone picking only two!
Oscar (@FPLFocal)
I've not had a single draft with a back four and certainly not a back five, so it'll be a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 in all likelihood. Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) are in my latest draft and they play like midfielders at times, so I'm basically lined up in a 1-7-2 at the moment!
