What are FPL Bonus Points and how can you maximize them in the 2026 Fantasy Premier League season? This guide explains the updated Bonus Point System (BPS), key player stats, and smart strategies to earn extra points every gameweek.
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) remains one of the most competitive fantasy football games in the world. In the 2025/26 season and looking ahead to 2026, bonus points continue to be a hidden edge that can dramatically raise your overall score — especially in mini-leagues and global rankings. While goals, assists, and clean sheets are obvious contributors to success, knowing how to consistently earn bonus points is what separates the top managers from the rest.
In this updated guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about maximizing bonus points in FPL 2025/26 and beyond — including the latest rule changes, practical strategies, new trends, and examples from real 25/26 data. Let’s dive in!
Introduction
Every FPL manager knows that bonus points — awarded after each Premier League match — can make or break your Gameweek tally. Unlike goals and assists, bonus points reflect those additional contributions that don’t always show up on the scoresheet: key passes, tackles, interceptions, big chances, and more.
With the updated Bonus Points System and new defensive scoring rules introduced in FPL 25/26, now is the time to refine your strategy and squeeze every extra point out of your squad. Premier League+1
How Bonus Points Actually Work (Updated 2025/26)
FPL uses a Bonus Points System (BPS) to rank the top performers in each match:
- After every match, the top three performers (based on BPS) receive bonus points:
- 3 bonus points for the highest BPS
- 2 bonus points for second
- 1 bonus point for third
- Ties are resolved with shared bonus points based on ranking.
Key Things That Earn BPS
Statistics such as:
- Goals and assists
- Shots on target
- Big chances created
- Tackles won
- Pass completion %
- Goalline clearances
- Penalty saves and goals
…all contribute to BPS and therefore help net bonus points.
Important 2025/26 Changes
Significant tweaks were introduced:
- Goalkeeper saves now score differently depending on shot location (more for shots inside the box).
- Goalline clearances now give +9 BPS instead of +3.
- Penalty goals are now all +12 BPS, no matter the player’s position.
- Successful tackles now directly add to BPS (not net tackles).
These changes favor defenders, goalkeepers, and midfielders who contribute beyond goals and assists.
Top Tips to Maximize Bonus Points (2026 Update)
1. Focus on Consistent, Impactful Players
Players who contribute goals, assists, shots on target, and defensive actions consistently tend to earn higher BPS — and thus more bonus points.
Strong picks for 25/26 based on form and fixture trends include:
- Mo Salah (Liverpool) — record-breaking scorer and BPS machine.
- Erling Haaland (Man City) — premium forward with huge shot volume.
- Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle) — strong bonus point contributor with goals, tackles and creativity.
- Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) — differential with recent form surge.
2. Exploit Defensive Contribution Points
With the new rules, defenders and midfielders now receive extra points for CBIT (clearances, blocks, interceptions, tackles):
- Defenders: 2 points if 10+ combined defensive actions
- Midfielders/Forwards: 2 points if 12+ combined defensive actions Premier League
This has made players like James Tarkowski, Moises Caicedo and Elliot Anderson valuable for bonus points even without goals or assists. Fantasy Football Hub
3. Monitor Form & Fixtures Closely
Bonus point potential rises with form — especially when favorable fixtures align with double gameweeks or fixture swings. Pick players who are:
- Playing regularly
- Getting forward or defensively active
- Facing weaker defenses
4. Think Beyond Goals & Assists
Players can score bonus even without direct attacking returns if they:
- Create big chances
- Win tackles
- Make key passes
- Maintain high pass accuracy
Use advanced stats (BPS tracking sites or FPL tools) to identify hidden bonus point earners.
5. Captaincy Should Consider Bonus Potential
Although captains double their points, they also double bonus points in effect — so choose captains with strong BPS metrics. Premium forwards and attacking midfielders usually fit this mold.
6. Use Chips Wisely
In 25/26, each chip (Wildcard, Bench Boost, Triple Captain, Free Hit) is available twice — one in each half of the season. BBC Feeds
Bench Boost is great when your whole squad has easier fixtures and potential bonus points.
Triple Captain works best in double gameweeks where a high BPS captain can produce big scores.
Bonus Point Patterns in 2025/26
While we don’t have full final data yet, early indicators show:
- Midfielders with defensive and attacking returns (Guimarães, Anderson) are climbing bonus point charts.
- Premium forwards like Haaland continue to be central bonus point earners due to goals and shots on target.
Overall, the best bonus point contributors tend to be players involved in many BPS-earning actions — not just goals.
My FPL Experience: How I Increased Bonus Points
Over several seasons, I’ve learned that consistent bonus point scoring doesn’t just happen from big names — it happens from smart analysis:
Track Defensive and Creative Contributions
I look at players who regularly win tackles, complete key passes, and make clearances — because these feed directly into the Bonus Points System.
Don’t Ignore Lower-Owned Players
Sometimes the best bonus point hauls come from low-ownership assets who are under the radar but highly involved — e.g., mid-priced midfielders or defenders with CBIT focus.
Use Data to Predict Bonus Potential
Beyond goals,
I check tools and stats to see who is performing well in deeper metrics like ‘big chances created’ and ‘successful tackles’ — these often convert into bonus points.
This strategy consistently helped me accumulate bonus points and outperform many other managers.
Conclusion
Maximizing bonus points is about understanding how the system works and picking players who consistently contribute across multiple BPS metrics. With the updates in 2025/26 — especially defensive contributions and adjusted BPS scoring — the game has evolved.
If you combine form, fixtures, underlying statistics, and smart chip timing, you can significantly boost your FPL score through bonus points alone.
Stay observant, flexible, and data-driven — and you’ll see those extra points stack up!
