Defending FPL champion reveals three 'must picks' for GW1, the best £4.5m option and big mistake fans are making
A medical student from Denmark who won the 2025-26 Fantasy Premier League in his first season playing the game has revealed his hints and tips ahead of Friday's Gameweek 1 deadline.
Erik Ibsen is the FPL's reigning champion after winning the world title by an impressive 38-point margin.
The Dane only started playing the popular game when his sister needed some help with her work league team. The rest, as they say, is history, as he lifted the crown after taking the lead in Gameweek 29.
So, what did he do differently to the average manager? "I took some extreme risks which paid off, but I was also very patient at the same time," Erik tells SPORTbible ahead of Friday's opener between Arsenal and Coventry.
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"Yes, it is contradictory, but a special mix of patience, risk and luck is required," added the 23-year-old.
As expected, plenty of people have been asking the humble Ibsen for advice, including SPORTbible. We sat down with the defending champ to get his thoughts on his three "must-picks" coming into GW1, the best £4.5m options and more.
The biggest piece of advice Ibsen has for players? "I would recommend that any new player try to plan 3-4 GW's ahead and focus more on making it simple and boring rather than trying to think extremely out of the box," he said.
You can read our chat with Erik below.
For people making those final changes before the deadline, who are the three players you’d describe as ‘must-picks’ for Gameweek 1 and why?
Erik: "Must picks for GW1? Bruno Fernandes, a second Manchester United player (Bryan Mbuemo or Harry Maguire), and an Arsenal defender (Gabriel or Riccardo Calafiori). If you've got those three, you should have a solid start."
Is there a highly-owned player you think people are making a mistake by picking?
Erik: "I think there is a lot of uncertainty right now. Personally, I could actually see Bruno Fernandes for 12 million being too much if it all starts becoming too much (amount of games) with United playing in the Champions League.
"He is a player I could easily see dropping with his price."
Erling Haaland is £15.5m this season. Is he still worth that huge chunk of your budget, or can you build a better team without him?
Erik: "Yes. Everyone else is really cheap compared to him. If you drop one of Haaland or Bruno, you can afford almost everything. But personally, I still think he (Haaland) will be value for money."
READ MORE: Fantasy Premier League tips: The ultimate FPL guide to beating your mates in 2026/27
Which summer signing do you think will have the biggest impact in FPL?
Erik: "I think Chelsea have made some great additions. I think Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers could be great players to keep an eye on. Getting them in for GW4 seems an easy choice."
If you could give people three rules to follow throughout the 2026/27 season, what would they be?
1.) Patience: Don't be scared to roll and every week doesn't need to be perfect.
2.) Don't let the bad games ruin it: You will have bad weeks. I started 8 million in the world and still won. Don't give up if you have a couple of bad weeks. (and no hits)
3.) Captaincy: Don't overthink it. 9/10, it is better to get some captain points instead of overthinking it and trying to find the best pick every week."
Give us two bold predictions for the new FPL season
Erik: "Firstly, I think Tottenham's defence will be top 3 this season in the Premier League. Secondly, I think Bruno Fernandes could easily be an avoid this season after the first three games."
Quickfire questions
Haaland or no Haaland? No Haaland is more fun.
Best £4.5m option? Kristoffer Ajer from Brentford or Maxim De Cuyper from Brighton
Best captain for GW1? Bruno Fernandes
One player currently in your team you’re least convinced by? Bryan Mbuemo
Which player have you changed your mind on most during pre-season? Gabriel
Topics: Fantasy Football, Premier League, Football
Jack Kenmare