Best FPL forwards with Erling Haaland the obvious FPL pick and an overlooked 5.2%-owned striker

Five players have emerged as the best forward picks in Fantasy Premier League this season, including one who is going massively under the radar.

With not long to go until the Premier League kicks off with Arsenal welcoming Coventry City back to the top-flght for the season opener at the Emirates, planning for the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season is in full swing.

The final matches of pre-season will take place over the coming days, giving fans the last chance to see potential FPL options in action before settling on their teams for Gameweek 1.

Perhaps more so than any other year it seems that there is a wealth of options available with several of the Premier League's biggest players promising to be near the top of the points totals at the end of the season.

With that in mind, here's the first of a series of tips ranking the best players to consider for your FPL drafts, starting with what has historically been one of the hardest positions to score well with, the forwards.

Last season proved exactly why finding the right forwards in your FPL team can be season-defining, with just four of the current forwards in the team placing the top 35 point scorers in 2025/26.

But, there are five forwards that stand out among the rest as the best picks in the game right now, and one of them is only 5.2% owned,

Erling Haaland (MCI, £15.5m)

It's no surprise that Man City superstar Haaland is arguably the most essential player in FPL this season, having once again won the Golden Boot and topped the table for most FPL points scored last season.

Although he is priced at a whopping £15.5m, breaking the record for the most expensive player in FPL history, it's hard to go without Haaland given his form at the start of the season each year.

Haaland has scored on the opening day for the last four seasons, each of his seasons playing for Man City, and across those seasons he has averaged 61.25 points in his opening six fixtures.

His 126 shots were 42 more than any other forward last season, and he also topped the table for expected goals.

And although some may think that the departure of Pep Guardiola could impact Haaland's form, an opening run of Bournemouth (H), Crystal Palace (A) and a potential triple captain worthy fixture of Coventry (H)is hard to ignore.

Joao Pedro (CHE, £7.5m)

At just £7.5m this season, a huge £8m less than Haaland, it's possible that Chelsea striker Pedro may be the best value player in the game, and his ownership suggests that many FPL managers agree.

Currently in 55.5% of teams, Pedro is the second-highest owned player in FPL right now behind Haaland and was the fourth-highest-scoring forward in FPL last season.

With 15 goals and nine assists in 2025/26, the 24-year-old scored 177 points and will no doubt match or exceed these numbers under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Many predict Chelsea will be one of the strongest teams in the league this year, and Pedro is perhaps the best way into Alonso's attack as he's priced £2m cheaper than talisman Cole Palmer (£9.5m).

And having scored a nine-minute hat-trick in his first friendly of pre-season, Pedro is coming into his 2026/27 in red hot form.

READ MORE: Five surprise FPL stars from pre-season - including the 1.1%-owned pick managers are overlooking

Joao Pedro is the second-highest owned player in FPL heading in to the season. (Image: Getty Images)

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (LEE, £6.0m)

As is always the case in FPL, managers have been eager to find a cheap forward to make up the final spot in their front line and, to the surprise of many. Calvert-Lewin's price this year means he is likely the best option for this role.

Following his move to Leeds United last season, the Englishman had somewhat of a resurgence in 2025/26, scoring 14 goals which was actually below his xG of 15.81, and a total of 142 FPL points, the fifth most of any forward.

Obviously the big concern with Calvert-Lewin is his spotty injury record in recent years, but having played 2,721 minutes last year on top of a series of impressive performances in pre-season (scoring three goals) he looks to be as fit as his prime days at Everton.

With NFO (A), BRE (H), BHA (A), NEW (H) and CRY (H) in his opening five, and the role of Leeds' penalty taker in his locker, Calvert-Lewin looks like a fantastic option to start the season.

Alexander Isak (LIV, £9.0m)

Following his Premier League record-breaking transfer to join Liverpool for £125million last summer, Isak failed to impress in his first season at Anfield.

It wasn't until Gameweek 13 that the Swede found his first goal for Liverpool in the Premier League and just weeks later he broke his leg while scoring his second.

However, the 2026/27 season offers Isak a fresh start to his Liverpool career, with a new, attacking-minded manager in Andoni Iraola and a full pre-season to ensure he is fully fit.

And with Hugo Ekitike out for at least the first half of the season, there's no competition for his place in the starting lineup, with many suggesting he will also be Liverpool's penalty taker following Mohamed Salah's departure at the end of last season.

There's no doubt, £9.0m is a steep price to pay for a player coming back from a big injury and a poor first season at a new club, but there's huge upside here and he's easy to move on should he not perform as you'd like across an inviting opening five of NEW (A), NFO (H), IPS (A), FUL (H), BOU (A).

Igor Jesus (NFO, £6.5m)

If you're looking to go a bit different to start the season, then look no further than the man who is perhaps the most in-form player heading into the season.

The Brazilian has scored four goals in four matches during pre-season so far, continuing his impressive form at the end of last season, and appears to be the key man up front for new Forest manager Oliver Glasner, despite competition from threat from Chris Wood.

Despite his form, Jesus is currently in just 5.2% of FPL teams, offering managers a massive differential who is in the form of him life to start the season.

But, a price tag £0.5m more than Calvert-Lewin an opening run of LEE (H), LIV (a), TOT (H), AVL (a) may be enough to put managers off Jesus at least for the opening gameweeks.