The best formation in FPL can change by the season. However, there are some general rules you can stick to, to ensure you’re making the most of your 11 players on the pitch.
When looking at the highest scoring players in previous years, it’s almost always forwards and midfielders. And the reasoning is simple. They score the most goals.
There have been seasons where defenders are scoring a high number of points, for example, Alexander-Arnold, Joao Cancelo and Andy Robertson, in recent years. With the way modern football is evolving with attacking full backs, we could see more of these players come through in the future. But the general rule of thumb is midfielders and forwards score the most points.
Therefore, 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 are usually the best formations for FPL. These formations have the most midfielders and forwards.
3-5-2 vs 3-4-3 in FPL
Personally, I prefer 3-5-2. The reason being that midfielders have the most avenues for points. They can get clean sheet points and get an extra point for a goal compared to forwards.
Arguments can be made for 3-4-3 also though. Obviously forwards score more goals than midfielders in general. Over recent years however, wingers like Salah and Saka have been putting up bigger numbers, who are classed as midfielders.
3-5-2 vs 3-4-3 in FPL comes down to a matter of preference. If you can find value in cheaper players, though, it’s possible to swap and change throughout the season, if you properly utilising your bench.
Most FPL managers want to fit as many premiums as possible (players valued over approx. £9m) in their team. This usually means they sacrifice a midfielder or striker and buy a £4.5m player that will sit on their bench for the whole season.
Once the season gets underway though, and the cheap gems start to uncover themselves, you can build a more well-rounded team with a good bench and choose which formation to play based on the game week.
Read our guide on how to change formation on FPL.
The choice between these two formations also depends on things like player value and form. For example, this season (2023/24) there has been a good amount of value in midfielders. This has made the case for the 3-5-2. Players like Palmer and Gordon, which are both available for less than £6m, have been must-haves through certain points of the season. When there are lots of high-performing players in one position, this obviously makes you more likely to play the formation that can field the most of them.
There have been points throughout the season where 3 forwards have been almost essential. For example, Haaland, Watkins and Solanke were all on form at the same time this season. At times, it felt like a necessity to own them all.
This is a good example of why it’s important to be adaptable. You can also use your wildcard to your advantage to change your team structure when you need to.
Conclusion
3-5-2 and 3-4-3 are usually the best formations for FPL because they field the most midfielders and forwards, who, on average, score the most points across an FPL season.
It’s important, however, to keep your options open where you can for changing formations throughout the season depending on where you see value in the pool of FPL players and player form.
