Fantasy Premier League 2020-21: FPL season launches with new gameweek deadline rule

FPL has moved the gameweek deadline to be 90 minutes before the first kick-off

The new Premier League season is on the horizon (Premier League)

The new Fantasy Premier League season has officially launched, and will go ahead with an adjusted rule on gameweek deadlines in an effort to prevent leaked team news influencing the game.

The 2020-21 game went live on Saturday with an expected 7-8 million fantasy managers now able to begin selecting their 15-man squad for the new season, which begins on 12 September.

One problem that has developed in recent seasons is more and more social media accounts leaking team news before their official announcement by Premier League clubs.

It has meant FPL managers can change their team minutes before the gameweek deadline, which comes an hour before the first game’s kick-off, and gain an advantage. On the final day of the season, for example, news spread online that Mohamed Salah, a popular captain selection, would not be starting for Liverpool before the club’s official announcement.

In response, FPL has moved the gameweek deadline to be 90 minutes before the first kick-off, limiting the likelihood of line-ups leaking before the cut-off for making transfers.

The game has also revealed several odd positional changes, with Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood switching from the forwards category to become midfielders, as has Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

To reflect the potential points uplift of being a midfielder, Aubameyang has been rated as the joint-most expensive player in the new season’s game with a starting pricetag of £12m, matched by Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Last season’s top points scorer, Kevin De Bruyne, is rated at £11.5m, as is his Manchester City teammate Raheem Sterling.

City striker Sergio Aguero and Tottenham captain Harry Kane are the most expensive forwards at £10.5m, Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is the costliest defender at £7.5m, and Burnley’s Nick Pope is among a raft of goalkeepers rated at £5.5m.