2024/25 Team Setup: Budget Strategy of the Top Managers

This article is part of our Top 50 Series, analysing how the best-performing Fantasy Premier League managers from 2024/25—and the All-Time Top 50—navigated the season.

In this section, we analyse how the most successful FPL managers allocated their budgets across positions in 2024/25—both at the start of the season and by Gameweek 38.

Using average cost data from the Top 50 and All-Time Top 50 managers, we can spot key trends and identify optimal setups.

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How Did Managers Set Up Their Team?

How Did Managers Set Up Their Team Gameweek 1?

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Goalkeepers: Set-and-Forget Still the Play

Both the 2024/25 Top 50 and the All-Time Top 50 managers stuck to the tried-and-tested strategy of using minimal funds on goalkeepers. The average spend for the starting keeper in Gameweek 1 was just £4.6m–£4.7m, strongly indicating that most managers went for a £4.5m option—possibly with a small number going higher and nudging the average up.

Sels of Nottingham Forest, who started at £4.5m and finished the season with 150 points, was a game-changer for those who got him early. Meanwhile, Raya, who rose to popularity later in the season and ended with 142 points, had a £5.5m tag that raised the average cost in Gameweek 38 setups.

Across both groups, the second goalkeeper slot averaged just £4.0–£4.2m throughout the season—confirming that the top managers preferred a non-playing or bench-fodder second keeper. Rotation strategies were largely ignored in favour of a ‘set-and-forget’ approach, allowing funds to be better used elsewhere.

Defenders: Still Cheap, Still Functional

Defensive setups remained frugal, though there was a slight uptick in average cost for the top defender in Gameweek 1 (£6.5m for All-Time Top 50, £6.7m for 2024/25 Top 50). This was likely driven by high ownership of Gvardiol (£6.0m), who ended 2023/24 in impressive form, and Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m), who had appealing fixtures to start the season.

From there, we saw consistent patterns:

• Second defender: ~£5.4m–£5.5m
• Third/fourth defenders: ~£4.5m (rotatable budget picks)
• Fifth defender: ~£4.0m (newly promoted team defender for bench cover)

This structure gave managers a solid mix of potential returns and flexibility without compromising funds for key midfielders or forwards.

The average cost of defenders was tightly clustered in the £4.0m–£6.5m range across all setups, showing few spent big outside of one premium.

Midfielders: The Main Investment Position

As ever, midfield was where the money went. In Gameweek 1, the top midfielder for the 2024/25 Top 50 managers averaged £11.4m—likely Salah—while the All-Time Top 50 spent just £10.5m, probably on Saka. This suggests many of the very best performers didn’t start with Salah, who went on to have a record-breaking season, underlining the cost of missing him early.

As the season progressed, both groups ramped up their midfield investment to ensure Salah was accommodated. Their second midfield slot averaged around £10.0m, often featuring Saka or Palmer depending on the time of year. Palmer, in particular, was essential from GW1 to GW21, averaging 7.8 points per game, though his output dipped sharply from GW22 onwards.

Spending on third and fourth midfielders remained stable at ~£8.0m and ~£6.5m, respectively—highlighting the strength of the “template” midfield across top-performing teams.

Forwards: Big Drop-Off After Gameweek 1

At the beginning of the season, most top managers started with Haaland (£15.0m), reflected in the £14.9m average for the top forward slot in the All-Time Top 50. However, this fell sharply across the season as the misfiring Norwegian was often replaced—likely by Isak (£7.5m), who ended as the highest-scoring forward with 211 points.

While Gameweek 1 forward spending was top-heavy (thanks to Haaland), by Gameweek 38, costs had rebalanced, with three similarly priced options around the £6–£10m mark.

Despite the return of the 3-4-3 formation as the dominant set up, the second and third forward spots were filled with mid-priced options (~£6.0m–£6.3m). Names like Wissa, Cunha, Wood, and Evanilson fit this profile well and gave managers flexibility to rotate depending on fixtures.

Final Thoughts

The top FPL managers of 2024/25 once again proved that value and structure matter more than chasing premiums across every position. They minimised spend in goal, trusted a couple of strong defenders, poured cash into reliable midfielders, and moved away from forward-heavy setups once Haaland’s form dipped.

Key Takeaways:

• Set-and-forget keeper strategy still reigns.
• Defensive investment is minimal but consistent.
• Midfield is the biggest budget priority.
• Forward spending dropped sharply mid-season as Haaland underperformed.

These patterns provide a solid blueprint for budget planning ahead of the 2025/26 season.

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