Fantasy Premier League has introduced a "Second Chance League" that begins scoring from zero points after the Gameweek 6 deadline at 11:00 BST on Saturday 10 October. The initiative targets two groups: managers who never got around to signing up for the free-to-play game this season, and those who did but fell behind early on. Both can now compete on level terms in a standalone mini-league, with a prize of two tickets to a Premier League match plus a travel package for the eventual winner.
How the mechanics work
Any manager who already runs an FPL team in 2026/27 is automatically entered into the Second Chance League - no extra action required. Those without a team yet need to register one before they're added. Scoring resets to zero at the Gameweek 6 cut-off, meaning the five opening rounds of fixtures, in which prices and ownership for players such as Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Alexander Isak have already shifted, become irrelevant to this particular standings table. There is no accompanying cup competition attached to this league, which distinguishes it from the main game's structure.
Why timing matters for squad selection
Fantasy football rewards information as much as instinct. Managers building a squad now have the benefit of five Gameweeks of evidence: which teams have adapted fastest under new management, where set-piece duties have changed hands, and which big-money picks - Erling Haaland at £15.6m or Bruno Fernandes at £11.9m among them - are delivering on their price tags versus those who aren't. That's a meaningful edge over the blind guesswork required in Gameweek 1, though it's worth remembering that past form is not a promise of future returns; fixture congestion, injuries and tactical changes can alter outcomes quickly in a 38-game season.
Options for managers already mid-season
For those who built a team in August and have watched it slide down their mini-leagues, the Second Chance League offers a secondary objective without requiring them to abandon their existing squad. Managers still holding a Wildcard chip can deploy it before the Gameweek 6 deadline to rebuild completely, swapping out underperforming assets for players in form. Those who've already used their Wildcard can rely on banked free transfers to gradually reshape their squad instead. Either route is a matter of squad management strategy, not a guarantee of climbing the table - Fantasy outcomes still hinge on real-world match events beyond any manager's control.
Building your own mini-leagues
Separately, any FPL administrator can set up private mini-leagues that begin scoring from Gameweek 6, giving friends, family or colleagues the option to start a new head-to-head contest independent of the official Second Chance League. This is a standard feature of the platform and doesn't affect a manager's overall season score, which continues to accumulate from Gameweek 1 regardless of how many secondary leagues they join.
- Second Chance League scoring starts at zero from the Gameweek 6 deadline (11:00 BST, Saturday 10 October).
- Existing 2026/27 teams are entered automatically; new managers must register first.
- No cup competition runs alongside this particular league.
- Wildcards and saved free transfers remain the key tools for managers rebuilding their squads.