For the last few seasons, one of the easiest decisions for Fantasy Premier League managers has been putting Erling Haaland into their team and building the remaining squad around him.
Ahead of the 2026/27 FPL season, however, that decision is nowhere near as straightforward.
Haaland has been handed a staggering £15.5m price tag, making the Manchester City striker the most expensive player in FPL history. He has surpassed his own previous record of £15.0m from the 2024/25 season.
The question isn’t whether Haaland will score goals. He almost certainly will. The bigger question is whether spending 15.5 per cent of the entire £100m budget on one player is the best way to construct an FPL squad.
So, is it Haaland or NaaLand for Gameweek 1 and beyond?
Why Haaland remains difficult to ignore
There is a reason FPL has priced Haaland at £15.5m.
The Norwegian finished the 2025/26 season as the highest-scoring player in FPL with 239 points, registering 27 goals and eight assists.
His underlying numbers were equally impressive. Haaland registered 126 shots, 42 more than any other forward, and led all forwards for expected goals (xG) with 25.43.
Haaland’s 2025/26 FPL numbers
| Stat | 2025/26 |
|---|---|
| FPL points | 239 |
| Goals | 27 |
| Assists | 8 |
| Shots | 126 |
| xG | 25.43 |
| 2026/27 price | £15.5m |
There is another reason why starting without him is dangerous: Haaland traditionally starts quickly.
Across his four seasons at Manchester City, he has been the highest-scoring FPL player after the opening six Gameweeks every single time, averaging nine goals across those opening six matches.
That is exactly the kind of record that can punish managers planning to start without him and buy him later.
Also Read: 17 Best Differential Midfielders and Forwards at £6.0m or Less in FPL 2026/27
City’s fixtures strengthen the Haaland case
Manchester City’s early schedule only adds to his appeal.
They start at home against Bournemouth before travelling to Crystal Palace. Then comes one of the standout fixtures of the opening weeks — Coventry City at home in Gameweek 3.
City also host Sunderland in GW5 and Ipswich Town in GW7.
| GW | Opponent | Venue | FDR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bournemouth | Home | 3 |
| 2 | Crystal Palace | Away | 3 |
| 3 | Coventry City | Home | 2 |
| 4 | Manchester United | Away | 4 |
| 5 | Sunderland | Home | 2 |
| 6 | Liverpool | Away | 4 |
| 7 | Ipswich Town | Home | 2 |
Those fixtures provide several obvious Haaland captaincy opportunities.
And captaincy remains perhaps the strongest argument for spending £15.5m. A 12-point Haaland haul becomes 24 when captained, making it particularly painful for non-owners when City have an attractive home fixture.
So why consider NaaLand?
One number: £15.5m.
Picking Haaland leaves managers with only £84.5m for the other 14 players.
And FPL managers aren’t exactly short of alternatives this season.
Bruno Fernandes costs £12.0m, Alexander Isak £9.0m and João Pedro £7.5m. Other forwards including Igor Thiago and Ollie Watkins are also available around the £8.0m mark.
Thiago scored 22 goals last season compared to Haaland’s 27, while his xG of 20.57 wasn’t dramatically behind Haaland’s 25.43.
João Pedro, meanwhile, delivered 177 FPL points from 15 goals and nine assists and costs £8m less than Haaland.
That makes the real question:
Will Haaland plus a budget player outscore a cheaper premium forward plus an upgraded premium midfielder?
That is where NaaLand becomes tempting.
The captaincy problem
Going without Haaland isn’t without considerable risk.
Whenever City have a favourable home fixture, non-owners are effectively betting against him twice. They miss his points and also need their alternative captain to match a potentially doubled Haaland haul.
That is particularly concerning against Coventry in GW3, Sunderland in GW5 and Ipswich in GW7.
With Haaland owned by around three-quarters of FPL managers ahead of the season, a big captaincy haul could cause serious damage to managers without him.
But this season provides alternatives.
Bruno, Isak and João Pedro also have attractive opening fixtures, giving NaaLand managers legitimate captaincy options rather than simply hoping Haaland blanks.
Haaland or NaaLand?
This is where the £15.5m price starts to swing the argument towards NaaLand.
There is a difference between asking whether Haaland is the best individual FPL asset and whether a Haaland team is stronger than a NaaLand team.
Haaland could score 25-plus goals again and still not necessarily provide the best value at £15.5m.
Choosing Isak instead saves £6.5m, while João Pedro frees up £8m. That is enough money to make major upgrades elsewhere — potentially turning a budget midfielder into Bruno Fernandes, strengthening the defence or simply removing weak links from the starting XI.
And crucially, Haaland isn’t the only premium player with good fixtures.
Bruno, Isak, João Pedro and other premium or near-premium options have favourable matches of their own, meaning managers can rotate the captaincy rather than relying exclusively on Haaland.
The danger remains obvious. Haaland could score twice against Bournemouth, explode against Coventry and immediately punish anyone who started without him.
But FPL isn’t simply about owning the player most likely to score the most goals. It is about maximising £100m across an entire squad.
At £15.5m, Haaland needs to substantially outperform the alternatives to justify the compromises required elsewhere.
For managers prioritising safety, Haaland remains the obvious choice.
But for those willing to spread the money across Bruno, Isak, João Pedro and other strong assets with favourable fixtures, NaaLand might just offer the stronger overall FPL team to start 2026/27.
