Who Has Player Ratings Work? FPL Scoring Explained
By Arasi Rex · Updated 15 August 2026 · 6 min read
The player ratings work in Fantasy Premier League is done by the BPS, the bonus points calculation that awards 3/2/1 points to the top three BPS scorers in each match. The Premier League table does not use player ratings; it ranks clubs on points, goal difference, goals scored and, if needed, a play-off. These two systems answer different questions, and knowing which one someone means when they ask about player ratings is half the task.
The mechanism: how player ratings work
FPL ratings are not a separate number printed next to a player's name. They are built from the event data that produces FPL points. A full FPL squad holds 15 players, with 11 starters and a £100.0m budget, and no more than 3 players can come from the same club. Within that squad, every player earns points from these actions:
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Goal from a goalkeeper or defender | 6 |
| Goal from a midfielder | 5 |
| Goal from a forward | 4 |
| Assist | 3 |
| Clean sheet for a goalkeeper or defender | 4 |
| Clean sheet for a midfielder | 1 |
| Appearance under 60 minutes | 1 |
| Appearance for 60 minutes or more | 2 |
| Bonus points for the top three BPS scorers | 3/2/1 |
| Yellow card | -1 |
| Red card | -3 |
| Own goal | -2 |
| Penalty miss | -2 |
| Goalkeeper save, for every 3 saves | +1 |
| Penalty save by a goalkeeper | 5 |
| Every two goals conceded by a goalkeeper or defender | -1 |
The captain's score is doubled. A transfer beyond the free allowance costs -4 points. The BPS layer is the closest thing to a player rating. It is not a subjective mark from a journalist; it is a score generated from match events, and only the top three BPS scorers in a match receive 3/2/1 bonus points. The bonus is separate from the goal, assist, clean sheet and appearance points listed above.
The same match data also produces the league table. The Premier League has 20 clubs, each playing 38 matches, home and away, for 380 matches in a season. A win is 3 points, a draw 1. The bottom three are relegated, and three clubs come up from the Championship: two automatically and one via the play-off. These are not player ratings, but they shape the context in which ratings are read. The BPS compares players within each match, independently of the league table.
History/evolution
When the FA Premier League was founded on 20 February 1992, the First Division clubs that broke away did so to negotiate their own broadcast deals. The first season was 1992/93 with 22 clubs. That number dropped to 20 in 1995/96, which is why a full season now means 38 matches per club and 380 league matches overall. A forward now has 38 league matches in which to build a rating, and every other forward in the league has the same number.
Other rules evolved around that core. The current squad rules cap the senior list at 25 players for those over 21, with at least 8 homegrown players, meaning players trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. Under-21 players do not count against the 25. Each club can make five substitutions per match, in a maximum of three windows plus half-time. Those rules do not change the points values, but they change who gets on the pitch and therefore which players have the chance to earn points.
European qualification is part of the same context. The top four go to the Champions League league phase, fifth and the FA Cup winner go to the Europa League, and the League Cup winner goes to the Conference League play-off. Additional Champions League places can be earned via UEFA coefficient performance, and if a cup winner has already qualified through league position, the place passes down. This matters for ratings because European qualification changes the number of competitions a club plays in and, in turn, the size of the squad a manager needs.
Edge cases
The scoring system has edge cases that catch new managers. Appearance points are based on minutes played. A player who plays fewer than 60 minutes earns 1; a player who reaches 60 minutes or more earns 2. A starter taken off before the 60-minute mark loses a point compared with a starter taken off on 60 minutes.
For goalkeepers and defenders, a clean sheet is worth 4 points and every two goals conceded costs -1. A goalkeeper also earns +1 for every 3 saves and 5 for a penalty save. Those goalkeeper bonuses can outweigh a clean sheet in a single match, because a penalty save alone is worth 5 points.
Bonus points are tied to the BPS top three. The points are 3/2/1, and they are added on top of the event points. That is why a player can have an ordinary goals and assists line but still move up the FPL rankings if the BPS places them in the top three. Own goals cost -2, yellow cards -1 and red cards -3, so discipline is part of the rating too.
The league table has its own edge cases. If clubs finish level on points, the order is goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head record. If the clubs are still level and the position decides the title, relegation or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used. Those tiebreakers do not affect the BPS, but they decide which matches, players and ratings carry the most weight at the end of a season.
Understanding these edge cases is what makes the player ratings work in practice. A 59-minute appearance, two conceded goals or a penalty save can move a player in or out of the bonus places, and the league table tiebreakers decide which of those matches matter most.
Key takeaways
- FPL player ratings work through the BPS, which awards 3/2/1 bonus points to the top three BPS scorers in every match.
- Goals are weighted by position: 6 for a goalkeeper or defender, 5 for a midfielder, 4 for a forward.
- A 20-club Premier League season means 38 matches per club and 380 matches in total.
- The Premier League table uses points, goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record and, if needed, a neutral-venue play-off.
- A senior squad list is capped at 25 players over 21, with at least 8 homegrown players; under-21s do not count against the list.
FAQ
How do FPL bonus points work?
Each match produces a BPS score, and the top three BPS scorers receive 3, 2 and 1 bonus points. Bonus points are added on top of goals, assists, clean sheets and appearance points.
Why do forwards score fewer FPL points for goals than defenders?
FPL awards 6 points for a goal from a goalkeeper or defender, 5 for a midfielder and 4 for a forward. That gap is built into the scoring system, not into the BPS.
How is the Premier League table decided if teams are level on points?
The order goes goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head record. If a title, relegation or European place still cannot be split, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used.
What is the BPS in FPL?
BPS is the bonus points score behind the 3/2/1 bonus awards. The three highest BPS scorers in a match get the bonus, separate from the event points for goals, assists and clean sheets.