The Best Fantasy Premier League Side Competitions for 2025/26

Best FPL Side Competitions to Keep Your League Engaged in 2025/26

Running an FPL mini league is fun… until people start dropping off by Christmas.

If you've ever found yourself manually updating tables or chasing mates for entry fees, you’re not alone. The standard league format gets stale — but adding the right FPL side competitions can keep everyone engaged all season long.

In this guide, we'll break down the most popular Fantasy Premier League side competitions you can run in 2025/26 — and show you how FPL Pro Leagues makes managing them effortless.

Monthly Competitions for Fantasy Premier League Leagues

Why it works: Short bursts of competition give every manager a chance to win, no matter how their season is going.
How to run it: Reset the points each month and reward the highest scorer.
Best for: Keeping mid-table players engaged and competitive.

✍️ Tip: Add a small monthly prize to keep everyone motivated without blowing the season budget.

Knockout Cups – Bring the Drama to Your FPL Mini League

Why it works: It adds tension, excitement, and bragging rights.
How to run it: Use weekly Gameweek scores as single-leg knockout rounds, with seeding from your current table.
Best for: Creating rivalries and keeping the banter going.

FPL Pro Leagues can auto-generate Champions League-style competitions — with group stages, knockouts, and Europa-style second chances.

Losers Pay Formats – Keep Every Manager Involved

Why it works: Adds stakes for every league position — even at the bottom.
How to run it: Players who finish in the bottom spots pay into the prize pool at the end of the season.
Best for: Preventing ghost teams and making every Gameweek matter.

Popular on Reddit: Pay £10 for every position below the top 3. Harsh? Maybe. Effective? Definitely.

Chip Usage Challenges – Add Strategy to Your FPL Side Comps

Why it works: Chips like Bench Boost and Triple Captain can define a season — so why not reward smart use?
How to run it: Track chip performance and give a prize for the highest single-chip score or most efficient overall usage.
Best for: More serious players who enjoy the tactical side of FPL.

Bonus: FPL Pro Leagues automatically tracks chip usage and performance, so you don't have to.

Head-to-Head Matchups – Weekly Battles That Matter

Why it works: Adds a personal edge to every Gameweek — it's you vs. them.
How to run it: Weekly head-to-head matchups based on Gameweek points, with a league table based on wins/losses.
Best for: Smaller to mid-sized leagues with competitive players.

If you’ve played FPL Draft, you'll know the buzz. FPLPL supports custom head-to-head setups alongside the classic league.

Why FPL Side Competitions Are Worth It

Without side competitions, most leagues fizzle out halfway through the season.

Adding structured, fun formats:

Keeps more managers engaged
Creates fresh talking points each week
Encourages consistent team updates
Makes your job as league chairman easier

But managing all of this manually is a nightmare.

That's why we built FPL Pro Leagues — to do the heavy lifting for you.

You choose the formats. We handle the tracking, reporting, and prize logic.

Start Your Best FPL Season Yet

Whether you’re managing a 10-person mates’ league or a 500+ super league, FPL Pro Leagues gives you the tools to:

✅ Collect entry fees
✅ Run monthly comps, cups, and chip challenges
✅ Auto-generate weekly league reports
✅ Keep managers invested all season long

👉 Set up your league in minutes — it's free to get started.

Or drop us your league code and we'll send you a free custom season review to kick things off.

TL;DR: Top Fantasy Premier League Side Competitions

Format	Why It Works	Best For
Monthly Comps	Fresh start every 4 weeks	Mid-table players
Knockout Cups	Adds drama and tension	Friendly rivalries
Losers Pay	Fear factor keeps people engaged	Bottom-table motivation
Chip Challenges	Rewards smart play	Tactical players
Head-to-Head Format	Weekly 1v1 matchups	Smaller or mid-sized leagues

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