Crystal Palace - 26/27 Draft FPL Pre-Season Thoughts
Written 18th July 2026 · Everything here very much subject to change, subscribe to the podcast/YouTube channel for all the latest.
This blog is part of Draft FC's Team-by-Team 2026/27 early pre-season series — see all 20 previews in one place here
Another trophy, a raid and a new manager
15th on 45 points - but more importantly, Europa Conference League winners, which means Europa League football at Selhurst Park next season.
The twist of fate which saw them miss out on the Europa league at the expense of Forest last year really turned into a blessing. The only part of the story that twists back on itself is that Glasner has gone over to the dark side. Football can be strange and wonderful like that (we love some added xNarrative in the league). The trophy bought a ticket to the Europa League, but it didn't buy stability. Glasner has gone, and Pierre Sage - ex-Lens, and Ligue 1 Manager of the Year at Lyon in 2024/25 - arrives on a 3-year deal. The tactical handover matters enormously for us, because Glasner's 3-4-2-1 turned the wing-backs into fantasy gold and the defence into a points engine. Sage on the other hand has historically preferred a possession-based back 4. If the shape changes, the value of half this squad could change with it.
The exodus ledger
Palace have been plundered for 2 windows running. Eze went to Arsenal a summer ago. Guéhi was sold to Man City in January. Glasner leaves for a PL rival. And now it seems Mateta could be on the way out, with Villa, Juventus and Man Utd apparently interested and a valuation around £35m. He remains a Palace player today, but if he goes, the starting no.9 spot firmly belongs to Strand Larsen.
Sarr is the headline
Ismaïla Sarr was the Conference League Player of the Season - 9 goals in the run - and Palace's Players' Player of the Year (say that with your mouthfull). With Eze long gone and Mateta agitating, he's the most likely focal point of this attack we can invest in on draft day and 117 points despite injuries and AFCON eating chunks of his season is a very solid base to build from. 24 starts, 4.9 FPL pts per 90 and NPxGI per 90 of 0.5 is very good, all the better too that it was done with relative consistency. I like him, I suspect a more attacking manager suits him so for me he's a rising asset and the kind of mid-rounder that may look very obvious in hindsight.
Rest of the board
Wharton posted surprisingly strong underlying creative numbers that never quite converted into returns, alongside 18 defcon points and a growing set-piece role. Defcons plus deliveries is exactly the combination that wins the middle rounds of drafts, with the standing caveat that he's perpetually linked away. Lacroix was also excellent - 154 points, 42 defcon points - though I wouldn't be surprised to see him sold either, and a move to a big club could make him even hotter property (that Liverpool centre-back vacancy looks very fitting to me). Muñoz and Mitchell were very decent again at 136 and 135 points, but they are the players most exposed to the shape change. Wing-backs in a back 4 are simply full-backs. There's no guarantee it doesn't actually benefit them, but for now, I would put a slight discount on their numbers from recent seasons, particularly Muñoz.
The opening run
The third-softest opening run in the league and a proper draft-day angle. Everton away, Man City at home in GW2, then Fulham away, Ipswich at home, Leeds away, Forest at home. Take out the City fixture and that's 5 very playable weeks in 6, full of promoted opposition and likely strugglers. So Palace's less exciting players - the stock defenders, Wharton, a Pino if he starts - are worth late picks specifically to ride that run. Remember it's cheaper to draft your GW1 streamers on draft day, than fight it out in the early waivers!
Early verdict
European football, a rebuilt attack, a smart new manager - I'm generally positive on Palace heading into this year. Sarr and Strand-Larsen I'd draft with confidence. The wing-backs and Lacroix are quality with a system asterisk. Mateta is a headline risk in both directions. And the fixture run makes the fringe genuinely interesting in a way it wasn't a month ago.
Stay shook,
Draft FC Mitch
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