Fantasy Premier League Gets an AI Companion to Help You Pick Your Squad
Microsoft's new FPL Companion tool answers your team questions, surfaces player stats, and updates in real time, but it will not pick your team for you.
Key points
- Fantasy Premier League, the official fantasy game with over 13 million players, launches an AI Companion tool ahead of the Premier League season starting 21 August.
- The tool is built on Microsoft Foundry and uses Azure OpenAI, a cloud service for running AI models, combined with official Premier League match data.
- Andy Selby, the Premier League's senior gaming manager, confirmed the Companion will not predict points or make decisions on your behalf.
- The tool updates in real time, so the same question asked Tuesday versus Thursday may produce a different answer if news has broken in between.
- A free-to-play entry point already exists through Fantasy Premier League itself; the Companion is built into that ecosystem.
If you play Fantasy Premier League, you have a new assistant this season. The FPL Companion, powered by Microsoft's Copilot, launches ahead of the Premier League kick-off on 21 August, offering a chat-based tool where you can type questions and get answers drawn from official match and game data.
Think of it as a knowledgeable friend you can text at any time of the week: "My striker is injured, who should I bring in?" Type that, and the Companion pulls together performance figures from recent matches, transfer popularity among other managers, and upcoming fixture difficulty, then gives you a shortlist of options with data to back each one up.
What does it actually do?
It answers questions and surfaces data. Full stop. The tool will not predict Fantasy Premier League points, and it will not run your team on autopilot.
Selby was clear on this. The Companion might suggest Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka or Antoine Semenyo as replacements for your injured player, but you make the final call. It will link to relevant editorial content from the Premier League to support your thinking.
The data it draws on comes from two pools. First, match data: goals, assists, minutes played, shots, tackles, the kind of stats that already exist but are spread across different tables. Second, FPL-specific data that only exists because the game does: how many managers have captained a certain player this week, how many have transferred someone in or out. The Companion brings both together in one conversation.
Is it useful if you are new to fantasy football?
Yes, and this is probably where it earns its keep most quickly. New players can ask basic questions without embarrassment.
Selby described the early-season experience for a newcomer: "How do I pick my team?", "Explain how chips work", "How do I set up a mini-league with friends?" All fair game. As your knowledge grows through the season, the questions naturally get sharper: "Which striker takes the most shots?" "Which goalkeeper has the best fixtures coming up?"
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launch date | Before 21 August 2025 Premier League kick-off |
| Built on | Microsoft Foundry, Azure OpenAI |
| Player base | 13 million-plus FPL managers |
| Data sources | Premier League match data plus FPL game data |
| Decision-making | Suggestions only; manager decides |
| Update frequency | Real time as news breaks |
One practical point worth noting: because the Companion updates as news arrives, an injury confirmed on Wednesday will already factor into Thursday's answer. That matters a lot in a game where a last-minute team sheet can wipe out your captain pick.
Should you be worried about privacy?
The tool sits inside the existing FPL platform, which already holds your squad and transfer data. Microsoft AI reported that queries feed into Azure OpenAI. Standard advice applies: avoid typing personal information you would not want stored, and check the FPL privacy settings in your account if you want to review what data the game holds on you.
The Premier League says it will watch how managers use the Companion through the season and update it based on the questions that come up most. In other words, it is a first version, not a finished product.
Common questions
Is the FPL Companion free?
Fantasy Premier League is free to play, and the Companion is built into that platform, so there is no separate subscription needed to access it.
Will it spoil the fun of managing your own team?
Selby's answer was direct: no. The tool gives options and data; it does not make picks. You still get to be wrong about Haaland's form all by yourself.
Does it work mid-week or only near match days?
It works across the week and updates in real time, so it is as useful on a Tuesday morning as it is on a Saturday afternoon.
