FPL 2026-27: Best budget options in every position for Gameweek 1

Premier League fantasy managers chasing budget value for the 2026-27 campaign have more work to do than in recent seasons, but the options are there. With Erling Haaland (£15.5m), Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) and Gabriel (£8.0m) taking up significant chunks of squad budgets, the cheap slots on the bench and in the starting XI can decide a season.

The Athletic’s Holly Shand, in her Fantasy Premier League analysis published ahead of Gameweek 1, describes the pricing as “vastly different” this year. The familiar base-price goalkeeper well has mostly dried up, while promoted clubs have created a deep pool of £4.0m defenders. Here is what stands out by position.

Goalkeepers: the £4.5m bracket is the sweet spot

Managers tempted by Martin Dubravka (£4.0m) after his move to Tottenham Hotspur should check the depth chart first. Dubravka is set to be Spurs’ third-choice goalkeeper behind Antonin Kinsky (£4.5m) and Guglielmo Vicario (£4.5m), whose future at the club is currently uncertain.

Kinsky is attracting the most attention in the £4.5m bracket as Tottenham’s number one. Spurs’ consecutive 17th-place finishes may temper enthusiasm, but the source notes significant improvements are expected under head coach Roberto De Zerbi. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) is the other standout, having kept 10 clean sheets last season. Brighton face UEFA Conference League qualifying midweeks either side of Gameweek 1, yet Verbruggen still looks strong value.

Defenders: promoted clubs dominate the bargain bin

Every listed defender from the three promoted clubs — Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City — is priced at £4.0m. Coventry kept 17 Championship clean sheets last season (only Millwall, with 19, had more), and early fantasy investment has focused on right-back Milan van Ewijk (£4.0m), who produced eight assists in the 2025-26 Championship, and centre-back Bobby Thomas (£4.0m), who added three goals and four assists. The catch: Coventry open the season at Arsenal, though they host Hull in Gameweek 2.

Ipswich have a kinder opener against Sunderland at Portman Road. New signing Issa Diop (£4.0m) is the most popular pick at the price point, with 173 Premier League appearances for West Ham and Fulham, while centre-back partner Dara O’Shea (£4.0m) is close to his own century of top-flight games. Leif Davis (£4.0m) is gaining momentum after scoring twice in a 3-0 pre-season win over Rayo Vallecano, adding to six goal involvements last term. Hull’s John Egan (£4.0m) looks the best option among their defenders, but a tricky opener at Manchester United makes benching him sensible.

Further value emerges above the base price. With Brentford’s Sepp van den Berg (£5.0m) reportedly facing around two months out due to an unspecified injury, Kristoffer Ajer (£4.5m) is set to start the campaign; Brentford face Leeds United away and Sunderland at home in Gameweeks 2 and 3. At Nottingham Forest, new coach Oliver Glasner is expected to use wing-backs, which could push Ola Aina (£4.5m) high on the right at a lower cost than Neco Williams (£5.0m) on the opposite flank. Manchester United’s Luke Shaw (£4.5m) is the headline bargain: he started all 38 league games last season, and United kept six clean sheets in 17 matches after Michael Carrick’s appointment as head coach in January.

Midfielders: set-piece roles drive value

Sunderland’s Enzo Le Fee (£6.0m) heads the sub-£6.5m midfield list. He delivered five goals and six assists last season and earned defensive contribution points on eight occasions, while sharing set pieces, including penalties. Sunderland’s opening fixtures — Ipswich away and Fulham home — add to the appeal.

Brighton’s Pascal Gross (£5.5m) offers a similar profile at a lower price. After rejoining his former club in January, he produced one goal and six assists in 19 appearances, taking a good share of set pieces. With Danny Welbeck’s departure to Chelsea, Gross could also inherit penalty duties.

Forwards: two £4.5m starters on the radar

Finding a £4.5m starting forward has long been an FPL rarity. Junior Kroupi proved it possible last season with 13 goals for Bournemouth, but he is now priced at £7.5m and reclassified as a midfielder. The source highlights two cheaper alternatives with potential for minutes: Ipswich’s Sindre Walle Egeli (£4.5m), who made 28 Championship appearances last season, and Fulham’s Jonah Kusi-Asare (£4.5m). Both carry minutes risk, so team news closer to the deadline will be decisive.

For US-based and global FPL managers building squads ahead of the Gameweek 1 deadline, the takeaway is clear: the £4.5m-£6.0m band is unusually deep this season, especially in defense. Balance the promoted-club bargains against tough opening fixtures, and keep an eye on the injured Van den Berg situation at Brentford before locking in your bench.

Source: The Athletic — Fantasy Premier League: The best budget options for every position (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7501882/2026/08/13/fantasy-premier-league-best-budget-options-gw1/)

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