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FPL tips 26/27: Best midfielders from 5m bargains to which big names to pick

Midfielders are potentially the hardest position to choose from, with great options at different prices and several ways of players scoring points, however here are the all facts to help you make a decision

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[dailystar]

Sport

Edward Easton

14:04, 18 Aug 2026

[Bruno Fernandes and Bukayo Saka]

Which midfielders will you be selecting? (Image: Alex Dodd - CameraSport, CameraSport via Getty Images)

This season more than any other, midfielders offer the most headaches to Fantasy Premier League managers going into the game.

Like defenders, midfielders can be awarded DefCon points (read the full article here), so all-action deeper-lying players like Elliot Anderson and James Garner offered a great alternative route to points for not a lot of money last time around. On the other side of things, goalscoring or creative midfielders like Bruno Fernandes and Morgan Gibbs-White still ruled the roost in terms of overall points.

However, growing squad sizes, injury problems and the way in which teams score goals moving from a more fluid and creative approach to more set-pieces as well as a focus on transitions saw a number of players you would expect to flourish (Palmer, degaard, Foden, Saka, Wirtz to name a few), not bring their managers too much joy over the course of the season.

[James Garner of England]

James Garner is a doubt to start the season due to recently undergoing surgery (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

There are also so many more viable options in these positions than we see in defence or attack, as well as viable options at a huge range of prices.

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At the moment, it doesnt look like any of the 4.5m midfielders offer managers a particularly viable option, so if you do end up going for one, understand that they will likely spend most of the season sitting on your bench.

For this reason, you probably want to avoid high-ownership options, as their price is more likely to fall if managers inevitably start shipping them out.

At 5m, however, things start to get a little more interesting.

If you do want a bargain-bin midfielder, the standout option is Brightons Diego Gmez (5m) . The Paraguayan is tipped to start on the right for the Seagulls in the absence of the injured Yankuba Minteh.

The 23-year-old was something of a rotation option last campaign, picking up 10 goals and one assist in all competitions. Despite mostly playing centrally, nine of those ten goals came when he appeared on the wings.

[Diego Gomez is a bargain at 5.0 if he can nail down a starting position ]

Diego Gomez is a bargain at 5.0 if he can nail down a starting position (Image: PA)

He also averaged around 10 DefCons a game last time out, so hes an outside chance of picking up two extra points even when he doesnt find the net.

Ipswichs Florentino Lus (5m) is another reliable DefCon magnet, although with limited attacking threat and clean-sheet potential, youre likely to be capped at a maximum of four points most weeks. Were Gmez to drop out of Brightons side, however, he would be a worthy enough replacement.

At 5.5m, Brightons Pascal Gro (5.5m) looks like a popular choice. The German looks set to be on set-pieces, which should provide a reliable source of goals and assists throughout the season.

Brentfords Mamadou Sangar (5.5m) , Leeds Ethan Ampadu (5.5m) and Chelseas Moiss Caicedo (5.5m) offer decent DefCon-only alternatives, although none of the three offer too much different to Florentino while costing an extra 0.5m.

There are three particularly alluring picks at 6m, all of whom are capable of chipping in with goals.

Evertons Iliman Ndiaye (6m) looks set to be on penalties having taken one in pre-season, while Bournemouths Marcus Tavernier (6m) has also taken penalties for the Cherries and has offered reliable goals and assists over the last few seasons, alongside the occasional DefCon return.

Brentfords Kevin Schade (6m) is another decent option, but wed shade it towards the other pair, and potentially Tavernier in particular, given the Bees competition for minutes in the frontline and Schades lack of set-piece or DefCon threat.

[Tavernier ]

Tavernier is a really underrated option at just 6.0m (Image: Getty Images)

Then we get to 6.5m, where things become much more difficult, simply because there are so many good options.

Arsenal pair Martin degaard (6.5m) and Christos Tzolis (6.5m) both impressed against Manchester City and look set to start against Coventry. However, considering Arsenals strength in depth and the fact they are still looking to bring in another attacker, expect a decent amount of rotation as the season goes on.

Tzolis feels like the flashy new toy, but the Greeks output was extraordinary in Belgium last year and he has continued to score and assist freely in pre-season at his new club. His ownership is understandably on the rise after an impressive pre-season and Community Shield showing suggested he may be able to carry that form into the Premier League.

degaard, meanwhile, has struggled to hit the FPL heights of a few seasons ago, with his deeper role contributing to a drop-off in attacking output. However, the arrival of Bruno Guimares could allow him to operate higher up the pitch, and an excellent Community Shield showing offered plenty of encouragement.

Crystal Palaces Ismala Sarr (6.5m) , Bournemouths Rayan (6.5m) and Leeds Harry Wilson (6.5m) are all talented players who look capable of returning this season, although the first two have difficult starts while Wilsons move to Leeds makes him a bit of an unknown quantity.

Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (6.5m) had a strong pre-season, and appeared to be getting in even more attacking positions than last season. However, Everton's lack of goal-threat last season and the fact that Everton don't have the easiest of fixtures means he is one we'll be monitoring instead of getting into the team straight away.

Manchester Citys Elliot Anderson (6.5m) still feels like a really safe bet. DefCon returns should remain likely and, while he probably wont produce too many monster hauls, he looks like the sort of steady option who will quietly keep ticking over.

[Anderson ]

Anderson is still an amazing if slightly boring option

At 7m, there are essentially two standout options, and both have the potential to do well one being the safe bet and the other a risk with potentially massive upside.

Liverpools Dominik Szoboszlai (7m) is the conservative selection. A bit like Anderson, he is unlikely to totally blank on multiple occasions, with the Hungarian picking up a fair number of DefCon points, taking set-pieces and occasionally popping up with goals and assists from open play too.

While tempting, Szoboszlai feels slightly boring and, at half a million more than Anderson, well be giving him a miss.

Manchester Citys Phil Foden (7m) is the other option. A bit like degaard, Foden has previously been a huge FPL points scorer, although his output has slowed over recent seasons.

The England man started the Community Shield and Enzo Maresca is thought to be a fan, but the question is whether he can nail down a place in that team and return close to the level of output he has previously displayed. While tempting, with so many options at 6.5m, we think Foden may have to miss out for at least the first few weeks.

Arsenals Declan Rice (7.5m) , like Bukayo Saka (9.5m) spoiler is an avoid until he definitely returns to full fitness, at which point he could become a very good option. However, rumours that Arsenal may manage his minutes during the first month or so of the season should worry anyone looking to bring him in from the off.

Liverpools Florian Wirtz (7.5m) is an interesting option too. The German was a regular scorer and assister at Bayer Leverkusen, and Iraolas teams are known for their midfielders providing real attacking output. However, considering the strength of the 6.5m options and his disappointing debut season, he will likely miss out for now.

Further up the price range, there are some huge decisions to make.

Manchester United s Bryan Mbeumo (8m) and Bruno Fernandes (12m) are particularly tempting as a double-up given their opening fixtures, with both looking likely to start the opening two games. Mbeumo could operate as the No.9, where he scored four in eight last season and has historically averaged around a goal every two games when playing through the middle.

[Bryan Mbeumo of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammate Bruno Fernandes during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford on August 30, 2025 in Manchester, England. ]

The two United players both look like great options considering their fixtures (Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Against weaker opposition, that makes the pair extremely appealing, although the plan should probably be to move one on after the opening two matches unless United explode out of the blocks.

At Chelsea, Cole Palmer (9.5m) remains an obvious temptation, although he struggled with both fitness and form last season. Considering his price and the cost of Chelseas other attacking options like the impressive Morgan Rodgers, doubling up may be difficult to justify from the start.

Manchester Citys Antoine Semenyo (8.5m) is another fascinating option. He is expensive and potentially not completely nailed, while he considerably outperformed his expected goals and assists last season and his goalscoring rate appeared to fall away slightly.

That being said, he was so good that it would be foolish to completely write him off, and if he continues anything close to last seasons form he could still prove an excellent pick.

One player we would be much more wary of is Nottingham Forests Morgan Gibbs-White (8m). More than a quarter of his Premier League goals nine of 33 came during Vtor Pereiras 12-game stint in charge at the end of last season, and Pereira is now gone. With Gibbs-White unlikely to be on penalties, offering little in terms of DefCon and facing a tricky opening run of fixtures, there are more appealing places to spend the money.

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