Premium players often define our FPL squads, but finding the right enablers is what makes them possible. This article identifies 10 players FPL may have underpriced ahead of Gameweek 1, combining FPL Team projections with tactical analysis to uncover the best value options.
Dominik Szoboszlai
Price: £7.0m Position: MID
Dominik Szoboszlai looks to be one of the best valued MID's this season, with his price failing to reflect his attacking potential in a Liverpool side that is projected to have the 2nd most xG in the first gameweek, potentially making him a steal at his current price
Strong attacking upside: Projected to score 26.70xPts on FPL Team in the first 5 gameweeks, which is more than more expensive midfielders, including Palmer (£9.5m), Cunha (£8m), Cherki (£7.5m), and Rice (£7.5m)
Penalties: Currently the favourite for Liverpool penalties, with a chance Isak could take a share if on the pitch.
Set pieces: Like last season, Szoboszlai should retain a significant share of Liverpool’s corners and free kicks, especially with Salah leaving. His 4 direct free kicks last season are always a bonus too.
Lock for minutes: After winning Liverpool’s Player of the Season award in 2025/26, Szoboszlai’s versatility has become one of his biggest strengths. His ability to operate as a box-to-box No.8, attacking playmaker, or right-sided winger (not to mention his stint at right back) saw him feature in 36 Premier League matches last season, missing just two games through suspension. Averaging 90 minutes per appearance, his reliability make him one of the safest bets for minutes this season.
Favourable opening matchups: Newcastle (A), Forest (H), Ipswich (A), Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A).
Joao Pedro
Price: £7.5m Position: FWD
Joao Pedro looks like the standout value FWD option, combining strong minute security, attacking upside, and a fit Chelsea side that won't have to deal with the demands of European football.
Lock for minutes: Joao Pedro looks set to be a key figure under the new Chelsea manager, with his versatility allowing him to play as a striker or as a No.10 if required. While Welbeck’s arrival could provide competition, Pedro’s ability to operate in multiple attacking roles should keep him heavily involved.
Pre-season form: Yes, it's only pre-season, but it's always encouraging to see your Forwards finding the back of the net. A hat-trick and an assist in under 10 minutes won't hurt his confidence.
New manager bounce: Xabi Alonso’s reputation speaks for itself, and a fresh tactical setup could unlock another level from Chelsea’s attack.
Excellent fixture swing: Outside of Arsenal in GW3, Chelsea have a fairly favourable opening 8 gameweeks, including a home visit from the newly promoted Hull in GW4. This could be the window to invest in Chelsea assets,
No European football: Reduced fixture congestion and increased recovery time heavily benefited Carrick’s Manchester United last season, and a similar advantage could apply to a Chelsea side with a history of injury issues.
Improved attacking support: Playing in front of a healthy Cole Palmer and an inspired Morgan Rogers could be all Joao needs to get off to a fast start.
Bobby Thomas
Price: £4.0m Position: DEF
Is this your new Mukiele or Hill? Thomas looks set to provide genuine attacking threat for newly promoted Coventry, and at £4.0m, he could be one of the standout budget defenders this season.
DEFCON: Thomas averaged over 8 DEFCON/90 in the championship last season. The move to the Premier League should provide even more opportunities to accumulate defensive contributions.
Attacking potential: 7 attacking returns in 33 matches last season, roughly 1 in every 5 games. For a centre-back, that level of goal involvment requires a second look
Price: At just £4.0m and with a favourable fixture against Hull in GW2, Thomas looks like an ideal bench option and a potential early-season enabler.
Projections: Highest projected £4.0m defender on FPL Team xPts
Pascal Groß
Price: £5.5m Position: MID
With Welbeck gone and Groß taking Brighton’s first pre-season penalty, he looks like one of the standout midfield options under £6.0m. His combination of minutes security, set-piece involvement, and attacking potential makes him a very appealing budget pick.
Penalties and set pieces: Groß looks to be in line for a major share of Brighton’s dead-ball duties, including penalties and corners.
Genuine attacking returns: Assists, DEFCON, and an occasional goal. Not to be overlooked
Projected points: Groß has the highest xPts of any midfielder or forward under £6.0m using FPL Team data. According to FPL Team data, Groß has the highest xPts of any midfielder or forward under £6.0m
Price: At £5.5m, Groß offers an affordable route into a starting midfielder while freeing up funds to invest elsewhere in your squad.
Differential: Currently, only 6% owned
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (DCL)
Price: £6.0m Position: FWD
On penalties, locked for minutes, and yes, I know he’s boring, but without boring, we wouldn’t have the exciting picks. Sometimes FPL is about finding reliable value, and this forward provides exactly that.
Penalties: DCL took 5 penalties last year and remains one of the few cheap FWD's on penalities.
Fixtures: Forest (A), Brentford (H), Brighton (A), Newcatle (H), and Palace (H) in the first 5 gameweeks.
Projection: According to FPL Team Data, DCL has the highest xPts among all forwards priced £6.0m and under for the first half of the season.
Malick Thiaw
Price: £5m Position: DEF
Malick Thiaw has the highest projected points total for the first half of the season among all players priced under £6.0m, according to FPL Team. As one of the few defenders capable of delivering multiple double-digit hauls last season, Thiaw offers excellent “plug-and-play” value, combining attacking threat, DEFCON potential, and reliable minutes.
Projected points: Thiaw averaged 4.0 points per 90 minutes last season and is projected to average 4.5xPts per game this season. His upside comes from a combination of attacking returns and DEFCON potential, with the defender reaching the DEFCON threshold in 40% of appearances last season.
Differential: Currently, only 2.2% owned
Fixtures: Thiaw faces newly promoted Coventry and Hull within the first five gameweeks.
Elliot Anderson
Price: £6.5m Position: MID
I think Elliot Anderson’s price rise from last season has deterred some managers, but at £6.5m and just 11% ownership, we need to put aside the price bias and remember what he delivered last season: 180 FPL points at an average of 4.7 points per game. The argument that his DEFCON potential could decrease at Manchester City is fair, but with his role still uncertain in a new-look midfield, that uncertainty could actually create exciting upside.
Projections: According to FPL Team projections, Anderson has the third-highest xPts among midfielders over the first 7 gameweeks, ahead of several more expensive options including Saka (£9.5m), Palmer (£9.5m), Mbeumo (£8.0m), and Cunha (£8.0m)
Price: At £6.5m, Anderson offers the cheapest exposure to regular minutes in the Midfield for Manchester City
Manchester City Ceiling: Playing for one of the league’s strongest attacking sides provides Anderson with a much higher attacking ceiling than at Forest.
DEFCON pontential: While he may not reach the DEFCON threshold as frequently in a possession-dominant City side, hitting it 26 times in 37 starts last season was already an elite level of consistency. Combine that with increased clean sheet potential, bonus points, and attacking upside, and Anderson becomes an appealing fourth or fifth midfielder who can be played regardless of fixture difficulty.
Neco Williams
Price: £5.0m Position: DEF
Neco Williams looks set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Oliver Glasner's attacking setup, with pre-season suggesting he will operate as an advanced wing-back who joins the midfield during possession. This role could unlock even more attacking returns from an already attack-minded defender, while offering the added bonus of clean sheet potential in a Forest side that kept 13 Premier League clean sheets just two seasons ago.
£5.0m attacking full back: Williams looks set to operate in a similar role to Daniel Muñoz under Glasner at Crystal Palace, where the wing-back recorded 16 combined goals and assists over the past two seasons. This advanced role could unlock significant attacking upside while still benefiting from clean sheet potential as a defender.
Minute security: Williams played 37 Premier League matches last season, averaging 87 minutes per appearance.
Phil Foden
Price: £7.0m Position: MID
Foden is an interesting one, and quite frankly, probably wouldn't have made this list without coach Enzo Marseca coming out and saying he expects him to be an important part of the squad. Exercise caution with this player, but if we see any Glimpe of the old Foden, £7.0m is an absolute bargain.
Price: At £7.0m, Foden is available at a significant discount compared to his previous FPL starting prices of £7.5m, £8.0m, £7.5m, £9.5m, and £8.0m. On paper, his current valuation looks very attractive given his proven ceiling.
Upside: When Foden found form last season, he managed to score 5 goals and 1 assist in 3 games, making him the most sought-after player in the game. The biggest question mark is playing time. But, if Maresca comments translate into a consistent role, his ceiling is as high as any midfielder in the game. It was only two seasons ago that Foden recorded 27 Premier League goal contributions.
Manchester City attack: City have the highest xG in the whole league by a significant margin in the first half of the season. Having a key piece to their attack for £7.0m would be a steal if Foden can hold down the no.10 role.
Luke Shaw
Price: £4.5m Position: DEF
Shaw makes this list almost purely because of Manchester United’s opening fixtures against newly promoted Hull and Coventry, but he could provide the cheapest route into potential clean sheet points.
Price: At £4.5m, Shaw is likely to be the most affordable route into the United defence, offering value if the team continues to improve defensively.
Playing time: While he may not offer significant attacking or DEFCON upside, Shaw’s 38 starts last season provide confidence that he can secure a starting role early in the campaign, barring injuries or new defensive additions.
Honourable Mentions
Iliman Ndiaye (EVE) and Bruno Guimarães (NEW) would have been the first two names on this list if they weren’t linked with potential transfers.
New signings Tarik Muharemović (LEE), Mamadou Sangaré (BRE), and Christian Nørgaard (EVE) are also worth monitoring as potential DEFCON bargains.
Summary
DEF: Bobby Thomas (£4.0m), Malick Thiaw (£5.0), Neco Williams (£5.0), Luke Shaw (£4.5) MID: Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0), Pascal Groß (£5.5), Elliot Anderson (£6.5), Phil Foden (£7.0) FWD: Joao Pedro (£7.5m), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m)
