The price of premium profiles means that value in midfield is key to a balanced team. New this year is defensive contributions (DC): tackles, blocks, interceptions, clearances and now ball recoveries count together – when a midfielder reaches 12 DC in a match, it triggers +2 FPL points. This especially boosts workhorses with a solid 90 minutes.

Below are the strongest buys in the mentioned price ranges – selected by role, minutes, dead balls and opening matches.

Midfielders for 5.0m – 5.5m

The goal here is a safe scoring floor from solid starters, collecting DC points and maybe grabbing the occasional dead ball. Prioritize playing time and role over “name” and use this slot to stabilize your team so you can confidently take more risk higher up the price scale.

Spiller	Club	Price	Role	Notes
Elliot Anderson	Nottingham Forest	£5.5m	Box-to-box	Stable 80-90 min, DC floor, some dead balls
Moisés Caicedo	Chelsea	£5.5m	Defensive center	High playtime, low risk, DC floor
Jhon Arias	Wolves	£5.5m	Offensive edge	Creator/contributor, potential dead balls

Keep an eye out for

Spiller	Club	Price	Role	Notes
Harry Wilson	Fulham	£5.5m	Edge/creator	Good foot on set pieces, but minutes can fluctuate
Simon Adingra	Sunderland	£5.5m	Edge	Speculative – can get solid minutes and good value

Midfielders for 7.0m – 7.5m

In the mid-price chase ceiling without breaking the budget: penalty kicks/dead balls, high shot volume and strong opening games. Safe starters are gold; rotation profiles can still be fine if they have explosiveness and program play.

Spiller	Club	Price	Role	Notes
Morgan Rogers	Aston Villa	£7.0m	Creative/wing	Solid under Emery, nice starting program
Justin Kluivert	Bournemouth	£7.0m	Offensive center/wing	Taking penalties, good match program after GW1
Antoine Semenyo	Bournemouth	£7.0m	Edge/finisher	Shot-heavy profile, high explosiveness
Kevin Schade	Brentford	£7.0m	Wing/attacker	Central in the offensive, great goal threat
Pedro Neto	Chelsea	£7.0m	Creative edge	Starts often, delivers many key passes
Morgan Gibbs-White	Nottingham Forest	£7.5m	Central playmaker	Forest’s offensive engine, dead ball/assist threat

Unsafe alternatives

Spiller	Club	Price	Role	Notes
Leandro Trossard	Arsenal	£7.5m	Wing/false 9	High return, but rotation risk
Gabriel Martinelli	Arsenal	£7.5m	Wing	Depends on minutes/shape
James Maddison	Spurs	£7.5m	10’s	Be aware of fitness/role
Anthony Gordon	Newcastle	£7.5m	Edge	Good, but role/minutes can change
Cody Gakpo	Liverpool	£7.5m	Edge/10’s	Depends on starting position/role

Midfielders around 8.0m

These are your semi-premiums: players you can build your midfield around. Check penalties, set-pieces and minute security – and be realistic about rotation risk in the biggest teams. One safe anchor and one high-loft partner is often a powerful combo.

Spiller	Club	Price	Role	Notes
Bryan Mbeumo	Manchester United	£8.0m	Offensive edge	Big goal threat; penalties uncertain
Matheus Cunha	Manchester United	£8.0m	Offensive center/second ST	Reclassified as a midfielder; good combination player
Martin Ødegaard	Arsenal	£8.0m	Creative middle	Safe start, stable return
Phil Foden	Manchester City	£8.0m	Kant/8s	High ceiling; requires bench due to rotation

Quick mnemonic: Combine a safe DC floor (e.g. Caicedo/Anderson) with an offensive ceiling (e.g. Rogers/Semenyo/Kluivert) for both stability and explosiveness. If you also want a printable version with the first 6 matches and dead ball capture, just let us know.