Fantasy Premier League is back for the 2025/26 season, with the English top flight set to kick off soon. Millions of players are once again set to compete across the world, hoping to collect as many points as possible.
Since the prices for every Premier League player were revealed, competitors have spent ages seeing how much bang they can get with their £100m budget. High prices for the likes of Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and others mean that in order to get the best around, cheaper options also need to be considered.
But who are some of the best value picks for 2025/26? From £4.5m defenders to a potential £5.0m bargain in midfield, there are a few players who could end up being differentials this season.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Def)
West Ham, £4.5m
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
No FPL team is complete without a few cheap defenders, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka may very well be the go-to guy for most players this season. Full-backs offer potential to earn attacking and defensive points, and it's the changes to the latter in FPL this year which are particularly important.
Now, defenders will receive two extra points if they reach 10 defensive contributions in a match, either in the form of tackles, interceptions and blocks. Wan-Bissaka made a total of 147 in 2024/25, which would have equated to big points had the scoring system been in use. With West Ham predicted to struggle this year, he could be a busy man, which is good news for anyone who includes him in their squad.
Marc Guehi (Def)
Crystal Palace, £4.5m
Marc Guehi in action for Crystal Palace
Another £4.5m defender, but this one potentially has even more upside. Marc Guehi is guaranteed to play at Crystal Palace, with him leading out the Eagles in 34 matches last season, racking up 116 points - a total only bettered by Wan-Bissaka among £4.5m defenders. Three goals and two assists show attacking potential, especially from set-pieces, while he should also get defending points regularly too.
But interest in the Selhurst Park skipper is high. According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are still sniffing around the centre-back, and you'd imagine that he would start alongside Virgil van Dijk should he make the switch to Anfield. That screams consistent clean sheet points on top of everything else. No matter where his future lies, he's an excellent shout.
Elliot Anderson (Mid)
Nottingham Forest, £5.5m
Elliot Anderson
Elliot Anderson has only been picked by around 4% of FPL players at the time of writing, but Nottingham Forest's number eight is potentially the biggest bargain this year. He might not be as attacking as someone like Morgan Gibbs-White, but he still pops up with a goal contribution occasionally, managing a respectable two goals and six assists last term.
But now, with the new defending points system, he's an even more attractive proposition in that box-to-box role. According to the Premier League's official website, Anderson would have been one of the biggest beneficiaries had defensive contributions been rewarded last season, earning an additional 36 points. The only midfielder who would have earned more would have been Chelsea's Moises Caicedo - also £5.5m, but with significantly less attacking potential. If the 22-year-old can build on last season's success, you're looking at someone who can bring in at least 150 points at a fraction of the cost of others.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Mid)
Everton, £5.0m
Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in action
If Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was going into the 2025/26 season as a Chelsea player, he'd have close to 0% ownership. But, having recently completed a transfer to Everton, he's a much more interesting prospect.
The big thing is obviously his price. Not many attacking-minded central midfielders will fall into the £5.0m bracket, and even fewer will get minutes on a consistent basis. Dewsbury-Hall is moving to the Toffees to compete for a starting role alongside Idrissa Gueye, Carlos Alcaraz and James Garner, which should mean that he'll start regularly under David Moyes.
Although he was mainly limited to cup competitions for Chelsea, he managed four goals and two assists in all competitions. Averaging 0.36 goal contributions per 90, the same as Everton star player Iliman Ndiaye, he could very well thrive on Merseyside with more game time.
Jorgen Strand Larsen (FWD)
Wolves, £6.5m
Jorgen Strand Larsen in action for Wolverhampton Wanderers
The majority of FPL players spend big on forwards, but with Haaland and Isak both costing in excess of £10m, it might make sense to look elsewhere. Ollie Watkins, Hugo Ekitike and Jean-Philippe Mateta are slightly cheaper options, but if you're looking for the best bargain, Jorgen Strand Larsen could be a fantastic cheaper option.
The Norwegian is guaranteed to lead the line for Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, and will be hoping to build off his 14 goals and 4 assists during 2024/25. That's a very good total for a side that was struggling at the start of the term, and they looked so much better come the close of the season under Vitor Pereira. Strand Larsen could very well be on penalty duty this year too, following Matheus Cunha's departure to Manchester United in the summer, meaning even more goalscoring chances for the Halden-born forward.