Ultimate Budget Picks for FPL 2025/26: Enablers & Hidden Gems Under £5m–£6m

Want to free up cash for Haaland, Salah or premium midfielders? Below is the most comprehensive list of cheap FPL options across all positions—goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards—for Gameweek 1 and beyond. These under-£6m picks won’t sparkle weekly, but they let you invest smartly and build your dream squad without going over budget.

 Budget Goalkeepers (£4–£4.5 m)

• Caoimhín Kelleher (£4.5m, Brentford) leads the pack as a viable bench stash. He delivered 4 clean sheets and 27 saves in just 10 Liverpool games last season—an inspiring value despite Bremen fixtures. Over 30% ownership already.
• Djordje Petrovic (£4.5m, Bournemouth) is also a solid bench keeper with routine starter potential. Liverpool away in GW1 is a concern, but he’s unlikely to be transferred immediately.

These picks are perfect to hold and forget—no transfers needed later.

£4.0–£4.5 m Defenders — Rotation Bench Gems & Value Starters

£4.0m benchers:

• Esteve (Burnley) won Player of the Season in the Championship and started every game.
• Joe Rodon (Leeds) also looks nailed when fit. Perfect bench fodder to subsidise star defenders.

Top £4.5m defensive budget picks:

• Aaron Wan‑Bissaka (West Ham): top for assists among £4.5m defenders and strong defensive contributions under Potter.
• Ezri Konsa, Destiny Udogie, De Cuyper, and Wan-Bissaka get regular curation for rotation and fixture value. Particularly Maxim De Cuyper at Brighton may gain attacking returns and even spot‑kick roles.

Rotate based on fixture difficulty using tools like Fantasy Football Fix’s rotation planner.

Midfield Bargains (£5.0–£5.5 m)

• Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest, £5.5m): established key player last season with 2 goals, 6 assists and attacker-minded fixtures. Makes a reliable enabler.  
• Enzo Le Fee (Sunderland, £5.0m) offers a goal‑involvement angle plus set-piece duty. Promoted side with good early fixtures makes him intriguing.
• Other watch‑here options: Mohammed Kudus, Daniel James and Moises Caicedo may slip to cheaper brackets and offer upside under Pep or Graham Potter.

Midfield is very thinly priced under £6m this season—focus on Arend enablers rather than guaranteed starters.

Forwards Under £6.0m

• Jørgen Strand Larsen (Wolves, £6.5m): our ideal budget forward. Lloyded minutes and likely spot kicks at a reasonable price. Great early fixture run.  
• Evanilson (Watford/Bournemouth?): Expected goals threat and starts likely. Good post‑Liverpool fixtures.
• Kroupi Jr (Bournemouth, £4.5m forward): young striker with 22 goals in France’s second tier. Could earn minutes—high risk but a potential breakout differential.

Bench or squad depth options like these allow freeing up funds for bigger hitters.

Best budget enablers in FPL 2025/26 covering all positions under £6m:

Conclusion

• Goalkeeper: Kelleher or Petrovic as cheap bench cover.
• £4.5m defence: Wan‑Bissaka, De Cuyper, Konsa or Udogie for rotation value.
• Midfield enablers: Anderson or Le Fee to enable premium mids.
• Cheap forwards: Strand Larsen or Evanilson to preserve budget.

These hidden gems and rotation-worthy pieces are essential to afford squad stars. Who are your budget picks in goal or defence? Share your view in the comments below! If this was helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this post.