The best FPL cheap budget enablers

Looking at form and upcoming Gameweek fixtures, these low-priced budget enablers can help millions of FPL managers.

Controlling a budget is a huge part of succeeding in Fantasy Football, with an initial £100m to cover 15 players. And from here, it’s not about spending £6.5m or £7.0m on each individual – some will exceed £10.0m and some, therefore, will need to be very cheap.

Many managers are using a Wildcard chip to overhaul their squad either now or in upcoming Gameweeks, where securing some cheap, regularly-starting players is important. These will mostly stay on the bench and be ready for any potential autosub.

Over the next few Gameweeks, here are some of the best budget enablers in FPL.

FPL BUDGET ENABLERS

GOALKEEPERS

The lowest starting price for goalkeepers and defenders upon launch is £4.0m, although some have already dropped further. One of these, Thomas Strakosha (£3.9m), started and almost grabbed a debut clean sheet away to Man United in Gameweek 8.

In the summer of 2022, seeing the then-27-year-old swap being Lazio’s main stopper to become Brentford’s back-up was puzzling. With Mark Flekken out with an undisclosed illness, perhaps Strakosha will start again at home to Burnley.

For slightly more, plenty of Wildcard managers have gone for both Alphonse Areola (£4.2m) and Matt Turner (£4.1m). Seemingly West Ham and Nottingham Forest’s number ones, the duo have collected three clean sheets between themselves.

DEFENDERS

It’s slightly different in defence, where there’s no stand-out contender. Luton pair Issa Kabore (£4.0m) and Mads Andersen (£4.0m) start most matches but get the occasional benching.

Furthermore, their team is yet to keep a clean sheet, just like Burnley defenders Charlie Taylor (£3.9m), Jordan Beyer (£4.0m) and Ameen Al-Dakhil (£4.0m). Left-back Taylor has started their last five outings but totalled just five points from them.

Newcastle’s Jamaal Lascelles (£3.9m) and Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.0m) won’t play often enough, so maybe the new leading budget enabler is Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite (£4.0m).

Impressive on loan at PSV Eindhoven last season, the centre-back has played each minute of the Toffees’ last six league matches. His first clean sheet arrived in Gameweek 8 but fixtures are about to toughen.

MIDFIELDERS

One reason why 3-5-2 is such a popular FPL formation this time is that there aren’t any cheap midfield gems like Andreas Pereira anymore. Unless a 3-4-3 manager can stretch to Cole Palmer (£4.9m) being fifth midfielder, there’s nothing to get excited about.

Pape Matar Sarr (£4.6m) has a goal and assist to his name but takes up one of the three valuable Spurs spots. At Newcastle, promising youngster Elliot Anderson (£4.4m) has started four successive league games but the run is likely about to end, leaving Luton’s Marvelous Nakamba (£4.4m) as the one cheap midfielder who’s started every match.

FORWARDS

Up front, Cameron Archer (£4.5m) was a big investment by Sheffield United and starts all matches. Outside of his Gameweek 4 haul versus Everton, it’s just blanks and a combined expected goal involvement (xGI) of just 0.30.

He’ll soon start for the newly-promoted side against Wolves (h), Bournemouth (h) and Burnley (a) but it still mightn’t convince FPL managers to ever begin with him.

Elsewhere, Antoine Semenyo (£4.5m) has stopped starting for Bournemouth, while Lyle Foster (£5.0m) is having a great time but costs more. The South African already has three goals and two assists, with Burnley entering a promising fixture run.