We continue our look at the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) price list, this time highlighting the best £6.5m-£7.0m midfielders.
DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI (£7.0m)
The Liverpool all-rounder started in 36 of the Reds’ 38 league matches in 2025/26, being substituted only once.
For those Fantasy managers who prioritise minutes, few players performed better last season:
Above: Midfielders sorted by minutes per appearance (M/App) in 2025/26
Operating as a midfielder but sometimes filling in at right-back, the No 8 scored six goals and supplied seven assists, the most of any current teammate.
Four of Szoboszlai’s strikes were from direct free-kicks, and he also ranked as the second-best Fantasy midfielder for both crosses (205) and chances created (78).
The Hungarian’s goal threat was somewhat limited (just 19 of his 71 shots were from inside the box). However, he ‘could’ be on penalties now that Mohamed Salah has left.
He has plenty of other routes to points, too, thanks to corners, free-kicks and defensive contribution (DefCon) points. He banked 20 of those last time out.
Liverpool are top of the Fixture Ticker in the first five Gameweeks, but we’re still to determine exactly where Szoboszlai will be playing under new coach Andoni Iraola.
The Spaniard has suggested it will be Florian Wirtz (£7.5m) who plays as the No 10, so Szoboszlai will most likely be deployed in central midfield. It’s not out of the question that he begins 2026/27 at right-back again.
However, he’s looked good in pre-season, with one goal and two assists, and having had the summer off, he’ll be looking to hit the ground running.
KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL (£6.5m)
Dewsbury-Hall was an excellent budget option for Everton last season, delivering eight goals and seven assists in 31 matches.
He also chipped in with 10 DefCon points and 18 bonus.
Known for his reliability, having averaged 84.5 minutes per appearance, along with a share of corners and free-kicks, Dewsbury-Hall undoubtedly ticks a lot of boxes as he goes into the 2026/27 season, despite having risen £1.0m in price.
Certainly, if he can replicate his 5.0 points-per-start average, he should still offer value in this price tier.
Impressing in pre-season, he’s already picked up an assist against Dundee.
As for the first six matches, they are the best according to our ticker, with some really good games in Gameweeks 5 and 6.
ELLIOT ANDERSON (£6.5m)
Anderson’s appeal is mostly summed up in the table below.
He banked more DefCon points than any other player last season (52), with a success rate of nearly 70%.
Above: Players sorted by DefCon points (DC) in 2025/26
An underrated FPL asset, he also produced four goals and five assists, partly due to his role on set plays.
However, Anderson has made the switch from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City this summer.
It could impact his ability to hoover up the DefCons.
City averaged 61% possession last season, the most of all teams, while Forest managed only 46.5%, so they don’t have to win the ball back anywhere near as often, even factoring in the appointment of Enzo Maresca.
But if Anderson were to take on the Rodri (£6.5m) role, he could still do well.
The Spaniard, who has recently undergone back surgery and will require a period of rehabilitation, delivered DefCon points in eight out of his 17 starts in 2025/26.
It could open the door for Anderson to start well, particularly if he’s handed a share of corners and free-kicks.
That said, after Anderson’s deep run with England to the World Cup semi-finals, we’ll probably need to see him play some decent minutes in the Community Shield for him to become a viable option for our Gameweek 1 squads.
ISMAILA SARR (£6.5m)
Sarr had a good campaign in 2025/26, with nine goals and two assists in 24 starts and a handful of substitute appearances.
Despite fewer minutes, mostly due to injury and his participation at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), he was third among all midfielders for big chances:
Above: Midfielders sorted by big chances (Tot) in 2025/26
Frequently deployed right up alongside Jean Philippe Mateta (£6.5m) in the attacking line, Sarr could fulfil a similar role under new head coach Pierre Sage, whose 3-4-3 is not too dissimilar from Oliver Glasner’s system.
That will need to be monitored in pre-season, but if he does have the freedom to drift centrally, Sarr should do well.
He could take some penalties, too, especially when Mateta isn’t on the pitch.
As a result, Sarr looks like one of the standout options in this price bracket.
Palace have some favourable opening fixtures, especially from Gameweek 3, but even against tougher opposition, Sarr’s pace and ability on the counter-attack will likely be a key weapon.
DANGO OUATTARA (£6.5m)
Dango was one of Brentford’s top performers in 2025/26.
He scored seven goals and supplied eight assists in 32 matches, averaging a very decent 5.2 points per start.
Above: Midfielders sorted by points per start (Pts/Strt) in 2025/26
With no European commitments for Brentford, Dango has the potential to do well, especially with early matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United and Sunderland.
Among those fixtures, two are at home, where the Bees suffered only three defeats in 19 games last season.
Dango has already produced an assist in pre-season, setting up Mikkel Damsgaard (£5.5m) in the 3-2 win over Wimbledon.
BRUNO GUIMARAES (£7.0m)
Another player to have moved clubs this summer, Bruno Guimaraes could be an FPL option at Arsenal.
Injuries reduced him to 26 appearances last season, but the Brazilian still delivered nine goals (including two penalties) and seven assists for Newcastle United.
He also banked eight double-digit hauls, the third-most of any player.
How that output translates to his new club, however, is up for debate.
Bruno can play as a deep-lying midfielder or further forward in a box to box/No 8 role.
That flexibility will appeal to Mikel Arteta, who can already call upon Declan Rice (£7.5m), Martin Zubimendi (£5.5m), Martin Odegaard (£6.5m), Mikel Merino (£6.0m) and Myles Lewis-Skelly (£5.5m) in the middle of the park.
Where Bruno actually starts the season at Arsenal will probably depend on Rice’s availability, given his fitness issues at the World Cup.
However, Bruno is another lacking pre-season minutes. He’ll surely lose some set plays, too.
So, while he might be a viable option initially, there could be better candidates longer-term.
The same applies to Odegaard, who hasn’t scored a league goal for Arsenal since December.
PHIL FODEN (£7.0m)
If we’d written this article a couple of weeks ago, it’s a fair bet to suggest that we wouldn’t have included Foden among our main options.
The midfielder underwhelmed for the majority of 2025/26. Seven of his 12 attacking returns arrived in four matches between Gameweeks 13-16.
Outside of that run, he produced merely five attacking returns in 29 appearances.
However, it’s recently been reported that Enzo Maresca views Foden as one of his central pillars. So, you’d expect those numbers to go up if that is indeed the case.
Foden still has plenty to prove, but he recently captained City in a pre-season friendly, and the first few fixtures are good, offering encouragement, at least.
HARRY WILSON (£6.5m)
Wilson was a real success story for Fulham in 2025/26, with 10 goals and nine assists in 36 matches.
He’ll hope to carry that form over to his new club, Leeds United.
The Welshman massively ‘overachieved’ based on Opta’s expected data last season, having generated 10.61 expected goal involvement (xGI), a tally bettered by 23 other midfielders.
Still, with a share of set-pieces potentially in his locker, Wilson undoubtedly has quality when he’s in the mood.
He also enjoys three home fixtures in the first five Gameweeks. Leeds performed much better in the campaign just gone at Elland Road, of course.
OTHERS
Christos Tzolis (£6.5m) could be a decent early punt for Arsenal, especially with Coventry up first. Beyond that, however, it’s much less clear.
Especially once Bukayo Saka (£9.5m), Noni Madueke (£6.5m), Gabriel Martinelli (£6.5m) and Eberechi Eze (£6.5m) are back in the mix.
At this early stage, it’s too soon to make a call on how integral Tzolis is going to be at Arsenal, but his Gameweek 1 prospects do admittedly look good.
At Chelsea, Estevao (£6.5m) appears to have fully recovered from a hamstring injury and scored against Tottenham Hotspur in pre-season. He’s someone who might be an option, but Pedro Neto (£6.5m) is also available at the same price point, and they could end up tussling for one spot.
Enzo Fernandez (£7.0m) might be the safer pick. However, Chelsea have a tough start, with Arsenal and Brighton both among the best three defences for actual goals conceded last season. He could be shunted back to a deeper role under Xabi Alonso, too.
Cody Gakpo (£7.0m) has been linked with a move to Spurs, so that’s a transfer situation to monitor.
Rayan (£6.5m) is an option for later in the season, once Bournemouth’s fixtures improve. The Cherries are bottom of the ticker in the first eight Gameweeks, but there is a favourable fixture swing from Gameweek 9 onwards, which is when Rayan could leap out in this price pool.
