Three standout price-friendly midfielders this season are Enzo Le Fee (£6.0m), Pascal Gross (£5.5m) and Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m).
All of them are on at least a share of penalties, too.
But does one stand out over the others? We’ll compare the trio in this article.
FIXTURES
There’s been a fair bit of buzz around the idea of using the first Wildcard chip in Gameweek 4. And with Le Fee in 10.9% of current squads, it’s easy to see why.
Our free-to-all Fixture Ticker rates Sunderland’s matches near the top in the first three Gameweeks.
Whereas those looking to Wildcard during the international break (between Gameweek 5 and 6) may be tempted to favour Gross or Ndiaye, as their fixtures look better over this slightly longer period.
GOAL THREAT
| Player | Mins per goal | Mins per shot | Mins per shot in box | Mins per xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ndiaye | 463.8 | 64.7 | 92.8 | 414.8 |
| Le Fee | 590.2 | 82.0 | 163.9 | 573.0 |
| Gross | 1641.0 | 91.2 | 182.3 | 1131.7 |
There’s only one winner here. Finding the net every 463.8 minutes, Ndiaye’s 2025/26 threat was superior. He netted six goals (including two penalties), compared to Le Fee’s five (three penalties) and Gross’ one.
Even taking spot-kicks out of the equation, Ndiaye is the clear winner.
Operating as an inside forward under David Moyes, this won’t surprise many.
The minutes-per-shot metrics are closer for Le Fee (82.0) and Gross (91.2).
ASSIST POTENTIAL
| Player | Mins per chance created | Mins per cross | Mins per xA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ndiaye | 93.0 | 50.6 | 631.1 |
| Le Fee | 56.0 | 29.5 | 498.5 |
| Gross | 42.0 | 13.8 | 428.5 |
Gross wins here. As Brighton and Hove Albion’s main set-piece taker, chance creation is his most obvious route to FPL points.
The German created an attempt every 42 minutes and boasted the best cross accuracy (33.6%). The addition of aerial powerhouse and 2025 Bundesliga Goal of the Year winner Luka Vuskovic (£5.0m) is sure to up Gross’ appeal even further.
Le Fee’s importance in the Sunderland attack cannot be ignored, either. Last season, he registered six assists, which is on par with Gross, whereas Ndiaye set up three goals.
PENALTY-TAKING
This is where things get a little murkier for two of our candidates.
Back in March, while Le Fee was still on the pitch, midfield counterpart Habib Diarra (£5.5m) scored the winning spot-kick versus Leeds United. Afterwards, head coach Régis Le Bris revealed that they will “change [who takes the penalties] every game”.
However, that was the only penalty Diarra took in the league, as a combination of injuries and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) selection limited him to just 15 top-flight starts. Le Fée scored three of four penalties, and feels like a safe bet in this instance, even if Diarra occasionally gets the nod.
Danny Welbeck’s (£6.0m) departure for Chelsea meant that Gross successfully converted from the spot in the recent friendly against Strasbourg. So penalties could be back on the menu for him. As the Seagulls’ most experienced outfield player, one with seemingly less competition for the role, Gross has this appeal to many FPL managers and at a lower price.
Keep an eye out for the fly in the ointment that is Promise David (£6.0m), however.
The Toffees’ penalty-taking pecking order seems to be straightforward: Ndiaye has taken all four Premier League spot-kicks for Everton over the last two seasons.
Thierno Barry (£5.5m) stepped up to score from 12 yards in the pre-season friendly against Stuttgart – and Ndiaye was on the pitch at the time. A meaningless complication with it being a consequence-free kickabout? Probably, as Ndiaye then scored spot-kicks in the next two friendlies!
ANY DEFCON POSSIBILITIES?
None of these three players is an Elliot Anderson (£6.5m) type but Gross and Le Fee in particular will tick over with the odd return.
They were both around the 20% mark for DefCon success rate in 2025/26.
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
One final thing worth observing is the impact of European fixtures on Le Fee and Gross’ gametime. Sunderland’s shock Europa League participation will be their first continental involvement for 53 years, so they’ll be hoping to leave an impression.
Aged 26, Le Fee should have the capability to play the majority of league and European matches. Yet the draw takes place after Gameweek 1’s deadline, so prospective owners won’t know what the schedule will look like in terms of mileage.
As for Brighton, the first part of their Conference League play-off tie was played on Thursday, meaning just two full days of rest before the opener against Aston Villa. The second leg lies between that and Gameweek 2’s trip to Chelsea.
Carlos Baleba‘s (£5.0m) ankle injury has reduced Fabian Hurzeler’s central midfield options, so Gross should keep starting. The question is more about whether the 35-year-old has the legs to perform to his full potential in both competitions simultaneously.
Ndiaye should benefit from this situation, given that Everton are not participating in any European competitions.
FINAL THOUGHTS
All three of these players should represent excellent value for money, and it’s clear why there’s much hype around them.
One of our articles compares last season’s points with 2026/27’s prices, placing all of Gross (0.75), Le Fee (0.68) and Ndiaye (0.67) amongst the best midfielders for points per million per match (PPMPM).
So, if you’re looking for consistent involvement in FPL points, you could do far worse than picking one of these three.
The best candidate may come down to your chip strategy, but Ndiaye’s first six fixtures, outright penalty-taking role (rather than a share), open-play threat and lack of European involvement perhaps give him the slight edge.
