With 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League now LIVE, The Scout provides analysis of key player prices.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool midfielder) £14.5m
Salah is handed the highest-ever opening cost for a midfielder in Fantasy - bettering the £14.0m of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008/09 – after he smashed the record for the most points in a season last time around.
The Egyptian finished on 344 points, more than 100 ahead of his nearest challenger Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m), who claimed his own career-high 234 points.
Salah delivered a massive 18 double-figure returns in his first season under Arne Slot last season – that was TWICE as many as any other player in Fantasy and underlines his outstanding consistency as a captain.
Erling Haaland (Man City forward) £14.0m
The Manchester City forward drops from his 2024/25 record-breaking price of £15.0m after a somewhat lukewarm campaign.
The Norwegian scored 22 goals and supplied three assists to take fifth place among forwards on 181 points.
Despite that relatively poor season, Haaland’s underlying numbers also help to show his huge goal threat.
His 98 shots in the box and 40 big chances – or situations where the player is expected to score – both placed top among forwards and were second only to Salah in Fantasy.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea midfielder) £10.5m
Chelsea’s talisman continues at £10.5m in Fantasy after finishing among the three top-scoring players for the second successive season.
Palmer has delivered back-to-back campaigns of 244 and 214 points since establishing himself as a regular starter in 2023/24.
Having helped the Blues win the FIFA Club World Cup over the summer, Palmer can now profit from their very kind early schedule.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) - where the easiest possible matches are ranked as No 1 and the hardest are ranked as No 5 - NONE of Chelsea’s opening six matches score more than three.
Chelsea's fixtures Gameweeks 1-6
| Gameweek | Opponent | FDR |
| 1 | Crystal Palace (H) | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | West Ham (A) | 2 |
| 3 | Fulham (H) | 3 |
| 4 | Brentford (A) | 3 |
| 5 | Man Utd (A) | 3 |
| 6 | Brighton (H) | 3 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal midfielder) £10.0m
Arsenal’s winger remains at a cost of £10.0m for 2025/26 due to an injury-hit campaign last time around.
Saka managed just 127 points last time out, producing six goals and 10 assists across his 25 league outings.
In terms of points per start, though, his average of 5.7 was near-identical to the 5.8 of Palmer, showing why Saka will once again be a key figure for managers’ midfielders this season.
Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd midfielder) £9.0m
Eight goals and 10 assists underlined the Portuguese’s all-round influence on Manchester United last season.
Fernandes’s dominance of dead-ball duties ensures he remains at the same cost as the previous campaign, while his potential for defensive contribution points - which are new to Fantasy for 2025/26 - is another reason.
He would have earned 22 of them last season, more than any other premium midfielder.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace forward) £7.5m
The Frenchman will remain at £7.5m after he produced 14 goals, six assists and 150 points last time out.
Although that made Mateta Palace’s top-scoring player in Fantasy, his average of 4.2 points per start was bettered by midfield team-mates Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m) and Eberechi Eze (£7.5m), with 4.6 and 4.5 respectively.
Bearing in mind we have five midfielders and three forwards in our squads, it may be easier to target Sarr or Eze when investing in Oliver Glasner’s attack.
Joao Pedro (Chelsea forward) £7.5m
The Brazilian has wasted no time in making an immediate impact at Chelsea following his summer switch from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in the recent FIFA Club World Cup to strengthen his chances of starting the 2025/26 campaign as the Blues’ first-choice forward.
At a cost of just £7.5m, Chelsea’s aforementioned schedule can make Joao Pedro a popular pick for managers’ opening squads.
Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest forward) £7.5m
The Nottingham Forest star rises £1.5m from the start of last season after he produced his best campaign in Fantasy.
Wood’s 20 goals, three assists and 200 points helped him to second place among forwards and fifth in the overall player rankings.
The New Zealand international does now face stronger competition in the mid-price forward bracket, though, while he might also struggle to maintain his lofty 29.4 per cent goal conversion rate from 2024/25.
Anthony Elanga (Newcastle midfielder) £7.0m
Newcastle United’s new winger moves into the mid-price bracket in Fantasy after he recorded his career-high haul of 153 points while at Nottingham Forest last season.
Although Elanga scored six goals, it was his creativity that really caught the eye – his total of 11 assists was bettered by just three other players in 2024/25 Fantasy.
If, as expected, he claims a regular role on the flank at the expense of Jacob Murphy (£6.5m), Elanga can improve upon last season’s tally and make his mark at his price point.
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa midfielder) £7.0m
The Aston Villa midfielder rises £1.5m following his breakout Fantasy season last time out.
Rogers was a hugely popular budget pick in 2024/25 after producing eight goals, 11 assists and 161 points – just 25 fewer than his team-mate Ollie Watkins (£9.0m).
Despite the hike in cost, Rogers still remains significantly cheaper than Watkins and that saving of £2.0m could prove decisive for those who want to invest in Villa for their kind early schedule.
According to the FDR, NONE of Villa's opening eight matches score more than three.
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea midfielder) £6.5m
The Argentinian markedly improved his attacking output in Chelsea’s first season under Enzo Maresca last time out.
Fernandez produced six goals and eight assists in his new role as a No 8 for the Blues – more than twice his totals of three goals and three assists in 2023/24 when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge.
His goal and three assists in the FIFA Club World Club showed Fernandez’s growing influence on his side’s attack.
At a cost of just £6.5m, he offers a strong double-up option alongside Palmer if you plan on doubling up for the Blues’ kind early schedule.
Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolves forward) £6.5m
The Wolverhampton Wanderers forward had a fairly productive debut campaign in 2024/25 Fantasy, scoring 14 goals and supplying a further four.
Strand Larsen’s prospects of even more goals this season has been raised by the transfer of Matheus Cunha (£8.0m) to Man Utd, which suggests the Norwegian will now be on penalty duties.
As a secure starter with no European football to affect any potential rotation, the Norwegian could be one of the best budget forwards in 2025/26 as Wolves look to continue their impressive displays in their first full season under Vitor Pereira.
Dwight McNeil (Everton midfielder) £6.0m
Everton’s midfielder remains as a budget pick after he was limited to just 15 starts and 93 points in an injury-hit campaign.
Despite being sidelined for a lengthy period, McNeil averaged an impressive 5.4 points per start, and was involved in a hefty 60 per cent of their goals when on the pitch.
As the Toffees’ No 1 set-piece taker, McNeil could provide great value in his first full season under David Moyes.
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool defender) £6.0m
Three goals, an assist and 14 clean sheets helped the Liverpool centre-back finish fourth among defenders last season on 143 points.
Van Dijk would have earned a further 22 points from the new defensive contribution metric, moving him up to third spot on 165 points.
Those multiple routes to points could boost the Dutchman’s appeal in 2025/26 Fantasy, although the early-season displays of the Reds’ new full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong (both £6.0m) will also help determine the best route into Liverpool’s defence.
James Tarkowski (Everton defender) £5.5m
Everton’s centre-back earns a £0.5m rise this season due to his potential for defensive contribution points.
Tarkowski would have collected 44 points from the new metric last season – the equivalent of 11 more clean sheets.
Combined with his major threat at set-pieces for David Moyes’ side, Tarkowski looks set to have a bigger say in 2025/26 Fantasy.
Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace defender) £5.5m
His potential for points at both ends of the pitch earns the Crystal Palace wing-back a £0.5m rise and elevates him into the premium bracket for the first time in Fantasy.
Munoz combined four goals and six assists with 11 clean sheets last season to finish as the fifth top-scoring defender on 142 points.
The underlying statistics also indicate he is among the elite defenders for both goal and assist potential. The Colombian’s 34 shots in the box were joint-top in his position last season, while his 46 chances created ranked joint-fourth.
Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest goalkeeper) £5.0m
The Belgian was the second top-scoring goalkeeper in Fantasy last season on 150 points, his first full season for Nottingham Forest.
Sels also collected 13 clean sheets to share the Golden Glove award along with Arsenal’s David Raya (£5.5m).
A minimal price rise of £0.5m suggests Sels can still offer value from the outset – indeed, Nottingham Forest are the only club to face TWO promoted sides over Gameweeks 1-6.
Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford goalkeeper) £4.5m
Brentford’s new goalkeeper has the schedule to announce himself as strong option in the budget goalkeeper bracket.
According to the FDR, just ONE of the Bees’ first eight matches score more than three, suggesting Kelleher can emulate the displays of his predecessor Mark Flekken.
Flekken was the fourth top-scoring ‘keeper in 2024/25 Fantasy thanks to his potential for save points – indeed, his average of 3.7 points per start was identical to Arsenal’s Raya.
Micky van de Ven (Spurs defender) £4.5m
Tottenham Hotspur’s centre-back remains at £4.5m in Fantasy after managing a mere 32 points last season.
Limited to just 12 starts through injury, Van de Ven combined two assists with two clean sheets in Spurs’ final campaign under Ange Postecoglou.
The arrival of Thomas Frank as head coach, added to a favourable run of opening opponents, gives Spurs’ key players the chance to make an immediate impact on the new season.
According to the FDR, only ONE of their first 11 matches score more than three.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham defender) £4.5m
West Ham United’s wing-back could be among the very best budget defenders this season.
Wan-Bissaka delivered five assists after the Hammers appointed Graham Potter as head coach in Gameweek 20 last season – more than any other defender in Fantasy.
Furthermore, Wan-Bissaka’s total of 118 points in 2024/25 Fantasy ranks top among all defenders who are priced at £4.5m this season.