Keepers: Tzolakis sets the standard
With gameweek 3 of 2026/27 still in progress, points per million is a squad-building guide, not a forecast. Only regular starters are listed, removing the cheap cameo scorer from consideration. Tzolakis leads the keepers with 5.7 points per million: £4.6m has delivered 26 points and three clean sheets. He is the clearest value target here, but do not budget on his 8.7 points per game continuing.
Trafford offers 3.0 points per million at £5.0m, ahead of Raya’s 2.5 at £6.0m despite both having 15 points. Raya’s FDR 2.8 compares favourably with Trafford’s 3.4 and Tzolakis’s 3.2, so price alone should not dictate a switch. Suzuki and Kelleher also cost £5.0m, returning 2.4 and 2.2 points per million respectively. Verbruggen is cheaper at £4.5m, but his 2.0 shows why the lowest price is not automatically the best value.
Defenders: cheap starters release funds
Ajayi leads the defenders at 6.1 points per million, with 25 points for £4.1m. Mendy is close behind at 6.0 and costs £4.0m. Both have an attacking return, but Mendy’s 15.1 defensive actions per 90 compare with Ajayi’s 7.4. That gives managers another measure to weigh alongside clean sheets rather than simply buying the points leader. Their shared FDR 3.2 offers no fixture-based reason to separate them.
Egan combines 5.6 points per million with 13.7 defensive actions per 90, while Giles offers 5.0 at £4.0m. Both have three clean sheets, so resist treating those early totals as a guaranteed baseline. Outside the HUL options, Bogle returns 4.9 points per million at £4.5m, while De Cuyper’s three attacking returns accompany 4.4 at £4.8m. Cheap defensive starters can release money for a premium forward; paying more needs a reason beyond chasing recent returns.
Midfielders: balance value with underlying numbers
Janelt tops midfield at 4.2 points per million, delivering 21 points and two goals for £5.0m. He is worth considering when the priority is releasing funds, though the brief provides no xGI figure to support projecting that scoring rate. Scott costs £6.0m and sits just behind at 4.0, with one goal and two assists. Both face an even run rated FDR 3.4, leaving little fixture incentive to choose between them.
Gakpo’s £7.2m buys 28 points, 3.9 points per million and 0.56 xGI per 90. Ødegaard has a lower value score of 3.6, but costs £6.6m and posts 0.84 xGI per 90; both have FDR 2.8 ahead. That makes Ødegaard worth weighing against the ranking. Tavernier and King both return 3.5 points per million, with 0.61 and 0.43 xGI per 90 respectively. Use those underlying figures as a cross-check, not a promise of returns.
Forwards: efficiency is not everything
João Pedro leads the forwards with 2.7 points per million at £7.7m, backed by two goals, two assists and 0.68 xGI per 90. His 72.4% ownership should not replace that assessment. Isak costs £9.1m and returns 2.5 points per million, but has 23 points and 0.87 xGI per 90. Both have FDR 2.8 ahead. Savings elsewhere can justify Isak: the more efficient purchase is not necessarily the one delivering the most points.
Isidor offers 2.4 points per million at £5.5m, with 1.80 xGI per 90 making him worth investigating rather than automatically buying. Emersonn costs the same, returning 2.2 with 0.56 xGI per 90. Barry’s £5.6m brings 2.1, but 0.92 xGI per 90 and first-choice penalty duties strengthen his case; all three have FDR 3.2. Havertz also returns 2.1 at £7.5m, with 0.31 xGI per 90. His FDR 2.8 alone is not enough to settle the choice.
