Jurrien Timber is the Highest Scoring Defender of the Season
After sitting on the bench for the first game of the season, few back in September would have expected Timber to become one the standout defenders at his price bracket.
Starting at around £5.5 million, he was seen as a budget route into the potentially solid Arsenal defence. Anyone who picked him up in their opening line up and stuck with him after the first game, would have seen massive value as he has since played 23 of 24 games scoring 115 points.
Although Gabriel is the leading scorer from one the league's best defences, Timber's offensive stats give him the edge over William Saliba and Piero Hincapie. And he is, at £6.3 million this late in the season, still cheaper than Gabriel.
Alexander Isak Has Underperformed in a Big Way at Liverpool
You almost certainly wouldn't have got great odds on Alexander Isak scoring 10+ goals at Liverpool before the season started. Despite his ignominious exit from Newcastle after downing tools to get a transfer, the Swedish striker's talent and goal/point scoring capability was clear. It wouldn't have been a popular choice to wager against the 4th highest points scorer of last season after joining the reigning champions.
However, it turns out anyone who did ignore Isak in their FPL team would have made a wise choice. After starting the season at £10.5 million in the FPL, and £125 million in real life, Isak missed weeks of pre-season before contributing just two goals in his first 10 games and then getting his leg seriously broken.
Even if he does return to the pitch before the end of the season - which is looking just about possible - Isak faces competition from the scintillating form of sole Liverpool bright spot Hugo Ekitike. The French striker joined Liverpool for a slightly more modest £82 million in 2025. Since then the new signing has settled in quickly , scoring 10 in 23, and Isak may not walk back into the side when he returns to fitness.
The difficulties of this big money transfer so far have complicated things for Liverpool's chances of reaching the Champions League places. Although Ekiteke has looked good, Mo Salah has been below his usual standards and the Reds' potent attack of last season has been struggling as a result.
William Hill have pushed Liverpool’s top-four odds out in recent weeks, reflecting growing uncertainty around their Champions League hopes. For supporters tracking the market, or checking the latest William Hill bonus code via Oddspedia ,the shift has been noticeable. However, if Isak returns firing, a late surge back into contention could still be on the cards.
Antoine Semenyo as Manchester City Surprised Many
As Bournemouth's main attacking threat at the beginning of the season, Semenyo has been a mainstay for budget-minded attacking picks for two seasons now. He demonstrated exactly why in the opening of the 25/26 season, bagging 10 goals in his opening 20 games for the Cherries and hitting the very top of the FPL points scoring charts.
However, his surprise move to Manchester City saw many managers drop him out over fears he would see less playing time. It also complicated things for many managers. As a high ownership pick already, moving to City - at the same time as high ownership Marc Guehi - meant a significant number of managers bumping into four players from the same team. Which means no transfers until one of them was sold.
After an initial sell-off, those that showed faith in Semenyo were rewarded with him scoring in his first Premier League game for the Citizens - and it doesn't look like he will be dropped anytime soon. He remains in second place in total FPL points just behind his new teammate Erling Haaland.
Carlos Baleba was Considered a Strong Budget Pick but Dropped Off in Form
After a very strong 24/25 season for Brighton, energetic midfielder Baleba was talked up for a big money transfer in the offseason. Although that didn't materialise, Brighton reportedly rated him as a £100 million man and expected him to kick on this season.
At £5 million, many FPL managers saw him as a solid budget option that could be a value punt if his form did continue. However, that did not happen. Since the start of the season his ownership rate has dropped by 10% as his very low attacking output compared to midfielders in his price bracket has put off managers.
This was not helped by recently being subbed off after 22 minutes in the Seagull's recent defeat to Aston Villa, after which Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said the transfer rumours had unsettled the 22 year old. Ironically, he has scored just 22 points across the season far.