One of the biggest keys to success in Fantasy Premier League is not simply picking the highest-scoring players — it’s finding the players who massively outperform their price tags.

With managers restricted to a £100m budget, the optimal strategy is usually a blend of:

• premium heavy hitters such as Haaland or Bruno Fernandes
• combined with elite Value For Money (VFM) picks who free up budget elsewhere for the highest scoring FPL players

The 2025/26 season once again showed that defenders were the strongest VFM position overall, with cheaper centre-backs and goalkeepers dominating the rankings thanks to clean sheets, bonus points and the newly introduced Defensive Contribution points system. The VFM metric is calculated as total FPL points divided by final FPL player price.

Defensive Contribution Points Changed FPL

The introduction of Defensive Contribution (DEFCON) points had a massive impact on the game in 2025/26 and was one of the main reasons defenders dominated the VFM rankings.

Players could earn an additional 2 points per match if they reached specific defensive action thresholds.

Defenders

Defenders needed at least 10 combined:

• clearances
• blocks
• interceptions
• tackles

(commonly referred to as CBIT)

Midfielders and forwards

Midfielders and forwards needed:

• 12 combined CBIT actions plus recoveries

to qualify for the extra points.

The rule particularly benefited:

• centre-backs
• defensive midfielders
• teams with strong defensive structure

That is why players such as Guéhi, Senesi, Gabriel, Tarkowski and Van Hecke became exceptional season-long value picks.

Top 10 Overall Value For Money Players

Rank	Player	Club	Pos	Price	Total Points	VFM
1	Guéhi	Man City	DEF	£5.1m	179	35.1
2	Truffert	Bournemouth	DEF	£4.8m	165	34.4
3	Senesi	Bournemouth	DEF	£5.2m	175	33.7
4	Mukiele	Sunderland	DEF	£4.6m	151	32.8
5	Anderson	Nott’m Forest	MID	£5.7m	180	31.6
6	Van Hecke	Brighton	DEF	£4.7m	148	31.5
7	Garner	Everton	MID	£5.2m	159	30.6
8	E.Le Fée	Sunderland	MID	£4.8m	147	30.6
9	Alderete	Sunderland	DEF	£4.1m	125	30.5
10	O’Reilly	Man City	DEF	£5.3m	160	30.2

The immediate pattern is obvious: defenders dominated.

Cheap defenders from strong defensive sides once again offered the best route to maximising points per million spent.

Which Positions Offered the Best Value?

Defenders dominated VFM

The biggest lesson from the 2025/26 season was that defenders were comfortably the strongest VFM position.

Of the top 20 VFM players:

• 13 were defenders
• 4 were midfielders
• 2 were goalkeepers
• just 1 was a forward

Centre-backs in particular were exceptional value because they combined:

• clean sheets
• bonus points
• durability
• low rotation risk
• and DEFCON points

Players such as Guéhi, Senesi, Truffert, Gabriel and Van Hecke massively outperformed their prices.

Midfielders still provided elite balance

Midfielders offered the best blend of:

• strong points
• affordability
• captaincy flexibility

Players like Anderson, Garner, Wilson and Casemiro became season-long enablers who allowed managers to afford premium stars elsewhere.

Premium forwards remain necessary

Although forwards offered weaker VFM overall, elite scorers such as Haaland still justified inclusion because raw FPL points remain critical.

The winning FPL structure in 2025/26 was usually:

• 2–3 premium attackers
• surrounded by elite VFM defenders and midfielders

That allowed managers to spend close to the full £100m budget while maximising overall efficiency.

Best Value Players By Club

Arsenal

1. Gabriel (DEF, £7.3m) – VFM 28.6
2. Zubimendi (MID, £4.9m) – VFM 27.1
3. Rice (MID, £7.2m) – VFM 25.6
4. J.Timber (DEF, £6.0m) – VFM 24.8

Aston Villa

1. Cash (DEF, £4.6m) – VFM 25.4
2. Martínez (GKP, £5.0m) – VFM 24.0
3. Rogers (MID, £7.3m) – VFM 23.2
4. Konsa (DEF, £4.4m) – VFM 22.7

Bournemouth

1. Truffert (DEF, £4.8m) – VFM 34.4
2. Senesi (DEF, £5.2m) – VFM 33.7
3. Scott (MID, £4.9m) – VFM 27.8
4. Petrović (GKP, £4.6m) – VFM 27.0

Bournemouth were arguably the surprise VFM kings of the entire league.

Brentford

1. Kelleher (GKP, £4.8m) – VFM 29.8
2. Collins (DEF, £4.9m) – VFM 26.3
3. Thiago (FWD, £7.2m) – VFM 25.1
4. O.Dango (MID, £5.6m) – VFM 24.3

Brighton

1. Van Hecke (DEF, £4.7m) – VFM 31.5
2. Verbruggen (GKP, £4.6m) – VFM 28.3
3. F.Kadıoğlu (DEF, £4.5m) – VFM 26.2
4. Dunk (DEF, £4.5m) – VFM 22.2

Brighton defenders quietly became outstanding budget picks.

Burnley

1. Anthony (MID, £5.0m) – VFM 25.4
2. Dúbravka (GKP, £4.0m) – VFM 24.0
3. Estève (DEF, £3.8m) – VFM 22.4
4. Ugochukwu (MID, £5.0m) – VFM 19.4

Chelsea

1. Chalobah (DEF, £5.4m) – VFM 25.2
2. Enzo (MID, £6.5m) – VFM 24.2
3. João Pedro (FWD, £7.4m) – VFM 23.9
4. Sánchez (GKP, £4.8m) – VFM 23.5

Crystal Palace

1. Lacroix (DEF, £5.2m) – VFM 29.6
2. Richards (DEF, £4.4m) – VFM 29.1
3. Mitchell (DEF, £5.0m) – VFM 27.0
4. Henderson (GKP, £5.1m) – VFM 25.7

Palace’s defence became one of the best value units in FPL.

Everton

1. Garner (MID, £5.2m) – VFM 30.6
2. Tarkowski (DEF, £5.8m) – VFM 29.3
3. Keane (DEF, £4.5m) – VFM 29.1
4. Dewsbury-Hall (MID, £5.3m) – VFM 28.5

Everton again rewarded managers who trusted cheap defensive picks.

Fulham

1. Wilson (MID, £5.8m) – VFM 29.0
2. Andersen (DEF, £4.4m) – VFM 28.0
3. Leno (GKP, £5.0m) – VFM 24.4
4. Bassey (DEF, £4.4m) – VFM 23.4

Leeds United

1. Stach (MID, £4.8m) – VFM 28.5
2. Rodon (DEF, £3.9m) – VFM 27.9
3. Ampadu (MID, £4.9m) – VFM 27.3
4. Struijk (DEF, £4.2m) – VFM 25.7

Liverpool

1. Virgil (DEF, £6.1m) – VFM 28.7
2. Gravenberch (MID, £5.4m) – VFM 26.7
3. Konaté (DEF, £5.4m) – VFM 23.9
4. Szoboszlai (MID, £7.1m) – VFM 22.5

Manchester City

1. Guéhi (DEF, £5.1m) – VFM 35.1
2. O’Reilly (DEF, £5.3m) – VFM 30.2
3. Matheus N. (DEF, £5.3m) – VFM 29.1
4. Semenyo (MID, £8.0m) – VFM 25.2

City defenders dominated the VFM rankings despite the club losing the title.

Manchester United

1. Casemiro (MID, £5.8m) – VFM 28.4
2. Shaw (DEF, £4.5m) – VFM 25.1
3. Dalot (DEF, £4.5m) – VFM 24.7
4. B.Fernandes (MID, £10.4m) – VFM 22.6

Bruno Fernandes scored huge raw points, but Casemiro offered stronger value relative to price.

Newcastle

1. Thiaw (DEF, £4.9m) – VFM 25.7
2. Bruno G. (MID, £6.9m) – VFM 22.3
3. Pope (GKP, £5.0m) – VFM 19.2
4. Burn (DEF, £5.0m) – VFM 18.6

Nottingham Forest

1. Anderson (MID, £5.7m) – VFM 31.6
2. N.Williams (DEF, £4.8m) – VFM 26.7
3. Gibbs-White (MID, £7.6m) – VFM 24.7
4. Milenković (DEF, £5.1m) – VFM 23.3

Forest massively outperformed expectations both in reality and fantasy terms.

Spurs

1. Van de Ven (DEF, £4.4m) – VFM 26.4
2. J.Palhinha (MID, £5.5m) – VFM 22.9
3. Pedro Porro (DEF, £5.2m) – VFM 22.5
4. Vicario (GKP, £4.7m) – VFM 19.1

Even in another terrible season for Spurs, Van de Ven still produced some decent defensive value.

Sunderland

1. Mukiele (DEF, £4.6m) – VFM 32.8
2. E.Le Fée (MID, £4.8m) – VFM 30.6
3. Alderete (DEF, £4.1m) – VFM 30.5
4. Roefs (GKP, £4.8m) – VFM 28.3

Sunderland’s budget assets became essential enablers during large parts of the season.

West Ham

1. Mavropanos (DEF, £4.5m) – VFM 27.1
2. Diouf (DEF, £4.1m) – VFM 25.4
3. M.Fernandes (MID, £5.5m) – VFM 24.5
4. Bowen (FWD, £7.8m) – VFM 24.0

Despite relegation, West Ham still produced a few useful low-cost performers.

Wolves

1. S.Bueno (DEF, £4.4m) – VFM 20.9
2. J.Gomes (MID, £5.3m) – VFM 20.2
3. André (MID, £5.2m) – VFM 18.5
4. José Sá (GKP, £4.2m) – VFM 16.2

Wolves struggled badly overall, reflected by their relatively weak VFM numbers.

Final Thoughts

The 2025/26 season reinforced one of the oldest FPL truths:

Winning teams are rarely built purely around premium stars.

The best managers combined:

• elite captains such as Haaland and Bruno Fernandes
• with cheap defenders and midfielders massively outperforming their prices

The introduction of DEFCON points only strengthened the importance of centre-backs and defensively active midfielders.

Finding next season’s Senesi, Guéhi or Anderson before everyone else may once again be the key to climbing the rankings.

The above player prices are their final FPL season-ending price. Check out FISO’s FPL forum for more discussion about the 25/26 season and related FPL side-games.

Before the return of the Premier League in August, fantasy football fans have the World Cup to look forward to starting in the middle of June.