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Jonathan White

The skill of the Fantasy Premier League is finding the balance between the superstar scorers that have price tags to match and the rest of the 15-man squad.
As much as you want to splash your 100m budget on big names they come at a cost and that means you’ll need to look lower down the list for a way to lighten the load.
The good news is that there are bargains to be had, too.
Some of these are proven Premier League players, with plenty of Fantasy points under their belt, others are a bit more of a gamble but both are vital to any manager’s arsenal.
Fantasy League guide: Leeds United, Fulham and West Brom bargains
So who should you be looking at to add a bit of leeway in that 100 million budget?
Read on for our tips for bargain goalkeepers and defenders as you build your best team ahead of the September 12 season start.

clean sheets
3️⃣8️⃣ #PL matches completed#OnThisDay in 2017, Mat Ryan joined Brighton and enjoyed a brilliant first season at the club pic.twitter.com/GFS7nwtdvP
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 16, 2019

Mat Ryan – Brighton (4.5m) – goalkeeper
He got more points than Ederson last season and bear in mind that Manchester City led the league in clean sheets with 17, and the Brazilian was in the sticks for 16 of them. The Socceroos stopper offers remarkable value and is set to be first choice for Graham Potter once more, having played every minute of every game last season.

| Happy birthday to former Brentford and Fulham keeper David Button - today's the big 3️⃣0️⃣ for the well-travelled stopper.

Remember when he basically won at goalkeeping with this world class save vs Preston? Pepperidge Farm remembers. pic.twitter.com/WQVo1WZqJw
— The Football League Paper (@TheLeaguePaper) February 27, 2020

David Button – Brighton (4.0m) – goalkeeper
You can only play one goalkeeper so why not stock up on the Brighton pair? Should Ryan ever miss a minute then Button is a safe pair of hands that removes the need to think about the position entirely (and at the cheapest price point). He earned 15 points in the 2018-19 FPL season but was unused last time out. Linked with a move to the West Brom bench.

BREAKING: Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy signs new four-year contract. #SSN pic.twitter.com/zlhb6pd0By
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 27, 2018

Alex McCarthy – Southampton (£4.5m) – goalkeeper
McCarthy made the Saints No 1 shirt his own last season after elbowing his way in a third of the way into the season. He played through to the end of the season, collecting seven clean sheets along the way and making multiple saves. The England call-up should get a chance to add more points starting the season.

#FPL PRICE RISERS

James Tarkowski - £5.4m
David Silva - £7.4m
Enda Stevens - £5.2m pic.twitter.com/V4UgGUGW5B
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 17, 2020

James Tarkowski – Burnley (£5.5m) – defender
The Burnley man is not in the cheapest bracket of defender but nor is he up there with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m). What he brings is a the odd goal – two last season – and a place in Sean Dyche’s parsimonious rearguard. Last time out that meant 15 clean sheets for the Clarets as he played all 38 games.

The top 5️⃣ Premier League players to record the fastest speeds in in 2018-19

5️⃣ DeAndre Yedlin: 35.17 km/h
4️⃣ Leroy Sane: 35.18 km/h
3️⃣ Ruben Vinagre: 35.20 km/h
2️⃣ Kyle Walker: 35.27 km/h
1️⃣ Timothy Fosu-Mensah: 35.32 km/h pic.twitter.com/m50L4PjZJo
— Goal (@goal) May 22, 2019

Ruben Vinagre – Wolves (£4.5m) – defender
The youngster is set to benefit from the injury to first choice wing-back Jonny, who is out for the foreseeable future after damaging ligaments against Sevilla in the Uefa Europa League last month. While the season has come too soon for Jonny, the younger Spaniard will ease into a backline that claimed nine clean sheets – of 13 total – in the last 13 matches of the campaign.
Fantasy Premier League guide to new positions
Charlie Taylor – Burnley (£4.5m) – defender
Another bargain at Burnley, Taylor made left back his own once he recovered from injury and he made 24 appearances under Dyche last season, scoring 84 points. Expected to feature more this term and bring points in attack as well as defence. The defender puts in plenty of crosses.

Gearing up! #SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/6TzkSXRJ84
— Kyle Walker-Peters (@KWPeters) August 27, 2020

Kyle Walker-Peters – Southampton (£4.5m) – defender
The full-back had a remarkable record for former club Spurs, with five assists across just nine appearances over two seasons. He struggled for game time under both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho before going on loan to Southampton in January. That move is now permanent and more regular game time offers him a chance to contribute at both ends.

Are you tempted by Lewis Dunk? pic.twitter.com/WIkjH2VjiC
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 15, 2020

Lewis Dunk – Brighton (£4.5m)
The star of the Seagulls defence was in impressive form last season – 128 points – and is the rock on which Potter’s backline is built. He played 36 times last season and had his most prolific return in front of goal with three. There are cheaper players in the Brighton defence but Dunk offers great value.

@LCFC's Luke Thomas is the first teenager to get an assist on his #PL debut since Lasse Sorensen for Stoke v Swansea in May 2018#LEISHU pic.twitter.com/dv1iMRMic2
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 16, 2020

Luke Thomas – Leicester City (£4.5m) – defender
The 19-year-old left back has just three Premier League appearances but that includes an assist and a clean sheet. With Ben Chilwell having moved to Chelsea and two full backs injured, Thomas offers a cheap way into the impressive Foxes backline who should get game time even if arrival of Belgium’s Timothy Castagne is confirmed.


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Fantasy Premier League (FPL)

Fantasy League guide: bargain goalkeepers and defenders

Brighton's Lewis Dunk vies with Crystal Palace's Christian Benteke in the English Premier League. Photo: AFP

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Could Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic provide a bargain points boost to your FPL side this coming season? Photo: Reuters

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Manchester United's Mason Greenwood celebrates a goal. He has switched from forward to midfield ahead of the new Fantasy Premier League season. Photo: EPA

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Sport

Football


Brighton, Southampton, Leicester City, Wolves and Burnley offer value for managers
Which players can you buy to earn points and save money for big-name stars?



Brighton, Southampton, Leicester City, Wolves and Burnley offer value for managers by earning points and saving money for big names.


English Premier League

Fantasy League guide: bargain goalkeepers and defenders

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Brighton, Southampton, Leicester City, Wolves and Burnley offer value for managers Which players can you buy to earn points and save money for big-name stars?

Brighton, Southampton, Leicester City, Wolves and Burnley offer value for managers

Which players can you buy to earn points and save money for big-name stars?