Salah (£14.5m) and Haaland (£14.0m) are the two most expensive players in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) this season. Building a squad without them frees up a huge amount of budget – and that cash can go a long way.
In this blog, we use the Assistant Manager tool to build a draft that spreads the funds across the entire squad. Could this be the best FPL team without Salah and Haaland?
The FPL AI-powered Assistant Manager lets you create a fully customised team based on your own strategy.
Whether you want to exclude certain players, stack your midfield, or focus on different formations, this powerful tool adapts to your preferences.
As the above image shows, FPL managers can choose to exclude certain players from the suggested team, like Salah and Haaland. Other players can also be locked in as needed.
Using the above parameters and some tweaks, a team is generated as shown in the below image.
Centre-backs are the biggest winners from the new Defensive Contribution (DEFCON) points.
The Fix Algorithm includes five in the squad, rotating them in optimally for favourable fixtures to maximise points—even if they don’t all start every week.
As the above image from our Stats Sandbox feature shows, Murillo (£5.5m), Tarkowski (£5.5m) and Lacroix (£5.0m) were in the top seven for DEFCON amongst defenders last season and should rack up the points consistently.
Andersen (£4.5m) and Virgil (£6.0m) are also ranked 12th and 13th for DEFCON, helping FPL managers make the most of the new scoring system.
As shown in the image from our AI Rotation Optimiser, rotating these Premium Defenders provides an excellent run of fixtures - highlighted by matches against all three promoted teams in Gameweek 4. .
Chelsea have a kind start to the season, with the Blues not leaving London in their first four matches. Sánchez (£5.0m) offers a budget-friendly route into their backline, with none of the other options - apart from Cucurella (£6.0m) - posing a significant attacking threat.
Whether you're after a mid-priced defender or a budget £4.5m gem, our latest Top 5 articles have you covered.
With Salah and Haaland omitted, Palmer (£10.5m) is the most expensive player in the squad.
As the below image from our Stats Sandbox feature shows, the England international was second for shots (126) amongst all midfielders last season and looked back to his best at the Club World Cup.
Eze (£7.5m) racked up more FPL points (62) than any midfielder between Gameweek 30-38 last season and is a reliable, proven asset.
Rogers (3129) played the most minutes of any Villa outfield player last campaign and notched eight goals and 11 assists.
With Diaz departing to Bayern, Liverpool's new signing Wirtz (£8.5m) should slot straight into the Reds' starting XI and the German international's numbers in the Bundesliga are impressive. He registered 10 goals and 12 assists for Leverkusen and has been taking a large share of Liverpool's set pieces over preseason.
As mentioned in our Best Cheap Midfielders in FPL blog, Anderson (£5.5m) is one of the standout budget midfielders to benefit from the DEFCON system with only Caicedo (409) and Nørgaard racking up more than his 368 which makes him an ideal substitute when needed.
With 200 FPL points last season, Wood (£7.5m) merits inclusion, especially with Forest's kind schedule that puts them at the top of the Fixture Difficulty Ratings, as can be seen below.
Despite limited minutes (2609), Watkins (£9.0m) was still fourth amongst forwards for 'big chances' (33) and with no Duran to take gametime off him, the England international is set for a big season.
Arsenal's new signing Gyökeres' (£9.0m) could be a bargain. The Swedish international bagged 39 goals in 33 matches in Liga Portugal last season.
As the above image from our Stats Sandbox feature shows, Arsenal were fourth for 'big chances' (108) and their new Centre-Forward should get plenty of opportunities to hit the ground running. He is also an excellent Captaincy option in Gameweek 2, when Salah is away to Newcastle and Palmer is away to West Ham.
This draft shows what's possible when you spread the budget instead of investing in Salah and Haaland—but is it truly the best FPL team without them?
If you’re not convinced, head to the Assistant Manager tool and build your own draft using FPL AI.
You can prioritise different positions, boost bench strength, target specific Gameweek ranges, and apply your own strategy—whether that’s loading up on attacking full-backs, backing differentials, or rotating for fixtures.
Your perfect team might be just a few tweaks away.
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