The above image from our Custom Stats table lists outfield players sorted by Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Value Added Per Million (VAPM) with the aim of identifying which positions offer the best bang for the buck.

Haaland. The only Premium asset to make the top 15

It is worth noting that the only premium asset over 7.3 to make the top 15 of the Custom Stats table is Haaland. His massive FPL points total of 73 justifies every million of his price but none of the other premium players such as Kane, De Bruyne, Son or Salah are currently justifying the outlay, especially since the captaincy is being primarily handed to the Norwegian. Several managers are considering going with three or four premium assets on their wildcard and it could indicate that this strategy is an inefficient use of funds.

Value at the back

Saliba is the top asset for VAPM on the table and there are several other defenders such as Trippier, Cancelo, Dier, Gabriel and Schar in the top 15 as well. That is six out of 15 outfield players. This drives home the point that there is value in defence which managers need to identify.

The above image from our Fix Algorithm indicates that defenders from Palace, West Ham and Wolves offer the best value over the next six fixtures.

Budget midfielders key to success

Groß, Mac Allister, Rodrigo, Rashford and Martinelli all make the top 15 and as has been the case in previous seasons with Mahrez (5.5 in 2015/16), Michu (6.5 in 2012/13) etc. identifying the right budget midfielders is key to FPL success and helps optimise fund distribution. Brighton have a tougher run of fixtures now and with Rodrigo injured it is going to be important to identify which budget midfielders to back going forward. As per the Opta Stats Sandbox feature, Gordon (5.6), Podence (5.5) and Gray (5.5) are currently ranked 6th, 8th and 12th out of all midfielders costing 7.0 and under for expected FPL points, and could be the ones to watch.

The Fixture Planner image above shows that Fulham, Palace, Bournemouth, Villa and Leicester have an excellent run of fixtures and there are plenty of budget as well as mid-priced options in midfield from these teams. The likes of Zaha, A. Pereira, Billing, Coutinho, Maddison etc. should provide excellent value over the short term.

Which Goalkeepers offer the best value?

Budget goalkeepers have traditionally been the best value options in FPL and it is surprising to see Pope and Sá at the top of the list with a price of 5.0+. It is business as usual for the other three spots in the top five with three familiar faces from recent years in Henderson, Sánchez and Pickford all coming in at 4.7 or under. This does suggest that spending a tad more on goalkeepers this season than the usual 4.5 could be beneficial.

The above image from our Predicted Points feature shows that Pope and Sá are in the top three for goalkeepers over the next six fixtures and should continue to offer good value.