<p>Pre-season was dominated by debate over mid-priced and premium midfielders in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) &#8211; but more budget midfielders are starting to break into the conversation.</p>
<p>As FPL managers scramble to fit in the likes of <strong>Erling Haaland (£14.1m)</strong>, <strong>Son Heung-min (£9.5m)</strong>, <strong>Mohamed Salah (£12.6m) </strong>and in many cases <strong>Kieran Trippier (£6.9m)</strong>, budget picks are becoming increasingly important.</p>
<p>And while 8.8% have opted to go cheap up front with <strong>Cameron Archer (£4.5m)</strong>, with <strong>Ollie Watkins (£8.1m) </strong>and <strong>Julian Alvarez (£7.0m) </strong>popular picks in addition to Haaland, midfield could be the place to save money.</p>
<p>Here, we take a look at some of the best options priced at £6.0m and under, share<a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/predictions"> Hub AI&#8217;s</a> top five for predicted points over the coming weeks and highlight the key <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta">Opta stats</a> leaders.</p>
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<p><em><strong>Last updated: 23/10/23</strong></em></p>
<h2>The best FPL budget midfielders</h2>
<h3>Anthony Gordon (£5.6m) &#8211; Newcastle</h3>
<p>Gordon missed Gameweek 8 through suspension, which limited his appeal to those playing their Wildcard.</p>
<p>But he returned in Gameweek 9 and scored a goal against Crystal Palace &#8211; his third of the season alongside four assists.</p>
<p>No one has created more big chances (five) in his price range, and investing in him is a budget-friendly way to access the Newcastle attack.</p>
<p>The Magpies have the highest expected goals (xG) tally in the league (19.97), thanks in part to their 8-0 demolition of Sheffield United.</p>
<p>Picking up five yellow cards saw him miss Gameweek 8, and his tendency to find his way into the referee&#8217;s book is the main black mark against him.</p>
<p>Gordon does however lead the Hub AI&#8217;s list of predicted points for midfielders priced £6.0m and under over the next six gameweeks, with Newcastle ranked ninth best for overall <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fixture-ticker">fixture difficulty</a>.</p>
<div id="attachment_58956" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-58956" class="size-full wp-image-58956" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gordon-GW9.jpg" alt="" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gordon-GW9.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gordon-GW9-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gordon-GW9-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gordon-GW9-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-58956" class="wp-caption-text">Anthony Gordon&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Pedro Neto (£5.8m) &#8211; Wolves</h3>
<p>Neto has had the kind of start many FPL managers wanted him to have last season, when he was a template pick.</p>
<p>The Portuguese playmaker is in 8.6% of teams, with interest rising in recent weeks.</p>
<p>He has caught the eye with seven assists and one goal &#8211; only Watkins has more assists (eight).</p>
<p>On a par with Gordon for big chances created (five), Neto has significantly outperformed his expected assists (xA) of 2.53 but that figure is still enough to top the table among budget midfielders.</p>
<p>Neto is not the only cut-price midfielder having a superb start to the season. <strong>Hwang Hee-chan (£5.4m) </strong>has five goals.</p>
<p>The South Korean has played only 504 minutes so far though, whereas nailed Neto has been on the pitch for every minute so far (720).</p>
<div id="attachment_58954" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-58954" class="size-full wp-image-58954" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Netos-stats-GW9.jpg" alt="" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Netos-stats-GW9.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Netos-stats-GW9-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Netos-stats-GW9-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Netos-stats-GW9-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-58954" class="wp-caption-text">Pedro Neto&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Abdoulaye Doucoure (£5.5m) &#8211; Everton</h3>
<p>Everton have been a surprise package from a statistical perspective, racking up an xG of 15.84 &#8211; ahead of Manchester City until Gameweek 9.</p>
<p>And although they have only scored nine goals, there are signs they are improving, with a 3-0 home win over Bournemouth in Gameweek 8.</p>
<p>Doucoure has been Everton&#8217;s leading attacking threat so far, scoring three goals and assisting one.</p>
<p>He is ahead of <strong>Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.8m) </strong>for xG (3.56), although the Toffees striker has played considerably fewer minutes.</p>
<p>Importantly from a budget midfielder perspective, Doucoure leads several Opta metrics in his price bracket, including expected points (42.4) and big chances (seven).</p>
<p>Doucoure is in 0.9% of all FPL teams, meaning he is a real differential option. Everton&#8217;s upcoming fixtures are difficult, however Doucoure is still one of the standout options for under £6.0m.</p>
<div id="attachment_58951" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-58951" class="size-full wp-image-58951" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Doucoure-GW9.jpg" alt="" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Doucoure-GW9.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Doucoure-GW9-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Doucoure-GW9-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Doucoure-GW9-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-58951" class="wp-caption-text">Abdoulaye Doucoure&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Rodri (£5.6m) &#8211; Manchester City</h3>
<p>Renowned as a defensive midfielder, crucial cog Rodri is not usually on FPL managers&#8217; shopping lists.</p>
<p>The Spaniard has however had a greater role in City&#8217;s attacking play this season, scoring twice and assisting once.</p>
<p>West Ham&#8217;s <strong>Tomas Soucek (£4.9m) </strong>has also been given the chance to get forward more for his side, however Hub AI prefers Rodri for predicted points over the next six gameweeks.</p>
<p>Rodri has had as many shots as <strong>Phil Foden (£7.6m) </strong>this season with 14, while only <strong>Julian Alvarez (£7.0m) </strong>and <strong>Erling Haaland (£14.0m) </strong>have had more attempts on goal in the box.</p>
<p>He has created the most big chances among his teammates (three) and is ranked first for xA (1.77).</p>
<p>He confirmed that he had more opportunities to get forward earlier this season, stating:</p>
<blockquote><p>“I think I can improve in these terms [scoring more goals] even though I know it is not my role.</p>
<p>“I know I can do it and in some situations where I read the games and pay attention to the strikers and the wingers I can take advantage of this space in the final third that they generate. I’m trying to improve in this sense.”</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>“Ilkay [Gundogan] and Kevin [De Bruyne] played much higher than me so I needed to cover them but now with Mateo [Kovacic] I can go forward more. He’s a very experienced player and a smart player.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Rodri returned to action in Gameweek 9 after spending three games on the sidelines following his red card against Nottingham Forest.</p>
<p>Pep Guardiola will have been delighted to have him back, with his team losing all three domestic games without him.</p>
<div id="attachment_58950" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-58950" class="size-full wp-image-58950" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rodri-GW9.jpg" alt="" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rodri-GW9.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rodri-GW9-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rodri-GW9-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rodri-GW9-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-58950" class="wp-caption-text">Rodri&#8217;s Gameweek 9 <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Cole Palmer (£4.9m) &#8211; Chelsea</h3>
<p>Palmer has forced his way into manager Mauricio Pochettino&#8217;s thinking, starting the last three league games.</p>
<p>He scored a penalty in both Gameweek 8 and 9, sparking hopes he could be Chelsea&#8217;s regular penalty taker.</p>
<p>Regardless, if he can continue picking up regular minutes for his new club, he could potentially be the standout cheap midfielder &#8211; at least £0.6m cheaper than the other options on our shortlist.</p>
<p>As well as his goal, Palmer has added two assists and created three big chances, the joint-most among Chelsea players.</p>
<div id="attachment_58949" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-58949" class="size-full wp-image-58949" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Palmer-GW9.jpg" alt="" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Palmer-GW9.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Palmer-GW9-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Palmer-GW9-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Palmer-GW9-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-58949" class="wp-caption-text">Cole Palmer&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Douglas Luiz (£5.5m) &#8211; Aston Villa</h3>
<p>Luiz broke a longstanding Villa record in Gameweek 9 by scoring in his sixth consecutive league home.</p>
<p>The Brazilian has scored five goals from an xG of 3.19, and although he has yet to chalk up an assist, he has created two big chances for his teammates.</p>
<p>He is on penalties, having scored three from the spot this season, and has managed 49 FPL points &#8211; the most of any midfielder priced at £6.0m and below. He also takes corners and free-kicks, having taken the most among his teammates so far.</p>
<p>Penalties aside, most of Luiz&#8217;s shots have come from outside the box &#8211; 12 out of 19 &#8211; but his strong right foot always gives him the capability of popping up with a goal in low-xG situations.</p>
<p>One thing to be aware of when considering Luiz is that he is on <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-yellow-cards-23-24-season">four yellow cards</a> &#8211; one short of a suspension.</p>
<div id="attachment_58945" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-58945" class="size-full wp-image-58945" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Luiz-stats.jpg" alt="" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Luiz-stats.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Luiz-stats-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Luiz-stats-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Luiz-stats-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-58945" class="wp-caption-text">Douglas Luiz&#8217;s stats</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Simon Adingra (£5.0m) &#8211; Brighton</h3>
<p>Adingra was one of our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/next-brighton-fpl-stars-analysed">pre-season picks from Brighton&#8217;s crop of young stars</a> who we tipped for a breakthrough this season.</p>
<p>He has already become a valuable squad player for the Seagulls, starting four of the last five league games.</p>
<p>Playing 415 minutes, he could be poised to play an even more important role in Brighton&#8217;s season, given <strong>Solly March (£6.3m) </strong>has potentially suffered a serious <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-gameweek-9-review-botman-and-march-injury-latest-luiz-record-palmer-on-penalties-again">knee injury</a>.</p>
<p>Capable of playing on either side of midfield, Adingra has two goals and one assist to his name.</p>
<div id="attachment_58958" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-58958" class="size-full wp-image-58958" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Adingra-stats.jpg" alt="" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Adingra-stats.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Adingra-stats-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Adingra-stats-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Adingra-stats-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-58958" class="wp-caption-text">Simon Adingra&#8217;s stats</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Predicted points for FPL budget midfielders</h2>
<p>Gordon tops the predicted points charts over the next six gameweeks, while <strong>Morgan Gibbs-White (£5.8m) </strong>is another option to add to our list.</p>
<div id="attachment_58957" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-58957" class="size-full wp-image-58957" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Budget-mids-predicted-points-GW9.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Budget-mids-predicted-points-GW9.jpg 900w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Budget-mids-predicted-points-GW9-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Budget-mids-predicted-points-GW9-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Budget-mids-predicted-points-GW9-610x495.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-58957" class="wp-caption-text">Budget midfielder predicted points</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>FPL budget midfielders: Stats leaders</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Shots </strong>&#8211; Douglas Luiz &#8211; 19</li>
<li><strong>Shots on target </strong>&#8211; Abdoulaye Doucoure &#8211; 10</li>
<li><strong>Shots in the box </strong>&#8211; Jordan Ayew &#8211; 15</li>
<li><strong>Big chances </strong>&#8211; Abdoulaye Doucoure &#8211; 7</li>
<li><strong>Goals </strong>&#8211; Douglas Luiz and Hwang Hee-chan &#8211; 5</li>
<li><strong>xG </strong>&#8211; Abdoulaye Doucoure &#8211; 3.56</li>
<li><strong>Non-penalty xG (NpxG) </strong>&#8211; Abdoulaye Doucoure &#8211; 3.56</li>
<li><strong>Key passes</strong> &#8211; Pedro Neto &#8211; 24</li>
<li><strong>Big chances created </strong>&#8211; Anthony Gordon and Pedro Neto &#8211; 5</li>
<li><strong>Assists </strong>&#8211; Pedro Neto &#8211; 7</li>
<li><strong>Expected assists (xA)</strong> &#8211; Pedro Neto &#8211; 2.53</li>
<li><strong>FPL points </strong>&#8211; Douglas Luiz &#8211; 49</li>
<li><strong>Expected points (xPts) </strong>&#8211; Abdoulaye Doucoure &#8211; 42.4</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_47987" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-47987" class="size-full wp-image-47987" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/neto-closeup.jpg" alt="Pedro Neto. Picture by Getty Images" width="1024" height="654" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/neto-closeup.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/neto-closeup-300x192.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/neto-closeup-768x491.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/neto-closeup-610x390.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-47987" class="wp-caption-text">Pedro Neto. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
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