FPL Budget Picks: The Best MID Under £6.5

Budget Midfielders Under £6.5m: One Of These Is Not Like The Others

Fifty-one projected points over six gameweeks. From a £5.9m midfielder. That's Groß, and that's not a gap you argue with — the next-best name on this list is twenty points behind him.

We ran every midfielder at £6.5m or under — 54 qualify — and here's the shortlist, in our order of preference. One line each, because at this price the only questions that matter are: does he start, and do the fixtures help.

Groß (BHA, £5.9m) — starts every week, very kind fixtures starting at SUN (A), projected for 51 over six. About 4 in 10 already own him, and they're right.

Tavernier (BOU, £6.1m) — nailed starter, average fixtures, CHE (A) first up. Fewer than 1 in 10 own him. Solid, unspectacular, plays.

Schade (BRE, £6.2m) — starts, but the fixtures are tough and AVL (A) is no gift. About 1.5 in 10 own him; I'd wait.

Barnes (NEW, £6.1m) — starts, very kind run beginning at COV (A). The quiet value pick if you want fixtures without the Groß price tag... except Groß is cheaper. Which tells you something.

Diego Gomez (BHA, £5.0m) — the enabler of the bracket. Starts, same lovely Brighton run, projected for 27 — more than players costing £1m+ extra. Hardly anyone owns him (fewer than 1 in 20). If you need a fifth midfielder who actually plays, this is him.

Belloumi (HUL, £5.1m), Le Fée (SUN, £5.7m), Xhaka (SUN, £5.5m) — all start, all staring down very tough fixtures. Xhaka and Le Fée open with BHA (H), which is exactly the fixture that makes Groß attractive. Pass.

Ndiaye (£5.8m) and Anderson (£6.3m) at Manchester City — favourable run on paper, LIV (A) first, and City's rotation is the tax you pay. Starters today; ask me again on 60 minutes.

Josh King (FUL, £5.6m) and Stach (LEE, £6.0m) — both start, both facing brutal runs. Not now.

The call: buy Groß. He's the rare budget midfielder where the price, the minutes and the fixtures all point the same way — a good 5-6 points most weeks with the odd bigger one when Brighton click. Best alternative is Tavernier if you want someone the template hasn't found yet. And if you're just filling a slot to fund a premium elsewhere, Diego Gomez at £5.0m is the cheapest starting midfielder worth owning. Reliable beats shiny. It usually does.