Best £4.5m FPL midfielders for 2026/27

Who are the best £4.5m FPL midfielders for 2026/27? Expert manager Abdul Rehman (FPL Salah) has it covered.

We’ll be keeping this list of £4.5m midfielders regularly updated before the Gameweek 1 deadline, so make sure to bookmark this page.

And check out our Ultimate Guide to FPL for all our best player articles and much more.

Last updated: 12/08/26

Best £4.5m FPL midfielders 2026/27

The £4.5m midfielder bracket is not the most exciting category but shouldn't be ignored nonetheless.

Just like the budget goalkeeper position, the fifth midfielder slot is often overlooked in Fantasy Premier League.

It’s a rare occurrence that they will ever be needed but it’s good to have a solid starter available if possible.

Underlying attacking statistics are not the main focus when selecting your budget midfielder.

Security of starts is undoubtedly the most crucial factor and that is what we will mainly focus on in this article.

Here we will go through the best of them and look at some with the potential to break through too.

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Regan Slater (£4.5m) - Hull

If you're simply looking for secure minutes, Slater is probably the standout option.

The Hull midfielder was one of the Tigers' most reliable performers last season, starting 38 Championship matches plus all three playoff games.

He put together a remarkable run of 31 consecutive league starts before an ankle injury briefly interrupted his campaign.

Although he only managed two goals and two assists, Slater averaged 10 defensive contributions per 90 minutes, giving him genuine potential to collect the additional defensive contribution points introduced to FPL last season.

Hull are expected to strengthen significantly before the transfer window closes, so his place isn't completely guaranteed.

But based on what we know today, Slater looks one of the safest £4.5m midfielders for regular starts.

Matt Crooks (£4.5m) - Hull

If you're chasing attacking returns instead, Crooks offers a bit more upside.

He finished last season with four goals and five assists, while also averaging more than nine defensive contributions per 90 minutes.

He started Hull's final nine Championship fixtures before playing every minute of their successful playoff campaign.

Throughout his Championship career, Crooks has consistently demonstrated an eye for goal, often arriving late into the box to score from midfield.

Since the 2021/22 season, he has managed 30 goals and 23 assists for Middlesborough, Real Salt Lake and Hull.

That knack for contributing in the final third makes him arguably the most explosive £4.5m midfielder currently available.

The question is whether Hull continue to trust him after promotion, particularly with several new midfield signings arriving.

If he keeps his starting place, however, Crooks could comfortably outperform his price.

Will Hughes (£4.5m) - Crystal Palace

Hughes is a very different proposition.

Unlike many budget midfielders, he brings a wealth of Premier League experience, having made in excess of 200 appearances in the competition.

He featured regularly for Crystal Palace last season, making 48 appearances across all competitions.

Over five seasons at Palace, he has produced just one goal and six assists, meaning his route to FPL points is unlikely to come from attacking returns.

Equally, he isn't a particularly prolific defensive contributions earner compared to some of the promoted midfielders.

Instead, Hughes's appeal comes from his experience and reliability.

If new manager Pierre Sage continues to trust him, he could become one of the safest £4.5m enablers in the game.

Ryan Yates (£4.5m) - Nottingham Forest

Yates is another player whose value depends almost entirely on minutes.

Forest's club captain featured regularly last season, although many of those appearances came in Europe rather than the Premier League.

Following the departure of Elliot Anderson (£7.5m), there may be an opportunity for Yates to feature more prominently domestically.

What makes him interesting from an FPL perspective is his defensive work.

Yates averages around 10 defensive contributions per 90 minutes, meaning he has the potential to collect bonus defensive points whenever he starts and plays the full match.

The arrival of Xaver Schlager (£5.0m) means competition remains fierce, so he isn't currently guaranteed a starting role.

Nevertheless, his experience means he should remain heavily involved throughout the season and is certainly one to monitor during pre-season.

Kasey McAteer (£4.5m) - Ipswich

McAteer perhaps offers the highest ceiling of anyone on this list.

Signed from Leicester last summer, the winger produced three goals and one assist despite starting fewer than half of his Championship appearances.

His biggest obstacle is competition for places.

Ipswich have strengthened their attacking options further this summer, meaning McAteer faces competition on the right wing.

However, if he can force his way into Gary O'Neil's preferred starting 11, his attacking threat gives him considerably more upside than many budget central midfielders.

Unlike the others, McAteer has genuine potential to deliver goals and assists if regular minutes come his way.

Other £4.5m FPL midfielders

Jack Taylor - Ipswich

Taylor narrowly missed out on my top five but remains firmly on my watchlist.

He started 24 Championship matches last season, making another 15 appearances from the bench, and recovered from knee surgery during the summer.

With O'Neil taking charge at Ipswich, there is an opportunity for Taylor to establish himself in the new manager's midfield if he can prove his fitness during pre-season.

His attacking output isn't spectacular but he still contributed two goals and one assist while averaging eight defensive contributions per 90 minutes, giving him multiple routes to points if he nails down a starting role.

Harrison Reed - Fulham

Reed is one of the more experienced Premier League options at this price.

Although he has been restricted to a squad role over the last two seasons, Reed has previously shown he can contribute when given regular minutes, producing three goals and four assists during the 2022/23 campaign.

Whether new Fulham boss Álvaro Arbeloa sees him as a bigger part of his plans remains to be seen but he's certainly one to monitor if injuries or tactical changes hand him more starts.

Best FPL £4.5m midfielders: Abdul's rankings

I will now rank these options, exclusively for Hub members.

Rankings are given for the player’s FPL potential looking at price, fixtures and overall value. Check out our predicted points tool for Hub AI's view.