The budget and enabler options in Fantasy Premier League require the most research and are the most difficult to identify early on.

Most of the time we won’t use them in our starting eleven, but it’s still very important to have the right players. These players serve two main purposes: they act as a backup in case one of your regular players goes down and you need a substitute option, and they allow you to spend more money on your starting eleven.

Additionally, by choosing the cheapest options, you have a better chance of preserving the value of your team, as prices are unlikely to drop with regular playing time.

It’s always worth doing thorough research, as you might end up getting more than you bargained for.

Harry Kane burst onto the scene as a £4.5m striker in 2013/14 – scoring three goals and providing two assists in Tottenham’s final six league games. The following season he was traded for £5.0m and scored 21 goals and provided seven assists.

More recently, John Lundstram, then at Sheffield United, was rated as a £4 million defender at the start of the 2019–20 season but played in central midfield and scored 144 points, including five goals and four assists.

Here are some of the best budget options for the 2024-25 season.

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goalkeeper

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a likely £4.0 million goalkeeper at the moment.

Leicester Danny Ward (£4.0m) probably has the best chances as a backup for Mads Hermansen (£4.5m)With new manager Steve Cooper at the helm, it will be interesting to see who is favoured as first choice.

At West Ham Lukasz Fabianski (£4.0m) is No. 2 behind Alphonse Areola (£4.5m) and he would probably have to get injured to be considered. Last season their roles were actually reversed in price and Areola ended up being the £4.0 million starting goalkeeper.

Nottingham Forest has Matz Sels (£4.5m) and new addition Carlos Miguel (£4.5m)but at the moment it is unclear who their first choice goalkeeper is. Matt Turner (£4.0m) is also there and started 17 games last season, moving in and out of the team, but was eventually dropped from the squad long-term from gameweek 23 onwards.

Having a playing goalkeeper and a non-playing substitute worth £4.0m is a viable strategy as it saves money as the scoring output in this position is generally quite random. If you choose this strategy, you should try to select the substitute worth £4.0m who is most likely to make his club’s team.

Another good strategy is to sign two goalkeepers from the same club but make sure the price for the number 2 is £4.0 million.

Dan Bentley (£4.0m) is the second choice for Jose Sa (£4.5m) at Wolves is a good example of this. Other £4.0m goalkeepers who appear to be in a similar situation include Leicester’s Ward, as mentioned above, Joao Virginia (Everton), Hakon Valdimarsson (Brentford) and Steven Benda (Fulham).

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defender

Wout Faes (£4.0m) is Leicester’s first choice centre-back.

He is no stranger to the Premier League and of the three promoted teams, Leicester have the best defence. They conceded the fewest goals (41) and had the second-best expected goals conceded (xGC) in the Championship last season (42.7).

Fairies He was in the starting eleven in 43 of the 46 league games and will therefore, as things stand, be in the starting eleven again this season. The Belgian international is also a real eye-catcher in attack and scored two goals last season. Jannik Vestergaard (£4.0m) 42 games alongside Faes in the starting eleven, new signing Caleb Okoli (£4.0m) exposes him to a small risk.

Elsewhere in the rising trio, Taylor Harwood-Bellis (£4.0m) is a regular starter for Southampton. Last season he started 41 games, scored two goals and provided five assists. Southampton have now signed him permanently after he was loaned from Manchester City for 2023/24. Harwood-Bellis’ fellow defender and Premier League veteran, Jan Bednarek (£4.0m) is also a regular player in the first team.

However, there are better options among the three promoted teams from the EFL, and this time they are Ipswich. Luke Woolfenden (£4.0m) and new addition Jacob Greaves (£4.0m) seems to be coach Kieran McKenna’s first choice centre-back pairing.

Woolfenden started 40 games last season with Cameron Burgess (£4.0m) He was his partner and started 38 times. However, initial reports suggest that Greaves will replace Burgess. Ben Johnson (£4.0m) will also likely be the first choice right-back. Ipswich signed him as a free agent after his contract at West Ham expired.

All of the above players seem like solid starters, but I wouldn’t expect a lot of points from them. They can be useful when needed off the bench and to maintain the team’s value.

The most exciting budget defender option is Brighton’s Valentin Barco (£4.0m). The Argentine is a left-back by profession, but can also play on the wing. Pervis Estupinan (£5.0m) Although he is injured and is not expected back until September, Barco should be fit for the start of the season.

He is an attacking full-back and seems to fit into the system of new head coach Fabian Hurzeler. Hurzeler used his full-backs heavily at his previous club, second division club St. Pauli. They conceded the fewest goals in that league (36). last season, with the best xGC (36.1), so Brighton could also improve at the back.

The 19-year-old is definitely one to keep an eye on.

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midfield player

Harry Winks (£4.5m) seems to be the most sought-after midfielder on a budget. The former Spurs and England player played a monumental 4,041 league minutes (45 starts) for Leicester last season and will surely be a mainstay for them again.

The 28-year-old has scored two goals and is also successful from set pieces, so he is a little dangerous in attack, but the main attraction is all the minutes he gets. For your fifth midfielder, who will be on the bench most weeks, guaranteed minutes are exactly what you want.

Winks’ teammate Boubakary Soumare (£4.5m) The start also seems certain – provided the Frenchman stays in Leicester. Last season he was loaned to Sevilla in the Spanish La Liga, where he worked his way into the team, started the last 16 games for them and also lasted 90 minutes. His participation in the pre-season should be kept in mind.

Ipswich Massimo Luongo (£4.5m) started 37 games last season but isn’t as good as the aforementioned Leicester duo. However, he is a little more dangerous than them in attack, with three goals and an assist in the 2023–24 Championship. There’s no telling how certain he will be a regular in Gameweek 1, however, with Ipswich set to make a lot of new signings by then, but as things stand, Luongo is one of the game’s best midfield options, even if budget is a factor.

Ibrahim Sangare (£4.5m) is the exciting option. He is not projected to be a regular starter for Forest at the moment, but of the £4.5m midfielders in the game, he is the one who played the most minutes (1,031) and started the most games (13) in the Premier League last season. He has 17 goals and 15 assists in his career, making him the most attacking £4.5m midfielder we have at our disposal.

Forest signed him for around £30 million last season and he was one of their star signings. However, illness (malaria) and injuries hampered his development. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo may have plans for him as the Portuguese praised him when he was going through a bad patch.

I will be keeping a close eye on Sangare’s performance in pre-season because if he ends up in the starting lineup, he could be the hidden gem we are looking for.

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Forward

The striker options, worth £4.5 million, are something of a wasteland.

Ross Stewart (£4.5m) seems to be the best option at the moment. Southampton signed the 28-year-old last season, but he too fell victim to injuries that hampered his development. However, he seems to fit well into manager Russell Martin’s plans.

With Paul Onuachu (£5.0m) Stewart’s only real competitor for a place in the starting eleven is Carlos Alcaraz (£5.0m), Sekou Mara (£5.0m) and new addition Ben Brereton Diaz (£5.5m). Adam Armstrong (£5.5m)will of course definitely play if he is fit, and the Scotsman or the Chilean international Brereton Diaz will probably be nominated as his partner.

Stewart scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 13 appearances for Sunderland in the 2022/23 Championship season, so he knows where the goal is too. Brereton Diaz is the biggest threat for his minutes, so that’s another situation to keep an eye on.

The only other viable option seems to be Leicester’s Tom Cannon (£4.5m)He was injured for most of last season, but still managed two goals and one assist in three appearances. Jamie Vardy (£5.5m) is now 37 and will probably manage his playing time while Patson Daka (£5.0m) started just 15 games last season, so he doesn’t seem to be a big favorite – although then-manager Enzo Maresca has since left him to become head coach of Chelsea.

(Top photos: Wout Faes, left, and Valentin Barco, right; Getty Images)