Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 - £6.0 Million)

FPL is back, baby & with a lot of new changes!! The Game we all love and hate at various points of the season has launched, and now is the time to start tinkering with our Drafts and harbor an ambition of winning the Entire Thing. That is, until Gameweek 1 Starts & most of us realize that dream will have to wait for yet another season.

This series of Articles will help you to make a strong start in your bid to have a fantastic season, and who knows – Maybe just accomplish the Holy Grail of winning FPL.

We will be starting by exploring the Best Budget Forwards in the (4.5 – 6 Million price range). Don’t scoff at these guys. Remember, this is the Category from which Harry Kane & Jamie Vardy started their FPL career, and we all know what they went on to do in the following years.

But before we start, we at All About FPL would like to pay a tribute to Diogo Jota. Besides being a wonderful football player & a great FPL option, he was a greatly admired person and loves by his teammates and respected by his compatriots. His passing has shook us horribly and shows us how unpredictable life can be. He will be greatly missed and may his soul rest in peace.

There are currently 47 Forwards classified under this Category, and most of them will not even get to play a single minute this season. Identifying the correct ones is the real challenge. That’s where we are here to help. Read on to find out who the viable options are below.

All stats used in this Article have been taken from the Members Area of Fantasy Football Hub.

Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £6.0 Million)

Best £6.0 Million FPL Budget Forwards

We have 5 Players who are priced at 6 million, and most of them are expected to get minutes for their teams. Let’s look at the best options at this price point.

Thierno Barry – Everton

Pros :

Everton have bought a striker who suits their profile of play. Renowned for his hold-up play & target man profile, Barry could be a fan favorite very quickly.
Everton’s style of playing crosses and long balls will suit his gameplay. Add to the fact that he had decent underlying numbers for Villareal last season (he scored 11 Goals and got 4 Assists from only 25 starts and 10 sub appearances).
Also, Everton have a good run over the 1^st 7 Gameweeks where they only face Liverpool & Villa among last season’s Top 7.

Cons :

Competition from Beto initially, as he too had a good season under Moyes.
Also, Moyes does like to keep a settled team, so whoever starts the 1^st few Gameweeks may continue to lead the line until things go downhill. Pre-season minutes and form should help with this decision.

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Igor Thiago – Brentford

Pros :

Suitable to Brentford’s playing style with his strong physical and aerial presence and link-up play. This should suit the new coach, Andrew’s playing style.
Before he came to Brentford, Thiago had a massive 31.4 % Goal conversion rate at Brugge. The club’s record signing was supposed to play after Toney left, but injury struck, and Wissa turned out to be a revelation. Expect him to play more minutes & make a bigger impact this season.

Cons :

His injury record is a big concern, he picked up that big injury in pre-season and some more knee problems, which kept him out till the last few weeks of the season.
His discipline in games is also a concern, as he got booked 11 times for Ludogorets and 13 times for Club Brugge (including a red card).
He will initially also face a hard time displacing Wissa as the Central striker if Brentford play with a 3-4-3 system. However, if they move to a 3-5-2, he could play alongside Wissa.

Further Read: Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders for the 2025/26 FPL Season

Igor Jesus – Nottingham Forest

Pros :

His performances in the Club World Cup should suffice. He scored a great header against Seattle Sounders and a goal from a counter-attacking run against PSG. This shows his variety & should suit Forest’s set piece & counter-attacking oriented playstyle.
He is a shot hogger and had the 2^nd most shots and Shots on Target in this season’s Brazilian Serie A. His stats of 3.44 Shots per 90 and 0.49 Non Penalty xG also seem impressive. He is also a very good Penalty taker (scored 6 out of 6 in his career)
He has played on the wing sometimes and can also play as a support striker, and if he has a great pre-season and Forest lose Gibbs White, we may see him operating behind Chris Wood initially.
Forest’s first 6 fixtures are great, and they are the only team who face 2 Newly Promoted Teams (Burnley & Sunderland) in the 1^st six Gameweeks.

Cons :

He should initially play as a Backup to Chris Wood in the Premier League, and it is in the Europa League where we may see him plying his trade.

Further Read: Best FPL Goalkeepers to Target For The 2025/26 FPL Season

Joshua Zirkzee – Manchester United

Pros :

Not too many at the moment, but it seems more suited to Amorim’s playstyle compared to Hojlund. A hard worker and more of a link-up player, which helps the overall performance of the team. Zirkzee was starting to find his feet before he got injured in the Europa League.

Cons :

Not the most prolific Goal-scorer even in Serie A. He only scored 6 Goals and got 2 Assists in all competitions for Man United.
He often fluffed his chances, and that is why United are looking for a more clinical striker who can convert the chances created by Bruno, Cunha & Mbeumo. Infact, both Zirkzee and Hojlund had two of the worst Minutes per chance among FPL forwards who got more than 1000+ minutes.

Niclas Fullkrug – West Ham

Pros :

He should start as West Ham’s main Striker this season, unless he gets injured again. He still did manage to score 3 Goals and 2 Assists in only 783 minutes and 6 starts. He was a handful whenever he played and caused havoc aerially. The question is, can he stay fit to do more damage this season?
The talent is there as he has scored 56 Goals and got 18 Assists in the Bundesliga before joining West Ham. He also has a solid record for Germany, having scored 13 Goals for them in a handful of starts and sub appearances.
Scored two goals in the last two preseason games for West Ham against Everton and Bournemouth in the PL Summer Series

Cons :

His injury record is not the best, and West Ham have also got Callum Wilson on a one-year deal to provide competition/cover for Fullkrug.

Further Read: FPL Rotational Pairs & Combinations for the 2025/26 FPL Season

Best £5.5 Million FPL Budget Forwards

We have 11 Players who are priced at 5.5 million, and most of them are expected to get some sort of minutes for their teams. Let’s look at the best options at this price point.

Wilson Isidor – Sunderland

Pros :

Isidor was the top scorer for Sunderland with 12 Goals and 3 Assists. However, he did start to lose steam at the end of the season and did not even start the playoff final. He got the 2^nd highest xG in the Championship last season (15.2). His shot average was much better than Mayenda’s, with a shot every 33.7 minutes.

Cons: May be 2^nd second-choice striker behind Mayenda and currently a bit out of form

Elizier Mayenda – Sunderland

Pros :

He got better as the season progressed, finishing with 10 Goals and 5 Assists, and even earned a call-up to the Spain Under-21 Team. He was clutch in the playoff matches with 2 Goals in 3 matches and some brilliant performances.
His advantage is that he can play multiple positions, such as a Striker, a No. 10, or on either wing. His raw pace is another strength, which could help him settle in the Premier League much faster. Even penalty-taking duties could come his way.
He averages a shot every 38.4 minutes and also has a creative side to his game, with a chance created every 93.2 minutes. He should also be nailed to start as the Central striker for Sunderland at the beginning of the season.

Cons :

The absence of creativity of Bellingham and the possible sync issues with his new teammates in the attacking positions.
Sunderland have also got Marc Guiu on loan from Chelsea so there’s even more competiton

Further Read: 2025/26 FanTeam Season Game Strategy Guide | EPL Fantasy

Joel Piroe – Leeds United

Pros :

Playing as the Central Striker for the top scoring team in the Championship (95), Shots (759) and xG (89.1) have its benefits as he finished as the top scoring player in the Championship with 19 Goals and 7 Assists. He is the designated Penalty taker but did not score any last season.
His total of 103 shots was the 5^th highest in the Championship, but his minutes per shot were actually the 4^th best among his teammates.
He’s had 4 goals in 4 preseason games and is in good form going into the 25/26 season

Cons :

There is a chance that Leeds may go for a new striker this season, and they are currently linked with Rodrigo Muniz. The lack of Piroe’s mobility and pressing could lead to him losing his place eventually.

Zian Flemming – Burnley

Pros :

Flemming scored 12 Goals and got 4 Assists from 27 starts in the Championship. He took some free kicks for Burnley, and his average of 3 shots per 90 was the best among Burnley attackers.

Cons :

Burnley’s goal-scoring prowess in general is probably the worst among the 3 promoted teams.
Burnley are signing Broja from Chelsea on loan, so Flemming might not be a guaranteed starter. Broja is not in the game yet and might come in at 5.0 or 5.5 million. Broja spent the last season on loan at Everton but was mostly injured.

Further Read: Best £4.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2025/26 FPL Season

Beto – Everton

Pros :

Beto had a good run under David Moyes last season and could start as the central striker if he has a good pre-season, as Moyes usually sticks to his guns until something goes terribly wrong.
Also, Everton have a good run over the 1^st 7 Gameweeks where they only face Liverpool & Villa among last season’s Top 7.

Cons :

Competition with Summer signing Barry could ultimately lead to him dropping to the bench if he does not score in the initial games.
He only got 2 Goals in his final 12 Gameweeks after starting really strongly under Moyes.

Rodrigo Muniz – Fulham

Pros :

Muniz scored 8 Goals and 1 assist last season from 8 Starts and an xGI of 6.11. Whether he stays at Fulham or moves to Leeds, he should get more minutes this season to establish himself as a regular in the Premier League.

Cons :

With his future unsettled, he may not be a starter in the initial few Gameweeks. Until he gets his future resolved, he is an avoid.

Further Read: Underpriced FPL Assets at Each ‘Big Six’ Club | 25/26 Season

The Backups, Walking Wounded, and the New Kid on the Block

Eddie Nketiah – Palace – Got 3 Goals and 2 Assists from 9 Starts. Unless Mateta gets injured, Nketiah should play the role of a sub in most games and start mostly in the European Midweek games.
Will Osula – Backup to Isak at Newcastle, and personally do not see him getting too many starts in the League this season. Mostly to be used in the Cup games.
Taiwo Awoniyi – Now probably the 3^rd choice striker behind Wood and Igor Jesus. Fitness problems have shoved him down the pecking order.
Enes Unal – Suffering from a long-term injury & no planned return date as of yet.
Stefanos Tzimas – Will probably be behind Welbeck in the pecking order, but not with Brighton’s wealth of attacking options and his young age, he will probably find it difficult to get minutes eventually.

Further Read: List of Free to Join Prize FPL Mini Leagues Ahead of 25/26 Season

Best £5.0 Million FPL Budget Forwards

We have 10 Players who are priced at 5 million, and most of them would be non-options in the Premier League this season. Let’s look at some who can play a part in our FPL seasons.

Lukas Nmecha – Leeds – One of the few options from this category who could get some regular minutes for Leeds is Nmecha, provided he does not get injured, which is a common worry with him. The potential is there to play as a Central Striker or on the wings, and he has played 7 times for the German National Team, so there is a bit of talent there, if he can address his injury concerns.

Charalampos Kostoulas – Brighton – A fast and physical young Greek forward who has caught the eye of many journalists. He also has great dribbling skills and a killer instinct in front of the goal. He also has 2 goals for the Greece under-21 team, and at 18 years of age, should only improve at Brighton. Can play as a Striker or behind the striker as well.

On their way out from their clubs – Patrick Bamford, Mateo Joseph, Fabio Silva, Zeki Amdouni, Odsonne Edouard.

Rotation Risks / Domestic Cup options – Lyle Foster, Youssef Chermiti, Sasa Kalajdzic.

Further Read: 2025/26 FPL Season- New Rules & Changes | What’s New in FPL?

Best £4.5 Million FPL Budget Forwards

We have 21 Players who are priced at 4.5 million, and most of them would be non-options in the Premier League this season. Most of them would be loaned out to other Leagues. There are only 2 that could play some minutes for their teams this season.

Marc Guiu

Chelsea striker Guiu is expected to join Sunderland on loan. Guiu played seven games in the Conference League for Chelsea and scored 6 goals. The ex-Barca talent is probably the best 4.5 million forward with a decent chance of getting regular minutes. As seen earlier, Sunderland also have Mayenda and Isidior for the striker spot, so Guiu might not be a regular starter right from the beginning. Sunderland is paying his full wage during the loan, and Chelsea will not be sending their young forward if there isn’t guaranteed regular minutes for their young forward, who is part of their long-term plans.

Other 4.5 Million FPL Forwards:

Chido Obi – Manchester United – The youngster got a start in the League last season and featured in some other League & European games. Expect him to come off the bench sometimes. Currently behind Hojlund & Zirkzee & if United sign another striker, he may even get loaned out.
Eli Junior Kroupi – If he is not loaned out, he could be the most promising player in this list, as he scored 22 Goals in 30 games for Lorient in the 2^nd division of the French League. Still, he will be 2^nd choice behind Evanilson, and even if he gets game-time, it will mostly be in the Cups or as a substitute in the later part of most games.

Pre-season will also tell us more about any other hidden gems. But for now, in the Budget Forwards, my Top 3 ranking would be –

Thierno Barry (6)
Igor Thiago/Igor Jesus – depends on who gets more regular minutes (6)
Elizier Mayenda (5.5)

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Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £6.0 Million) | 25/26 FPL Season

Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £6.0 Million) | 25/26 FPL Season