The Hard Tackle lists the five best budget buys to consider to bring into your team heading into FPL Gameweek 17 of the 2025/26 season.
FPL managers hunting for value in Gameweek 17 have a golden opportunity in front of them. With premiums locked in and festive rotation looming, the managers who climb now will be those who squeeze every drop out of the mid-price and budget bracket without sacrificing upside.
This is the week to shop smart rather than splash big: form players with friendly fixtures, appealing roles in their teams, and price tags that leave enough money in the bank for future moves. Across the fixture list, several clubs tell the same story: defences wobbling after a solid start, or attacks running out of ideas just as the schedule tightens.
Those trends are exactly what FPL managers should target. When a backline suddenly starts leaking chances, a mid-priced striker with confidence can look like a premium for one week. When an attack is blunt and short on creativity, an attacking full-back or wing-back facing them can quietly rack up points while everyone else chases the headline names.
That is why Gameweek 17 feels perfect for well-judged “enabler” transfers. A forward around the 5.5–6.5m mark who hits a purple patch, or a defender at 4.0m who suddenly becomes nailed and attacking, can unlock an upgrade elsewhere without weakening the XI. It is not about filling the team with cheap players; it is about picking two or three who punch above their price for the next few weeks and riding the wave.
Five names stand out for Gameweek 17: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Harry Wilson, Rayan Cherki, Aaron Hickey, and Alex Jimenez. Each has a strong fixture, a clear role in their team and recent numbers that justify the punt at their price. Add them together and they offer a template for a budget-friendly refresh that still keeps your side aggressive rather than passive.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Leeds United’s bargain battering ram
Leeds United host Crystal Palace in the late slot of Gameweek 17, and it is the kind of home fixture that screams “forward upside” for a striker who thrives on volume in the box. Palace started the season with an organised, disciplined defence, but that early resilience has faded, with injuries and rotation chipping away at their solidity and leading to more chances conceded than in the opening weeks.
When a defence that leans on structure begins to lose that cohesion, physical strikers who never stop attacking the six-yard box become a real problem. Calvert-Lewin’s FPL appeal rests on the fact that he is doing exactly that again. Recent analysis notes that he sits among the forwards with the most big chances over the last few weeks, underlining that the service into him is steady and he is consistently getting high-quality opportunities.
FPL price monitors show that his value has risen to 5.7m on the back of that upturn, yet his ownership remains comparatively low for a starting striker at a club that is creating opportunities. The combination of improved output, a home tie against a Palace side that is no longer watertight, and a 5.7m price point is rare; for managers seeking a third forward or a downgrade from an underperforming mid-price option, Calvert-Lewin looks like a timely pick rather than a sentimental one.
Harry Wilson: Fulham’s form pick
Fulham host Nottingham Forest on Monday night, and that fixture alone is enough to put Harry Wilson on the radar. Forest have been one of the more generous defences in the division, conceding 25 goals at an average of 1.56 per game, with underlying numbers showing that they regularly give up over a goal and a half worth of chances per match.
Those are exactly the kinds of opponents attacking midfielders feast on, especially ones on set pieces and involved in most of their team’s final-third play. Wilson is not just a fixture play, though; his form is explosive.
Official and fan scouting notes highlight that he has produced three goals and four assists in his last four league appearances, including a huge 16-point haul away at Burnley, and only a handful of premium midfielders have outscored him in that stretch.
Over the last six matches he has collected close to 40 FPL points, catapulting him into the bracket of “budget midfielder delivering premium returns”. Yet, his price has only risen to 5.6m. With his place in the Fulham side secure and some attacking teammates away at AFCON, Wilson should remain central to their attack, making that 5.6m tag one of the most attractive value propositions in the game heading into Gameweek 17.
Rayan Cherki: a City creator at a discount
Picking a Manchester City attacker often means draining a huge chunk of the budget, but Rayan Cherki offers access to that attack at a far more forgiving price. Manchester City face West Ham United at home in Gameweek 17, and the East London club’s backline has been noticeably vulnerable in second halves and under pressure, contributing to a goals-conceded record that keeps them in the lower half of the defensive charts.
That tendency to fade late on is tailor-made for a creative midfielder who enjoys drifting between the lines and slipping teammates in when legs are tired. Meanwhile, Cherki’s recent numbers show he is not just a luxury pick. Season data and recent feature pieces point out that he has accumulated eight attacking returns across 16 league appearances, including an FPL-high seven assists in under 500 minutes plus a goal, with a standout 20-point explosion in Gameweek 15.
Across his last seven league outings, he has stacked up over 30 points and around two-thirds of his season total, reflecting a genuine purple patch as he settles into Pep Guardiola’s system. Priced at 6.5m with an ownership just above five percent, Cherki offers both differential appeal and access to one of the league’s most potent attacks, and West Ham’s ongoing defensive issues only tilt the scales further in his favour for this specific Gameweek.
Aaron Hickey: Rock-bottom price, rising potential
On paper, backing a Brentford defender away to Wolverhampton Wanderers may not feel glamorous, but the numbers tell a different story. Wolves have the worst defensive record in the Premier League this season, conceding 35 goals in 16 games at an alarming average of 2.19 per match, and their matches are often open, chaotic affairs where both teams see chances.
While that points to goals at both ends, it also suggests that Brentford full-backs like Aaron Hickey can get forward regularly, with spaces opening up as Wolves chase games and lose their defensive shape. Hickey’s story this season has been one of recovery and re-emergence.
Pre-season analysis flagged him as a standout 4.0m option after returning from a long-term injury, noting his strong defensive metrics in previous campaigns and the expectation that he would reclaim a starting role. That has begun to materialise, with recent Brentford match reports highlighting him securing clean-sheet points before being substituted around the hour mark, a pattern that can be frustrating but still yields value when paired with attacking potential.
At a rock-bottom 4.0m, Hickey works as both a starter in Gameweek 17, where Wolves’ erratic attack and porous defence give him a shot at returns at both ends, and a long-term squad enabler who frees funds for upgrades in midfield and attack.
Alex Jimenez: Bournemouth’s advanced defender
Bournemouth welcome Burnley in Gameweek 17, and that fixture should put Alex Jimenez on every budget hunter’s shortlist. Burnley’s biggest problem this season has been in attack: detailed statistical breakdowns show that they have struggled badly to create chances, sitting bottom of the league for key passes per game and recording the lowest shot-creating actions per 90 minutes.
When a side finds it difficult even to reach shooting positions, attacking defenders against them become much safer plays, because the clean sheet probability quietly rises. Jimenez adds something extra to that clean-sheet appeal: his positioning. Team news and tactical notes have repeatedly mentioned that he operates high up the pitch for Bournemouth, often stepping into advanced areas rather than holding a deep, conservative line.
That kind of role turns a 4.5m defender into a hybrid option, capable of chipping in with assists or even the odd goal while still benefiting from defensive returns. At 4.5m, he costs a little more than the true basement options, but the combination of an inviting home fixture against a goal-shy Burnley side and an attacking role makes him a powerful budget choice for managers seeking a starter this week rather than just bench fodder.
FPL budget transfer recommendations at a glance
| Player | Club | GW17 Opponent | Main appeal (incl. price) | Risk level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | Leeds | Crystal Palace (H) | 5.7m striker with strong recent chance volume vs wobbling defence. | Medium |
| Harry Wilson | Fulham | Nottingham Forest (H) | 5.6m mid with 7 returns in 4 matches vs defence conceding 1.56 goals per game. | Low–Medium |
| Rayan Cherki | Man City | West Ham (H) | 6.5m mid with 8 attacking returns in 16 apps in a top attack. | Medium |
| Aaron Hickey | Brentford | Wolves (A) | 4.0m starting full-back with clean-sheet and attacking potential. | Medium-High |
| Alex Jimenez | Bournemouth | Burnley (H) | 4.5m advanced defender vs one of the league’s bluntest attacks. | Medium |
Honourable mentions
Managers looking beyond this core five for additional budget or mid-range options have a few other names worth shortlisting. Michael Kayode and Adrien Truffert both appeal as attacking full-backs at reasonable prices, offering the kind of overlapping runs and crossing volume that can turn into assists over a good run of fixtures.
In midfield, Mikel Merino and Marcus Tavernier provide alternative routes to steady returns, with Merino’s box-to-box threat and Tavernier’s set-piece involvement giving them decent ceilings when the fixtures swing in their favour.
Out wide and up front, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Callum Wilson remain familiar options: Hudson-Odoi as a streaky winger capable of short bursts of returns, and Wilson as a proven finisher who, fitness permitting, can match far more expensive forwards over small samples, making all of them useful names to monitor as the festive schedule unfolds.
