The Hard Tackle lists the five best budget buys to consider to bring into your team heading into FPL Gameweek 32 of the 2025/26 season.
In the back half of the Premier League season, the FPL landscape starts to feel less like a race and more like a scavenger hunt for value. Managers are no longer chasing the big‑price stars; instead, they are hunting for those under‑the‑radar players who can slip into the squad for a paltry sum and quietly chip in with double‑digit hauls.
That is where Gameweek 32 becomes fascinating; sides are jockeying for European spots, fighting relegation, or simply coasting, and that mismatch of motivation often creates perfect opportunities for budget heroes. For any FPL manager staring at a tight budget and a tricky fixture list, the key is to look beyond price tags and into form, involvement, and fixture.
If a player is regularly in the thick of the action, whether in the final third or on set‑pieces, and their team is facing a soft or leaky defence, then paying a few hundred thousand more than the bare minimum can be a very smart risk. Gameweek 32 throws up exactly that kind of scenario for several low‑cost assets who are already ticking points boxes and have grounds to keep doing so.
This week, rather than splashing on a premium attacker, it is worth rejigging the squad to free up a few million and plug in a handful of high‑output budget options. The five players in focus each sit relatively low on the price ladder yet offer a mix of attacking threat, defensive solidity, and favourable fixtures that make them ideal candidates for a transfer. Let’s take a closer look at the quintet.
Andy Diouf: West Ham’s FPL dark horse
West Ham United have lurched from one kind of crisis to another over the last few seasons. But in the spring of 2026, they have started to look not just competitive, but dangerous. Their recent run of results has seen them clamp down at the back while still finding chances to pinch wins and grind out draws, which has pushed them firmly into the European‑places conversation.
That uptick in form has placed a spotlight on their full‑back areas, and in those zones, Andy Diouf has been quietly running riot. The West Ham left‑back is a classic example of a budget defender who does more than just fill space. He regularly pushes high, overlaps down the flank, and links up with the front three and central midfielders to create real attacking moments.
The Senegalese full-back’s ability to get into dangerous crossing positions and willingness to arrive late in the box has seen him chip in with a steady stream of attacking returns, even if his name doesn’t always make the headlines.
At £4.1m, Diouf is priced like a squad‑filler, but his recent points hauls, where he has regularly picked up attacking points, bonuses, and even clean‑sheet credits, suggest he should be treated as a starting option rather than a bench warmer. That combination of price, form, and attacking role makes him one of the most under‑the‑radar but solid‑value buys ahead of Gameweek 32.
Diogo Dalot: Manchester United’s attacking full‑back
Manchester United’s full‑backs have spent much of the decade being judged more on defensive lapses than attacking contribution. But Diogo Dalot has steadily turned that script on its head. In 2025/26, he has morphed into a wing‑back‑style weapon who spends as much time in the opposition half as he does in his own. His statline of 1 goal and 6 assists does not come from hanging back and waiting for things to happen but from repeatedly pushing into half‑spaces, cutting infield, and finding runners between the lines.
Opposite Dalot this week sit a Leeds United side whose final‑third work has been a mix of promising flashes and frustrating inconsistency. The Whites have created chances but often lack a cutting edge, which means they are more likely to leave gaps at the back when they push forward.
For a player like Dalot, who thrives on recycling possession, driving into the box, and turning touches into assists, that is catnip. At £4.6m, he is priced low enough to fit into even a tight squad, yet his track record of attacking points and defensive contributions makes him a very shrewd budget pick for managers who want a full‑back that can chip in with both goals and assists.
Elliot Anderson: Nottingham Forest’s spark in the middle
Elliot Anderson has been a player of “would‑be” talent for several seasons. But in 2025/26, he has finally begun to lean into the role of first‑choice midfielder for Nottingham Forest. Across 31 appearances, he has racked up 2 goals and 3 assists, numbers that may not set the world on fire on paper but become far more impressive when you see how often he is in the thick of the action.
His average of around 4.5 points per game reflects a midfielder who regularly picks up bonus points, touches in the final third, and even a few DEFCON points along the way. Forest’s fixture in Gameweek 32 pits them against an Aston Villa side whose campaign has been marked by erratic swings in form.
That should play directly into Anderson’s hands, as he is the kind of player who can receive the ball in pocket areas, drive forward, and either finish himself or slip in a runner. Priced at £5.5m, Anderson is in a landscape where mid‑priced midfielders are usually £7m or more, and he offers excellent value for a player who can both score and assist while still grabbing those ever‑useful defensive points when Forest defend as a bloc.
Harry Wilson: Fulham’s FPL metronome
If there were a trophy for “best value midfielder in FPL”, Harry Wilson would have a strong case for being the 2025/26 winner. From a starting price of £5.5m, he has already piled up 10 goals and 8 assists by the end of Gameweek 31, totalling over 150 points in the process. That kind of output for a player picked up in the mid‑budget range is the kind of bargain managers dream of, and it reflects the central role he plays in Fulham’s attack.
Fulham’s domestic season has been overshadowed by Liverpool’s struggles, who have underperformed and endured a turbulent campaign. That context matters for Wilson, because it means that teams facing Liverpool are often encouraged to attack instead of sitting back, which opens up more space for the wide attacker to exploit.
Wilson, in particular, thrives in these high‑octane fixtures where he can drift infield, cut onto his stronger foot, and either fire at goal or slip in a late‑running full‑back. At £6.1m, the former Liverpool man is no longer a sneaky bargain, but in a format where most of his peers in the same role cost a lot more, he remains a very solid budget buy for Gameweek 32, especially if he is already a long‑term owner in your squad.
Danny Welbeck: Brighton’s ageing but lethal striker
Danny Welbeck may not be the youngest attacker in the Premier League, but in 2025/26 he has once again proved that age is just a number when you still have hunger and a nose for goal. Brighton & Hove Albion have used him as a rotating front‑man, often as part of a tandem or in short, sharp bursts, and he has responded with a handy mix of finishes and set‑piece threat.
His recent run of games has seen him pop up in the box, get on the end of crosses, and occasionally lash in striking opportunistic goals, which keeps the former Manchester United striker firmly in the points‑hunting conversation. In Gameweek 32, Brighton face a Burnley outfit that have been one of the leakier sides at the back over the course of the season.
The Clarets’ defence has been stretched repeatedly, and while they can be obdurate on their day, they are far from watertight. For a poacher like Welbeck, who specialises in lurking around the six‑yard box and pouncing on loose balls, that fixture is ideal. At £6.2m, he sits in the mid‑range bracket. But in a game where a struggling side has a soft defence, a seasoned striker with a knack for snatching goals is a very sensible budget buy for FPL managers looking to bulk up their attacking options without overspending.
FPL budget transfer recommendations at a glance
| Player | Club | Opponent (GW32) | Main appeal (price) | Risk level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Diouf | West Ham United | Wolves (H) | Attacking full‑back at £4.1m with strong recent hauls | Medium |
| Diogo Dalot | Manchester United | Leeds United (H) | Attacking full‑back at £4.6m with 1 goal, 6 assists already | Medium |
| Elliot Anderson | Nottingham Forest | Aston Villa (H) | Mid‑range £5.5m midfielder with 2 goals, 3 assists and regular points | Medium–High |
| Harry Wilson | Fulham | Liverpool (A) | Mid‑priced £6.1m attacker with 10 goals, 8 assists and huge hauls | Medium |
| Danny Welbeck | Brighton & Hove Albion | Burnley (A) | Experienced striker at £6.2m facing a leaky defence | Medium |
Honourable mentions
For FPL managers who are still weighing their options, there are several other budget‑friendly names worth keeping one eye on: James Hill of Bournemouth, who has been a steady source of defensive points and the occasional attacking return; Ferdi Kadioglu of Brighton & Hove Albion, who offers set‑piece value and attacking threat from a full‑back role; and Michael Kayode of Brentford, who could be a sneaky differential if the Bees continue their late‑season push.
Further down the list, Dango Ouattara of Brentford, Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall of Everton, Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool, Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool, Igor Jesus of Brighton & Hove Albion, Richarlison of Tottenham, and Raul Jimenez of Fulham all offer different flavours of mid‑budget returns depending on fixture, rotation, and form.
None of them are as clearly cut‑and‑dry as Andy Diouf, Diogo Dalot, Harry Wilson, Elliot Anderson, or Danny Welbeck for Gameweek 32, but they all sit in that sweet spot where a small price bump can still yield a big haul if everything lines up correctly.
