The Gameweek 9 of the 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season kicks off on Friday night, with Leeds United hosting West Ham United.
Erling Haaland has been the standout player in FPL this season, scoring a whopping 83 points from eight matches. Understandably, this makes him the most sought-after player in the game, with 66.1% managers buying him.
The Manchester City man started the season with a £14.0 million price tag. He has gotten more expensive since, climbing to £14.7 million after another hike in FPL price changes for Gameweek 9.
Luckily, there are some inexpensive picks still in the game. Many of whom also enjoy low ownership.
Before the GW 9 action gets underway, we take a look at those players. Here are the best budget differential picks from defence, midfield, and attack:
Best Budget Differential Picks for FPL Gameweek 9
Going with popular choices works well in FPL, as it can put you inside the top 20% of the world. However, if you want to crack the top 5%, it is important to add a differential player or two to the mix. A differential player in FPL typically enjoys below 10% ownership. So, when they score big points, you get a huge boost in the rankings.
Ahead of Gameweek 9, we pick a differential player from defence, midfield, and attack, all without crossing the £5.0 million ceiling. Of course,
Best Budget Differential Pick in Defence: Daniel Ballard (£4.6m)
If you are looking for a high-ceiling defender without breaking the bank, Sunderland man Daniel Ballard should be on your radar. At the time of writing, only 2.4% managers have him in their FPL team.
Ballard set the league alight on Matchday 1, scoring 17 points in Sunderland’s 3-0 win over West Ham United.
The highest-scoring defender ever from a GW1 fixture 🌟
Daniel Ballard with an all-timer of a Gameweek 👏#FPL | @SunderlandAFC pic.twitter.com/wt2Fqew6zW
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 18, 2025
It was the only game where he played the full 90 minutes until the Gameweek 8 clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ballard scored 10 points in that game, as the Black Cats secured a 2-0 win.
Ballard is likely to start again on Saturday, as Sunderland face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It will not be a straightforward fixture for the Northern Ireland international. However, considering his nominal price tag and low TSB, Ballard appears as a solid differential pick in defence.
Best Budget Differential Pick in Midfield: Florentino Luis (£5.0m)
Burnley midfielder Florentino has seen a steady uptick in performance over the last five Gameweeks. Despite his impressive form, his ownership stands at a surprising 0.0%.
The defensive midfielder has benefited from this year’s Defensive Contribution system and scored at least four points in three of his four starts this season. He has scored 100% DEFCON (maximum 2 points) from all four starts.
💸🔥Florentino- 0.0% owned Ultra Differential & Midfield Enabler!
100% DEFCON per start this season✅
✅GW5 vs NFO(H) – 18 DEFCON
✅GW6 vs MCI(A) – 12 DEFCON
✅GW7 vs AVL(A) – 12 DEFCON
✅GW8 vs LEE(H) – 16 DEFCONAnyone looking at him to save up funds? 👀 pic.twitter.com/RDArdtWlpY
— ALLABOUTFPL (@allaboutfpl) October 21, 2025
Florentino’s biggest haul came in Gameweek 8, as he had 16 eligible Defensive Contributions and provided an assist. For just £5.0 million, we believe Ballard provides excellent bang for your buck.
Best Budget Differential Pick in Attack: Eli Junior Kroupi (£4.5 million)
Budget differential picks are hard to come by in the attacking department. But we are pleased to report that Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi fits the profile perfectly.
Kroupi Jr. has responded to the absence of Evanilson and Enes Unal, scoring three goals and picking up 21 points in FPL. He has only played 95 minutes of football in the Premier League this season, starting only one match.
Last season, Eli Junior Kroupi scored 22 goals in Ligue 2…
Today, the 19-year-old has scored a brace against Crystal Palace for Bournemouth! 🇫🇷💎 pic.twitter.com/mj4DKqJRMv
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 18, 2025
His best performance of the season came in the 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace on Matchday 8. He scored a brace to amass 12 points in FPL.
At the time of writing, Kroupi Jr. only costs £4.5 million and is owned by 2.4% managers in the Fantasy Premier League.
