Hull City are dominating the value charts heading into GW3, and the numbers make a compelling case for loading up on their assets to free budget elsewhere. Here is where the data points.
Best overall value pick: Mendy (HUL, £4.0m)
The standout value play across all positions this gameweek is Hull defender Mendy, who posts an xP of 4.42 at just £4.0m, giving an xP-per-million ratio of 1.10. That is the highest ratio in the entire dataset. At the minimum defender price, he costs virtually nothing in squad-building terms, and the expected return is comparable to mid-price options elsewhere. He is the single best budget enabler available for GW3.
Top value by position
Goalkeepers
- Tzolakis (HUL, £4.5m): xP 4.52, xP/£m 1.00. Hull’s shot-stopper leads the position on raw xP.
- Lecomte (FUL, £4.0m): xP 3.92, xP/£m 0.98. At the minimum price, strong ratio.
- McNally (FUL, £4.0m): xP 3.92, xP/£m 0.98. Identical numbers to Lecomte.
If you want a £4.0m goalkeeper who saves serious budget, Lecomte or McNally at Fulham deliver nearly the same projected return as pricier options. Tzolakis is worth the extra £0.5m if you want the highest xP floor.
Defenders
- Mendy (HUL, £4.0m): xP 4.42, xP/£m 1.10
- Ajayi (HUL, £4.0m): xP 4.35, xP/£m 1.09
- Egan (HUL, £4.0m): xP 3.96, xP/£m 0.99
- De Cuyper (BHA, £4.6m): xP 4.55, xP/£m 0.99
Mendy and Ajayi are the two highest-ratio defenders available. Three Hull defenders sitting at £4.0m with ratios above 0.99 is a significant signal. De Cuyper at Brighton offers the highest raw xP among defenders at 4.55, at a still-affordable £4.6m.
Midfielders
- Slater (HUL, £4.5m): xP 3.70, xP/£m 0.82
- Janelt (BRE, £5.0m): xP 3.92, xP/£m 0.78
- M. Sangaré (BRE, £5.6m): xP 4.38, xP/£m 0.78
- Armstrong (EVE, £5.0m): xP 3.81, xP/£m 0.76
Midfield value is thinner than defence. Slater leads the position on ratio at 0.82 and is the cheapest option in the group. Sangaré delivers the highest xP in the position at 4.38 and represents reasonable value if you can stretch to £5.6m.
Forwards
- McBurnie (HUL, £5.5m): xP 5.42, xP/£m 0.98
- Kusi-Asare (FUL, £4.5m): xP 4.42, xP/£m 0.98
- Emersonn (IPS, £5.5m): xP 5.34, xP/£m 0.97
- Gonzalo (FUL, £6.0m): xP 5.82, xP/£m 0.97
- Barry (EVE, £5.5m): xP 5.26, xP/£m 0.96
Kusi-Asare at £4.5m matches McBurnie’s ratio of 0.98 at £1.0m less, making him the sharpest budget forward option. Gonzalo posts the highest forward xP of 5.82 if you can afford £6.0m.
Squad-building takeaways
The core budget-enabling strategy for GW3 is straightforward. Stack two or three Hull defenders at £4.0m each, picking from Mendy, Ajayi, and Egan, and pair one with a cheap Hull or Fulham goalkeeper. That skeleton frees significant budget to spend up in attack. Kusi-Asare at £4.5m is the budget forward pick if you need a third enabler. The Hull defensive block alone, across goalkeeper and two defenders, can be assembled for as little as £12.0m while delivering strong projected returns across all three slots.
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