Bobby Thomas is my first choice of these two cheap defenders when you need dependable playing time. Nobel Mendy costs £0.1m more and has the higher defensive contribution rate, but Thomas has spent more time on the pitch. That matters when you need a bench player to cover a missing starter.

Kobbie Mainoo offers another route to defensive contribution points at £5.5m. His current injury flag makes him a player to monitor before the GW7 deadline rather than a purchase to rush through.

Thomas or Mendy: compare time on the pitch

Thomas costs £4.0m and has averaged 87.8 min/match for Coventry. His 12.64 DefCon/90 gives him a scoring route beyond clean sheets. Mendy costs £4.1m, averages 67.8 min/match for Hull and records 13.81 DefCon/90.

DefCon/90 measures defensive contributions per 90 minutes. You still need the player to reach the scoring threshold during the match. Defenders earn two points for ten combined clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles. A high rate cannot guarantee that outcome if a player leaves the pitch early or misses the game.

Thomas has the stronger playing-time record for a manager who needs cover. Mendy remains a candidate if you accept more uncertainty over his time on the pitch and prefer Hull’s upcoming opponents. Check expected starts before buying either.

Clean-sheet prospects also belong in the comparison. Thomas records 1.70 xGC/90, against Mendy’s 1.51. Those season-to-date expected goals conceded rates describe past performance; they do not promise a clean sheet in the next fixture. Neither player should enter your team on the assumption that defensive contribution points will arrive each week.

Their home games start in GW8

Thomas visits Spurs in GW7, then faces Fulham and Sunderland at home in GW8 and GW9. Mendy visits Fulham before home games against Brentford and Ipswich Town.

That makes both worth considering for cover beyond this weekend. If you need the new defender in your GW7 XI, assess the away fixture as part of the purchase. A pair of later home games will not help you fill an immediate gap.

You can use the We Play FPL planner to test your GW7–10 line-ups and see which defender covers the weeks your squad needs. Include GW10 in that check: Thomas visits Everton, while Mendy visits Arsenal. Decide how you will cover those matches before committing to the slot.

Mainoo needs a fitness check first

Mainoo has reached the midfield defensive contribution threshold in five of his six appearances. Midfielders need twelve contributions for two points, with ball recoveries counting alongside clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles.

He averages 74 min/match and records 14.80 DefCon/90. His 0.17 xGI/90, the season-to-date rate of expected goals plus expected assists, shows why the appeal here rests on defensive work rather than attacking output.

At £5.5m, he can suit a manager seeking that scoring route in a budget midfield slot. Fitness and a starting place come first. Mainoo currently has an unspecified-injury flag with a 75% chance of playing; that does not establish a recovery date or confirm that he will start.

Man Utd visit Leeds in GW7 and host Bournemouth in GW8, before Chelsea away and Aston Villa at home. Wait for a reliable fitness update and assess his likely role before buying. An unavailable midfielder cannot provide the cover you bought him for.

Choose the player who can cover your squad

I favour Thomas for the cheaper price and stronger playing-time record. Mendy is an alternative for managers who prefer Hull’s fixture sequence and can carry the playing-time risk. Keep Mainoo on the watchlist until his fitness and starting outlook improve.

Before the GW7 deadline on 17 October at 10:00 UTC, check expected starts and identify the matches in which you need each player. Treat defensive contribution points as a useful scoring route, with the same attention to availability and fixtures you would give any other budget pick.

Marcus Tavernier is our preferred attacking pick of these two GW5 midfield options. He costs £6.1m, £0.4m less than Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and has produced the stronger early attacking numbers. Dewsbury-Hall’s case rests on Everton’s next two fixtures: Ipswich Town at home and Hull City away.

Choose based on how long you expect to keep the player. If you want an attacking midfielder to own beyond GW6, favour Tavernier, provided your squad can absorb Bournemouth’s difficult opening pair. If you have a midfield vacancy and want to target the next two matches, Dewsbury-Hall deserves consideration. Neither is a reason to dismantle a settled squad.

Tavernier has the stronger attacking start

Across 350 league minutes, Tavernier has recorded 0.44 expected goals per 90 and 0.21 expected assists per 90. His combined expected goal involvement stands at 0.65 per 90. Dewsbury-Hall has played 360 minutes, with 0.16 xG/90, 0.12 xA/90 and 0.28 xGI/90.

The difference extends beyond one route to points. Tavernier has had more expected goal involvement from both shooting and creating chances. At the lower price, he gives you the more appealing attacking profile within this comparison.

Four starts each give us some evidence of early involvement, but only a small performance sample. These season-to-date rates describe the chances each player has had or created; they do not predict his next return. Do not turn Tavernier’s early scoring into an assumed weekly haul.

Everton offer the immediate fixture pair

Dewsbury-Hall faces Ipswich at home in GW5, then visits Hull in GW6. Those fixtures explain why you might accept his higher price and weaker early attacking rates.

That route fits a manager who already has a vacancy and a reason to prioritise the next two Gameweeks. It fits less well if you must spend an extra transfer to raise the money, or expect to remove him after Hull without allowing for the cost of that later move.

Everton host Chelsea in GW7 before away matches against Arsenal and Newcastle. Look at that stretch before buying. If another part of your squad will need attention, a two-match purchase could leave you with a midfielder you planned to sell and a more urgent problem elsewhere.

Bournemouth require patience at the start

Tavernier hosts Liverpool in GW5 and travels to Chelsea in GW6. Buying him now means accepting those opponents in exchange for his attacking profile and lower price.

Bournemouth then host Sunderland in GW7, visit Manchester United in GW8 and host Leeds in GW9. The schedule contains opportunities alongside difficult matches; you should have a reason to keep him through the full period you are assessing.

Use the £0.4m difference in the context of your own squad. You can compare the players and map your next transfers in We Play FPL to see whether the saving improves another position or whether Everton’s immediate fixtures suit your planned line-ups. Check the actual money available after any sale before committing to a pair of moves.

Our GW5 choice

For a fresh purchase with sustained ownership in mind, Tavernier gets our vote from this pair. His stronger shooting and creative rates, combined with the lower price, justify accepting some fixture difficulty if your squad can handle it.

Choose Dewsbury-Hall when your priority is Everton’s GW5–6 pair and the transfer fits without forcing extra spending or an awkward exit. The fixtures make him a credible alternative, but his early attacking numbers give us less reason to stretch the budget for him.

If you already own either player and have a functioning midfield, this comparison alone does not justify a sideways transfer. Assess the likely benefit against the transfer you would give up and your other squad needs.

Recheck availability and midweek workload before the GW5 deadline on Friday 18 September at 17:30 UTC. Prices and statistics above reflect 16 September; all expected metrics cover the 2026/27 league season to date.

Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo owners can hold through Fulham away in GW5 and Spurs at home in GW6. Both have played 360 minutes across four starts, and both have produced enough early attacking threat to justify patience. Selling Fernandes makes more sense if you can use his £12.0m budget to improve another position or your captaincy choice.

Start with the two line-ups you could own after your proposed transfers. Keep United’s next two matches in that comparison. You need a stronger reason to sell than frustration with one return.

Two matches worth keeping in your plan

United visit Fulham before hosting Spurs. Existing owners can use that window to reassess Fernandes and Mbeumo while spending transfers on more urgent problems.

Neither fixture guarantees a haul. The holding case combines those opponents with both players’ opening minutes and attacking involvement. You can give them another match without committing to keeping them for the season.

That distinction matters if you own Fernandes. You may prefer a cheaper midfielder on a fresh squad draft, yet still get more from your next free transfer by keeping him and fixing a weak starter elsewhere. A new buyer has a different choice: they must justify spending £12.0m from today’s available budget.

Similar early involvement, different prices

Fernandes costs £12.0m and Mbeumo £7.9m. Across the first four Gameweeks, each has played 360 minutes. Fernandes has recorded 0.85 expected goal involvements per 90 minutes, compared with Mbeumo’s 0.84.

Expected goal involvements, or xGI, combines expected goals and expected assists. These season-to-date rates describe the chances they have taken and created; they are not predictions of future FPL points.

The split adds context. Fernandes has 0.57 xG/90 and 0.28 xA/90. Mbeumo has 0.70 xG/90 and 0.14 xA/90, with more of his early involvement coming from goal chances. Four matches give us a small sample, so avoid treating the near-identical xGI totals as proof that they will score the same points.

For existing Mbeumo owners, the lower cost makes a hold easier to accommodate. Fernandes owners have more money committed to the position and should examine the upgrade they could fund by selling. The £4.1m difference between their current purchase prices is substantial, though your actual selling values determine the budget you can use.

Sell Fernandes with a destination for the money

A Fernandes sale deserves consideration if you can use the released funds for a major improvement elsewhere, especially a captain you intend to back across your planning window. Compare the outgoing pair with the incoming pair and include any transfer hit in the cost.

Write down the actual players before making the first move. A cheaper midfielder plus money left in the bank may offer less immediate benefit than keeping Fernandes for Fulham and Spurs. A cheaper midfielder who lets you replace a weak starter with a strong captaincy option presents a different decision.

You can map the next few Gameweeks in We Play FPL to compare future line-ups and assign captains before changing your live team. Check that the funded upgrade starts in the matches you need it for, and that you can still field the side you want after GW6.

Avoid committing to a sale on the assumption that you will find a use for the savings later. Decide where the money goes and how long you expect to keep the replacements.

The GW5 call

Hold Fernandes or Mbeumo if your starting XI works and you have no clear funded upgrade. Use Fulham away and Spurs at home as the next review window, while checking availability and midweek minutes before the deadline.

Sell Fernandes if the complete move improves your squad enough to justify losing him for those matches. On a Wildcard, compare the available midfield combinations from scratch; owning a player beforehand should carry less weight when you can rebuild the squad without another individual transfer.

The GW5 deadline is 18 September at 17:30 UTC. Recheck prices and team news before acting, and use your actual sale value when testing the move.