Budget Midfielders For Gameweek 6: King, Schade, Tavernier And Barnes Compared
Schade leads the points and transfer demand, Tavernier leads xGI, and King has the cheapest route into favourable fixtures. We compare four budget midfielders for Gameweek 6.
Kevin Schade has attracted more than 450,000 Gameweek 6 purchases, yet his expected goal involvement sits below both Marcus Tavernier and Josh King after five matches.
That makes the midfield bracket around £6.0m worth a closer comparison before following the transfer market.
Of these four, King is our preferred purchase for Gameweeks 6 to 8, combining the lowest price with three successive FDR two fixtures and an xGI total behind only Tavernier.
Tavernier has the strongest underlying attacking numbers, Schade offers the best points return alongside substantial minutes, and Harvey Barnes adds a favourable schedule with five complete matches behind him.
Each solves the same midfield selection problem, but the evidence points towards different reasons to buy or hold.
The figures below cover the first five league matches of 2026/27, with prices and player data checked against official FPL on 7 October.
Points And Underlying Involvement
The Premier League’s transfer update recorded 450,038 purchases of Schade by 09:30 BST on 7 October, while confirming that King had risen to £5.6m overnight.
Schade leads this group with 39 points at £6.2m, ahead of Tavernier’s 31 and Barnes’s 28 at £6.1m, with King on 24.
The order changes when we examine expected goals and expected assists.
Tavernier’s 1.70 xG and 0.92 xA produce 2.62 expected goal involvements, followed by King on 2.00, Schade on 1.84 and Barnes on 1.10.
Their playing time is sufficiently similar to make that comparison useful, and the order remains unchanged when adjusted for minutes.
Tavernier records 0.56 xGI per 90, King 0.42, Schade 0.37 and Barnes 0.22.
Those figures describe the opportunities recorded so far, rather than forecasting their FPL points against the next opponents.
All four have started five times, but their fixtures, price and patterns of substitution still need to shape the decision.
Schade Has Earned Attention
Schade has delivered three goals and two assists while playing 447 of a possible 450 minutes.
That combination gives existing owners good reason to keep backing him rather than react to his position in an xGI comparison.
His attacking involvement also has a clear football explanation.
In Brentford’s win over Chelsea, he ran beyond the defence before a saved shot was converted by Igor Thiago, then supplied the low cross for Fábio Carvalho’s late goal.
Schade’s saved shot also shows why FPL assists and xA need different treatment, since a rebound can earn an assist without the player supplying the final pass.
His two FPL assists against 0.32 xA therefore should not be read simply as evidence of unsustainable creativity.
The Scout’s analysis also recorded 12 shots inside the box, supporting his involvement near goal.
The reservation for a new buyer is that three goals have come from 1.52 xG, so maintaining that scoring rate would demand continued strong finishing or more chances.
Brentford visit Aston Villa next, then host Liverpool before travelling to Hull, giving him a mixed opening sequence with FDRs of three, four and two.
Schade remains a reasonable purchase for managers prioritising demonstrated production and minutes, although neither the transfer count nor his 39 points makes him an automatic first choice.
Tavernier Offers The Strongest Attacking Evidence
Tavernier leads this group for both expected goals and expected assists, despite having no FPL assists to accompany his three goals.
His 0.92 xA and the three big chances created in the Scout’s assessment add a creative case to his scoring threat.
TFA’s analysis of Bournemouth’s win at Real Sociedad shows Tavernier starting as one of two attacking midfielders behind Evanilson and Justin Kluivert.
The problem is timing.
Bournemouth travel to Chelsea in Gameweek 6, host Sunderland in Gameweek 7 and visit Manchester United in Gameweek 8, with difficulty ratings of four, three and four respectively.
His minutes have also moved from 90 and 90 in the opening two matches to 88, 82 and 74.
That does not establish an injury or a permanent reduction in his role, but it makes a full match less comfortable to assume than for Barnes or Schade.
Tavernier is an appealing option for managers prepared to hold through that immediate schedule, particularly with Leeds at home and Ipswich away following in Gameweeks 9 and 10.
A squad that can accommodate those tougher away matches may get more from his broader attacking involvement than a manager buying solely for next weekend.
King Makes The Budget And Fixtures Work Together
King saves £0.5m against Tavernier or Barnes and £0.6m against Schade, even after his price rise.
His 1.54 xG and 0.46 xA also put him ahead of Schade and Barnes for xGI across 425 minutes, so the lower price comes with credible attacking evidence.
TFA’s analysis of Fulham’s draw with Manchester United highlights King advancing into dangerous areas from an attacking midfield role, providing football context for those opportunities.
Fulham face Ipswich away, Hull at home and Coventry away in the next three gameweeks, all rated two by FPL.
The updated official fixture assessment then gives their matches against Aston Villa and Newcastle ratings of three, leaving scope to keep him beyond the initial run.
King’s attraction is strongest when he improves a weak midfield place and the saving has a useful destination elsewhere in the squad.
He has only two goals and five starts behind him, however, and his latest appearances lasted 76 and 79 minutes.
Favourable fixtures support the transfer without guaranteeing a sudden jump in returns.
The FPLPlayerStats comparison below uses the more recent three matches, covering Gameweeks 3 to 5, rather than the five match totals above.
Across that shorter sample, King records 0.47 xGI per 90 compared with Schade’s 0.35, while Schade has averaged more minutes.
King and Schade in the FPLPlayerStats comparison tool, captured on 7 October 2026: performance covers Gameweeks 3 to 5 and fixtures cover Gameweeks 6 to 8.
Barnes Needs More Than A Friendly Schedule
Barnes has played every available league minute and faces Coventry, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton and Fulham across Gameweeks 6 to 10.
Those matches carry difficulty ratings of two, three, three, three and three, making him easier to hold through the whole period than an option bought for one isolated fixture.
His one goal and three assists have produced 28 points, but 0.62 xG and 0.48 xA leave him with the lowest recorded xGI in this comparison.
That makes Barnes the candidate most dependent on expecting his upcoming opponents to help improve the underlying performance.
The minutes and schedule make him a defensible hold, while King’s lower price and stronger xGI give new buyers a persuasive alternative.
The same recent three match view puts Tavernier on 0.68 xGI per 90 and Barnes on 0.32, alongside their different minutes and upcoming fixtures.
Tavernier and Barnes in the FPLPlayerStats comparison tool, captured on 7 October 2026: performance covers Gameweeks 3 to 5 and fixtures cover Gameweeks 6 to 8.
Who Would We Buy?
King is our first choice from this shortlist for Gameweeks 6 to 8, especially when the money saved improves another starting position.
Tavernier is the more interesting choice for managers who prioritise the strongest chance involvement and can live with the early fixtures and recent substitutions.
Schade is a credible hold and a reasonable buy, while Barnes would sit behind the other three on the attacking evidence available so far.
These five matches alone would not persuade us to take a points hit to swap between these four.
Check the final team news before the 11:00 BST deadline on Saturday 10 October, then choose the player whose price and fixture sequence improve the squad you will actually field.
