Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City are the three promoted clubs entering the 2026/27 Premier League season.
Their players are important in FPL because promoted clubs often provide the cheapest regular starters. The best options are not automatically the players who scored the most Championship points. Premier League minutes, penalties, set pieces, defensive contributions, position and opening fixtures all matter.
17 regular-season goals plus the play-off final winner
Starting or rotating forward
3
Jack Clarke
Ipswich
Midfielder
£5.5m
16 league goals and 17 goal involvements
Attacking midfield differential
4
Ephron Mason-Clark
Coventry
Midfielder
£5.5m
10 goals and six assists
Mid-priced promoted attacker
5
Milan van Ewijk
Coventry
Defender
£4.0m
Nine assists from right-back
Attacking bench enabler
6
Ryan Giles
Hull
Defender
£4.0m
Eight assists and set-piece involvement
High-upside £4.0m defender
7
Leif Davis
Ipswich
Defender
£4.0m
69 chances created and six goal involvements
Attacking rotation defender
8
Bobby Thomas
Coventry
Defender
£4.0m
Set-piece threat and 10 goals across three Coventry seasons
Bench enabler with goal threat
9
Jack Rudoni
Coventry
Midfielder
£5.0m
Creative central role with goals and assists
Low-cost midfield watchlist
10
Charlie Hughes
Hull
Defender
£4.0m
Strong blocking and aerial profile
Defensive-contribution bench pick
Use the OneFPL Player Lab to compare current prices, ownership and availability before finalising your squad.
1. Haji Wright: best promoted attacker
Wright is Coventry's clearest goal threat.
He scored 17 Championship league goals in 2025/26 and finished among the division's leading players for expected goals. His £5.5m price places him in the budget-forward bracket, where secure starts are often more valuable than chasing an uncertain substitute from a stronger club.
Why he is attractive
Proven Championship scorer
Likely to play centrally
Strong aerial presence
Affordable route to a regular forward
Can be rotated rather than started every week
Main concern
Coventry begin away to Arsenal. Wright can still be a good season-long FPL pick without being an ideal Gameweek 1 starter.
Penalty responsibility also needs final confirmation because Victor Torp and other Coventry players were involved from the spot last season.
OneFPL verdict: Best promoted forward when his starting role and penalty share are confirmed.
2. Oli McBurnie: Hull's attacking focal point
McBurnie scored 17 goals during the regular Championship season and then delivered the decisive play-off final goal that sent Hull into the Premier League.
He also contributed creatively and is expected to remain central to Hull's attack.
Why he is attractive
£5.5m price
Proven central-forward role
Strong aerial target
Leading penalty candidate
No World Cup workload delaying his pre-season
Main concern
Hull open against Manchester United. Their overall attacking output may fall significantly against Premier League opposition.
McBurnie is more attractive as a rotating forward than as a player you must start every week.
OneFPL verdict: Strong alternative to Wright and potentially safer for penalties.
3. Jack Clarke: highest midfield goal ceiling
Clarke scored 16 league goals for Ipswich and finished with 17 combined goals and assists.
He is priced at £5.5m as a midfielder, giving him an extra point per goal compared with a forward and access to clean-sheet points.
Why he is attractive
Proven goal production
Midfielder classification
Direct running and shooting
Likely to remain advanced
Useful price for a fifth midfielder or rotating starter
Main concern
Ipswich have strengthened their attack, increasing competition for wide and central roles. Pre-season must confirm Clarke remains in the preferred starting group.
OneFPL verdict: Best promoted midfielder for direct goal threat.
Mason-Clark produced 10 goals and six assists last season.
That balance makes him more than a pure goalscorer. He can contribute from wide areas, transitions and combinations around Wright.
Coventry attacker
Price
Main route to points
Main uncertainty
Haji Wright
£5.5m
Goals and possible penalties
Opening fixture
Mason-Clark
£5.5m
Goals and assists
Exact starting position
Victor Torp
£5.5m
Set pieces and long-range shooting
Minutes and role
Jack Rudoni
£5.0m
Creativity and late runs
Could play deeper
OneFPL verdict: A useful differential, but Wright offers the clearer role.
5. Milan van Ewijk: best attacking £4.0m defender
Van Ewijk recorded nine assists last season.
At £4.0m, that attacking profile is difficult to ignore. A defender at the minimum price does not need to start every Gameweek to provide value.
Best use
Third bench slot in a premium-heavy draft
Rotation with another £4.0m or £4.5m defender
Start only in favourable home fixtures
Potential Bench Boost option when Coventry's fixture improves
Main concern: Promoted full-backs can lose clean sheets while also being asked to defend more conservatively.
6. Ryan Giles: Hull's set-piece defender
Giles supplied eight assists in Hull's promotion campaign and was involved in corners and direct free kicks.
His delivery gives him a stronger attacking route than most minimum-price defenders.
Competition from Matt Targett must be monitored. A £4.0m defender is only useful when his starting place is secure.
OneFPL verdict: Highest attacking upside among Hull defenders, subject to minutes.
7. Leif Davis: chance creator at minimum price
Davis created 69 Championship chances and produced six goal involvements.
His attacking history makes the £4.0m price appealing, although Ipswich's summer changes and new coaching setup must be considered.
Davis versus the other £4.0m options
Player
Main strength
Best role
Van Ewijk
Nine assists
Attacking bench enabler
Giles
Crosses and set pieces
High-upside rotation
Davis
Chance creation
Fixture-based starter
Thomas
Set-piece threat
Reliable bench defender
Hughes
Defensive actions
Contribution-point candidate
Use OneFPL Fixtures to rotate these defenders rather than starting one blindly every week.
8. Bobby Thomas: set-piece threat from centre-back
Thomas is priced at £4.0m and has scored 10 goals across his three seasons with Coventry.
Centre-backs from promoted clubs can also benefit from defensive-contribution points because they may face more clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles.
OneFPL verdict: The best balance of secure-looking minutes, aerial threat and minimum price.
9. Jack Rudoni: creative £5.0m watchlist option
Rudoni can create chances, make late runs and support the striker.
His £5.0m price is attractive, but FPL managers must confirm whether he remains advanced or is moved into a deeper Premier League role.
OneFPL verdict: Good watchlist player, not a Gameweek 1 lock.
10. Charlie Hughes: defensive-contribution candidate
Hughes stood out for blocks and defensive work during Hull's promotion season.
That profile may translate well because Hull are likely to defend for longer periods in the Premier League.
The key question is whether he starts consistently beside Hull's more experienced defenders.
OneFPL verdict: Useful final bench slot when starts are confirmed.
Players to monitor rather than select immediately
Player
Club
Price
Why to wait
Victor Torp
Coventry
£5.5m
Set pieces are attractive, but minutes and role need confirmation
Mohamed Belloumi
Hull
£5.0m
Direct threat and some set pieces, but starting security is unclear
Sammie Szmodics
Ipswich
£5.0m
Limited role last season and increased attacking competition
George Hirst
Ipswich
£5.0m
Competing with several forwards
Ellis Simms
Coventry
£5.0m
Wright currently offers the clearer route to minutes
How many promoted players should be in your squad?
Two or three is reasonable when they solve budget problems.
A strong opening structure might contain:
One £5.5m promoted attacker
One attacking £4.0m defender
One £4.0m centre-back on the bench
Avoid building a starting eleven that depends on several promoted defenders keeping clean sheets immediately.
Test the complete structure in the OneFPL Planner, not just the individual prices.
Final OneFPL ranking
Haji Wright
Oli McBurnie
Jack Clarke
Milan van Ewijk
Ephron Mason-Clark
Ryan Giles
Leif Davis
Bobby Thomas
Jack Rudoni
Charlie Hughes
FAQ
Who is the best promoted FPL player?
Haji Wright is the leading attacking option, while Van Ewijk, Giles and Thomas offer strong value at £4.0m.
Who is the best £4.0m promoted defender?
Van Ewijk has the strongest assist record. Thomas may offer the safest centre-back profile, while Hughes has defensive-contribution potential.
Should I start a promoted defender in Gameweek 1?
Only when the fixture and starting role are suitable. Most minimum-price promoted defenders are best used on the bench initially.
Are Championship goals guaranteed to translate to the Premier League?
No. Championship production is useful evidence, but expected minutes, role, penalties and team strength must be adjusted for tougher opposition.
OneFPL is an independent Fantasy Premier League companion and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Premier League or Fantasy Premier League.
OneFPL analysis. OneFPL is an independent Fantasy Premier League companion and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Premier League or Fantasy Premier League.
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