EPL Waiver Wire

Last updated: Gameweek 6 · September 28, 2026

Belloumi (Hull City, MID) is the top add on this week’s EPL waiver wire, projected for 11.82 points after dropping 22.48 points in Gameweek 4 and following it with 11.95 in Gameweek 5. He’s rostered in just 5.1% of FPL leagues, which means most Sleeper and Fantrax rosters still have a hole where he should be. Below is the full board of pickups worth your FAAB this week, ranked by our model and built for category scoring rather than FPL’s goal-heavy system.

EPL Waiver Wire Gameweek 6: Top Pickups at a Glance

Priority adds

Belloumi (Hull City, MID)

Minutes have held steady across the last three matches at 81, 59 and 82, and the returns keep coming: 8.67, 22.48 and 11.95 points. Season-long he’s already at 16 tackles, 14 clearances/blocks/interceptions and 44 total defensive contribution to go with 2 goals and 2 assists on 0.72 xG and 0.43 xA. The next three fixtures against EVE (H), FUL (A) and BRE (H) don’t scream shutdown defenses, so the goal involvement should continue. Drop a bench midfielder who hasn’t cracked 60 minutes in three straight weeks to make room.

Tavernier (Bournemouth, MID)

He’s played 88, 82 and 74 minutes over his last three, and while the points dipped to 4.05 in Gameweek 5, the underlying numbers (1.70 xG, 0.92 xA, 3 goals, 26 recoveries) say that was a blip, not a trend. The next three fixtures run CHE (A), SUN (H) and MUN (A), a mixed slate that still offers a home match against Sunderland to bank points. Bid 15-20% of your FAAB now before his ownership climbs past 6.7% FPL ownership. Cut a low-defensive-contribution attacker who offers no tackles or blocks in category formats.

Kostoulas (Brighton, FWD)

Minutes have trended down slightly (90, 83, 75) but the scoring has trended up hard: 5.82, then 20.11, then 17.27 points in consecutive weeks. His 1.35 xG and 3 assists on the season show he’s getting involved in the final third even without huge minutes. Fixtures at SUN (A), CRY (H) and LIV (A) are winnable on paper for the first two. Move off a striker who hasn’t produced a goal or assist involvement in three weeks.

Janelt (Brentford, MID)

Three straight 90-minute performances make him the safest floor play on this list, even though the points have cooled from 14.99 to 9.4 to 5.82. What sells him for category leagues is the defensive workload: 17 tackles, 27 clearances/blocks/interceptions and 64 total defensive contribution across the season. Fixtures at AVL (A), LIV (H) and HUL (A) are tough on paper, but his floor comes from work rate, not matchup. Replace a midfielder who’s a pure passenger on defense with single-digit tackle and CBI totals.

Solid adds for deeper leagues

Davis (Ipswich Town, DEF)

Davis has started all three recent matches at 90 minutes, with a wild 25.03-point outburst in Gameweek 4 sandwiched between two quieter 5-point weeks. His season line of 1.59 xG, 2 goals, 2 assists and 22 clearances/blocks/interceptions shows a defender who contributes at both ends. The next three fixtures, FUL (H), MCI (A) and NFO (H), include one brutal matchup but two winnable spots for attacking returns.

Vuskovic (Brighton, DEF)

He’s logged 90, 77 and 90 minutes with points of 17.31, 10.99 and 12 across that stretch, a strong floor for a defender. His 37 clearances/blocks/interceptions and 3 clean sheets on the season make him a category-league asset even without goal involvement. Fixtures at SUN (A), CRY (H) and LIV (A) keep him in the mix for more clean sheet upside.

Barry (Everton, FWD)

Barry’s minutes have been rock solid at 90 each of the last three weeks, and his scoring spiked to 15.13 points in Gameweek 5 after quieter outputs of 3.62 and 5.33. The 3.50 xG on the season dwarfs his 2 actual goals, suggesting positive regression is coming. Fixtures against HUL (A), CHE (H) and ARS (A) are mixed, but the underlying numbers justify a roster spot now.

Barnes (Newcastle, MID)

Three straight 90-minute appearances have produced 18.59, 6.21 and 14.99 points, giving him one of the higher floors among available midfielders. His 3 assists and 0.48 xA on the season show he’s a creative outlet even in a run-heavy Newcastle attack. The next three fixtures, COV (A), AVL (H) and CRY (A), offer a manageable middle fixture to build on.

Stashes: add now before the breakout

Emersonn (Ipswich Town, FWD)

Emersonn’s minutes have bounced between 65, 62 and 80, but the ceiling is obvious after his 19.01-point Gameweek 4. His 1.61 xG on the season in limited minutes is the number to watch. The trigger here is simple: if his expected minutes push past the current 63.4-minute average toward a nailed-on start, his output scales fast.

Bogle (Leeds, DEF)

Bogle has played 60, 82 and 66 minutes over his last three, still short of a fully locked-in role at 73 expected minutes. Even in that reduced role he’s put up 19.7 and 19.39 points in back-to-back weeks off 2 goals and 4 clean sheets. Watch for a run of full 90-minute performances as Leeds’ rotation settles; that’s the signal to bump him from stash to starter.

Defensive stat pickups for category leagues

Muharemović (Leeds, DEF)

Nobody else on this board matches his 53 clearances/blocks/interceptions, and his 58 total defensive contribution over the season leads every waiver-available defender here. He’s played every minute of every match so far, giving category managers a reliable floor built entirely on defensive work rather than attacking upside. Fixtures against ARS (A), MUN (H) and SUN (A) won’t scare off his tackle and block totals.

Khalaili (Crystal Palace, DEF)

His 21 tackles are the highest total among all waiver-available defenders in this dataset, and he adds 23 clearances/blocks/interceptions on top of that. At just 0.3% FPL ownership, this is the clearest information gap on the page: a full-time defensive contributor almost nobody has rostered. Fixtures at NFO (H), BHA (A) and NEW (H) give him a fair chance to keep piling up tackles.

Players you can drop

We don’t have any widely-rostered players flagged for declining minutes this week, so there’s no specific name to cut from that list. Instead, use this as your drop-candidate checklist: any bench forward who hasn’t scored or assisted in three straight matches, any attacking midfielder averaging under 60 expected minutes, and any defender with single-digit tackle and clearance/block/interception totals through five gameweeks. In category leagues, a player who contributes nothing on defense and nothing in the final third is dead weight regardless of name value. Check your own roster against the fixture outlook on our fixture difficulty rankings before deciding who goes.

Bottom line

This week’s EPL waiver wire is built around three defenders with elite clearance and tackle totals, two attacking midfielders trending up in our model, and two rotation-risk stashes worth a small bid. Prioritize Belloumi, Tavernier, Kostoulas and Janelt with real FAAB before your league mates catch on, and use our FAAB strategy guide if you’re unsure how aggressive to get on the medium-priority names. For deeper roster construction, cross-check every add against our full player rankings, confirm nobody’s carrying a knock via our injury news page, and lean on our start or sit calls once these players are actually on your roster.

How to use this waiver wire in your league

Match each pickup to your roster, not to the list order. A priority add is only worth a big bid if he would start for you; otherwise a cheaper stash may be the better move.

Adjust the FAAB ranges to your league. In deep leagues with few good free agents, bid toward the top of each range; in shallow leagues, the next good option usually appears within a week or two, so bid lower.

Before you confirm a claim, check the player’s status on our injury list, because news can change between our update and your waiver deadline.