Hull after five gameweeks
Hull won the 2025/26 Championship play-off final 1-0 against Middlesbrough at Wembley, with Oli McBurnie scoring in the 95th minute, and are back in the Premier League for the first time since 2016/17. They were widely expected to go straight back down. After five games they are eighth: a 2-0 win over Manchester United on the opening day, 1-0 at Coventry, 0-0 with Aston Villa, 2-2 at Chelsea and a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle. Four conceded, three clean sheets.
Sergej Jakirović’s side defend deep and are comfortable without the ball, and for FPL that has made their cheap defence one of the best-value units in the game.
Tzolakis and the defence
Konstantinos Tzolakis has played every minute and kept three clean sheets at £4.7m — the highest-scoring goalkeeper in the game after five gameweeks, at any price. Semi Ajayi has a goal and three clean sheets at £4.2m, and John Egan and Ryan Giles have started every game alongside him at around £4.0m.
Giles takes the direct free kicks and Regan Slater the corners. Nobel Mendy has a goal from four starts at £4.1m, but is out with a groin injury and expected back on 31 October.
The attack
Mohamed Belloumi is Hull’s top-scoring outfield player with two goals and two assists at £5.1m, and second on corners and free kicks. Oli McBurnie is first on penalties and has started every game up front, with two assists but no goal yet.
Hull’s next five
After the international break Hull play Everton (H), Fulham (A), Brentford (H), Ipswich (H) and Arsenal (A). The FPL difficulty ratings put Ipswich at 2 and the trip to Arsenal at 5, with the rest at 3.
Tzolakis and one Hull defender are the players to hold through GW6 to GW9; the Arsenal week is the one to bench them. The live table on this page carries each player’s price, ownership and flag.