FC 27 Best Starter Players: Cheap Meta Players for Ultimate Team
Discover the best cheap FC 27 starter players for every position and budget.
Jamo - EasySBC Content Creator · 24 Aug 2026
The FC 27 player database is now live, which means we can already start looking for the players who could dominate the opening weeks of Ultimate Team.
Overall rating only tells part of the story. Some cards may not look special at first glance, but have the stats and in-game profile to perform far above their rating.
Using EasySBC's FC 27 Meta Ratings and predicted prices, we've picked out some of the best starter players at three different price points: Budget, Mid-Range and Premium.
Important: Prices are predictions based on FC 26 market history and FC 27 player upgrades, while current Meta Ratings are based on beta data and may change when the full game launches.
Best Cheap Strikers in FC 27
Budget Pick: Racheal Kundananji – 2,100 Coins
OVR: 81 Predicted Price: 2,100 coins ST Meta Rating: 82.2 – A Meta Role: Advanced Forward ST
If Kundananji really does come in at around 2,100 coins, she looks like a bit of a bargain.
The big one is obviously 94 pace. At the start of the game, when most people are still using cheap centre-backs, having that much speed up front could cause serious problems.
She’s not just quick either. 80 shooting, 82 dribbling and 88 physical gives her a really interesting mix for an 81-rated striker, especially at this price.
With an A Meta Rating as an Advanced Forward ST as well, Kundananji is probably where I’d look first if I wanted to spend as little as possible up front.
Mid-Range Pick: Donyell Malen – 7,500 Coins
OVR: 83 Predicted Price: 7,500 coins ST Meta Rating: 82.3 – A Meta Role: Advanced Forward ST
Malen feels like one of those cards we end up seeing in loads of starter teams every year.
He’s quick enough at 86 pace, has 83 shooting and 85 dribbling. There isn’t really an obvious weakness in the areas you care about most from an early-game striker.
For around 7,500 coins, that makes him a nice middle ground. You’re getting a clear upgrade on the really cheap options without having to throw 15–20k at one position.
Premium Pick: Bryan Mbeumo – 20,000 Coins
OVR: 84 Predicted Price: 20,000 coins ST Meta Rating: 82.3 – A Meta Role: Advanced Forward ST
Mbeumo is where things start getting a bit more expensive, but the card does look very good for the start of FC 27.
89 pace, 83 shooting and 86 dribbling is pretty much what you’d want from an early striker. He should have the speed to get in behind while still feeling good enough on the ball when you have to create something around the box.
The question is whether you want to spend 20,000 coins on one player that early.
If you do, Mbeumo’s A Meta Rating as an Advanced Forward suggests he should be able to lead the line straight away. If coins are tight, though, Malen at 7,500 could end up being the better-value choice.
Best Cheap Wingers in FC 27
Quick and agile wide players can be the most difficult to defend during the early stages of Ultimate Team.
Budget Pick: Chloé Kelly – 4,500 Coins
OVR: 86 Predicted Price: 4,500 coins Wide Meta Rating: 83.7 – A Meta Role: Inside Forward RW
For 4,500 coins, Chloé Kelly looks like a really strong early-game option.
89 pace is obviously the first thing you notice, but the rest of the card is actually really well rounded too. With 85 shooting, 85 passing and 84 dribbling, she has the stats to be a very good starter winger.
Her A Meta Rating as an Inside Forward RW also backs that up, and if she ends up anywhere near this price at launch, she looks like the kind of card that could stay in starter teams for a while.
Mid-Range Pick: Lauren Hemp – 10,000 Coins
OVR: 87 Predicted Price: 10,000 coins Wide Meta Rating: 84.0 – A Meta Role: Wide Midfielder LM
Lauren Hemp is the pick here if you just want someone who can absolutely fly down the wing.
92 pace and 87 dribbling should make her very difficult to deal with early on, especially when most starter defenders won’t have anywhere near that level of speed.
Her shooting isn’t quite as strong as some of the other options, but with 83 passing and an A Meta Rating at LM, she looks like a really good choice if you want width and chance creation from the left.
Premium Pick: Linda Caicedo – 18,000 Coins
OVR: 85 Predicted Price: 18,000 coins Wide Meta Rating: 84.2 – A+ Meta Role: Inside Forward LW
Linda Caicedo is our premium winger choice.
Linda Caicedo is the one I’d look at if you’ve got a bit more to spend.
93 pace and 89 dribbling is a nasty combination for the start of the game, and she should be much more suited to carrying the ball inside and taking defenders on than some of the cheaper wide options.
She also gets the highest Meta Rating of the three here at A+, which makes the 18,000-coin prediction a little easier to justify.
It’s still a lot to spend on one winger in a starter squad, but if you want one attacker who feels noticeably better than the rest of your team, Caicedo could be that player.
Best Cheap Midfielders in FC 27
The midfield section contains some of the strongest value we've found in the entire FC 27 database.
Budget Pick: Kim Little – 2,500 Coins
OVR: 84 Predicted Price: 2,500 coins CM Meta Rating: 87.2 – A Meta Role: Box-to-Box CM
Kim Little is a really interesting one at just 2,500 coins.
She’s not going to give you loads of pace in midfield, with only 76, but 89 dribbling and 85 passing should make her very good on the ball. For a midfielder this cheap, those are some seriously good stats to have at the start of the game.
Her 87.2 Meta Rating as a Box-to-Box CM is also much higher than you might expect from a card at this price.
If pace isn't an issue for you, Little could be a really cheap way of getting some quality into your midfield.
Mid-Range Pick: Georgia Stanway – 11,000 Coins
OVR: 86 Predicted Price: 11,000 coins CM Meta Rating: 87.4 – A+ Meta Role: Box-to-Box CM
Stanway is probably the pick here if you want a midfielder who can do a bit of everything.
82 pace, 80 shooting, 80 passing, 86 dribbling, 78 defending and 78 physical means there isn't really a glaring weakness on the card. She should be able to get forward, carry the ball and still do a job defensively when you lose possession.
That all-round profile earns her an 87.4 A+ Meta Rating as a Box-to-Box CM, and 11,000 coins feels pretty reasonable for what you're getting.
Premium Pick: Yui Hasegawa – 25,000 Coins
OVR: 88 Predicted Price: 25,000 coins CM Meta Rating: 88.4 – A+ Meta Role: Box-to-Box CM
Hasegawa is definitely the luxury option of the three.
The combination of 88 dribbling and 86 passing should make her really nice to use in possession, while 81 defending means she isn't going to be a passenger when you don't have the ball either.
She also has the best CM Meta Rating of our three picks at 88.4 A+, so there is a clear upgrade there if you've got the coins.
Whether I'd spend 25,000 on a midfielder at the very start of the game is another question. But if you're happy to put a big chunk of your budget into the middle of the pitch, Hasegawa looks like one of the better options available.
Best Cheap Full-Backs in FC 27
Full-back is one position where having a bit of extra pace can make a massive difference, especially at the start of the game.
Budget Pick: Andrei Rațiu – 1,500 Coins
OVR: 80 Predicted Price: 1,500 coins Full-Back Meta Rating: 85.0 – S Meta Role: Fullback RB
For 1,500 coins, Rațiu looks a bit ridiculous.
The obvious reason is 94 pace. That's going to be useful at any point in the game, never mind during the first few weeks when most attackers and defenders are still relatively basic.
He's only 80 rated, but EasySBC actually gives him an 85.0 S Meta Rating at right-back, which tells you a lot more about how useful this card could be than the overall does.
There will obviously be better all-round full-backs available, but if you just need someone quick and cheap to fill that right-back spot, Rațiu looks ideal.
Mid-Range Pick: Ona Batlle – 9,000 Coins
OVR: 86 Predicted Price: 9,000 coins Full-Back Meta Rating: 85.9 – S Meta Role: Fullback LB
Ona Batlle makes a lot of sense if you've got a little more to spend at full-back.
She isn't relying on one ridiculous stat to make the card good. Instead, you've got 84 pace, 84 dribbling and 82 defending, which makes her a much better all-rounded option.
EasySBC currently gives her an 85.9 S Meta Rating as a Fullback LB, so you're getting a noticeable step up from the really cheap options without having to spend 20,000 coins.
Premium Pick: Alphonso Davies – 20,000 Coins
OVR: 82 Predicted Price: 20,000 coins Full-Back Meta Rating: 87.0 – S Meta Role: Fullback LB
Davies is another expensive option, but 93 pace is always going to make this card appealing.
Add 84 dribbling and you've got a left-back who should be really good at getting up and down the pitch, especially if you like your full-backs joining the attack.
What's particularly interesting is the difference between his overall and Meta Rating. He's only 82 rated, yet EasySBC has him at 87.0 and S-tier as a Fullback LB.
At 20,000 coins, I'd still class him as a luxury starter player. But if full-backs turn out to be important in FC 27, Davies could be one of those cards people are willing to pay extra for.
Best Cheap Centre-Backs in FC 27
There are some really interesting centre-backs in the database, especially once you stop looking purely at overall rating.
Budget Pick: Jayden Oosterwolde – 800 Coins
OVR: 76 Predicted Price: 800 coins CB Meta Rating: 85.7 – A Meta Role: Defender CB
This might be my favourite proper hidden gem of the lot.
Oosterwolde is only 76 rated and predicted to cost 800 coins, but then you look at the card and see 88 pace, 75 defending and 81 physical.
For basically discard price, that's exactly the sort of centre-back you can expect to see in teams on day one.
His 85.7 A Meta Rating at CB makes the card even more interesting. He's probably not someone you'll keep for months, but as a dirt-cheap defender while you're saving coins elsewhere, he makes a lot of sense.
Mid-Range Pick: Fikayo Tomori – 7,500 Coins
OVR: 80 Predicted Price: 7,500 coins CB Meta Rating: 88.9 – A+ Meta Role: Defender CB
Tomori is probably the player I'd be most interested in trying from this entire list.
He's only 80 rated, but 85 pace, 80 defending and 80 physical is a really nice combination for an early-game centre-back.
The Meta Rating is the big one here. EasySBC has him at 88.9 A+ at CB, which is miles above the overall rating you see on the front of the card.
If he's actually available for around 7,500 coins, I can see this being one of those cards that ends up in every starter team.
Premium Pick: Ibañez – 20,000 Coins
OVR: 83 Predicted Price: 20,000 coins CB Meta Rating: 91.2 – S Meta Role: Defender CB
Ibañez is the expensive option here, but that 91.2 Meta Rating is hard to ignore.
His 87 pace is the big attraction, especially for a centre-back, and he backs that up with 83 defending and 86 physical. On paper, that's pretty much everything you'd want from a defender at the start of FC 27.
The interesting part is that he's only 83 rated, yet EasySBC currently has him at 91.2 S-tier as a Defender CB. That's comfortably the highest Meta Rating of our three centre-back picks.
If you've got plenty of coins, Ibañez looks very good. But purely from a value point of view, Tomori at 7,500 could be the smarter buy.
Best Cheap Goalkeepers in FC 27
Goalkeeper is probably the position I'd be least interested in throwing loads of coins at early on, so there are some nice options here depending on how much you want to spend.
Budget Pick: Ivan Provedel – 750 Coins
OVR: 83 Predicted Price: 750 coins GK Meta Rating: 83.8 – A+
If you're trying to save every coin possible, Provedel does the job.
He's predicted to cost 750 coins, so you're basically spending the minimum you can on a gold goalkeeper, but he still gets an 83.8 A+ Meta Rating.
That's really all I'd want from a keeper in a cheap starter team.
Stick him in goal, save the coins and spend the difference somewhere you're actually going to notice it.
Mid-Range Pick: Joan García – 5,500 Coins
OVR: 86 Predicted Price: 5,500 coins GK Meta Rating: 86.6 – A+
Joan García is probably the sweet spot of these three.
You're getting an 86-rated keeper with an 86.6 A+ Meta Rating for a predicted 5,500 coins, which isn't a huge amount to spend if you want something better than a discard option.
I'd still prioritise upgrading the outfield positions first, but once you've got the rest of the squad sorted, García looks like a sensible upgrade without going overboard.
Premium Pick: Gregor Kobel – 13,000 Coins
OVR: 87 Predicted Price: 13,000 coins GK Meta Rating: 89.0 – S
Kobel has comfortably the best Meta Rating of our three goalkeeper picks at 89.0 S-tier, so if you want the strongest option, he's the obvious choice.
The problem is the price.
At 13,000 coins, you're spending more on Kobel than some of the midfielders and attackers we've recommended in this guide. Early in the game, I'm not sure that would be my priority.
But if you've already got a team you're happy with and want to upgrade in goal, Kobel looks like the premium option worth going for.
Which FC 27 Starter Players Should You Buy?
There isn't one perfect starter player for every squad.
Your best choices will depend on how many coins you have available and which positions you want to prioritise.
For players starting with very few coins, Jayden Oosterwolde, Andrei Rațiu, Racheal Kundananji, Kim Little and Ivan Provedel all stand out as potentially strong low-cost options.
Move into the middle of the market and cards such as Donyell Malen, Fikayo Tomori, Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp and Joan García offer more rounded upgrades without immediately reaching premium prices.
And if you're willing to spend heavily on one or two positions, players such as Linda Caicedo, Bryan Mbeumo, Alphonso Davies, Roger Ibañez and Yui Hasegawa could give your starter squad a significant boost.
Perhaps the most interesting player we've found is Fikayo Tomori.
An 80 overall card with an 88.9 A+ centre-back Meta Rating, 85 pace and a predicted price of only 7,500 coins shows exactly why overall rating doesn't always tell the full story.
The EasySBC FC 27 Players Database lets you explore the complete database, compare Meta Ratings and check predicted prices while planning your first Ultimate Team squad.
EXPLORE THE FC 27 PLAYER DATABASE HERE
FC 27 Starter Players FAQ
Who are the best starter players in FC 27?
Some of the standout players based on current EasySBC Meta Ratings include Fikayo Tomori, Georgia Stanway, Yui Hasegawa, Alphonso Davies and Gregor Kobel.
The best player for your squad will depend on your budget and the position you're looking to improve.
Who are the best cheap players in FC 27?
There are several potentially strong options at very low predicted prices.
Jayden Oosterwolde is currently predicted at 800 coins, Andrei Rațiu at 1,500 coins, Racheal Kundananji at 2,100 coins and Kim Little at 2,500 coins.
Each receives a strong current EasySBC Meta Rating in the position we've recommended them for.
Who is the best cheap FC 27 centre-back?
Fikayo Tomori currently looks like one of the standout options.
Despite being only 80 overall, he has 85 pace and receives an 88.9 A+ EasySBC Meta Rating as a Defender CB, with a predicted price of 7,500 coins.
Players on an even tighter budget could consider Jayden Oosterwolde, who is currently predicted to cost just 800 coins.
What is an EasySBC Meta Rating?
EasySBC Meta Ratings are designed to assess how effective a player could be in-game rather than relying purely on the overall rating printed on their card.
Ratings are also role-specific, meaning a player can be more effective in one position or role than another.
Are FC 27 predicted prices accurate?
The prices in this guide are predictions rather than confirmed Ultimate Team market prices.
EasySBC's predicted prices are modelled using FC 26 market history combined with FC 27 player upgrades.
Prices will naturally change once the actual FC 27 Ultimate Team market is live.
Will the FC 27 Meta Ratings change?
Yes.
The current Meta Ratings are based on the FC 27 beta and are not final. EasySBC expects ratings to change as additional information, including PlayStyles, is added to the full FC 27 database.
For that reason, it's worth checking the EasySBC FC 27 Players Database for the latest ratings and prices once the game is released.
Watch: The Best 100K Starter Team in FC 27
Want to see what these players could look like as part of a full starter squad?
We gave the EasySBC FC 27 Squad Builder a 100,000-coin budget and asked it to build the most meta team possible.
The result was a 98,000-coin squad with an 89.4 Meta Rating, featuring some surprisingly cheap players alongside a few premium options.