AFC Bournemouth FPL Guide GW9 2026/27

• DEFCON: centre-backs and full-backs who rack up tackles, blocks, clearances and interceptions now have a second scoring route beyond clean sheets.
• Fixtures: check Bournemouth's opening run on the FPL fixture list and the GW9 preview above before locking premiums.
• Prices: every Bournemouth price is on FPL prices : then play free on Gameweek Fantasy.
• Differentials: looking for a low-owned Bournemouth pick? Check FPL Differentials.

AFC Bournemouth are 15th on 6 points after 7 games (DDLLW). Last time out they beat Sunderland 2–0 at home in GW7. GW9 brings a home game against Leeds United (Sat 31 Oct, 15:00 GMT), rated 3/5 for difficulty. Top FPL scorers so far: Marcus Tavernier (£6.3m, 42 pts), Francisco Evanilson (£6.2m, 37 pts), Alex Scott (£6.0m, 30 pts). On the injury list: Alex Scott (thigh injury: Expected back 8 Nov). Open predicted XI → · GW9 preview →

Bournemouth carry a deeper spread of mid-price attacking talent than most lower-half sides manage. Kroupi at £7.4m is the most expensive name in the squad, with Rayan at £6.3m, Scott at £6.0m, and a cluster at £6.0m in Tavernier, Kluivert, Rodríguez and Evanilson. The defence is cheap throughout — Araujo and Smith at £4.4m, Soler at £4.0m — with Petrovic in goal at £4.5m, genuinely strong value at a side that faces a lot of shots.

Kroupi at £7.4m is the standout, and the only player in this squad above £6.5m — the main attacking outlet and the most direct route to a Bournemouth return. Rayan at £6.3m is the alternative premium pick. Both sit well below top-six attacker prices while playing in a side that presses high and creates chances in transition, which is exactly what makes them worth a look.

Petrovic at £4.5m is the pick of the budget options — first-choice goalkeeper at a side that concedes enough shots to generate steady save points, often enough to outscore keepers costing more. Soler at £4.0m is the cheapest defender, with Araujo and Smith at £4.4m and Diakité and Milosavljevic at £4.9m.

Bournemouth work as a differential-captain option rather than a default one. Kroupi at home against bottom-half opposition is the most defensible armband, given he's the clear attacking focal point. But their defensive volatility means games can swing away from them fast, so in most weeks I'd keep the captaincy on a premium forward at a more controlled side.

Kluivert at £5.9m and Scott at £6.0m are the low-ownership midfield picks with real goal and assist threat. Tavernier at £6.1m is the set-piece route. Adli, Gannon-Doak and Christie at £4.8m are the cheaper punts, Doak the most explosive of them once he wins regular minutes. Ünal at £5.5m is the differential forward sitting behind the pricier options.

The forward line is the trap here — Rodríguez and Evanilson at £6.0m and Ünal at £5.5m all competing for places alongside Kroupi, so buying the wrong one wastes both a slot and a transfer. Bournemouth's high defensive line also makes clean sheets inconsistent, so treat their cheap defenders as enablers rather than reliable points-scorers, and I wouldn't stack two of them against strong attacking sides.