The Watchlist Updated – Gameweek 30 – The Midfield

After working our way through the best options among the goalkeepers and defenders yesterday, we delve into the midfield in our latest refresh of the Watchlist rankings, offering player recommendations for the next four-to-six Gameweeks. Southampton’s Sadio Mane rises ahead of a favourable upcoming schedule, while yesterday’s double Gameweek announcement brings Matt Phillips and Scott Sinclair into focus as budget options.

Eden Hazard remains at the top of our midfield rankings despite suffering a rare blank against Southampton. With a very favourable run of fixtures (hul, STO, qpr, MUN, ars/lei, CPL) over the coming period, the Belgian looks to have the ideal opportunity to add to his seven double-figure hauls picked up already this season. Over the corresponding fixtures, Hazard managed to rack up four goals and two assists.

David Silva is another big hitter who endured a frustrating Gameweek 29. Although the City playmaker was hauled off by Manuel Pellegrini after 73 minutes in the 1-0 defeat to Burnley, we’re keeping faith in the Spaniard given the strength of the upcoming schedule (WBA, cpl, mun, WHM, AVL) and Silva’s exploits since Gameweek 17. Having averaged 7.1 points per appearance from that point, there is no doubt the former Valencia midfielder remains one the most potentially explosive players on offer.

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez is the third non-mover on our ladder, with the Chilean’s ability to provide double-digit hauls helping maintain his position as the most favoured option among the Gunners’ midfield. The 11.4-priced Sanchez is living on borrowed time somewhat, having only scored once in his last six league appearances. But having registered ten shots from inside the penalty area in the last four Gameweeks – the most among midfielders – we’re continuing to back Sanchez ahead of what looks a favourable trip to under-strength Newcastle this weekend.

Sadio Mane moves up a couple of places this week with the Saints’ upcoming fixtures (BUR, eve, HUL, sto, TOT, sun) looking very promising. The Senegal international has been central to Southampton’s attack of late, either scoring or assisting Ronald Koeman’s side’s last three goals. While those strikes have come over seven matches, the fact Mane has an ownership of just 2% makes the 6.6-priced midfielder a real differential as we approach the season’s end. Over 11,000 Fantasy managers have bought in Mane this week ahead of the home clash with Burnley.

Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson is another mid-price midfielder who is being backed for the upcoming period. The playmaker registered five shots against Liverpool, and with a favourable upcoming schedule (avl, HUL, EVE, lei, new, STO), the Iceland international, who also takes the majority of the Swans’ set-pieces, is back on the table as a viable candidate for that crucial fourth midfield slot. Sigurdsson’s price has now dropped back to 6.5 in the FPL from a peak of 7.0 in Gameweek 16.

Despite registering blanks in back-to-back matches, Philippe Coutinho rises a couple of places by virtue of Liverpool’s improving schedule. The Reds face Man United and Arsenal in their next two encounters, but the schedule then turns (NEW, hul, wba, QPR) from Gameweek 32. With the Brazilian playing in the attacking midfield pair behind the lone striker in Brendan Rodgers’ 3-4-2-1 system, the 7.9-valued Coutinho is our favoured Liverpool midfield option right now.

With just a single assist from his last six outings in the league, Christian Eriksen suffers a drop in our latest rankings. Fantasy managers who bought the Dane in for the double Gameweek may hold for now given Tottenham’s next three fixtures (LEI, bur, AVL), before reassessing their options.

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil is another big name midfielder who has suffered a decline in our reckoning this week, having failed to produce attacking returns in three of his last four appearances. The German international has created 14 chances over that period, only bettered by David Silva’s 15, but with the Gunners’ schedule as it stands (new, LIV, bur) before the blank in Gameweek 33, further investment in the 9.1-priced Ozil seems unlikely.

One of the surprise packages from the last month or so has been QPR’s Matt Phillips. Having failed to register any attacking points before Gameweek 25, the Scotland international has since scored once and provided four assists. At an outlay of just 4.6 in FPL, the former Blackpool winger looks the prime budget option in midfield, particularly in the short-term following yesterday’s double Gameweek 31 announcement, leaving the R’s with a home encounter against Everton before trips to West Brom and Aston Villa.

Stewart Downing simmers further down our list but is back in the frame with West Ham about to embark on a run of more favourable opponents. The England international has only managed a single assist in his last seven league outings, but with home fixtures against Sunderland, Stoke and Burnley in the next six, along with trips to Leicester and QPR, Downing could return to prominence in the coming weeks.

Yesterday’s double Gameweek announcement also sees Scott Sinclair return to the Watchlist. The former Man City midfielder has scored three goals in all competitions under new Villa boss Tim Sherwood, and looks a strong option for the next two Gameweeks (SWA, mun/QPR). With an ownership of just 0.3%, the 5.2-priced Sinclair could be an option as a fifth midfielder for those looking to make up ground in mini-leagues over the run-in.

Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling falls again in our latest rankings due to uncertainty over his role in Brendan Rodgers’ side. The 8.5-valued midfielder swapped places with Adam Lallana during the 1-0 win over Swansea, alternating between a central position behind Sturridge and as a right wing-back. With just five goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks, Sterling is now under pressure from Jordan Henderson as our second favourite option among the Reds midfield. The former Sunderland man has scored in his last three appearances, and is the most transferred player in this week with over 29,000 new owners. But with just two shots from inside the box in the last six Gameweeks, the 6.5-priced Henderson may find it hard to maintain his current run of form in front of goal.

Our final two players in this week’s Watchlist, Ki Sung-Yeung and Riyad Mahrez, both suffer drops this time around. The South Korean has scored three goals in his last six appearances and still looks a decent option given the Swans’ strong schedule. The 5.1-priced midfielder is currently the fifth most transferred in player this week with over 13,000 new owners. Leicester’s Mahrez has failed to provide any attacking returns in his last five league outings, but should benefit from the most favourable upcoming schedule on our Season Ticker (tot, WHM, wba, SWA, bur/CHE, NEW). Having registered eight shots from inside the box over the last six Gameweeks, more than the likes of Hazard and Coutinho, the 4.9-valued midfielder has the potential to become a Fantasy asset as the Foxes battle for survival over the run-in.