The Watchlist Updated – Gameweek 34 – The Midfield

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s look at the strongest options at the back, this afternoon we turn our focus to the midfielders who could shine over the final five Gameweeks. Raheem Sterling’s stock is on the rise ahead of this week’s double, while Aaron Ramsey is back in our thoughts ahead of Arsenal’s favourable run-in.

With Chelsea facing a double Gameweek (ars/lei), it’s little surprise that Eden Hazard is the clear leader in the Captain Poll, with the Belgian registering 62% of the votes. The 11.3-priced midfielder bagged his ninth double-figure haul of the season in the 1-0 victory against Man United, and while the Blues have only managed a single goal in six of their last eight league matches, Hazard’s high involvement in those strikes, allied to his ability to pick up bonus points, makes him the standout choice for the armband this week.

Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling is on the ascendancy. The 8.5-valued midfielder is the most transferred in player this week with over 96,000 new owners, having bagged a goal and an assist in his last two outings, which have seen him play either as a central striker or on the left of a 4-3-3 formation. With Daniel Sturridge still a serious doubt for this week’s double (wba/hul), Sterling looks set to continue in an advanced role, where he has registered eight shots, five from inside the box, in his last two appearances. Given West Brom have conceded seven goals in their last two home matches and Hull let in three to Chelsea last time out at the KC Stadium, his prospects look very promising.

Cesc Fabregas is another to move up the ladder by virtue of a double Gameweek. The 9.4-valued midfielder was transferred in by 75,000 + Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers on the back of his 11-point haul against QPR, but failed to register any attacking points in the 1-0 win against United. The former Arsenal man is the third most transferred in player this week, although it is hard to gauge his prospects given Loic Remy, Didier Drogba and Diego Costa are all doubts, meaning Fabregas could even play as a “false nine” against his former side. With a good run of fixtures (CPL, LIV, wba, SUN) after the double, it isn’t surprising to see plenty of investment in the former Barcelona player, who leads the way with 17 assists so far this season.

Despite having only registered a single assist in his last five league appearances, two goals in three across all competitions, allied with some impressive underlying stats, see Philippe Coutinho edge out Jordan Henderson as the second Liverpool midfielder in our rankings. The Brazilian has had seven goal attempts compared to Henderson’s three in the Reds last two matches, and while the Englishman has the edge when it comes to chances created (six to four) over the same period, the fact Steven Gerrard could start at least one of the double Gameweek matches means Henderson will miss out on set-piece duties, not to mention penalties, too. With good fixtures after the double (QPR, che, CPL, sto), Liverpool assets brought in this week certainly look worth keeping for the rest of the campaign.

Leicester’s Esteban Cambiasso moves up a couple of places again after registering attacking returns for the third consecutive match in the 2-0 win against Swansea. The 4.8-priced Argentinian is fourth among midfielders for chances created (eight) in the last three Gameweeks and with this week’s double (bur/CHE) before a very favourable run-in (NEW, SOT, sun, QPR), looks the strongest budget option available right now.

Having suffered a facial injury against West Ham on Sunday, David Silva falls in our latest refresh. The Spanish playmaker returned to training yesterday and will be in contention for Saturday’s home clash with Aston Villa but he has already dropped to 9.8 in FPL and is the most transferred out player this week with over 105,000 sales. City’s remaining fixtures (tot, QPR, swa, TOT) mean it’s something of a risk getting rid of the Spaniard, but with Arsenal also having a double in Gameweek 37, Silva looks expendable, with Sergio Aguero likely to provide enough City coverage, having returned to form in recent weeks.

With the aforementioned double for Arsenal in Gameweek 37 (mun/SUN), both Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey are likely to see plenty of investment in the coming weeks. The Gunners do face leaders Chelsea on Sunday but, after that, a very favourable run-in (hul, SWA, mun/SUN, WBA) makes their attacking assets extremely enticing. Sanchez’s hefty 11.2 price tag is prohibitive, but if your budget can stretch that far, the Chilean remains the strongest midfield option at the Emirates, having scored 14 goals and racked up eight assists this season. Since Ramsey’s return to the starting XI in Gameweek 29, though, the 8.6-valued midfielder has outscored Sanchez by 36 points to 20, netting twice and providing three assists.

United duo Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata both fall in our latest update, with their stock hit by the double Gameweek. Louis van Gaal’s side have a reasonable schedule (eve, WBA, cpl, ARS, hul), while both players are in pretty good form, having found the back of the net in the last two Gameweeks. Fellaini gets the edge on our ladder due to his lower price tag (6.4) compared to the Spaniard (8.5), and though both players remain viable options, the explosive potential offered by Chelsea and Liverpool midfielders this week and the likes of Sanchez and Ramsey for Arsenal’s double lessens their appeal.

Yannick Bolasie splits the United pair, with Crystal Palace’s tough run-in (HUL, che, MUN, liv, SWA) hurting his prospects. The 5.7-rated midfielder was drafted in by over 206,000 FPL owners following his colossal 24-point haul against Sunderland ahead of the home clash with West Brom, but despite managing five goal attempts, four from inside the box, the winger failed to provide any attacking points.

Following a fourth successive blank, Southampton’s Sadio Mane drops further down the pecking order. The Senegal international did create four chances in the 2-1 defeat against Stoke and played the full 90 minutes, quelling fears over his playing time. The 6.5-priced midfielder failed to register a goal attempt, though, and while the Saints’ fixtures (TOT, sun, lei, AVL, mci) offer hope of a return to form, any further investment appears unlikely at this point.

With West Ham facing a kind run-in (qpr, BUR, avl, EVE, new), Stewart Downing remains a viable option despite failing to register attacking returns in his last six league outings. The 6.2-rated midfielder has managed a reasonable eight goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks, along with six chances created. The underlying stats suggest a return to form is around the corner, but with the Hammers looking so lacklustre in recent weeks, it’s unlikely Downing will attract any new suitors.

While Hull assets may not be attracting much attention ahead of their double Gameweek, Mohamed Diame could be worth a roll of the dice for those wildcarding this week. The 5.1-valued midfielder has made cameo appearances off the bench in the Tigers last two matches after returning from a serious knee injury, and following a two-week break since their 2-0 defeat at Southampton, could be back in the starting XI for this week’s double (cpl/LIV). The Senegal international netted four times at the start of the season before succumbing to injury, and with Steve Bruce’s side struggling for goals, could be thrust into a more advanced position. A swift exit route will probably be needed though, with Hull’s run-in (ARS, BUR, tot, MUN) particularly unfavourable.