After assessing the goalkeepers, budget defenders, mid-priced defenders, premium defenders and budget midfielders, our series of articles analysing the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) player list continues with a look at the the mid-price midfield options.
Costing between 6.0 and 7.5, this group of players are key to a successful Fantasy season as they can often have the potential to provide better value, high scoring alternatives to more popular premium options.
As well as being assured starters, they should also provide FPL managers with a steady stream of attacking points, with the very best even offering a viable captaincy option.
Certainly, once you hit this price point, we are far less likely to rotate and bench a player. We will be looking for these players to fill our third and fourth midfield slots and be crucial components in our common 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 setup.
Fortunately, this season there seems an abundance of choice at the higher end of this price bracket, with some clubs presenting an almost bewildering array of choice.
Just we saw in the budget midfield bracket, Southampton provide us with some key options.
Dusan Tadic (7.5) looks excellent value after accruing 157 FPL points in a 2015/16 season where he either scored or assisted 20 goals for Southampton. The Serbian started only 27 times last term but looks set to become a key figure under new manager Claude Puel – expected to remain number one for spot-kicks, he could benefit from a central support berth if Puel maintains his new 4-3-2-1 set-up.
At 6.0, Nathan Redmond offers a cut-price Southampton alternative following his move from Norwich City over the summer. In just 24 starts for the Canaries he still managed to score six times and assist a further three – indeed, an average of 46 minutes per attempt wasn’t far off Tadic’s 40.8 in 2015/16. With Watford, Sunderland and Swansea at home over the first five Gameweeks, both these players (currently owned by 4% of FPL managers) have strong fixtures in which to impress.
If Jay Rodriguez (6.5) can finally prove his fitness, the former Burnley man could yet be another to consider at St Mary’s. Re-classified as a midfielder this season, he netted 15 times in 2013/14 but has since been plagued by injuries and started just three times last season.
The final choice is likely to be decided by the security of starts. Right now we’d wager that Tadic is the most assured option in Puel’s attack, but there’s no doubt that Redmond and Rodriguez have the potential to rival or even better his goal output should they gain similar pitch time. We need to study the early lineup lessons from St Mary’s – opting for Redmond or Rodriguez from the start certainly carries a degree of risk.
Crystal Palace tend to serve our squads for spells over the season and their contribution to the mid-price midfield bracket could be significant.
The acquisition of Andros Townsend (6.5) seems a shrewd move in the light of his four goals and two assists in 12 starts for relegated Newcastle. Over 8% have jumped on board so far, more than team-mates Yannick Bolasie (4%) and Yohan Cabaye(3%), who both set you back 6.0. The former fired an average of 2.2 goal attempts per appearance last term and netted on five occasions, whilst Cabaye’s dead-ball duties should help keep his tally ticking over.
Alan Pardew’s chosen setup will be a major factor here. He’s been toying with a 3-5-1-1 so far over the summer, but even in a 4-4-1-1 he could opt for Wilfried Zaha (5.5) and Townsend on the flanks, with Bolasie given license to roam behind the striker. That may just transform his points output, for better or worse.
If Bolasie can flourish in a new role, he could be our go-to option. Failing that, we’d expect Townsend to provide our main target with his price likely to rise should he settle quickly and reproduce his end of season form.
Swansea’s two main attacking threats last season are both found in the mid-price midfield bracket, with valuations of 7.5. Both have the potential to deliver outstanding value.
Andre Ayew was often fielded as a striker last term, in which he racked up an impressive 171 FPL points after scoring 12 goals and assisting five. He was also top among all players for headed goal attempts.
Ayew’s team-mate Gylfi Sigurdsson also impressed with a 158-point haul on the back of a stellar campaign where he fired in 11 goals and assisted four. Only four other midfielders mustered more attempts on target than the Iceland international, who is owned by 9% to Ayew’s 8%.
Whilst Ayew has already got amongst the goals in pre-season, Sigurdsson has yet to feature due to his nation’s Euro 2016 progress.
It’s also worth noting that Swansea face a daunting early run of fixtures over the first eight Gameweeks, including away trips to Leicester and Arsenal and home ties against Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Nonetheless, one of this pair for the opening two Gameweeks look worthy acquisitions: the Swans start with matches against two promoted sides, with a trip to Burnley followed by a first home encounter with Hull.
Guidolin’s men will be confident of starting strongly and that should see both Ayew and Sigurdssson enjoy early profit. Right now, we’re favouring the former given that he’d head into Gameweek 1 with a full pre-season under his belt. Over the campaign, we can expect our sights to switch to Sigurdsson if he can begin to replicate his stunning end of season form – he’s notched nine goals in 16 starts since the turn of the year.
Eight goals and nine assists has ensured Everton’s Ross Barkley (7.5) has enjoyed a price hike, though with the bulk of his attacking returns coming in the first half of the season, new Toffees boss Ronald Koeman will have to ensure his confidence-building skills are on top form.
Certainly, the Dutchman’s impact has been quick. The 8%-owned Barkley – along with Kevin Mirallas and Gerard Deulofeu (both 6.5) – found the net in the Toffees’ weekend win over Barnsley, whilst the former pair were again on the scoresheet in Tuesday’s win at MK Dons.
Intriguingly, Deulofeu has been fielded as a “false nine” in both fixtures, though it’s worth noting that Romelu Lukaku is yet to feature due to his participation in Euro 2016.
Both Deulofeu and Mirallas could yet emerge as the best value options here if either can secure a regular role. The former equalled Barkley for assists (nine) in almost 1700 minutes less pitch time, though found the net just twice. Mirallas, meanwhile, netted a goal every 273 minutes in the last campaign – that’s in between Michail Antonio (269.5) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (278.9), highlighting his potential.
Elsewhere on Merseyside, Adam Lallana (7.0), Jordan Henderson and James Milner (both 6.5) will be hoping to offer value routes into the Liverpool midfield. Certainly, Milner’s five goals and 11 assists last year was a decent return but with question marks remaining over Jurgen Klopp’s preferred options in the centre of the park, their acquisition looks risky. Surprisingly, Lallana has earned over 10% of owners to date, second only to Coutinho for the Reds.
Over at Old Trafford, Juan Mata has dropped from 8.5 to 7.5 this year after a relatively disappointing 2015/16, where he scored six goals and assisted five. If he remains at Manchester United, it’s difficult to see the Spaniard flourish under Jose Mourinho with so many attacking options at his disposal. Similarly, the likes of Memphis Depay (7.5) and Jesse Lingard (6.0) look unlikely candidates in the new manager’s starting XI.
Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic has seen his price rise to 7.5 after a standout 2015/16. An FPL points tally of 165 was the eighth best amongst midfielders, and came on the back of 11 goals, three of which were penalties, and six assists. Although Stoke face Manchester City and Tottenham at home in the first six Gameweeks, they also entertain West Brom and have favourable away ties at Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace.
With so much uncertainty over Mark Hughes’ preferred lone frontman, both Xherdan Shaqiri (6.5) and Bojan (6.0) will be looking to challenge the Austrian as the value route into the Potters’ attack. Shaqiri, with a fair share of dead-ball duties, looks more secure of the two and has plenty of room for improvement after serving up a modest three goals and six assists in his debut campaign.
So far, Shaqiri just edges Arnautovic as the most popular Stoke outfield player by 7.9% to 6.6% but we don’t share that view.
Having signed a new four-year deal at the Britannia, we’re expecting Arnautovic to show further progress and again emerge as Stoke’s standout option. There will doubtless be periods where the Austrian’s popularity will grow, with a strong run from Gameweek 8 looking a particularly favourable window.
Over on Wearside, Sunderland’s chief creator Wahbi Khazri (6.5) could represent a potential bargain. Although he managed just two goals and a pair of assists in 13 starts after arriving in the winter, the Tunisian international created a chance every 41.3 minutes for his team-mates, more than any other Sunderland player and better than the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Arnautovic. Likely to retain dead-ball duties under new manager David Moyes, Khazri will be looking to kick on now that he’s a little more acclimatised to the top-flight – encouragingly, he grabbed his second strike of the summer earlier this evening.
Moyes may have another surprise in his locker in the form of Jeremain Lens (6.0). The Dutchman has so far struggled for the Black Cats but has the potential to outgrow that modest price tag if his new manager can harness his talent. Lens made 14 starts last season without really cementing a role – if he can do so under Moyes, he may yet emerge as an FPL target.
With premium pair Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil both nailed on, we’ll be hoping that one of Arsenal’s more budget-friendly options can emerge as a viable contender.
Encouragingly, Alex Iwobi (6.0) started eight of the Gunners final nine league matches last time out, though with the likes of Theo Walcott (7.5) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (6.0) and even the premium-priced Aaron Ramsey offering an option in the attacking midfield three slots, there’s no shortage of alternatives for Arsene Wenger and the threat or rotation dents the young Nigerian’s appeal at present.
Arguably, the fit-again Santi Cazorla could be the best bet amongst the Gunners’ mid-price assets. The Spaniard will be looking to establish himself alongside new boy Granit Xhaka in the double-pivot next time out – at 7.5, he racked up 168 points in 2014/15 and is owned by only 1% so far.
Across north London, Erik Lamela’s (7.0) underlying numbers suggest the Argentine could offer us an intriguing budget-friendly route into Tottenham’s midfield. Lamela was joint-fourth along with Riyad Mahrez for shots inside the box amongst midfielders last year, yet scored just five times and netted just 8% of his chances. Having started on 28 occasions, he remains the likeliest to secure a spot alongside the pricier Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli in the positions behind Harry Kane and notched in Spurs’ midweek clash with Juventus.
There are major doubts over Michail Antonio’s chances of being fielded as a winger after the recent comments from David Gold, who revealed that Slaven Bilic reckons the former Forest man is one of the best right-backs in the country.
Although a potential role in defence may well deter many, over 12% have already snapped him up on the back of eight goals and seven assists last year. There’s also a chance that Antonio could be fielded as a wing-back whenever Bilic opts for the three-man backline we saw on occasion last term.
Elsewhere in the Hammers’ midfield, Mark Noble (6.5) looks an assured starter and bagged three of his seven goals via the penalty spot in 2015/16. Manuel Lanzini is also 6.5, though many will be hoping the likes of budget options Sofiane Feghouli or Gokhan Tore can establish themselves as regulars ahead of favourable home ties against Bournemouth, Watford and Middlesbrough in the first eight Gameweeks.
Chelsea also boast a wealth of options that will be jostling for attention under new manager Antonio Conte.
Whilst Eden Hazard remains in the premium bracket in spite of his poor previous campaign, Cesc Fabregas, Oscar, Willian and Pedro all set you back just 7.5, with Juan Cuadrado coming in at 7.0.
The Blues are very much a work in progress right now, though, and with the likes of Hazard yet to return to summer action due to his Euro 2016 exertions, there’s still uncertainty surrounding Conte’s preferred starters and tactics.
Of that quintet, Fabregas arguably has the greatest upside – he bagged 165 points in 2014/15 on the back of three goals and 19 assists and could be one to monitor if he’s handed dead-ball duties. So far, he currently sits in just 8% of sides, with Willian slightly more popular (10%) on the back of five goals and ten assists last time out.
Oscar is the dark-horse – a player who has the potential to register goals and assists, his work ethic could be embraced by Conte which may just secure regular starts. Like much of Chelsea’s lineup, though, he’ll remain a risky option for our initial 15-man squads.
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