Having assessed the goalkeepers, budget defenders, mid-price defenders, premium defenders, budget midfielders and mid-price midfielders, we now look to the top end of the midfield market in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
In terms of justifying their hefty price tags, this category was arguably the most predictable of any last time around.
Five of the top seven scoring players in FPL were classified as midfielders, with only one of the top 12 ranked midfielders (Gylfi Sigurdsson) playing for a side that finished outside of the top six.
By comparison, only four of the top 12 scoring FPL forwards (Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Diego Costa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic) played for teams that finished in the top eight.
With that in mind, we seek out the best on offer from 8.0 and above.
The 8.0 to 8.5 Bracket
Both Manchester clubs offer numerous options in this range, with United’s Paul Pogba the most popular pick thanks to a 21.6% ownership.
We reckon that the Frenchman remains the midfielder most immune to Jose Mourinho’s rotation – he played 90 minutes in every league match from Gameweek 2-27 prior to picking up a hamstring problem last term.
His potential should also boosted by the recent arrival of Nemanja Matic, which should free him up to raid forward as he looks to improve upon a modest haul of five goals and four assists in 2016/17.
Pogba sat seventh for total attempts (92) among midfielders in the previous campaign and was United’s chief creator, with 57 key passes. With Romelu Lukaku now leading the line, his assist potential looks to have taken a turn for the better, too – the Belgian converted 22.7% of his efforts for Everton in 2016/17, compared with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 14.8% for the Red Devils.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Anthony Martial also come in at 8.0 apiece, though it’s the former’s summer displays that offer the most encouragement for the campaign ahead.
Owned by just 5.1% of FPL managers, the Armenian international was limited to just 15 starts and nine further outings off the bench in his debut season at Old Trafford. Mkhitaryan has already produced two goals and three assists during pre-season and, like Pogba, could be quick off the mark thanks to an encouraging opening schedule.
Certainly, with Lukaku so highly priced at 11.5, Fantasy managers will be desperate for Pogba or Mkhitaryan to emerge as a budget-friendly option.
Leroy Sane (8.5) heads up a quartet of City options in this range, with Raheem Sterling, David Silva and new arrival Bernardo Silva all coming in at 8.0.
Subject of a summer Great Expectations article, Sane was our favoured pick from that four. He started 16 of his side’s final 17 league fixtures in 2016/17 and averaged 4.8 ppm over that stretch.
Yet Pep Guardiola’s decision to roll out a wing-back formation in pre-season could throw a major spanner in the works here and force a reassessment of their attack.
Over the summer, the 5.4%-owned Sterling – who started just six of City’s final 12 fixtures in 2016/17 – has upped his output, netting in back-to-back friendlies against Real Madrid and Spurs. Sane, meanwhile, was afforded 24 minutes from those two matches.
Bernardo Silva bagged eight goals and nine assists for Monaco last term but has yet to feature in pre-season, allowing us time to assess his impact before considering.
Regardless of where he eventually ends up this summer, we expect Gylfi Sigurdsson to remain a viable contender for our five-man midfields.
The Icelandic international played a part in 50% of Swansea’s goals last season and will be vital to their survival plight if he fails to engineer a move to Everton. Joint-top with Alexis Sanchez for shots on target, Sigurdsson posted a career-high 184 points and has now registered 150+ points in three successive seasons for the Welsh outfit.
He’s also likely to retain set-piece duties if he moves to Merseyside and could even challenge for spot-kicks in Ronald Koeman’s new-look XI.
Crucially, Sigurdsson is also one of the most fixture-proof players around – despite Swansea’s battle against the drop, seven of his nine goals in 2016/17 arrived against top eight teams.
Chelsea’s Pedro (8.0) managed a reasonable 4.6 ppm in the previous campaign that’s just behind Sigurdsson’s 4.8, for example. Yet the Spaniard remained an insecure pick and started just 26 times last term, with a further nine appearances off the bench.
He’s expected to recover from a facial injury in time for Gameweek 1 but with options such as Willian and Cesc Fabregas looking likely to start the season at 7.0 apiece, Pedro’s appeal seems limited from the off.
Spurs’ Heung-Min Son is also priced at 8.0 but is likely to miss the start of the season due to an arm injury sustained on international duty.
The Korean served up a very reasonable 5.1 ppm in the previous campaign but a lack of regular starts should persuade most to steer clear regardless – he was named on the teamsheet on just 23 occasions in 2016/17.
That’s all the more frustrating when you consider that he played a part in 35.1% of his side’s goals – more than any midfield team-mate. Indeed, only Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez found the net at a more frequent pace than Son’s 147.7 minutes per goal among FPL midfielders last term.
Elsewhere, six goals and four assists in Leicester’s disastrous title defence suggests that Riyad Mahrez did little to merit a premium price tag this time around.
While Jamie Vardy flourished in the latter stages thanks to a change in manager, the Algerian continued to toil and it may well be that a mooted move away from the King Power could be the solution as he attempts to reprise the form that saw him end the 2015/16 campaign as the top scoring player in FPL.
The 9.0 and above
There’s little to separate Spurs pair Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen in our thinking.
Both come in at 9.5 after serving up 6.1 ppm apiece last time out, yet, while Alli is the most popular midfielder in the game with 36.9% ownership, the Dane remains relatively overlooked and sits in 13.7% of squads.
Both make a compelling case for investment from the outset. Alli’s close-range threat perhaps edges it – he was joint-top with Sanchez for big chances (22) from midfield and bettered Eriksen by 18 goals to eight, yet the latter fired more shots (133) than any midfielder last season.
Furthermore, Eriksen also sat top for chances created (112) thanks to his set-piece duties and has already found the net this summer, scoring in a win over Paris Saint-Germain.
With Harry Kane such a strong captaincy candidate for a schedule that pits Spurs against just one of last term’s top six in the first eight Gameweeks, solving the Alli/Eriksen conundrum could be key to getting off to a successful start.
Liverpool trio Philippe Coutinho, Mo Salah (both 9.0) and Sadio Mane (9.5) are also very appealing candidates that are capable of providing substantial hauls in any given Gameweek.
As witnessed last season, where the Reds supplied six of the top 18 scoring midfielders, opting for more than one of Jurgen Klopp’s regulars could be a viable tactic due to their potency in attack.
Boasting 29% FPL ownership, Coutinho is the most popular Liverpool pick by some margin on the back of one goal and three assists in pre-season. He produced more shots (106) and was involved in – scored or assisted – more goals (39.2%) when on the pitch than any Liverpool player last term.
Yet Mane was their number one for ppm (5.8 to Coutinho’s 5.5) and was far more clinical than any team-mate, netting 22.8% of his chances. If the Senegal can steer clear of injury, he can more than merit the extra outlay, particularly if Klopp utilises him through the middle when playing a midfield diamond.
New arrival Salah has wasted no time in settling after arriving from Roma and has found the net four times already over the summer friendlies. The Egyptian international racked up 15 goals and 13 assists in 31 Serie A outings last season and – as evidence against Bayern last night – his pace looks ideal to Klopp’s default 4-3-3 set-up.
Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne (10.0) has already claimed 22.8% ownership on the back of some impressive summer showings.
The Belgian has bagged three assists over pre-season, maintaining the form that served up 21 assists in his first season under Guardiola.
We reckon that the recent flirtation with wing-backs strengthens De Bruyne’s claim as the most secure pick in City’s midfield. Cheaper than frontmen Gabriel Jesus (10.5) and Sergio Aguero (11.5), he started 33 matches last season, more than any team-mate.
De Bruyne fired 86 shots in 2016/17 yet scored just six goals. However, he hit the woodwork on eight occasions, three times more than any other player. Sharpen that cutting edge slightly and he could be impossible to ignore, particularly if Guardiola rotates in attack.
Alexis Sanchez’s (12.0) future will have a major impact in how we assess the midfield landscape.
The Arsenal man produced more goals (24) and efforts in the box (78) than any FPL midfielder last term, while he sat joint-top for attempts on target (49) and big chances (22).
If he stays at the Emirates, Sanchez looks very likely to avoid any potential rotation and his role as the go-to midfield big hitter may well remain intact. However, a mooted move to the Etihad may well have a knock-on effect on his pitch time and impact on how we invest in City’s premium attackers.
For now, Mesut Ozil (9.5) is an overlooked pick and sits in just 5% of teams. Although he was overshadowed by the Chilean, Ozil still managed a decent 5.1 ppm last season. Ozil also seemed to flourish after the late-season move to 3-4-2-1 – he was ranked top for key passes from Gameweek 33 onwards.
If Sanchez departs, frontman Alexandre Lacazette (10.5) could be the solution here, particularly if he claims penalties. We’re also hoping that Aaron Ramsey (7.0) can offer the value option after netting in the Gunners’ final two fixtures in all competitions last season.
An ankle injury keeps Eden Hazard (10.5) out of the picture for now, with a scheduled return pencilled in for September. Last season’s 224-point haul – the fourth time in five years he has delivered at least 190 points – says all you need to know about the Belgian’s consistency.
With spot-kick duties also in hand, our faith in a fully-fit Hazard – who scored more goals at home (12) than any FPL midfielder last season – remains resolute as the optimum route into Antonio Conte’s attack.
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