Fantasy Premier League – Player List Analysis – Premium Midfielders

After assessing the goalkeepers, budget defenders, mid-priced defenders, premium defenders, budget midfielders and mid price midfielders in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) player list, we turn our attention to the “premium” options in the middle of the park.

Priced at 8.0 or above, FPL managers should quite rightly expect big things from this elite group.

An assurance of starts is a given for a selection of players that, considering the outlay, should contain their team’s best performers, greatest source of goals and offer FPL managers a strong captaincy choice.

Their performance in FPL’s Bonus Point System (BPS), which is used to allocated bonus point is also key – this rewards not only goals and assists but also midfielder’s distribution and tackling.

At 11.0, Alexis Sanchez is the highest priced midfielder for good reason. In just two seasons at Arsenal, the Chilean has returned 29 league goals and 13 assists and produced more shots in the box than any midfielder last term.

Early investment comes with a warning, though – Sanchez is nursing a minor ankle problem and may need time to build up his match sharpness after a busy summer in which he helped Chile win the Copa America. Also, the Gunners face a tough pair of opening games, at home to Liverpool and away to Leicester, though the fixtures do ease markedly from Gameweek 3.

With 19 assists in 2015/16, as well as six goals, Mesut Ozil has cemented his status as Arsenal’s creator in chief and offers a worthy alternative. Priced at 9.5, he was last season’s second-highest FPL points scorer amongst midfielders and also led the way in 2015/16 for key passes.

Of this pair of Gunners prime cuts, Ozil is the runaway leader in terms of bonus points, thanks in part to his strong passing and chance creation statistics. Last season he accrued 30 bonus – 13 more than Sanchez. However, as with the Chilean, a busy summer on international duty may see Ozil miss out on a start in Gameweek 1. The German currently sits in over 21% of FPL squads compared to Sanchez’ 1.9%.

At a price of 8.0, Aaron Ramsey could come into the equation if he can nail down a regular role. Uncertainty of starts, allied with a late return to training, curbs our initial enthusiasm until we can get a stronger indication of Arsene Wenger’s preferred XI.

A successful debut season, in which he scored seven times and assisted nine goals, has ensured that Kevin De Bruyne’s price remains at the higher end of the premium bracket at 10.5. It is worth noting that, although he was restricted to 25 appearances due to injury last term, only three other players created more chances in the top-flight.

We’re expecting De Bruyne to emerge as the must-have midfielder under Pep Guardiola, particularly if he’s handed a number ten role behind Sergio Aguero. The key issue is, of course, the budget and the fact that many will seek to pair him with Aguero in their squads. There is just the temptation to settle on the striker for coverage of the City attack, which could see De Bruyne overlooked. That hasn’t stopped 18% of FPL managers from drafting him in.

The likes of David Silva and new boy Nolito – at 9.0 apiece – could possibly both challenge De Bruyne if they can serve up regular minutes. Silva continues to be blighted by hamstring and ankle issue, though, and, having started just 22 times last term, his acquisition continues to remain a risk. Nolito will be hoping to climb above Raheem Sterling (8.0) in the pecking order, though with Guardiola also linked with a move for Schalke’s Leroy Sane, De Bruyne appears to be our most secure candidate for now.

A total of five goals and three assists in 2015/16 was disastrous by Eden Hazard’s high standards and has seen his price slip slightly to 10.0. A strong end to the season, allied with some sparkling moments for Belgium in Euro 2016, means the winger will go into the new season in confident mood under new manager Antonio Conte and, with a strong opening set of fixtures (WHM, wat, BUR, swa), he could even re-emerge as a captaincy option.

Unless we’re willing to gamble on one of Chelsea’s 7.5 midfield legion, or take a risk on Diego Costa (9.5) or Michy Batshuayi (9.0) in our forward lines, Hazard stands out as the route into the Blues’ attack. Unlike De Bruyne, there is no ultra attractive alternative.

The rise of Riyad Mahrez from 5.5 priced midfielder to FPL’s highest scorer last season was nothing short of meteoric.

A prime captaincy candidate for much of 2015/16, in which he scored or assisted 28 goals, it is no wonder that Mahrez has been priced at 9.5 this time around. The Algerian was also last season’s best in terms of FPL bonus points, collecting 38, though with a number of clubs keen to entice him away from Leicester it’s still uncertain as to whether he will remain with last season’s champions. Mahrez’ strike in last weekend’s clash against Celtic has seen his ownership rise considerably – he now sits in 24% of FPL teams.

There is, of course, the Jamie Vardy (10.0) option up top for those looking to cover the Foxes attack. In general, there is also the very real fear of regression from Claudio Ranieri’s side.

However, the Gameweek 1 trip to Hull City already looks to be a sitting duck for Mahrez – a player who has already impressed in pre-season and seems destined to be pivotal in everything Leicester produce coming forward.

Another midfield sensation to see a price hike is West Ham’s Dimitri Payet (9.5), who finished 2015/16 on 171 points, joint fourth among midfielders. Six double-figure hauls cemented his role as a captaincy option in a debut season where he served up nine goals and 12 assists in 30 appearances. In addition, his FPL points per game of 5.7 was an average only bettered by Mahrez’ 6.5 and in terms of bonus he was the fourth best midfielder, earning 25.

West Ham’s early fixtures feature favourable home ties against Bournemouth and Watford but there is a slender chance that Payet could be suffering from fatigue early on after helping France reach the Euro 2016 final. Over 32% of FPL managers have already drafted in the playmaker, making him the most popular midfielder in the game so far.

That level of ownership will trouble those yet to acquire the Frenchman. Payet rotates well as a captain option with Aguero in the early Gameweeks and, like the Argentine, he could severely punish any who dare to ignore his talents with their initial squad selection.

For a number of seasons FPL managers have been denied a credible premium priced option from the Manchester United midfield. That could be set to change in 2016/17, with a pair of viable candidates now battling for our attentions.

The arrival of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund, allied with Anthony Martial’s re-classification as a midfielder, brings both onto our radars at 9.5 apiece.

The Armenian arrives in the Premier League with an intimidating track record, having scored 41 goals and assisted a further 49 across three seasons with the German club.

Martial’s impressive 19.3% goal conversion record highlights his credentials, and with Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.5) affording United far more creativity in the final third, the Frenchman could push on in his second season and he will, of course, be accumulating that extra point per goal from midfield. Repeat or better his 11-goal showing from last season and Martial will surely challenge Mkhitaryan.

Having bagged his first goal for the club in last week’s friendly against former club Dortmund, Mkhitaryan remains the most favoured by some distance and sits in 21% of sides to Martial’s 7%.

The aforementioned Ibrahimovic is a vital factor.

While we can be confident in an upturn in United’s goal output under Jose Mourinho, he is not a naturally attack-minded manager who will instruct his team to go for the throat. United will win more matches, with Mourinho improving their “game management” to see off opponents rather than rout them off the pitch.

With Ibrahimovic proving an inevitable temptation in attack, pairing him with Mkhitaryan and Martial may well be seen as too heavy an investment in a United attack under transition.

Like Leicester’s Mahrez, Dele Alli broke out of the budget bracket in a superb debut season for Tottenham. Priced at just 5.0 in 2015/16, the youngster proceeded to rack up ten goals and nine assists and has been elevated to a cost of 8.5 – the same as team-mate Christian Eriksen.

Both were near-identical for points per appearance last term – the Dane just edged it by 5.1 to 5.0 on his way to 178 points, the third highest among midfielders.

Although Eriksen scored six goals, it was his 13 assists that caught the eye during a season in which only Payet and Ozil created more chances. The Dane also led the way amongst all midfielders for shots on target (41), though his penchant for a long shot meant that only 29 of his 100 efforts arrived in the box – Alli, on the other hand, boasted superior close-range threat and fired 40 attempts in the opposition area.

Like the United dilemma, much will depend on our attitude towards the Harry Kane option. Currently owned by 17.1%, the striker is being somewhat overlooked as a result of Ibrahimovich and Aguero.

That promotes both Alli and Eriksen in our thinking given that cover of the Spurs attack seems wise early on; Mauricio Pochettino’s enjoy a kind first phase of the season, particularly away from home.

It’s fair to say that Liverpool’s midfield poses a real quandary for Fantasy managers this season.

Arguably, new boy Sadio Mane (9.0) and Roberto Firmino’s ability to operate as a “false nine” heightens their appeal. Mane edged the Brazilian by 160 points to 155 last time out, though, following Jurgen Klopp’s arrival, Firmino averaged 5.8 points per appearance for the Merseysiders and may well emerge as the best bet.

Priced at 8.0, Philippe Coutinho delivered eight goals and five assists in the previous campaign but could build on that after finishing top for goal attempts table for midfielders. Given that he’s converted 4.9% and 7.2% of his chances over the last two seasons, though, the Brazilian’s wayward shooting may prove enough of a deterrent.

New boy Georginio Wijnaldum has been added to the FPL game a price of 8.0. Like Mane, he also netted 11 times last year, though he was more clinical than any of his new team-mates and converted 20.4% of his efforts for Newcastle. Should Wijnaldum be afforded an advanced role in the final third, his output for a struggling Magpies side in 2015/16 suggests we cannot rule him out of contention.

Considering they have no European duties to contend with, we’re hoping at least one of that quartet can establish themselves as key to our Fantasy campaigns, with the threat of rest and rotation looking less likely under Klopp this time out.