We roll out the seventh article in our assessment of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Player List this evening. Having previously published articles on Goalkeepers, Budget, Mid-Price and Premium Defenders, we’ve brought you the lowdown on Budget Midfielders and Mid-Price Midfielders over the last couple of days. Next up, then, we look at what’s on offer in the premium midfield bracket.
Arsenal duo Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott are amongst the highest-priced midfielders on options this season after finishing third and fourth respectively in the 2012/13 pecking order. While Cazorla outscored his fellow Gunner by 205 points to 194, Walcott played over 1,000 minutes less than the Spaniard last season yet still picked up 14 goals and 13 assists. Given that the England winger is also cheaper by 9.5 to 10.0, his eye for goal suggests he looks the best bet in terms of both value and overall points potential in the season ahead. The x-factor here, however, is that Cazorla topped the rankings in the new bonus system (BPS) amongst the midfielders. The Spaniard earned a total of 279 BPS points last term, 34 more than any other player in his position and finished third overall behind Jan Vertonghen and Robin Van Persie; Cazorla could therefore be expected to improve on his 19 bonus points earned last season.
While the Gunners have just two options in the premium bracket vying for our consideration, Chelsea have as many as five midfielders priced at 8.0 and above. New boy Andre Schurrle and Frank Lampard will set you back 8.0 and while the German’s more advanced role is enticing for the price, the competition for places in the attacking midfield three means he’s far from guaranteed regular starts. Lampard, on the other hand, should feature far more often under Jose Mourinho and with spot-kicks in his locker, racked up 15 goals last term. Having notched in three of his last five starts, Oscar seemed to be finding his domestic feet as the previous campaign halted and, at 8.5, is an intriguing option, though there still seems some uncertainty over his consistency of starts purely due to the number of alternatives on offer to Mourinho.
Eden Hazard (9.5) and Juan Mata (10.5) will likely remain the Blues main men. Mata is looking to improve upon 212 points in 2012/13 and also has the advantage of corners and occasional set-pieces, though Hazard’s kinder cost gives him the edge in many Fantasy managers’ books after a debut season harvested nine goals and 16 assists. Given that Chelsea could be set for a double Gameweek 1, getting this call correct will be key to a strong start, as shown by last season – with Kevin de Bruyne and Victor Moses also in the hat for game time, Mourinho’s pre-season line-ups are being studied carefully.
Marouane Fellaini’s Fantasy potential much depends on Roberto Martinez’s tactics for the season ahead. If, as many anticipate, the new man in charge opts for a change in tactics, the Belgian would no longer profit from a role in “the hole”, with a switch into central midfield virtually killing his appeal. Given that both Kevin Mirallas and Steven Pienaar would likely be part of a front three, thus handing us far more budget-friendly, out of position options within the Toffees midfield, Fellaini’s 8.5 price tag would surely be hard to justify.
Three goals, five assists and seven bonus points from just 12 starts in the second half of 2012/13 have elevated Philippe Coutinho into the premium bracket after just half a season on Merseyside. The Brazilian’s role on the left of a front three in a 4-3-3 affords him an out of position berth, though he’s equally capable of flourishing on the flank when Brendan Rodgers reverts to a 4-2-3-1. Coutinho has already produced a goal in each of Liverpool’s pre-season friendlies and while his position within the Reds’ system seems pretty straightforward, it’s yet to be established just where forwards Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Iago Aspas will be fielded if Rodgers plays the trio together, with all three capable of leading the line. As a result, some may opt for the security of Coutinho, at 9.0, with Suarez’s suspension and possible move away adding further confusion to the situation up front.
Reds skipper Steven Gerrard is similarly priced and despite a deep-lying role, racked up 10 goals and 12 assists in his first season under Rodgers – a score of 185 points was his highest since the 2008/09 campaign. With spot-kicks and a share of set-pieces and corners in his locker, Gerrard’s Fantasy resurgence could be set to continue and with game time guaranteed, he’ll be hoping to benefit from the new Bonus Points System – he would have finished fifth highest overall in the new scoring metric last season, racking up 245 points to Suarez’s 199 points for the Merseysiders.
Similarly to Chelsea, Man City have a quintet of midfielders priced at 8.0 or above. New boy Fernandinho and Samir Nasri, at 8.0 apiece, are perhaps unlikely to earn many suitors – the former’s more withdrawn role in front of the back-four is expected to limit his attacking potential, while Nasri could struggle for regular game time as Manuel Pellegrini looks to put his own stamp on the City side. Indeed, Yaya Toure (8.5) may also offer less going forward if the new man in charge looks to implement a 4-2-2-2 formation, with the Ivorian tasked with partnering Fernandinho in a deep-lying role. Ultimately, it may well be a couple of Spaniards that prove the most attacking options from the Etihad club. Jesus Navas (9.0) will inject plenty pace down the City right flank and, while David Silva (9.5) should switch to the opposite wing in a 4-2-2-2 system, he may be utilised in the role in “the hole” if Pellegrini moves to 4-2-3-1, with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic capable of filling in on the left should the new man in charge opt for Silva’s trickery from a central position.
With just 87 points accrued in his debut season, Shinji Kagawa failed to flourish in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final year at Old Trafford. Despite a disappointing first 12 months, the Japanese playmaker is priced at 8.0 – the costliest option within the United midfield, though there’s no doubt he has the potential to be a bargain if Wayne Rooney leaves Old Trafford and David Moyes hands him the role behind Robin Van Persie. Kagawa seems a ready-made replacement for the want-away Rooney but with United reportedly keen on bringing another playmaker to Old Trafford, the jury is still out on this one. Bearing in mind that Nani, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia are all more budget-friendly, Fantasy managers may yet find better value within Moyes’ midfield if Kagawa fails to cement a regular role under the new manager.
Last season’s Fantasy phenomenon Michu moves up to 9.0 after his debut exploits for Swansea. However, if the Spaniard can replicate hauls of 18 goals and three assists, that price tag will be justified. With new boy Wilfried Bony set to lead the line, Michu should benefit from a return to the role in “the hole” after Michael Laudrup was forced to field him as a lone forward on a number of occasions towards the end of last term. While Laudrup is expected to utilise rest and rotation to a greater extent this season as a result of Europa League duties, it seems unlikely Michu’s game time will suffer – he simply looks too key to the Swans’ prospects to be left warming the bench. With United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal in the opening six Gameweeks, though, many may decide to shop elsewhere until the schedule takes a turn for the better, while Bony’s 31 goals and eight assists from 30 league matches in the Dutch top-flight offers an alternative route into Michael Laudrup’s side, albeit as one of our three forwards.
An outstanding 2012/13 campaign has seen Gareth Bale priced head and shoulders above any other midfielder this time round. The Welshman moves up to 12.0 after producing 21 goals, nine assists and 50 bonus points in the season gone by and with a superb opening run of matches that pits him against Palace, Swansea, Norwich, Cardiff, West Ham, Villa and Hull in the first nine Gameweeks, the explosive potential which produced 14 sets of double figures in Andre Villas-Boas’ first season at White Hart Lane makes Bale a hugely appealing armband option. While some feel the acquisition of Paulinho could prove the catalyst for a switch to 4-3-3 for the season ahead, with Bale fielded as an inverted right winger, the imminent arrival of Nacer Chadli may perhaps suggest otherwise. The Belgian will give Spurs plenty pace and threat on the left and should ensure Bale retains the role in “the hole” which helped harvest an average 7.2 points per game last term, enabling Villas-Boas to hand his star man the freedom to wreak havoc on top-flight backlines from a central role once again.
