There’s no shortage of differential candidates to consider as we finalise our Gameweek 1 squads. For this opening week, we call upon a trio of midfield options, with Southampton’s out-of-position summer signing joined by Chelsea and Middlesbrough assets as all three prepare for opening home encounters.
Nathan Redmond
There’s nothing any Fantasy manager loves more than some “out of position” potential, and in Southampton’s Nathan Redmond, we look to have a player who fills that remit.
New Saints boss Claude Puel has used the former Norwich City midfielder as part of a front two pairing throughout pre-season in his preferred 4-1-2-1-2 formation and has regularly praised his performances during his opening month in charge at St Mary’s, even comparing Redmond to Thierry Henry.
Available for 6.0, the England Under 21 international only showed flashes of his potential as a Canary, managing six goals and four assists last term, though his pace and ability to dribble past opponents makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders.
Already, Redmond seems to have found his feet at St Mary’s, netting on a couple of occasions over the summer.
Expected to start alongside Shane Long when Southampton face Watford, Redmond should have far more opportunities to find himself in shooting positions than in what was a struggling Norwich side. With the Hornets still getting used to Walter Mazzarri’s favoured 3-5-2 formation, it could be worth taking a gamble on the 4.8% owned midfielder to score on the opening day, as he did last season, when Norwich lost 3-1 to Crystal Palace.
Oscar
While plenty of observers thought the installation of Antonio Conte as new manager of Chelsea could mean trouble for players such as Oscar, the Brazilian has actually thrived during the latter stages of pre-season.
The 24-year-old scored twice in the Blues’ 3-1 victory over AC Milan, including once from the penalty spot, and also got on the scoresheet in their final warm-up match, a 4-2 win against Werder Bremen.
Since the arrival of summer signing N’Golo Kante, Conte has opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Oscar operating in front of the French international in central midfield. Certainly, if he starts alongside Nemanja Matic as he did against Bremen, the Brazilian looks to have the license to push forward, making him an appealing option for our initial five-man midfields and an alternative to the pricier Eden Hazard (10.0).
Oscar is currently sat in just 1.4% of teams in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), and while he struggled for both pitch time and form last season, managing just three goals and four assists, he could well be set for a new lease of life under Conte.
With penalty duties seemingly also in the locker, the 7.5-priced midfielder could be worth siding with for Monday night’s home encounter against West Ham.
Gaston Ramirez
Gaston Ramirez heads into the new season having been a crucial component behind Middlesbrough’s promotion charge, with seven goals and an assist in 18 appearances.
The Uruguayan looks set to fill the number ten role for Aitor Karanka’s side, and should be central to ‘Boro’s hopes when they host Stoke at the Riverside.
His prospects look to have been boosted even further following the news that Potters goalkeeper Jack Butland will miss the opening day clash after suffering an ankle problem in training. Stoke conceded 2.6 goals per match in the seven matches Butland missed at the end of last season, compared to an average of 1.2 before injury struck.
With some set-piece duties also in the armoury, Ramirez, who’s available at just 5.5 in FPL, looks to have the potential to exceed his opening valuation given ‘Boro’s favourable start to the new campaign, with showdowns against Sunderland, West Brom and Palace in the subsequent three.
