Following our analysis of the latest Watchlist movements among the goalkeepers and defenders over the last few days, we now turn our attention to the midfielders.
The Watchlist is designed to offer a view on our current mid-term player recommendations, based on the prospects spanning the next four-to-six Gameweeks.
You will find our current Watchlist standings in your right-hand menu on desktop and mobile.
Having amassed 49 points over the last four Gameweeks – via five goals and two assists – it’s impossible to look beyond Chelsea’s Eden Hazard at the top of our standings.
The Belgian does face difficult fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Man City in the next three, but there’s little doubt he has the form to prevail, while Chelsea also have a great schedule from Gameweek 15 onwards.
Tomorrow’s Stamford Bridge press conference will be keenly monitored by Fantasy managers given that Hazard sustained a knock while on duty with Belgium. However, we fully expect Antonio Conte to declare Hazard fit to to travel to Middlesbrough and resume his scintillating run of form.
Trailing the Chelsea man, it’s no surprise to find Liverpool’s in-form Brazilians leading the chase.
Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino have both shown improved consistency of late, garnering attacking returns in each of the last three Gameweeks, and look set to continue plundering points given that the Reds’ fixture list remains favourable.
If you can find a way to accommodate both in your five-man midfield, then that does look the optimum setup for the coming month.
Both Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane remain in our thoughts, although the former is now temporarily out of the equation having sustained further groin problems in England’s 2-2 draw against Spain in midweek.
Lallana can eventually provide the value option of the four, although having blanked in his two previous starts before a 12-point haul against Watford, it’s difficult to look beyond the Coutinho and Firmino combination as the key coverage of Liverpool’s vibrant midfield.
As for Mane, his underlying numbers aren’t quite as promising, although he remains a viable option given his average of 6.1 points per game (ppg).
While Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez emerged unscathed in Chile’s 3-1 win over Uruguay, and also scored twice, he does suffer a slight drop on our ladder due to concerns that Arsene Wenger may have to manage his minutes over the next couple of matches.
Sanchez seems likely to start at Old Trafford, although the theory that he could be shifted wide to make way for the physical presence of Giroud appears to have legs.
Certainly, there’s a chance that Theo Walcott could be absent from the Manchester United clash given that we believe that his wife is still on the verge of giving birth to a second child. While details on that possibility remain understandably scarce, we still have confidence on Walcott as an option in the mid-term.
Sanchez’s home form is also a concern. Arsenal’s next two matches at the Emirates are against Bournemouth and Stoke City – matches he’d be expected to deliver in – yet he has scored just one league goal in six home outings so far. That has us favour the value offered by Walcott, a key factor given the lure of Hazard and the aforementioned Liverpool pairing.
Simmering around the two Arsenal players is Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne, who offers the double-up option alongside Sergio Aguero, or even perhaps as an alternative to the Argentine given he’s averaging 6.2 ppg, compared to 6.8 for the striker.
City do have some tough fixtures coming up, though, while Pep Guardiola has already shown his fondness for rotation, which is a concern heading towards the busy festive period.
That means Ilkay Gundogan may prove to be the preferred option when considering a City double-up, as either a mid-price fourth midfielder or even a fifth midfielder in a 3-5-2.
The emergence of Gundogan has dented the prospects of Raheem Sterling, who slides all the way down to the foot of our rankings.
In terms of budget options, it’s Stoke City’s Joe Allen and Hull City’s Robert Snodgrass that are the standout candidates.
Allen is on the Suspension Tightrope after collecting four yellow cards, but does face three very favourable matches over the next few weeks. There are also concerns that he could sacrifice his number ten role in the light of recent Stoke City injuries in midfield.
Snodgrass also has great fixtures to kick on from his goal and assist on his return against Southampton last time out, while West Bromwich Albion’s Nacer Chadli also demands our attention.
The Belgian could rise higher in our rankings once his availability following a knee problem is confirmed – he remains a doubt for Monday’s clash with Burnley.
Chadli could prove to be a powerful differential given he has the fixtures, previous form, and is also on penalties for the Baggies.
We’re currently troubled by the lack of an obvious Tottenham target, with Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen tussling for our affections.
With Dele Alli out the equation through injury, we’re sticking with Son for now in anticipation that his starting role remains secure. However, we see ourselves eventually leaning towards Eriksen.
Having netted twice in the international break, the Dane boasts some strong underlying numbers which suggest that he could be another to emerge as a profitable differential in the coming weeks.
