End of Season Awards – Midfielders

After rolling through the leading goalkeepers and defenders from a Fantasy Football perspective over the 2016/17 campaign, our end of season award nominations continue with the main men in midfield.

Once again, we’ve released a poll in the right column of the homepage to collect your votes – please remember that each person can cast four votes this time around.

2015/16 Fantasy Football Scout Team of the Season Review

Goalkeeper – Jack Butland

Defenders – Toby Alderweireld, Hector Bellerin, Christian Fuchs

Midfielders – Riyad Mahrez, Dele Alli, Dimitri Payet, Mesut Ozil

Forwards – Jamie Vardy,Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane

The contrast in the Fantasy landscape over the last two seasons is more than apparent here, with only Dele Alli making the shortlist among 2015/16’s leading lights.

The Spurs starlet made huge strides to improve on the 10 goals and 12 assists racked up in his debut season, with 18 goals and 11 assists as Mauricio Pochettino’s side capped an impressive campaign with a second-place finish.

Raised expectations, the move to the London Stadium and some poor recruitment last summer suggested it could be a difficult season for West Ham United, and that was reflected in the fortunes of Dimitri Payet.

The Frenchman only managed two goals and seven assists during the first half of the season, before forcing a move back to his former club Marseille in the January transfer window.

Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil both endured disappointing campaigns.

Mahrez – the top scoring player in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) last season with 240 points – only managed half that number this time around, and was rarely a factor in 2016/17.

Initially priced at 9.5 in FPL on the back of his heroics in Leicester’s shock title-winning campaign, the Algerian looks certain to drop in price next season, although a summer move away from the King Power Stadium could re-ignite his Fantasy prospects.

Ozil also started the season available at 9.5 and initially got off to a strong start, scoring three goals in his first six starts.

But a poor run of form during the winter months saw the German largely forgotten as a Fantasy asset, before he showed flashes of his best form towards the end of the campaign, producing a goal and three assists in his last four appearances.

The Gunners playmaker still ended the season with 167 points in FPL, so his price is unlikely to change drastically next term, with a drop to 9.0 perhaps a possibility.

So with Alli the only name retained, here are this season’s runners and riders for the midfield spots.

Alexis Sanchez

After a couple of relatively impressive seasons at the Emirates, the Arsenal attacker finally proved himself as Fantasy royalty and more than justified his lofty 11.0 starting price.

The top-scoring player in FPL, Sanchez ended the campaign on 264 points – a career-high for the Chilean and some 97 points ahead of his previous season.

Sanchez’s total of 24 goals was just five down from his tally for the last two years combined (16 and 13), while it’s a similar story for his 11 assists – just two fewer than the pair of seasons (eight and five) beforehand.

His versatility helped. Stationed as a lone striker or on the left of a 4-2-3-1, he then partnered with Mesut Ozil in central support roles in a 3-4-2-1 set-up over the final few Gameweeks.

A total of 11 double-digit hauls underlined his captaincy credentials, with the highlights including a 23-point return at West Ham in Gameweek 14 and 27 points over Double Gameweek 37.

A rise in price to 12.0 or even 13.0 could be on the cards in light of his improved output, though it’s uncertain whether he’ll still be at Arsenal by that point, amid mounting interest from Chelsea and Man City.

Top-scoring midfielder in the Telegraph game and number one striker in the Sky Sports offering, it remains to be seen whether Sanchez will be reclassified as a forward in FPL next time around.

Eden Hazard and Pedro

Both endured difficult campaigns in 2015/16, tallying just 104 and 113 points respectively, but the Chelsea wide men thrived under new manager Antonio Conte.

Hazard began the season strongly, producing double-digit scores in two of his first three matches, with Conte at that stage favouring a 4-1-4-1 formation.

But it was the Italian’s switch to a 3-4-3 in Gameweek 6 that helped Hazard reach another level.

The Belgian registered 49 points in just four appearances between Gameweeks 8 and 11, including a 19-point haul in the 5-0 thrashing over Everton.

Hazard didn’t really attain those lofty heights during the rest of the campaign, but a steady stream of attacking returns saw him end the season with 16 goals and nine assists and finish as the third highest scoring midfielder with 224 points.

In front of his own fans in particular, Hazard flourished. Whereas 15 of Sanchez’s strikes, and 150 points, were registered on the road, the Chelsea winner netted 12 of his 16 goals on home turf – at least three more than any midfield rival.

We can expect a rise from last year’s initial 10.0 valuation, with 11.5 or 12.0 perhaps on the cards. Yet as one of the few premium midfielders offering spot-kick duties, Hazard could more than merit such a hike – he’s now returned 190+ points in four of his five seasons in the top flight.

The change in system was also pivotal to Pedro’s success – he’d started just one of Chelsea’s first seven matches, returning a single assist.

But his first start in the new formation yielded an assist in the 3-0 win over Leicester City in Gameweek 8 before he produced 36 points in the Blues’ next three home encounters.

The Spaniard was, at this stage of the season, sharing playing time with Willian, but he would start 12 of Chelsea’s 13 matches between Gameweeks 20 and 33, registering three double-digit scores.

Pedro ended the campaign with nine goals and 10 assists, totalling 162 points in FPL. Despite his ability to plunder big scores in any single Gameweek, Pedro remained a differential throughout the campaign, with his ownership peaking at 486,673 in Gameweek 30.

Having kicked off last term at 7.5, Pedro could be similarly priced next season, with a hike to 8.5 the likely ceiling. But with rotation set to be more of a factor due to the Blues’ involvement in the Champions League, it may be that Hazard proves to be the only safe option from the Chelsea midfield.

Runner-up among midfielders in Sky Sports, Hazard claimed fourth in the Telegraph offering, while Pedro grabbed sixth spot in the latter game.

Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-min

Alli and Eriksen featured on this very shortlist 12 months ago and both enjoyed stellar campaigns once again, registering 225 and 218 points respectively to finish second and fourth among FPL midfielders.

Although the pair were identical for ppm (6.1), how they came about it vastly differed – Alli offered the main goal threat (18 strikes to Eriksen’s eight) with Eriksen adding the creative edge (20 assists to Alli’s 11).

When it came to output, Alli was the most consistent – he produced points in 22 of his 35 starts, whereas Eriksen delivered in 17 of 36 outings. Yet the latter was more liable to serve up substantial returns, bettering Alli by 10 double-digit hauls to seven.

In terms of the underlying statistics, though, Eriksen reigned supreme – the Dane registered more goal attempts (133) and chances created (112) than any other FPL midfielder.

The pair were near-certain starters when fit, in either the 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1 formations generally favoured by Pochettino, and battled it out for our attention throughout the season.

Both began the campaign priced at 8.5 in FPL, though we can surely expect a shift into the premium bracket next time out, with a cost of around 10.0 to 11.0 on the cards. But with Harry Kane likely to be earmarked by many as the prime route into the Spurs attack, the midfield pair could struggle to claim a place in our initial plans, at least.

The Spurs duo also claimed a place in the top four midfield spots in Sky Sports and the Telegraph, with Alli finishing first in the former game due to Sanchez’s classification as a forward.

Despite failing to secure a regular role under Pochettino, Son Heung-min still finished ninth in the FPL midfield standings with 174 points.

The South Korean’s total of 14 goals and nine assists from just 23 starts was hugely impressive, with his most consistent spell of the season coming between Gameweeks 30 and 33, when he produced 42 points in FPL and shone as a mid-price differential playing predominantly on the left flank.

Impressively, an average of 154.5 minutes per goal was second only to Sanchez’s 140.8 among FPL midfielders.

Son will surely come in cheaper than his high-scoring midfield team-mates, yet there’s no question that he remains far more prone to his manager’s rotation plans than Alli and Eriksen, particularly when Spurs opt for a 3-4-2-1.

Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane

Liverpool’s star midfield trio all enjoyed strong campaigns, although it was rarely clear which one provided the best option.

Although Firmino finished as the Reds’ top scorer on 180 points, this can mainly be put down to injuries – Coutinho and Mane started just 26 and 28 matches to the former’s 34 appearances on Jurgen Klopp’s teamsheet.

Indeed, in terms of ppm, Mane (5.8) and Coutinho (5.5) both bettered Firmino’s 5.1.

All three started the 20161/7 campaign with different price tags in FPL – Coutinho came in as low as 8.0, with Firmino at 8.5 and Mane 9.0. This time around, there’d be no real surprise if there was no disparity, with a move to 9.5 or even 10.0 a possibility for all three.

Looking forward, much may depend on what system Klopp employs.

The Reds’ manager mainly chose a 4-3-3 last time out, with Coutinho, Firmino and Mane as the front three, though a switch to a midfield diamond in the final two Gameweeks helped Liverpool put seven past West Ham and Middlesbrough without reply.

Coutinho was utilised in a deeper role yet still amassed 29 points over that pair of matches, though the notion of Firmino and Mane as a front two – particularly if, as expected, they remain as midfielders – will increase the appeal of both players.

Gylfi Sigurdsson

Following his best ever FPL campaign in 2015/16, when he registered 158 points, much was expected from Swansea City’s Gylfi Sigurdsson on the back of a successful Euro 2016 with Iceland.

Priced at 7.5 in FPL, a tough opening fixture list persuaded many managers to largely ignore Sigurdsson from the outset.

But despite the Welsh club battling to avoid relegation for the majority of the season, he still ended as the sixth top midfielder, serving up a career-high 181 FPL points thanks to nine goals, 12 assists and 18 bonus points.

Sigurdsson’s role on set-pieces and as the first-choice penalty taker almost guarantees a steady stream of attacking points – indeed, despite providing just three double-figure hauls, he still supplied attacking returns in 19 of his 37 starts.

Joint-top with Sanchez for shots on target (49) from midfield, the Icelandic schemer scored or assisted 48.8% of the Swans’ 45 goals and his output over the past nine months may justify a price rise to 8.0 or even 8.5 in FPL.

It remains to be seen, however, whether he will still be at the Liberty by that point, as he continues to be linked with a move to Everton.

Kevin De Bruyne

An injury-hit first campaign limited Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne to just 131 points in FPL, but much was expected of the Belgian heading into 2016/17 following the appointment of head coach Pep Guardiola.

De Bruyne was handed a price tag of 10.5 in FPL but, despite topping the assist charts with 21, he struggled to gain significant investment due to a lack of goals, finishing the campaign with just six.

The City star spent a sizeable period of the season playing in a deeper midfield role, but his form over the final few weeks, when he averaged 8.3 ppm in his last seven appearances from a more advanced position, may be a sign of things to come in 2017/18.

De Bruyne ended the season ranked fifth among FPL midfielders with 199 points, although he was joint-first across the entire game for bonus points, with 33.

Heading into next season, De Bruyne is likely to come in around the same price and looks set to remain as City’s chief creator. Despite his lowly goal output, it’s worth noting that he struck the woodwork on eight occasions last year – more than any player in the top-flight.

But with Gabriel Jesus already a preferred pick for many and Sergio Aguero still in the mix, De Bruyne could face a tough task to claim a spot in our five-man midfield – particularly if Leroy Sane remains in the mid-price bracket, having delivered just 103 points in his debut campaign. Factor in new boy Bernardo Silva and there’s no shortage of competition for our attentions at the Etihad.

Michail Antonio

After enjoying a fine debut campaign in the Premier League in 2015/16, the West Ham midfielder produced another strong run of form until sustaining a season-ending hamstring injury against Swansea City in Gameweek 32.

Antonio ended with 132 points, registering nine goals and eight assists from just 29 starts – an average of 4.6 ppm that was on a par with Chelsea’s Pedro, for example.

He enjoyed a purple patch at the start of the season, tallying 38 points between Gameweek 2 and 5 and played in a variety of positions under West Ham boss Slaven Bilic, from right-back to a central striker, although the bulk of his production came when operating on the right wing.

The former Forest man seems set to remain around the 7.0 mark for 2017/18 and could again emerge as a popular midfield asset thanks to his aerial ability – only Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (13) has scored more headed goals than Antonio (12) over the past two seasons.

Josh King

A sensational second half of the season saw King rival the likes of Swansea City’s Michu from 2012/13 and Dele Alli from 2015/16 as a stand-out budget midfield option.

Although he ultimately returned 16 goals, three assists, 17 bonus points and a total of 178 points in FPL, King struggled for the first few months and netted just twice in his first 18 matches. However, a run of 14 goals from Gameweek 19 onwards was more than any other midfielder.

By the time King emerged as a viable Fantasy asset, his price had dropped from an initial 5.5 to 5.3, with just over 30,000 managers owning the Cherries attacker in Gameweek 22. And despite ending the campaign priced at 6.2, that late-season surge ensured that he ranked second for value in terms of points per million (28.7).

Versatile enough to play in a central support role or up front, King’s classification will be one to watch next time out, given that he is already listed as a forward in the Sky Sports game.

We can expect a rise to around 7.0 or 7.5, although our attentions could turn to Jermain Defoe if the veteran returns to the club over the summer.

Having scored in each of the final three Gameweeks, Junior Stanislas could also offer competition among the Cherries midfield contingent – his average of 5.1 ppm was superior to King’s 4.9.

Etienne Capoue

Starting off at a cost of 4.5, the Frenchman served up seven goals, two assists and 14 bonus points to end the season as the number one value midfielder in terms of points per million (29.1) and second overall to Burnley stopper Tom Heaton (29.2) in 2016/17.

After registering just a single assist during the previous season, Capoue had next to no history as a viable FPL asset. But our assessment soon changed after he was utilised in an advanced midfield role by Hornets head coach Walter Mazzarri.

Stuck on numerous benches through the opening Gameweeks, Capoue racked up four goals and an assist over the first five matches, becoming the cause of much frustration as many failed to find a spot in their starting XI for the red-hot Watford midfielder.

Capoue was the first major bandwagon of the campaign, finding himself owned by over 1,700,000 managers by Gameweek 8 to peak at a price of 5.3.

His total of 131 points in FPL – more than double any other Watford midfielder – should earn Capoue a slight price hike for 2017/18.

Joe Allen

Moving from Liverpool to Stoke City in the summer, little was expected from a player whose most prolific season was back in 2011/12, where he scored four times for Swansea.

But a surprising shift into the No 10 role meant Allen burst into life, registering four goals and two assists between Gameweeks 6 and 10.

That run of form saw the Welshman emerge as a favoured cheap fifth midfield option, but he was unable to hit those heights again, failing to add to the three double-figure hauls produced over that spell.

Ending the season as Stoke’s top scoring player in FPL with 118 points, Allen looks set to be the subject of a slight price rise from last term’s starting value of 5.0.