Watchlist Update – Salah reclaims midfield top spot for Gameweek 10

Mohamed Salah (£12.8m) has returned to the summit of the midfielders section of our Watchlist.

We use the tool to rank different Fantasy Premier League options based on their recent form and upcoming fixtures.

After updating the goalkeepers and defenders earlier this week, we’ve now got the movers and shakers in the midfield and forward departments.

Midfielders

We start with Salah, who has overtaken Eden Hazard (£11.4m) to reclaim top spot in his position. The fixtures continue to be very attractive for the Reds with Cardiff and Fulham two of their next three opponents. Three goals in his last two matches in all competitions were long due and he has now revealed he will take penalties when James Milner is not around. We are backing him to continue his form against the Bluebirds this weekend.

Hazard’s slip to second place is largely based on the doubts over whether he will play in Gameweek 10 as rumours over a back injury have emerged in the last few days. He is obviously still a fantastic option, as we highlighted in our latest captain article, but nevertheless, Liverpool’s fixtures rank slightly higher than Chelsea’s on our Season Ticker right now.

Raheem Sterling (£11.2m) is a non-mover in third place. The Manchester City man’s form has not changed but we have to reflect the fact that he was rotated in Gameweek 9, his second league benching of the campaign. Furthermore, the defending Premier League champions have less appealing fixtures than Liverpool and Chelsea, on paper at least.

Sadio Mané (£9.7m) could be set for a return to goal-scoring form and Liverpool’s fixtures, as we’ve already mentioned, give him the chance to do that. He arguably could have had a hat-trick in the Champions League midweek but did miss a penalty and has been disappointing in the league of late. The hope for his owners is that poor opposition will bring out the best in him again.

James Maddison (£7.0m) rises up a few places to emerge as the ‘best of the rest’ in midfield. That is mainly to do with his fixtures given that Leicester rank top on our Season Ticker for attack over the next six Gameweeks. Maddison has created 10 chances over the last four matches and seems the best way to invest in what we expect to be a profitable run of games for the Foxes.

Andre Schürrle (£6.0m) gets a slight bump, also largely to do with fixtures. Fulham themselves may be struggling to defend to Premier League standard but the German midfielder has four goals in his last seven matches and three appealing opponents in the next four matches. Bournemouth and Southampton both come to Craven Cottage between now and Gameweek 13 with Huddersfield the next away day for Fulham.

Those fixtures are why Ryan Fraser (£6.0m) has fallen below Schürrle. After Bournemouth travel to Fulahm this week they face Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City in three of their four matches after that. Just below Fraser is Richarlison (£6.8m) whose Out of Position factor for playing up front seems to have actually been a hindrance in recent weeks. You can read more on that subject here. He also loses his Favourable Fixtures factor as Everton’s schedule looks best used in a rotation over the next six weeks with three awful away matches but three very attractive ones at Goodison Park.

Mesut Özil (£8.4m) and Anthony Knockaert (£5.5m) bring up the rear for midfielders. The Arsenal man has three double-figure hauls in the last six Gameweeks but has a schedule that is starting to stiffen up. Meanwhile, Knockaert had looked like a nice budget option with great fixtures but has been revealed to be a rotation risk by Brighton manager Chris Hughton himself. Depending on whether he starts against Wolves, this could be his last week on the Watchlist.

Forwards

Sergio Aguero (£11.3m) is nowhere near losing his top spot among the best strikers in the top flight right now. He has also lost his Rotation Risk factor having started every single league match this season.

Jamie Vardy (£9.0m) has managed to climb above Alexandre Lacazette (£9.7m) into second place. The Leicester man has recorded more goal attempts, more shots on target and more big chances in the last four Gasmeweeks compared to Lacazette and has much better fixtures too.

West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic (£7.0m) is another riser as the Hammers fixtures continue to turn and the Austrian steps up his penalty area actions in recent matches. He goes above Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.9m) whose offensive numbers have been going in the opposite direction, although he still has some nice fixtures on the horizon.

Raúl Jiménez (£5.7m) is another faller on account of some difficult matches coming up for Wolves. They face Spurs and Arsenal in Gameweeks 11 and 12. That said, there is still a trip to Brighton to consider this week as well as Cardiff and Huddersfield in Gameweeks 13 and 14. Jiménez’s price also makes benching him for those tougher outings a little easier.

The appeal of Liverpool’s upcoming run does put Roberto Firmino (£9.3m) back into the conversation. His underlying numbers may be discouraging compared to team-mate Salah but, as is the case with Mané, obliging defences could reinvigorate the Brazilian forward.

Callum Wilson (£6.5m) drops down the list for the same reason Fraser did, as Bournemouth face some tough fixtures over the next six Gameweeks. So does Harry Kane (£12.5m), who has been handed the Unfavourable Fixtures tag. It’s Man City up next for Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal in a few weeks as well as trips to Wolves and Crystal Palace – two sides who have not been too obliging this season.

Glenn Murray (£6.6m) occupies the tenth position. He is an injury doubt for Gameweek 10 but given that concussion protocol has been observed by the club he is unlikely to miss more than one match if at all. Only Aguero and Hazard have netted more home goals than Murray so far this season and he has blanked just once at the Amex Stadium so far. With a nice run of matches coming up for Brighton it’s worth keeping an eye on Murray.

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