Analysing the £4.5m FPL midfelders – the best of a bad bunch

After the Premier League announced the fixture list ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, fantasy managers’ tinkering has reached new heights. Favourable opening fixtures for big-hitters such as Mohammed Salah (£12.0m), Sadio Mané (£12.0m), Harry Kane (£10.5m) and the new Chelsea duo of Timo Werner (£9.5m) and Hakim Ziyech (£8.0m) have been ushered into squads as players spend money frivolously.

However, for every side’s revered fantasy asset, managers will be scouting for a cut-price option to balance the books. In midfield, you can’t go cheaper than £4.5m, and even though they may be bench fodder, choosing the right one can cause a minor headache. Unsurprisingly so too, as FPL towers only offer the most unglamorous of options at that price, but let’s take a look at who is the best of a drab bunch.

Dale Stephens | Brighton | Ownership: 14.6%

The most popular of the £4.5m midfield options so far is Brighton’s Dale Stephens. On paper, it’s easy to see why. Of all the options at his price who featured in the Premier League last season, none made more starts than Stephens’ 28 and none played more minutes than his 2528. If you add the five times Stephens was subbed on last term, that’s 33 appearances, featuring in 87% of matches. Such minutes are likely the pull for those near 15% of managers as he seems a guaranteed one point at least.

The most likely challenger to Stephens’ starts would be fellow 4.5 option Yves Bissouma, although both can be deployed side-by-side. However, inconsistency has plagued the Mali international and Graham Potter seems to favour the Brit – murmurings of Arsenal interest in Bissouma may add weight to that. However, as some Potters fans may have you believe, should Bissouma find a run of form, his potential is far greater than Stephens – we’ll look at that momentarily.

If you are looking for more than a guaranteed one point on your bench, however, then Dale Stephens is not your man. Only one goal across three Premier League seasons, coming in the 2018/19 campaign, which is no surprise given the player’s preference to sit deep. There was one assist last time out, in the 2-2 clash with Wolves, although even that was a speculative long ball forward which saw Neil Maupay finish brilliantly.  On top of that, it’s worth bearing in mind that Stephens’ garnered eight yellow cards last season, a frequent -1 for managers to be aware of, coupled with Brighton mustering just six clean sheets whilst he featured.

Oriol Romeu | Southampton | Ownership: 3.8%

The second most popular pick, and a far way behind Dale Stephens, is Oriol Romeu. The midfielder is a name I’ve seen mentioned on Fantasy Football Scout more than the Brighton man which is somewhat surprising given the fact the Spaniard only started 20 matches last time out. With his 10 appearances from the bench, that makes 30 and only three less than Stephens, but Romeu is far more of a squad rotation player than the Brighton midfielder.

Without a single goal or assist to his name either, his 3.8% of owners are clearly hoping to not have to use the Saints man. His one chance creation every 98 minutes is not quite as uninspiring as his measly eight goal attempts all season, none on which were on target. One aspect Romeu has going for him is Southampton’s favourable start to the campaign. In the first six gameweeks Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men will welcome Everton and West Brom to St. Mary’s, as well as travelling to Crystal Palace and Burnley, with clashes with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea the only obvious banana skins. That means the occasional clean sheet point but, remember, Romeu even playing for the 60 minutes needed for that is far from a given.

Jordan Stevens | Leeds United | Ownership: 2.3% 

The most exciting options from the yearly slim 4.5 midfield pickings often comes from the promoted sides and the chance that the FPL gods have missed out on an unearthed gem – Todd Cantwell we are looking at you. According to his 2.3% ownership, it’s clear that some managers think that Jordan Stevens may provide that.

Where Stevens differs from Stephens and Romeu, is that he is a youngster not yet at his prime. The 20-year-old broke through from the Leeds under-23 side last season as Marco Biesla praised his “quality and speed”. Normally, that would stand Stevens in very good stead for an even better follow up season and potential breakthrough, as Biesla has become known for continuity rather than big change. That said, the arrival of midfielders Helder Costa from Wolves and Jack Harrison from Man City – who have both been priced higher than Stevens at 5.5 – is yet more competition for him to deal with.

However you look at it, the talented youngster does have the potential to turn heads this season. Nonetheless, he has a very long way to go, not starting a single game for the first team last season and not playing for more than 18 minutes when he did come off the bench. If you’re needing a reliable set and forget from the start, Stevens probably isn’t your man.

James McCarthy | Crystal Palace | Ownership: 1.9%

Playing even fewer minutes than Oriol Romeu last season, Crystal Palace’s James McCarthy made a meagre 16 Premier League starts over the 2019/20 campaign. An additional 17 appearances form the bench will give fantasy managers going for the midfielder a little more reassurance – although the nine yellow cards the player picked up over so few minutes won’t. What’s more, McCarthy has never scored or assisted for Palace and with trips to Manchester United and Chelsea in the first four Gameweeks, that doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon. With other players more guaranteed game time and with more potential for attacking returns (albeit little themselves), there’s little McCarthy appeal.

Yves Bissouma | Brighton | Ownership: 1.7%

Despite not seeming it at surface level, Yves Bissouma could well be one of the most enticing 4.5 midfield options over the course of the season. There aren’t many stats to support that, we’ll look at those in a moment, but there’s a general feeling that if he can reach his best, the 23-year-old could cement an important role in Potter’s side. In a recent fan article We Are Brighton looked into the blossoming midfielder’s potential. Amidst a potential move to Arsenal, although there’s no major reporting of this in the national press, fans had even valued Bissouma up to £60 million.

Having only started 15 times last time out, making 11 appearances from the bench, and only netting once – you’d be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about. The stats would support you there, a chance created every 315 minutes and only two shots inside the box all season don’t seem to point to much.

However, it’s Bissouma’s presence on the pitch with which Brighton fans love. His one goal last season came on the final day and was a screamer against Burnley. In that match the Brighton & Hove Independent labelled him “perhaps Brighton’s best central midfielder in the second half of the season” and 90min.com notes that “provided they can hold on to him, he’ll continue to be just that [Brighton’s most important midfielder] for some time to come”.

Despite playing in the same role, sometimes alongside Stephens, Bissouma is far more adventurous with the ball. He has a penchant for carrying it forward, rather than playing it, completing 32 out of 48 take-ons in his 1260 minutes – over 2528 minutes Dale Stephens only completed 10. Underneath the rather average stats, there seems to be a talented midfielder starting to kick-on and potentially the best option in his bracket.

Anthony Gordon | Everton | Ownership: 1.4%

One of, if not the only positive, to be taken from Everton’s performances after the restart is the arrival of Anthony Gordon into the first team. At just 19-years-old, the winger is very much a babyface in the Toffees’ squad but added far more dynamism than any of the more experienced Everton midfield.

Much of Gordon’s appeal depends on who Carlo Ancelotti signs over the transfer window. Both Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure are now odds on to arrive at Goodison Park, however, both tend to play down the middle, although do offer a degree of flexibility. If no out-and-out wingers arrive, then Ancelotti will have no choice but to use the youngster, even if in rotation with the likes of Theo Walcott (£6.0m), Richarlison (£8.0m), Bernard and Alex Iwobi (£6.0m).

At his young age, even if Gordon does play, a full 90 minutes will be rare. When on the pitch though, he has the potential to register more than points for simply minutes played. A single assist towards the back end of last season doesn’t credit the impetus Gordon added in the Everton side and had the rest of the side’s forward players not been so lethargic, the Englishman may well have had more to work with. There are question marks over just how much playing time Gordon gets and he isn’t a guaranteed point from the bench, but has potential to grow into a good option.

Ian Poveda | Leeds United | Ownership: 0.5%

Leeds winger Ian Poveda is another one who looks unlikely to bring in the points immediately from Gameweek 1 but is another to keep tabs on. The 20-year-old arrived at Leeds from Manchester City in January and had been a fringe player for the back end of the season, only starting once.

However, an assist on the last day of the season against Charlton allowed fans to glimpse the player who Pep Guardiola praised for having “incredible power”. Poveda is a quick, technical and wily player for defences to deal with. The likes of FootballFanCast have called for Biesla to “unleash” him on the Premier League. That won’t happen immediately, but it’s one to monitor if he is given the chance.

William Smallbone | Southampton | Ownership: 0.5%

Having signed a contract extension this summer, Southampton’s William Smallbone is making his way into a few teams across the Fantasy Football Scout forum. Six starts in the final 12 matches of the last campaign saw the 20-year-old register two assists from the right-midfield position. However, with Stuart Armstrong (who himself looks an enticing option at 5.5) above Smallbone in the pecking order – the 4.5 midfielder only played 60 minutes in the final match of the season due to an injury forcing Armstrong off – he’s another that isn’t guaranteed minutes from the start.