The best FPL midfielders for a Gameweek 34 Wildcard

For those Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers still with a Wildcard to use, Gameweek 34 is seemingly the most popular time to use it.

Over 25% of site readers responding to our sidebar poll say they will activate the chip this week.

Chelsea and Manchester United play twice in Gameweek 34, so Wildcarding now will maximise the points potential for both this upcoming round of matches and Double Gameweeks 36 and 37.

With this in mind, we have produced a position-by-position guide to pick out the best and most discussed options in each category.

You can read a rundown of the stand-out goalkeepers here and defenders here.

All stats taken from this article are from our Premium Members Area.

MOHAMED SALAH

Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) had been on a barren run by his usual standards leading up to Gameweek 33, not scoring a goal from open play since February 19 against Norwich City.

However, any doubts surrounding the Egyptian were firmly put to bed as he got back on the scoresheet against Manchester United and looked a lot more like his old self.

Despite his recent dry spell in front of goal, his two goals at Anfield have taken his tally for the league season to 22, stretching his lead at the top of the Premier League goal scoring charts to five over Son Heung-min (£11.1m).

Sadio Mane (£11.7m), meanwhile, has produced eight attacking returns since Gameweek 26, but his underlying goal threat numbers remain someway behind the Egyptian over the last six matches:

Diogo Jota (£8.3m) and Luis Diaz (£7.9m) are cheaper options in Jurgen Klopp’s ranks, but predicting starts is trickier.

As for Liverpool, they are now unbeaten in nine games in all competitions and are 13 unbeaten in the league as they still chase an unprecedented quadruple.

Next up is Everton, who Salah scored twice against earlier in the season, before a favourable run of fixtures which includes a double-header against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa in Gameweek 36.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE

From Gameweek 17 onwards, Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) has started 15 of the 16 Premier League matches he has been available for, producing 13 attacking returns and five double-digit hauls.

Averaging 7.9 points per match in that time, his 118 points is only beaten by Spurs duo Son and Harry Kane (£12.6m), while his 44 shots and 49 chances created rank fifth and top respectively among all players.

The only real downside to De Bruyne right now is price, plus a packed schedule that includes two Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid.

Watford at home might seem the time for a rest, a la Norwich in Gameweek 25 – but then again, he’s only recently warmed the bench for 90 minutes at Wembley in the FA Cup.

It must be said that there is potential for Phil Foden (£7.8m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m) to do well, too, while Raheem Sterling (£10.5m) is an exciting – perhaps shorter-term – investment, given his midweek rest.

Manchester City are midway down our Season Ticker for fixture difficulty, but their outstanding match against Wolverhampton Wanderers is still to be added in either Gameweek 36 or 37 and once that happens, they’ll shoot right up the standings.

Not one fixture against a ‘big six’ club remains, while what would seem to be City’s biggest test on paper – a trip to West Ham United in Gameweek 37 – will likely be made that bit easier if the Hammers make it through to the Europa League final, which follows three days after that clash at the Etihad.

SON HEUNG-MIN/DEJAN KULUSEVSKI

Having produced a whopping 51 points in his last four starts, Son Heung-min remains one of the best midfielders on offer.

In fact, since Antonio Conte first took charge in Gameweek 11, the South Korean is the leading points scorer among FPL midfielders:

He enjoys making a mockery of Opta’s expected goals (xG) stats, too. While he may not be able to match Salah for shots, big chances or xG over an extended period, he has exceeded the data-collectors’ predictions ever since he came to the Premier League.

Dejan Kulusevski (£6.4m), meanwhile, has hit the ground running at Spurs following his January arrival.

Playing on the right of the front three, the Swede has scored three and also supplied seven assists in 12 appearances, averaging 6.4 points per match. Son still comfortably bests Kulusevski for xGI since the pair first started their run in the team together, but he is an appealing alternative route into Spurs’ attack given the £4.7m price difference.

After six wins in their previous seven Premier League games, Saturday’s defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion felt like a return to the inconsistency that undermined Tottenham Hotspur’s start to 2022.

However, favourable fixtures surround Spurs’ Double Gameweek 36 and there’s a top-four spot to play for, so rotation should be kept at a minimum.

KAI HAVERTZ/MASON MOUNT

Kai Havertz (£7.9m) has been starting up front for Chelsea in the past few weeks, producing five goals and one assist in his last six Premier League outings.

That included a brace in the Gameweek 28 victory at Burnley, as well as a goal in his last start at Southampton.

Although he may occasionally be rotated, his midweek breather should go some way to alleviating any immediate concerns, while the Blues’ elimination from Europe helps with the rotation risk on the domestic front, although the FA Cup final in between Gameweeks 36 and 37 sets alarm bells ringing, particularly if there is little left to play for in the league.

Mason Mount (£7.6m), meanwhile, appears to be Chelsea’s most assured starter at the top end of the pitch: the England international has started 16 of the last 17 league matches he has been available for.

And although he may not seem as exciting a pick as his German team-mate or even the revitalised Timo Werner (£8.6m), he is an excellent FPL asset in his own right and in good form. In his last five appearances, Mount has returned a 13 and 19-point haul and has registered six attacking returns.

Top of our Season Ticker is Chelsea, as their Double Gameweek 34 is followed by a strong set of season-closing matches.

BUKAYO SAKA

Bukayo Saka (£6.8m) has been in fine form for Arsenal this season and ranks sixth among midfielders for FPL points.

Saka now has 11 attacking returns and four double-digit hauls from Gameweek 16 onwards, averaging 5.8 points per start in that time. During that period, he’s second for shots, joint-third for chances created and third for xGI among midfielders, and all of those ahead of him are much more expensive in FPL.

The winger was minutes away from blanking for the fourth-straight match in Gameweek 33, but dusted himself down to convert the stoppage-time spot kick he himself had won, with previous takers Alexandre Lacazette (£8.3m) and Nicolas Pepe (£6.9m) off the field. Those two players above may not be guaranteed sustained game-time in the run-in so it’s worth pondering just who is on penalties for the Gunners going forward.

He’s also, in theory, the securest route into an exciting Gunners attack – his only two benching’s this season have come off the back of fitness concerns.

Saka, incidentally, started Gameweek 33 at right wing-back as Mikel Arteta moved to a 3-4-2-1 formation, but still posed a threat throughout.

Arsenal’s win at Chelsea on Wednesday has helped revive their Champions League push, and some decent fixtures await, which includes a double-header in Gameweek 36 against Leeds United and rivals Spurs.

OTHERS TO CONSIDER

There’ll be week-to-week uncertainty over what sort of Leicester City team Brendan Rodgers will put out during the run-in, particularly with a Europa League semi-final to be contested either side of Gameweek 35.

Outfield teammates like James Maddison (£7.0m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.6m) are both having minutes managed, but have impressed when on the pitch. Maddison has three attacking returns in his last five outings, while Barnes scored his fourth league goal of the season against Everton on Wednesday.

The Foxes, meanwhile, have a closing run of fixtures that is high in quantity and quality. Their remaining outings include hosting Norwich City, Southampton and Everton.

There’s an argument to suggest that, if you remove quantity from the equation, Crystal Palace have the best remaining fixtures for the run-in.

Five matches against sides in the bottom half now follow, while the visit of Manchester United on the final day of the season should hold no fear based on what the Red Devils have served up of late.

Patrick Vieira’s side don’t have a lot to play for – they are out of all cup competitions and sat in 14th position. Yet they are fifth in the Season Ticker and about to face Leeds United (h), Southampton (a) and Watford (h) in a promising sequence.

Wilfried Zaha (£6.8m) looks like the pick of the midfielders on offer, having served up six goals in his last 10 appearances.

Now that Aston Villa’s one remaining blank is out of the way, Philippe Coutinho (£7.1m) might be worth a look.

The Villans’ run-in contains two Double Gameweeks and five fixtures against sides ranked ninth or below, which is just as well given how they have performed against the teams in contention for a European qualification spot.

Even the away match against Leicester on Saturday might be less tricky than usual given that the Foxes are in Europa League semi-final action five days later.

Coutinho, meanwhile, does tend to blow hot and cold, but has racked up four goals and three assists since his January arrival.

Of the budget enablers, Anthony Gordon (£4.6m), Jacob Ramsey (£4.7m) and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£4.4m) are all worthy of consideration, especially for those with Bench Boosts still to play, with Everton, Villa and Leicester all involved in ‘doubles’ in Gameweek 36 and 37.

WHAT OUR RATE MY TEAM TOOL PREDICTS