Next up in our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) 2023/24 end-of-season awards is the poll for best midfielders. It can be voted for either below or on the sidebar.

This follows the votes for best goalkeeper and defenders.

Overall score, points per match and FPL value were all factors we considered when compiling a shortlist. The rest we’ll leave up to you.

Whittling this down to eight candidates was tricky, as some managers wished there were more midfield spots in the 15-man squad. It ensured that 3-5-2 was popular for a while.

Although the number of midfield points and their overall proportion are similar to in 2022/23 – 14,963 (47.8%) this time, 14,928 (47.1%) – they’ve been concentrated in fewer names.

Eight of the highest-scoring 11 individuals played in this position, with five topping scores of 200.

With that in mind, here are the best FPL midfielders of 2023/24.

COLE PALMER

• Points: 244
• Points per match: 7.2
• Start cost: £5.0m
• End cost: £6.3m

We have to start with Palmer’s outstanding breakthrough year. He began September as a £4.9m Manchester City prospect and here we are in May, where he’s concluded as this campaign’s highest-scoring player.

The 22-year-old has the second-most goals (22) and attacking returns (35), ranks joint-sixth for big chances created (17) and is the sole individual to end on 10 double-digit hauls. Not bad for someone who didn’t start a league match until Gameweek 7.

Already having a great time, things intensified for Palmer between Gameweeks 28 and 33. In five matches, he netted 10 times, assisted twice and collected a stunning 79 points, including a hat-trick versus Manchester United and four goals against Everton.

Despite Mauricio Pochettino claiming “this is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club,” their resurgent rise to a sixth-place finish was all about the penalty-taking youngster, whose five successive small returns at the end showed he’s also able to be consistent.

It’s no surprise that Palmer achieved the biggest price rise throughout the season – £6.3m from £5.0m. He’s been like a cheat code. But expect a gigantic initial price increase for 2024/25, one that might not make him so ingrained into the template.

PHIL FODEN

• Points: 230
• Points per match: 6.6
• Start cost: £7.5m
• End cost: £8.5m

A fellow graduate of Man City’s academy, Foden has the next-most points. An effect of Kevin De Bruyne‘s (£10.6m) minimal availability is that Foden accumulated 33 league starts, compared to last season’s 22. Without rotation being an issue, this dazzling attacker was able to become integral to their fourth successive title.

So much so that he’s the recent recipient of the Premier League Player of the Season and Football Writers Footballer of the Year awards.

The second half of 2023/24 has seen two Foden hat-tricks and three braces, ranking third overall for shots on target (48). A league-high six of his 19 goals came from outside the penalty area, explaining why he’s comfortably the largest expected goals (xG) overachiever (+8.66).

Added to eight assists, it’s been a pleasure to watch this much-hyped wonderkid blossom into the superstar everyone thought he’d be.

BUKAYO SAKA

• Points: 226
• Points per match: 6.5
• Start cost: £8.5m
• End cost: £8.8m

Time for another England international – throw in Jude Bellingham and, wow, what a set of Euro 2024 Fantasy midfielders. This one’s 16 goals and 12 assists helped Arsenal push Man City all the way, being the third-best in his position for both points and attacking returns.

Early consistency saw just three blanks in Saka’s first 15 outings, later bursting with seven goals and four double-digit scores in the five matches from Gameweeks 22 to 26. A couple of late strikes meant he ended with a haul in both North London derbies.

Furthermore, Saka’s underlying stats were strong. Nobody took more penalty area touches (290), whilst he had the joint-fifth-most shots (108). By being on penalties and set-pieces, he was also able to set up the fourth-most chances for team-mates (91). A real all-rounder.

KAI HAVERTZ

• Points: 180
• Points per match: 4.9
• Start cost: £7.5m
• End cost: £7.6m

Sticking with Arsenal, this summer signing from Chelsea took a while to get going but ended up forcing his way into being a late contender.

It coincided with the German international being played up front by Mikel Arteta. From Gameweek 25 onwards, he churned out a fantastic nine goals, eight assists and six double-digit hauls from 14 appearances. In this period, only Palmer exceeded Havertz’s 117 points.

This out-of-position situation explains why he’s the second-best midfielder for big chances (24) but, unfortunately for FPL managers, it probably means he’ll be reclassified as a forward in 2024/25.

SON HEUNG-MIN

• Points: 213
• Points per match: 6.1
• Start cost: £9.0m
• End cost: £10.0m

Across to Tottenham Hotspur now, where Son’s first campaign without Harry Kane averaged out the highly contrasting two beforehand. In 2021/22, he shared Golden Boot glory but just 152 points came in 2022/23. They were his best and worst totals of the last eight seasons.

Here, a Gameweek 4 hat-trick kicked things into gear under Ange Postecoglou, netting eight times in seven matches. A 17-pointer came in December when hosting Newcastle United but the Asian Cup briefly took Son away.

In truth, things tailed off a bit after another 17 points were achieved in Gameweek 28. The final nine run-outs brought just 2.15 non-penalty expected goals (NPxG), with his huge miss at home to Man City still fresh in our minds.

It was one of 19 big chances – a disappointing amount – but Son does finish fourth for big chances created (20). He joins Foden in being a big xG overachiever (+4.99).

MOHAMED SALAH

• Points: 211
• Points per match: 6.6
• Start cost: £12.5m
• End cost: £13.4m

At first glance, it looks like a poor season by Salah’s high standards. 211 points is his lowest total in seven Liverpool years, where the previous six all brought at least 231. However, a hamstring injury from AFCON duty meant he couldn’t start in the league for eight successive games. To still reach a double-century with such restricted minutes is impressive.

Salah is the joint-second-best midfielder for points per match (6.6) and, like Saka, began very consistently. He delivered in 15 of the first 20 Gameweeks, with 14 goals, eight assists and 156 points having him far ahead as FPL’s top scorer, even with two missed penalties. Things stagnated from there, starting only eight of the remaining 18.

Despite this, the 31-year-old created the most big chances (22), had the third-best number of box touches (260) and finished second for attempts (114), shots on target (54) and expected goal involvement (xGI, 28.71).

So it’ll be interesting to see if Salah stays for the new Arne Slot era. And, if so, will there be a price drop?

ANTHONY GORDON

• Points: 183
• Points per match: 5.2
• Start cost: £5.5m
• End cost: £6.4m

Elsewhere, Newcastle’s unprecedented injury crisis led to a hideous December and early January period that derailed their season. To recover and eventually finish seventh deserves a lot of credit.

Gordon played a massive part in this restoration by scoring past all of the supposed ‘big six’ – just the second player to do this in the same season, after Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy. Helped by winning six penalties, the former Everton attacker ended with a number of assists (16) bettered only by Ollie Watkins (£8.9m).

But the most intriguing bit of Gordon’s campaign is his huge contrast between home and away returns. Nobody recorded more at home (22) whilst only five came on the road – boosted by a goal and assist in his final two. Another thing to consider for 2024/25 is his tendency to get yellow cards (10).

JARROD BOWEN

• Points: 182
• Points per match: 5.4
• Start cost: £7.0m
• End cost: £7.6m

Together with Saka and Gordon, a notable absentee from Gameweek 38 was West Ham United attacker Bowen.

The first ever Premier League player to score in a season’s first six away matches, when Bowen netted in his seventh consecutive trip, he became only the third to do so at any stage of proceedings.

And most of these occurred before his redeployment as a forward. This took place around Gameweek 11, where Bowen went on to prove he could grab goals at home too by securing a February hat-trick against Brentford.

Above: Midfielders sorted by overall big chances

His final tally of 16 strikes is a personal best, although the 182 points are still short of 2021/22’s heroics. Ranked joint third amongst midfielders for big chances (22), Bowen’s future positioning will depend on the Hammers’ new manager. Such uncertainty may keep him as an in-game midfielder.

OTHER MIDFIELDERS

It’s worth mentioning a few more names from such a competitive category. Not including Martin Odegaard (£8.6m) above is perhaps a bit harsh but the line had to be drawn somewhere. The Norwegian was feast or famine: double-digit hauls on nine occasions, blanks in 22 of his other 26 starts.

Arsenal colleague Declan Rice (£5.5m) joins Rodri (£5.6m) in being a supposedly defensive midfielder whose minimal ownership defied surprisingly great goal involvements.

Man United pair Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) and Alejandro Garnacho (£5.0m) had their moments. The latter was £4.7m at one point but started every time from Gameweek 11. From then on, he sat number one for overall penalty area touches (235) and third for attempts (87) and box shots (71).

Pascal Gross (£6.1m) is second for crosses (238) and chances created (103), whilst Bryan Mbeumo (£6.8m) shone until his long injury. By Gameweek 10, the latter was in third place for xGI (9.39).

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