Pre-Season

The premium midfield options available to FPL managers in 2019/20

Fantasy managers will face a tough decision if they are opting for only one Liverpool midfielder in 2019/20 as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are now considerably closer in price.

The Egyptian has dropped to £12.5m while his team-mate, who shared the Golden Boot with Salah in 2018/19, has risen to £11.5m.

Raheem Sterling dissects the Liverpool duo after being handed a starting price of £12.0m.


Our position-by-position analysis of the FPL price list has already seen us look at premium defenders and budget goalkeepers.

Our latest article concentrates on premium midfielders, which includes Fantasy assets listed at £8.0m and above for the purposes of this piece.

The four highest-scoring players in FPL last season – Salah, Sterling, Mane and Eden Hazard – were premium midfielders and many Fantasy managers will likely be looking at two or more of these options in their 2019/20 squads.

A Baker’s Dozen

David Silva’s starting price has dropped £1.0m from last year

Only 13 midfielders fall into this price bracket at the time of writing, one fewer than there were upon the launch of FPL in 2018/19.

Hazard has departed the Premier League for the Bernabeu, while David Silva (£7.5m), Mesut Ozil (£7.5m) and Alexis Sanchez (£7.0m) all lose their premium midfielder tag.

In their place come Bernardo Silva, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison, all of whom are priced up at £8.0m.

The Big Three

Only £1.0m separates Salah and Mane in FPL next season

Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) remains not only the most expensive midfielder in the game but the costliest asset overall.

The gap between Salah and the chasing pack has narrowed, however.

Sadio Mane (£11.5m) has risen £2.0m from his starting price in 2018/19 while Raheem Sterling (£12.0m) is up by £1.0m on his price 12 months ago.

Salah’s starting price has decreased by £0.5m this season, despite the Egypt international having topped the FPL points list for the second year in a row.

Had Salah, Mane and Sterling cost these new prices in 2018/19, their value for money (based on points per million spent – PPMS) would have been as follows:


Player18/19 Points18/19 End Price18/19 Value (PPMS)19/20 Price19/20 Value (PPMS)
Salah259£13.2m19.6£12.5m20.7
Sterling234£11.7m20.0£12.0m19.5
Mane231£10.3m22.4£11.5m20.1

Sterling made fewer appearances (34) than Mane (36) and Salah (38), though, and led the way for points per match:


Player18/19 Points per Match
Salah6.8
Sterling6.9
Mane6.4

Sterling also has the advantage of having a restful summer, following his exertions for England in the UEFA Nations League in early June.

Salah and Mane, by contrast, will be competing in the Africa Cup of Nations – a tournament that finishes exactly three weeks before Liverpool take on Norwich City in the Gameweek 1 opener.

All three players start 2019/20 with favourable fixtures: City facing only one of the ‘big six’ in the opening 11 Gameweeks and Liverpool sitting second in our Season Ticker from Gameweeks 1 to 8.

You can read more about their 2018/19 seasons in the three articles below:

READ MORE: Team of the Season – Sadio Mane
READ MORE: Team of the Season – Raheem Sterling
READ MORE: Team of the Season – Mohamed Salah

We have already explored the pros and cons of Salah and Mane in a Members’ article that is available to read here, while Sterling formed part of our analysis in our look at Kevin De Bruyne’s appeal.

Three to Monitor at £9.5m

De Bruyne will be £2.5m cheaper than Sterling in 2019/20

Salah, Sterling and Mane are the only midfielders that will set Fantasy managers back more than £10.0m this season.

On top of Hazard’s departure and Sanchez’s demotion to a mid-price midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne (£9.5m) has dropped out of the £10.0m+ bracket.

The Belgium international had an injury-ravaged season, playing only 976 minutes of Premier League football and starting in just 11 of his 19 appearances.

De Bruyne banked only two goals and three assists, having had five separate spells on the sidelines with injuries of varying severity.

If he can stay fit, the Belgian midfielder could prove to be a relative bargain: De Bruyne racked up a combined 53 attacking returns (14 goals, 39 assists) in FPL in 2016/17 and 2017/18.

READ MORE: Can De Bruyne offer better value than Aguero and Sterling?

Team-mate Leroy Sané remains at £9.5m but there may be less interest in the Germany international than there will be in De Bruyne.

Sané continues to be linked with a move to Bayern Munich but even if he stays in Manchester, there would be some doubt as to his surety of starts given that he started only three of City’s final ten league fixtures.

The German winger was only a substitute for the first four Gameweeks of 2018/19 before an injury to Benjamin Mendy (£6.0m) paved the way for his return to Pep Guardiola’s starting XI, with the City boss desiring width down the left flank.

Sané racked up 121 points between Gameweeks 5 and 23. When he started a Premier League match during this time, he averaged 7.9 points per game.

Son Heung-min has seen off a positional reclassification but has been handed a price rise – the South Korea international is the third and final midfielder who will initially cost £9.5m next season.

Son won’t feature in many Gameweek 1 squads, with two matches of a three-game ban still to serve, but the Spurs midfielder is one to monitor from Gameweek 3 onwards.

An “out of position” tag is a very real possibility again this season, given that Son was frequently chosen as one of the two attackers in Mauricio Pochettino’s 4-4-2 diamond or 3-4-1-2.

Pochettino largely favoured the diamond formation from Gameweeks 13 to 22, a rare period in which all four of Son, Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen were fit and firing.

Son scored eight goals and registered four assists in these ten matches, generally playing alongside Kane in attack and indeed often in advance of the roaming England striker.

Should that become Pochettino’s go-to formation – the Spurs boss has been tricky to pin down to one system this season – then Son could well re-enter the Fantasy radar despite the price hike.

Kane being available for only £1.5m more, of course, might be a game-changer (the difference between the two Spurs players was £4.0m in 2018/19).

Cheaper Spurs alternatives

Spurs face just one of the ‘big six’ from Gameweeks 4 to 14

There are more budget-friendly alternatives to Son at Spurs, however.

Christian Eriksen (£9.0m) and Dele Alli (£8.5m) have both fallen £0.5m in price after their least productive seasons since 2014/15.

Eriksen has been linked with a move away from north London this summer, with Real Madrid said to be circling.

If Eriksen stays with the Lilywhites, he is not without appeal: the Denmark international was among the top eight midfielders for both shots on goal and chances created, while he was a nailed pick in the final 21 Gameweeks of the season, playing all bar seven minutes.

In his “worst” season in four years, he still recorded 20 attacking returns.

His deep starting position in the final four matches of the season was a slight worry, a concern that was also applicable to Alli during the season.

The former MK Dons prospect was sporadically used by Pochettino further back, continuing his evolution as a more deep-lying central midfielder.

We saw glimpses of Alli as a “number ten” or attacking midfielder in the final few weeks of the season, however, and if he can nail down such a role in 2019/20 then he will become an attractive option at £8.5m.

Four of Alli’s five goals came in Gameweeks 13 to 23, when Pochettino largely favoured a 4-4-2 diamond with Alli at the tip of it.

Questionable appeal at £8.5m

Pogba was the sixth-best FPL midfielder for points per match in 2018/19, despite his end-of-season woes

Alongside Alli, Paul Pogba and Riyad Mahrez are the other two midfielders available at £8.5m.

For obvious reasons, we won’t delve too deeply into either option at this stage.

Pogba might be set for a summer exit after recently hinting that he would like a new challenge.

After bursting into life with 14 returns in his first nine starts under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Pogba averaged exactly three FPL points per match in his final 12 appearances and blanked in ten of them.

Should the France international stay at Old Trafford, we will assess his credentials in detail later in the summer.

Mahrez, like Sané, would be a very attractive (and cheaper) alternative to Sterling should he nail down a place in Guardiola’s starting XI but there has been little sign of that in 2018/19.

The Algerian has started just four Premier League matches this calendar year.

Mahrez will also be on duty with his national team at the Africa Cup of Nations this summer, which will disrupt his pre-season at City.

New entries

Sigurdsson’s FPL score of 182 points was his best in eight seasons as a Premier League player

As mentioned above, Sigurdsson, Richarlison and Bernardo Silva have all risen to the £8.0m mark.

We are including this trio as part of our premium midfielders analysis but the price range is disputed territory and some may group these players at the top-end of the mid-price bracket.

Whatever the definition, all three go into 2019/20 off the back of their most successful seasons in FPL.

Bernardo, Richarlison and Sigurdsson registered 15, 16 and 19 attacking returns respectively in 2018/19.

Everton’s Icelandic number ten indeed was the fifth-highest scoring midfielder in FPL behind Salah, Hazard, Sterling and Mane.

Sigurdsson ranked ninth among players in his position for points per match (4.79), too.

Richarlison matched his team-mate for goals scored (13) in 2018/19 although he recorded only five attacking returns in the second half of the season.

The Brazilian tends to start the season with a bang, though, and has recorded 11 attacking returns in the opening 19 Gameweeks of each of the last two campaigns.

Salah and Hazard were the only midfielders who had scored more goals than Richarlison (nine) at the halfway stage of last season.

While Everton’s opening run of fixtures isn’t all plain sailing, the Toffees sit top of our Season Ticker for the first ten Gameweeks of 2019/20 and there will be plenty of managers interested in players from Marco Silva’s side.

Given that they are both priced up at £8.0m, we’ll run a direct comparison between Sigurdsson and Richarlison in a Members’ article that will be published shortly.

Bernardo is the fifth-cheapest midfield option for Manchester City but arguably one of the more “nailed” picks on Pep Guardiola’s teamsheet, based on the evidence of last season.

No City midfielder made more Premier League starts than Bernardo (31), with Guardiola repeatedly singing the praises of the Portugal international, from his pre-season declaration of “it’s Bernardo and ten others” to his comments about the midfield playmaker being undroppable at the back-end of 2018/19.

We also saw the Portuguese midfielder playing in a more advanced role this calendar year, with eight of his final 11 starts coming on the right of the front three.

For all his undoubted brilliance, attacking returns remain an issue.

Sané outscored Bernardo despite playing almost exactly 1,000 fewer minutes.

Despite being chiefly deployed alongside Aguero and Sterling, he recorded only four attacking returns in the final 17 Gameweeks.

743 Comments Post a Comment
  1. NIKO.
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Wow the amount of people asking why they haven’t got the free hit chip for the first gameweek of the season is mental 😀

    1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      What is worse - is when I realise that some of those people will do better than me!

      1. NIKO.
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Haha yeah that is very true lol

      2. G-Whizz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        😆

  2. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    OK I decided to make a team without the big three midfielders )No Salah - Mane-Sterling) just to see what would happen.

    5-3-2 gw1
    Pickford (Steklenburg)

    VVD-Robertson-TAA-Laporte-Ake

    Maddison-Sigurdsson-B.Silva (Dendocker-McGinn)

    Aguero-King (Arnautovic)

    To my surprise it looks very good I might even keep it.
    The liverpool wingbacks are captain options as well as Aguero.
    Later on Sigurdsson and Arnautovic are also alternatives.

    It also allows you to get a decent keeper paring for 9.5 - which seems to be difficult this year.

    1. ewangri
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Yeah I like it. Not sure about Arnautovic, bu you're right with full backs baing captaincy options. Just having the stones to take the risk!

      1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        I looked at the total points overall.
        I think a lot of FPL tricks the mind with name recognition - player brand.
        But Felipe Anderson was only 5 points off matching Kane's total.
        Digne was only two points off Kane.
        Jimenez got 7 more than Vardy.

        1. ewangri
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          You're right there, I think the trick is to hold through the barren spells. That said, Felipe Anderson was woeful later in the season!

        2. Postman Ty
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          Vardy was unstoppable after Rogers took over. Anderson was useless for weeks upon weeks at the end. Kane was injured on and off and knackered from the World Cup at the start. Digne went on a fantastic run of clean sheets near the end. Looking at total points is sometimes useful and often completely irrelevant. You aren't buying 15 players and holding them the entire season.

          1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 9 months ago

            There is that point, but when you move players around and focus on thier good fixtures/form over the season. Doesn't the 'value' become even more pronounced?

            1. Postman Ty
              • 9 Years
              4 years, 9 months ago

              As far as value is concerned, yes. But I always try to focus on points per match. Even points per 90 is misleading sometimes if you've got someone who regularly comes off at the hour mark.
              I'm 100% with you on the importance of value, I just think it's very hard to work out which numbers are actually important.

    2. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Good. You're joining me in discovering that foregoing the expensive midfield favourites and going big 5 at the back actually gives you a very strong line up. Yours is not dissimilar to mine.

      1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        I am very tempted to go with looks great for the first two weeks at least. Strangely the overall side seems 'balanced' somehow.
        Rotation options from the bench etc
        Will probably switch VVD to azpilecueta gw3 though - and maybe Ake to Shaw then as well.
        The really tempting part is the keeper combo.
        Plus if it goes really 'wrong' the defensive players can be downgraded to the value cheap player or aguero could be sacrificed.

  3. ewangri
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Love seeing all these early drafts, we just know they're going to be poles apart from what GW1 teams look like!

    That said, hows the below:

    Heaton (or Pope)

    Robbo TAA Laporte Mendy (if fit) Digne

    Salah Sterling Siggy

    King Jota

    Button Dendoncker Stephens Greenwood

    Obviously a long way to go, but I like the look of it!

    1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Zinchenko is rated higher among some on Man City forums than Mendy.
      One to monitor.

      1. ewangri
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Thats my thinking, its between him and Zinchenko. If he can stay fit, the first 4 weeks of last season were bliss!

      2. Nico.
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Some is certainly the key word there - I’ve not seen any. Most suggesting he could have a role to play in the middle of the park once Mendy’s back.

  4. Amey
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Is the members data useful (readable) if I'm only using mobile to use FFS ??
    Can't have Laptop most of the times so ....

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      yes

    2. KunDogan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Yep

  5. BraveJ1
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Being on the sidelines for a while...finally joined as a member now let's see what's behind these hidden walls

  6. R.C
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    1. Any good 4m Defenders and Goalkeepers?

    2. Best rotating 4.5m Defenders for 4th defender spot?

    What do you think?

    1. MattB
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Max aarons will get attacking returns but norwich will struggle for clean sheets

      Lascelles at Newcastle if they can be solid at back certainly worth a shout

      El mohammedy at Villa also worth looking at, gets forward a lot and if they invest in a cb And a lb then they will be fairly solid defensively

    2. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      1. No, that's why they're 4m.
      2. I'm looking at a Ward/Dunk rotation (Palace/Brighton).

    3. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I like Fredericks as my 4.5 punt. Increasingly nailed and attacking.

      1. Andy_Social
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Good call. Diop is the better player but Fredericks potentially better for FPL points.

    4. Little Frank
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Elmohamady at Villa and Charlie Taylor at Burnley rotate very well, both very attacking.

  7. MattB
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Really not buying the hype of 3/4 6mil+ defenders

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      kind of pre-WC punt, if it goes wrong, not really an issue.

    2. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I've got 5, but up to you.

  8. Game of Throw_ins
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    How's this looking guys:
    Ryan
    Robertson | Walker | A. Smith
    Salah | Mane | Sterling | Zaha
    King | Long | Deulofeu

    Bench: Button Aarons Kelly Dendoncker

    1. ewangri
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Different but definitely not bad. Think i'd be looking at Diop over Smith personally, but nice to see something a bit different.

    2. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Forward line too weak. Your trio of Salah/Mane/Sterling leaves the squad too imbalanced.

  9. Holmes
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Tough to play BB in GW1 this year...

  10. Little fekirs
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Ryan
    Robbo TAA Zinchenko
    KDB Siggy Bernardo Zaha
    Kane Vardy Wilson

    A bit different , but like it.

    1. Little fekirs
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Bench: Button O’Connell Dendoncker Rico

  11. Yip Jaap Stam
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Anyone considering Grealish as an option?

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      No Villains, Canaries or Blades from the start, for me. It would be a case of watch and see.

    2. Differential C (Mark)
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      McGinn the better value villa mid.

  12. Finding Value in Defence
    Ramboros
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    The more I look at the defensive pricing, the more absurd it gets.

    There are no 4.0 options, which is good in itself. 4.0 should not be a reliable bracket for the bench.

    At 4.5 you can get some options with a PPG near 3.0. The best options have lost Benitez, or are attacking defenders with some absences (Janmaat, Smith). A decent choice for set and forget should give you 2.8 PPG fairly reliably.

    At 5.0 almost all options got a PPG of 3.3 or under. Schar is the exception with a PPG of 3.9. Koscielny has historically a good track record, and averaged 3.6 PPG playing less than half of the game.

    The 5.5 bracket is slighly more reliable, with PVA and Keane ticking in at 3.9 PPG, while Coleman and Trippier got 4.3 and 4.4 respectively with doubts over their capability to play all matches.

    The 6.0 bracket got Walker, Digne and Luiz as the best options, with 4.5, 4.5 and 4.6 PPG respectively.

    Before the 6.5 bracket it is fairly clear that you get about 0.5-0.6 more PPG for every 0.5m invested. Note that the best options in the lower brackets are players that missed chunks of the season, while the more expensive options tend to play more.

    The 6.5 bracket offers wildly more value over the replacement. Laporte had 5.1 PPG last season, Alonso 5.2 and Van Dijk 5.5. The gap from Laporte to Van Dijk is so huge that VVD really should have been his own category at 7.0

    Finally in the 7.0 bracket Robertson comes in at 5.9 PPG with TAA at 6.4

    1. Ramboros
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      As you can see from price bracket to price bracket, the top defenders in this game will always be more worth owning than the cheaper options. There is a massive PPG difference from Van Dijk to the worse options in his price bracket that ruins the price structure.

    2. Little fekirs
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I think the value from the 5.0 and below range will come from the promoted teams.

      O’connell and Stephens appeal to me from Sheffield, and I’m sure others will pop up.

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I think the pricing structure is balanced and correct. Any 4.0m player - defender or goalkeeper should be non-playing bench fodder, only utilised in an injury crisis.
      At 4.5m the player should be one who is expected to gain few points, either from a very weak team or only plays occasionally. Look at the 4.5m options in midfield and attack - it is already over-generous that 4.5m goalkeepers and defenders are likely to outscore nearly all of them.
      Again, you get very little for 5.0m in midfield and attack - steady 2-3 pointers at best, whereas you get far better value in the goalkeeping and defending department.
      If you went cheaper in defensive pricing every man and his dog would have 5-man defences; as it is, that's turning out to be a more popular and viable strategy anyway, suggesting many players find better value in defence than elsewhere on the pitch.

      1. Ramboros
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        The problem is not that defenders are too expensive. The problem is that you get more value for your money the more you spend on your defenders. Defenders have always offered more value than offensive players, but you found the greatest value in the cheaper defenders, just like you found better value in the cheaper attackers. That meant you could free up money by buying better value players in defence and use that money on more volatile attackers that offered less value.

        Right now there are only 2 arguments to not have 3 Liverpool defenders. The first is that you might need a Liverpool midfielder for captaincy. The second is that there is a hard cap on CS that make it difficult for the best defences to recreate their CS record of the previous year.

        1. Andy_Social
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          Yes, and the FPL Towers logic is correct. Everyone would love to have Robbo and TAA, plus Salah, Sterling, Aguero. If the premium defenders were more affordable, it would be too easy to make up identikit template killer line-ups. It's very important that the best defenders are priced highly to force you to choose in a way that you have to sacrifice something - be it in defence, midfield or attack.

          The way I see it, half of players will go big Liverpool at the back and half will prioritise midfield and attack and go lighter at the back; thus, hopefully, we won't end up with the usual boring template. I'm looking forward to seeing much more variety in RMTs in the coming weeks. Variety suggests FPL Towers got their pricing bang-on.

          1. Brosstan
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 9 months ago

            Hes not saying the Liverpool defenders should be cheaper, hes saying they should be more expensive.

            There should be a payoff between price and value. For attackers and midfielders, this is the case. A player like Salah or Sterling, while bringing in loads of points, is actually less value for money than someone like Fraser, Milivojevic, Martial or Brooks. Same case for striker with Kane offering a very high points ceiling but less value than King, Jota etc.

            Why is this not the case for defenders? Its dumb when the most recognized big names from the big teams also offer most value. They are no brainer picks because of it.

            1. Brosstan
              • 9 Years
              4 years, 9 months ago

              Well actually he is saying the problem isnt that they are expensive... 😛 however the solution to the problem that the best defenders also offer most value is to make them more expensive imo, not make the mid tier defenders cheaper.

            2. Andy_Social
              • 11 Years
              4 years, 9 months ago

              I agree that Robbo, TAA and VVD should be 0.5m more - I'd still have got them. But you still have to make hard decisions as you're restricted to 3 from a team. You want those 3, Alisson, Salah, Mane and maybe even Firmino. Do I tiple at the back due to the great value and forego Salah, or do I have Salah at the expense of weakening elsewhere?

            3. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
              • 14 Years
              4 years, 9 months ago

              That is a very good point actually.
              The expensive defenders who are glorified 6.5/7.0 midfielders points wise still offer superb value.
              If TAA and Robertson were 8.0 for example you would see a lot more variation in teams.

      2. Postman Ty
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        I think people fall into this trap a lot of not realizing the pitfalls of 4.5 defenders who are usually from terrible teams. Defenders pick up more cards which reduce points and they lose points for conceding, which is frequent for them. It's very common to only get 1 point, god forbid getting smashed by 4+ goals with a card.

        1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          Yeah those -1 points are a killer.
          Plus there is a still mindset among the majority n fpl that defensive picks are boring, and attacking picks are exciting.
          It seems to be slowly changing though.

    4. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I still can’t believe they’ve made Robbo, TAA & Salah available for 26.5

      I said this a couple times - but I reckon if those 3 stay fit they won’t be far off 1000 points between them for the season (when you add in Salah’s captaincy points, and potentially triple captaincy points etc)

      Serious value

    5. Robin Cook
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Thanks for the post - very interesting. Also interesting comments that the value or PPG is different for Mids and Forwards, i.e. more value in cheaper options. I guess one contributing factor is that people stay away from captaining defenders.
      Captaining an expensive striker or Mid may make the higher price worthy. But since no-one seems to captain defenders, more people might stay away from 7.5 or more defenders. Just my guess.

  13. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    King or deulofeu to start the season with?

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I'd say King has the fixtures, at least for the first 2 GWs; maybe Deulofeu when the fixtures change.

    2. Winston.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Both are good options...

    3. Robin Cook
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      why not considering Deeney?

  14. Winston.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    First draft 433...in June...needs Sterling or Aguero, but let’s see.

    Alisson Button
    TAA Laporte Digne Ake Holebas
    Salah Sigurdsson/Brooks Pereyra Jorginho/Redmond Stephens
    Vardy Jimenez Wilson

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Needs another Citizen - not necessarily the most expensive though. Could you put Ederson in goal to free up a third outfield Liverpool spot, maybe having Firmino instead of Vardy?

      1. Postman Ty
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Why pay more for a less productive asset, just because he plays for Liverpool?

        1. Andy_Social
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          And fixtures, but go with what you want.

          1. Postman Ty
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 9 months ago

            It's not what I would call a bad suggestion, I just think Firmino's becoming a little less relevant of an option and Vardy under Rogers has been fantastic. Tieleman's return could be crucial but we'll see.
            I was burned a few too many times by fixtures last year, but I'm really not concerned with Vardy's fixtures as his counter attack style hits anyone.

  15. Differential C (Mark)
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Any can offer any thoughts on the two 5.5 strikers that I *think* will start for their teams and are on pens? Kodija at Villa and McGoldrick at Sheffield.

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      There aren't any. Maybe a 'Long'shot at Saints, or Origi as impact sub.

      1. Differential C (Mark)
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Haha, that is indeed a long shot. I think the striker roles are between Ings, Long and Redderz. Two of those will get it.
        Djenepo is interesting, will have to see how he gets into the XI and where he is placed.
        Origi should get more game time, proven himself good enough to start more.
        Thanks.

    2. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Ings is the closest I think but he’s 6.0

      When fit he’ll easily justify that though - it’s just a big “when”

      1. Differential C (Mark)
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Love the guy to bits, but his injury record is a big concern. A bargain if he can stay fit, I agree.

  16. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Thoughts?

    Heaton/pope
    Robbo VVD Digne Walker
    Salah Sterling Siggy
    Wilson King DCL

    King or deulofeu?

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Surprisingly good, I'd say. For GWs 1-2 anyway. After that I'd lose the BOU striking pair - or one for Deulofeu anyway.

      1. Emiliano Sala
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Yeah I have plans for that. Arnie or Rashford can become great options to replace wilson or king. + jota after fixtures change
        I think watford fixtures are good. Brighton, westham and arsenal at home in first 5. All terrible defence
        Everton and newcastle away not so hard too

        1. Andy_Social
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          Sounds like you've got a killer plan there. My squad looks pretty similar, altho' I managed to squeeze in Aguero and Zaha.

          1. Emiliano Sala
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 9 months ago

            I don't like that goal-sub thing about kun.
            Hope to see zaha at arsenal

    2. Root
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Looks good. Wilson DCL -> Laporte Deulofeu and that's my current draft.

      1. Root
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        + TAA instead of VVD

      2. Emiliano Sala
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        5 at the back?
        Bou's fixtures are really great and wilson is in center of everything there

      3. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        I’d advise similar formational change but DCL > Coleman and Walker > Laporte

        Overall a nice team though

        1. Emiliano Sala
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          5 at the back kills flexiblity. I will only do that if maguire signs for city. 2 everton defender is too much for me
          Palace and watford are not that easy

          1. Andy_Social
            • 11 Years
            4 years, 9 months ago

            It does kill flexibility, but with the number of clean sheets Pool and City rack up, it's worth it, imo.
            You definitely do NOT want Maguire if he signs for City. Pep always takes months to ease in new players - remember Stones and Laporte needing to be very patient to get their chances?
            I don't think anyone would consider double-Everton defence if it weren't for their opening fixtures - just like Bournemouth in attack. Having said that, Digne has offensive value, but I'd still prioritise Liverpool and city for their clean sheets.

            1. Emiliano Sala
              • 7 Years
              4 years, 9 months ago

              It isn't same anytime. Pep simply does not rate stones and kompany is gone
              Otamendi is garbage
              I will have one reserve slot in midfielder for kdb in case that he does well. You can find good defenders somewhere else than city and liverpool.
              But players kdb are few and can be a bargain at 9.5
              Or bilva if he does well. Or a forward if another is injured

              1. Andy_Social
                • 11 Years
                4 years, 9 months ago

                Agree re KdB. I'm torn - he's in and out of my draft every day. But I'd be VERY surprised if Maguire at City gets regular starts from the off.

                1. Emiliano Sala
                  • 7 Years
                  4 years, 9 months ago

                  Even if he isn't guaranteed to start I will pick him. 5.5 is a joking price for maguire at city.
                  He is a beast. Bps magnet and goal threat.

          2. Emiliano Sala
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 9 months ago

            And I advice you not to pick 5 at the back. You will never like your team
            Mids and forwards are your big hopes to save your gw

          3. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 9 months ago

            I personally prefer to focus on maximising points-scoring ability early on and focus on flexibility a little later when schedules tighten and rotation bites in tandem with first wildcard usage to build a bench.

            That back 5 + Salah & Sterling still leaves 21.5 for any 3 attackers - more than enough imo

            Also Note Palace at home are/were completely toothless - it’s away you need to worry about them - they had the worst home goals scored record in the league last season (bar Huddersfield) if you exclude the final day Bournemouth game they only scored 14 goals in 18 home games (5 of which were pens)

            Away defences going to Selhurst Park last year were (almost) guaranteed a clean sheet

            Everton finished the season with stronger defensive form than Liverpool and city - 8 cleansheets in 10 from 28-37 showed a biblical level of defensive organisation - can’t wait to double up on those two personally (if gueye stays)

            It’s all about the Merseyside fullbacks this year - the Fab Four 😉

            1. pingissimus
              • 5 Years
              4 years, 9 months ago

              Sort of - Palace are more dangerous away from home traditionally but I still think it’s really dangerous to take last season as a base

              In the second half of last season Everton were the only team to get a cs at Selhurst. Lots of low scoring matches.

              Palace were very lucky away from home (think the Newcastle match) and equally unlucky at home. That’s the xg story and what I saw too.

              It’s possible of course they’ll be rubbish at home again but if so that means they’ll be in their normal relegation scrap - that alters the equation for me

              1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
                • 14 Years
                4 years, 9 months ago

                Yeah I think what swings it for me is that you could progress their home scoring rate by 10 or even 20% and they’d still be quite toothless. They had an XG delta of -9 a time home and +9 away, but xG is tricky/subjective at he best of times, it says nothing about the type of chance, or the mix of chances etc

                (a team that creates a lot of headed chances at home and through balls away for example will underperform it’s xG at home and overperform away if it has below average headers of the ball and above average runners into space etc - the same for counterattacking, left foot, right foot chances, long ball chances etc - it’s all based on averages)

                For whatever reason, at Selhurst Park Palace really struggled to put away 9 chances that the “average” forward would have scored, and away from home they excelled putting away an extra 9 chances that the “average” forward wouldn’t have scored...

                When I see a home goals scored record that bad, and that recent, it would be rude to not try to take advantage, we need every edge we can get 🙂

                Whilst two seasons ago the home away gap wasn’t as stark, a full pre season under Hodgson seems to have really dug them into this home/toothless - away/dangerous pattern

                Interesting article on their wider home struggles below:

                https://www.theguardian.com/football/the-agony-and-the-ecstasy/2019/may/16/crystal-palace-club-premier-league-better-away-home

                1. pingissimus
                  • 5 Years
                  4 years, 9 months ago

                  I just think that a swing of 30% -40% is entirely realistic. That season was so bizarre.

                  Interesting article but those historic records don’t mean so much as in all those seasons Palace were in constant relegation trouble - a poor home record is rational then.

                  This is just memory but didn’t Burnley have a really horrid away record in the season before their EL run? 3 points or so - until they played Palace on the last day!You can see big swings with middle ranking sides.

                  1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
                    • 14 Years
                    4 years, 9 months ago

                    Yeah the final day games are so dodgy, it’s why I’d be hesitant to put too much weight on the 5 goals they scored in GW38 vs. Bourenmouth - I think young Travers was possibly like a rabbit in the headlights that day also!lol

                    The thing is that even a 30% increase would still have them around 17 goals scored in 18 games (excl. BOU) so my interest has definitely been piqued by that record

                    I’m personally not sure they can keep doing the same thing at home and expecting a diffferent result to use the old cliché... and with Roy there I’m not sure they’ll change their style all that dramatically so I think there’s definite opportunity for an edge there

                    1. pingissimus
                      • 5 Years
                      4 years, 9 months ago

                      Stats become dubious when you start manipulating them.

                      If you take Everton defence based on the second half last season by the same token you should avoid Palace away for cs

                      More pertinently I see very little edge even if Palace don’t improve by 50% and hit their XG. Most - or an awful lot - of top fantasy teams will have 4 premiums or more at the back - they’ll play all fixtures home and away. The only possible edge is if you play a 4.5 to Palace and bring in an extra premium attacker. That’s a likely fail or misguided use of transfer imo

                      1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
                        • 14 Years
                        4 years, 9 months ago

                        I wouldn’t fully agree - Palace did only manage 9 goals in 9 home games in 2019 (again excluding the bourenmouth game) - and whilst yes there was only 1 cleansheet kept by away defences in those 9 games (Everton), palace still really oticeably struggled to score - and first & foremost you want your FPL defenders up against teams that struggle to score

                        I do fully agree that it may not be a huge “edge” - and I’m in premium back 5 territory anyways since the prices were released so it’s kind of irrelevant for me from a team selection standpoint in the first gameweeks anyways

                        But it was more in response to the two suggestions from Jacky Boy 1. That Everton’s defence should struggle away to palace - Everton’s recent defensive record, and palace’s recent home attacking record suggest this is definitely not the case... and 2. That Everton aren’t defensively solid enough to warrant attention - lots of evidence to suggest that’s also not the case

        2. Root
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          That requires an extra 0.5m funds as it involves switching a 4.0 bench defender to a 4.5 forward.

          1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 9 months ago

            If it were me i’d get it from going 4.5-4.0 on GK’s

            1. Root
              • 12 Years
              4 years, 9 months ago

              Team already has 4.5-4.0 GK's.

              1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
                • 14 Years
                4 years, 9 months ago

                Thought it was Heaton/pope

                1. Root
                  • 12 Years
                  4 years, 9 months ago

                  He meant one of Heaton/Pope depending on who's the starter.

                  1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
                    • 14 Years
                    4 years, 9 months ago

                    Mendy/walker/Zinch vs. Laporte

    3. Emiliano Sala
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Picked deulofeu for now

  17. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    @Mods

    Is there anywhere to see lists of the gameweek level fpl data - points, goals, assists, CS’s etc that players scored by gameweek in prior seasons? Thanks

    1. Rotation's Alter Ego
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Depends if you're looking for something that is nearly organised!

      Been looking for a bit, best I can find is this:

      https://github.com/vaastav/Fantasy-Premier-League/tree/master/data/2018-19

      Not particularly clear, but all the data by player can be found in the players folder.

      Hope that does the trick 🙂

  18. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Gw1 is easy salah(C). Or kane for some managers
    But for gw2, is wilson a good captaincy option?
    It's aston villa away and bou does well in these kind of games
    Thoughts?

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      GW2 if you had Salah you'd stick with him. Otherwise, Auba would be the best option. Wilson would be a reasonable punt if you're short of options.

      1. Emiliano Sala
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        I may C wilson for differential. Will be goal festival and open play most likely
        Aston villa was 5th in championship and full of loan players who are gone

    2. Root
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Salah captain every GW at least for the first 5.

    3. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Salah perma cap even against City I think.

  19. Roys Peak
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    /10
    Lloris - button
    Wan-bissaka/van dijk/trippier/boly - stearman
    mane/de bruyne/Bilva/maddison - mendy
    wilson/kane - wickham

    1. MarkoSD
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      needs more salah 🙂

  20. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    I had siggy last season for long time in 2 separate period and it was frustrating to be honest. Currently have him but not so sure

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Yeah, his rise up the charts was kind of stealthy. I never warmed to him and never had him last year, but his record speaks for itself and with those opening fixtures, I'm taking a chance on him.

  21. Birds of Prey
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Who is the best 4.5 mid from amongst the promoted sides? Thx

  22. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    For me the long shot 4.5 striker as interesting fodder that may accumulate value is right now Wickham.

    Palace will buy - well loan in - a striker but that still leaves Wickham 3rd in line if you discount Zaha. There’s even a possibility I suppose he’ll get the Ayew workhorse role.

    He should get on the bench anyway plenty and when he last saw PL action (2014? 2015?) he was looking promising. I’m monitoring.

    (And yes Palace did just give him a new contract - that starts me thinking)

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Good call. I'm looking at a 4.5m striker for the bench who might occasionally pop up in a late cameo. Pencilled in young Nketiah at the moment but Wickers is an option I hadn't considered.

      1. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Initially I laughed when I saw him in some squads. But the new contract is curious and history says Palace will go light up top.

    2. Blue&White85
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I agree, currently have him in as my 3rd bench option.

  23. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Which one seems better?

    A) KDB + King
    B) Siggy + Wilson

    1. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      B just

      I’ve cooled on KdB as a season starter. Suspect Pep will nurse him a bit this time.

      The Siggy fixtures are deceptive - Everton returned poorly in them last year but he’s darned consistent. I think he’ll work best as a long term hold.

      Wilson over King sways it for me

      1. Emiliano Sala
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Wilson is much better yeah. Should monitor preseason for kdb. Will be tough switching from siggy to kdb

    2. MarkoSD
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      A all day

  24. MarkoSD
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    a. taa+redmond
    or
    b. taa+robbo?

    1. Root
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      A AINEC

      1. Root
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        B*

    2. Blue&White85
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      B

    3. Emiliano Sala
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Beasy

  25. Blue&White85
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Really think Calvert-Lewis could be a good option at 6.0 this season. Seemed to nail down a place towards the end of last season and with Everton’s good opening fixtures he seems worth a punt.

    Anyone looking a him?

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Looking, yeah. At that price you have to play him but he's none too prolific. I worry he'll just stink up my team with weekly 2-pointers.

    2. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Problem with a player like him is if he has a few bad weeks he might be dropped and Silva changes to Richarlison up front or suddenly Tosun gets a game. I really hate having players who are liable to be dropped after a few 2 pointers, they are ticking transfers.

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Hes a nice punt though, but carries a lot of risk.

        1. Blue&White85
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 9 months ago

          Agree with these comments. Seems to me that Richarlison up front is the biggest risk, Tosun doesn’t appear to be someone Silva wants.

  26. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Ooooohhhh

    Arsenal are open to offers for Aubameyang apparently - that could be huge for FPL

    A nailed Laca at 9.5, and also Auba without risk of Emery dropping him

    One to watch

    https://www.90min.com/posts/6400330-arsenal-will-entertain-pierre-emerick-aubameyang-offers-but-man-utd-liverpool-aren-t-keen

    1. Je suis le chat
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Zaha to Arsenal would make him tempting to pair with Laca, penos galore.

      1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Laca would instantly be elevated in my thoughts if Auba leaves for sure

    2. Emiliano Sala
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Not a good source
      Runours

      1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Well that’s that settled then 🙂

    3. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      This is my dream FPL scenario The only way Arsenal can realistically afford Zaha is to sell Auba.

      One of my 5-2-3 set ups has Zaha and Laca. If this goes down I’m almost certainly going there

      1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Laca would be frightening under that setup -pens, DFK’s, totally nailed... Zaha at 7.0... it would be a game changer

    4. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Laca could very potentially be the top scorer in the Prem if he played every game on top on his own. I would have him in my team for certain.

  27. Miguel Sanchez
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Currently on A in a 5-3-2, which do you prefer?

    A) Ederson, Azpilicueta
    B) 4.5 GK, Bernardo Silva
    C) Kepa, Zaha

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      None, tbh. Keep thinking?

  28. R.C
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    a. taylor and diop

    b. tarkowski and kelly

    1. Emiliano Sala
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Start again imo

  29. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    Pick 2 out of:
    Deulofeu
    King
    Jota

    Currently on first 2 as wolves fixtures aren't good

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I have Deeney and King

      1. pokern1nja09
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 9 months ago

        Same. Plus there are a couple of other options around 6.5 that you can easily transfer if it goes wrong

    2. Gringo Kid
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Deulo/King for me

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      I'd say Watford's opening fixtures are trickier, given how Wolves do well against good opposition. The Europa factor is the big negative.

  30. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 9 months ago

    RMT please 🙂

    Ryan
    Robbo TAA VVD Digne Coleman
    Sterling KDB
    Vardy Jimenez Wilson

    Cheap bench

    1. Emiliano Sala
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      7.5

    2. Dannyb
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Liverpool losing a clean sheet and city having a quiet game and you are done.

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Good squad for a weekly mini-league. You'll have good weeks and disastrous weeks when Pool and Everton concede and City don't score much. Also, I'd say you've got 10 nailed-on weekly starters but you need someone to come off your bench for when Kevin is rested/rotated.

    4. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 9 months ago

      Thanks all