With Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers desperately trying to squeeze in as many premium assets into their teams as possible, like Mohamed Salah (£12.6m), Bruno Fernandes (£12.1m), Romelu Lukaku (£11.5m) and Son Heung-min (£10.0m), finding the right mid-price options will be key.
So, we asked the Scout Network for their view on the best mid-price midfielders to own.
FPL Nymfria
In the opening two Gameweeks Said Benrahma (£6.2m) had five goal attempts and three shots in the box, which produced two goals and two assists. As a result, he has the attention of many FPL managers, and has already risen in price twice since the season started. Although there is a lot of talk about international duty right now, and Benrahma could be affected by this, he plays Crystal Palace and Southampton in the next two Gameweeks which strengthens his appeal.
Diego Jota (£7.6m) also continues to get my attention. With four shots in the box resulting in two goals in the last two Gameweeks he has started the season well. If he continues to get game time, I think he’ll be a top scorer this season.
Kingfut
Mason Greenwood (£7.6m) would be my first choice at this price point. The fact he can be utilised on the right or through the centre makes him a lot less rotation prone compared to the likes of Jota for the same price. With Marcus Rashford‘s (£9.4m) extensive layoff and Anthony Martial‘s (£7.9m) underwhelming performances, I don’t see the United starlet leaving my team anytime soon.
Raphinha (£6.5m) looks set to build on his debut season following his weekend strike at Elland Road. A proven asset in the league and one of the talismans of an exciting Leeds United team, who feels like an absolute bargain. However, I would keep an eye on the potential quarantine situation ahead of Gameweek 4 when he returns from international duty with Brazil.
FF Titans
Paul Pogba (£7.7m) has really impressed over his first two games for Manchester United and can be backed as a season keeper. Under Ole, he is nailed on to start and hardly miss any games when fit. Statistically, he ranks top of all midfielders in this price bracket in assists (five) and attempted assists (six). He also ranks highly in terms of shots taken and expected assists (xA). With favourable home games against Newcastle and Aston Villa coming up after the break, he is our number one pick.
Raphinha opened his account in Gameweek 2 and played a prominent role in Leeds’ draw against Everton. He also took the most shots among all the midfielders in this price range and plays in a very attacking role for Marcelo Bielsa’s side. He also takes corners and freekicks. At his current price range, he remains a good enabler, freeing up cash for very expensive (and ‘must have’) assets like Lukaku in weeks to come.
FPL Experiment Podcast
One of the key aspects of this game is exploiting the fixtures. And again, we’re focusing on the opposition and this time targeting a leaky Norwich defence. Leicester have so far played a defensive Wolves side and struggled with only 10-men against a strong West Ham team. We’re expecting them to return to their expansive best against the Canaries and we’re bullish on Harvey Barnes (£7.0m) for this one. He was in great form in pre-season, he’s had a couple of games to pick up his match sharpness after his injury and this feels like a fixture where he can explode!
Greyhead
Mason Mount (£7.5m), yes it’s dull but there is nothing more reliable than Mount’s steady flow of points in a Chelsea side looking like one of the strong contenders to win the title. He plugged away with an assist and clean sheet in the first two games and is a relative certainty in the starting line up. He has a healthy shot count with six so far and he may be one to add to your team and set and forget for the season. Be dull and save yourself the headache.
Paul Pogba, La Pioche, has had storming start to the season and is my pick with five assists already to his name, a favourable run of matches and a swagger that suggests he is in the mood to continue that form. The stats also support the eye test with six chances created, six shots with five of those crucially in the box. Even though he has gone up in price to £7.7 million he still looks a bargain so invest before the Pog-Boom!
FPL Gents (Oscar)
My number one pick is Wolves’ Adama Traoré (£6.0m). He is extremely under the radar in just 1.2% of teams and seems to have generated very little buzz, despite the fact that he has had 10 shots in the first two games, generating a non-penalty xG of 1.1 which has only been bettered by Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£8.1m), Lukaku and Sadio Mané (£11.9m). This is despite facing two decent sides in Leicester and Spurs. Although United at home in Gameweek 3 is another tough test, Wolves’ fixtures turn for the better afterwards, not facing a side from last season’s top five until Gameweek 15.
FPL Froggies
All eyes are currently on Benrahma, and there is also the shadow of Jesse Lingard (£7.0m) on the London Stadium, but the eye test tells us that Jarrod Bowen (£6.5m) is also in great shape and that returns could be around the corner. He’s explosive, aggressive and can be selfish when needed, so we feel it will come soon.
We also like Wilfried Zaha (£7.0m). He has skills, experience, plays out-of-position, may be on penalties and is without a doubt the best player at Crystal Palace. At 7.0m, it might not be a bad idea to bet on Zaha, even if we are still unsure about Patrick Vieira’s style of play. It’s a high risk, high reward bet, but if you play FPL with an aggressive style, it’s the type of decision that could make a difference.”
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM GAMEWEEK 2
