International breaks are always popular times for Wildcards in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), and with Double Gameweek 33 just around the corner, usage is about to spike again.
22.15% of the site readers in our sidebar vote said they are planning to activate the Wildcard chip ahead of Gameweek 31, so it’s with this in mind that we have produced a position-by-position guide to pick out the best and most discussed options in each category.
Here we take a look at midfielders, omitting the state-the-obvious mention of Mohamed Salah (£13.3m): the fact that he could feasibly smash the all-time FPL points record for a single season says everything about his ongoing appeal.
You can read a rundown of the stand-out goalkeepers here, with a summary of the leading defenders here.
All stats taken from this article are from our Premium Members Area.
BUKAYO SAKA
Bukayo Saka (£6.7m) has been in fine form for Arsenal of late, helping his side climb up to fourth spot in the Premier League with crucial goals against Aston Villa, Watford and Brentford. He now has 10 attacking returns and four double-digit hauls from Gameweek 16 onwards, averaging 6.5 points per match in that time. During that period, he’s second for shots, joint-eighth for chances created and seventh for expected goal involvement (xGI) among midfielders, and most of those ahead of him are much more expensive in FPL. 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. Despite withdrawing from the England squad after testing positive for Covid-19, the midfielder ‘should’ still be back in time for Gameweek 31, as Arsenal’s next Premier League fixture is against Crystal Palace on Monday 4 April.
Gabriel Martinelli (£5.3m), meanwhile, is a cut-price alternative, having made his senior debut for Brazil on Thursday in their 4-0 World Cup qualifying win against Chile. The youngster presents an intriguing differential to Saka, not least because his minutes-per-expected goals (xG) figure is better than all of the other Arsenal midfield regulars in 2021/22. He has also now started the last 13 Premier League matches he has been available for, producing four goals and two assists.
Mikel Arteta’s side are in good form and have won six of their last seven to surge into the Premier League top four, putting them in pole position to claim the final Champions League place for next season. Some very decent fixtures book-end tricky matches in Gameweeks 34/35 (a north London derby also has to feature in the above schedule somewhere), so there are plenty of points opportunities for one of only two sides in the top six who don’t have the distractions of cup competitions at home or abroad. They also have a decent fixture in Gameweek 32 against the team on the joint-longest losing run in the division – Brighton and Hove Albion – before their Double Gameweek 33.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE
From Gameweek 17 onwards, Kevin De Bruyne (£11.7m) has started 12 of the 13 Premier League matches he has been available for, producing 10 attacking returns and four double-digit hauls. Averaging 7.7 points per match in that time, his 92 FPL points is only beaten by Harry Kane (£12.5m), while 38 shots and 38 created chances ranks fifth and top respectively among all players. It’s also worth noting that De Bruyne won’t feature for Belgium during the current international break, as Roberto Martinez looks to youth and inexperience in his latest squad. For those looking to make up ground, the 7.3% owned midfielder is a tempting differential.
It must be said that there is potential for Phil Foden (£7.8m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.7m) to do well, too, although with Raheem Sterling (£10.5m) and Jack Grealish (£7.5m) lurking, competition in the attacking spots is as fierce as ever. However, the penalty-taking Algerian is certainly the man in form, having netted eight goals in his last 10 league outings.
As for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola’s side have a kind run-in, facing just one top-six opponent in their remaining nine matches, when they host Liverpool in Gameweek 32. They also have a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers to be rearranged, which will hand them a Double Gameweek later in the campaign.
SON HEUNG-MIN/DEJAN KULUSEVSKI
Having produced a season-high haul of 15 points last time out, Son Heung-min (£10.9m) remains one of the best midfielders on offer in FPL. Notably, his Gameweek 30 brace means that he has now reached double-figures for goals at home in the top-flight and is the top home scorer in the Premier League this season, with Newcastle United up next at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a week on Sunday.
Dejan Kulusevski (£6.3m), meanwhile, has hit the ground running at Spurs following his January arrival. Playing on the right of the front three, the Swede has scored twice and also supplied five assists in seven starts, averaging 5.2 points per match. Son still bests Kulusevski for xGI and big chances since the pair first started their run in the team together (admittedly trailing him in other departments), but given the £4.6m price difference and premium candidates elsewhere, he is an appealing alternative route into Spurs’ attack.
Antonio Conte’s side have been very up and down in terms of results this year, but having beaten West Ham United on Sunday, have now secured back-to-back wins for the first time in 2022. As a result, the Lilywhites are back on track in the race for a top four place, with their attacking performance in Gameweek 30 a reminder of the firepower at the Italians disposal.
BRUNO FERNANDES/JADON SANCHO
Bruno Fernandes’ (£11.6m) form may have dipped this season but he has still managed to score nine goals and claim six assists in 27 Premier League appearances. The playmaker has been visibly more effective in Ralf Rangnick’s 4-2-3-1 formation, rather than the 4-2-2-2 previously used, and has racked up 19 created chances across his last six matches, confirming his status as Manchester United’s creator-in-chief. With two double-digit hauls in his last four outings, he also carries some form, although his premium price tag may prove a stumbling block for many.
However, the ever-improving Jadon Sancho (£8.9m) is worth a shout, too: the winger has produced five attacking returns in his last six matches and is the top-scoring Red Devils player in that period.
Now, out of all cup competitions at home and abroad, United are one of three top-seven sides who are free to concentrate solely on league matches between now and the end of the season. They face struggling Everton and Norwich City soon, along with two clubs who have packed schedules over the coming two months, Leicester City and Liverpool. In addition, there are also appealing matches against Brentford and Brighton during the run-in.
KAI HAVERTZ
Kai Havertz (£7.9m) is possibly in the best form of his Chelsea career so far, having been deployed up front by Thomas Tuchel in recent weeks. The German has scored four goals in as many Premier League matches, which included a brace in the Gameweek 28 victory at Burnley, as well as setting up Mason Mount (£7.5m) at Carrow Road a few days later.
Although he may occasionally be rotated (Chelsea’s Gameweek 32 visit to Southampton looks particularly precarious with Champions League quarter-finals against Real Madrid either side), the Blues’ remaining schedule suggests Havertz is probably worth the risk, especially as they have two previously postponed fixtures that still need to be rearranged during the run-in.
Mount, meanwhile, produced another two assists in the recent FA Cup quarter-final win against Middlesbrough, and does feel a little more secure in the starting XI, having featured 67 times for Tuchel’s Blues, the most by any player in the current squad.
JAMES MADDISON/HARVEY BARNES
James Maddison (£6.8m) continued his impressive form in Gameweek 30, with his seventh goal in his last 14 Premier League appearances. During that time, the playmaker has also produced five assists and earnt 13 bonus points. Handed a free role off the right against Brentford, Maddison would often drift infield and find pockets of space, as he ended the match with three shots, four created chances and 40 opposition-half touches, a team-leading total, highlighting his importance in Brendan Rodgers’ new system.
Team-mate Harvey Barnes (£6.6m) has also been a reliable performer of late, having notched either a goal or assist in 10 of his last 14 Premier League outings. His next two opponents – Man Utd and Crystal Palace – have also given up most of their chances from their right-flank in the last six matches, which is a key factor in his favour over Maddison.
For Fantasy managers on the lookout for long-term investments, Leicester City have one of the most appealing runs of opponents in the final eight Gameweeks, which includes a Double Gameweek 33 against Newcastle United in Everton. Notably, they also have two fixtures to be rescheduled.
ALSO CONSIDER…
One of the few bright sparks in Everton’s season has been Anthony Gordon (£4.5m), who is probably the pick of the sub-£5.0m midfielders right now and a budget enabler if nothing else. The youngster is unbeaten for shots, chances created and xGI among his teammates since Frank Lampard took charge and is now flourishing under a manager with a track record for trusting youth at his previous clubs. The Toffees, meanwhile, are among only two sides with a Double Gameweek 31, facing West Ham and Burnley, while they also have matches against Crystal Palace and Watford still to be rearranged, which should result in further ‘doubles’.
Despite so often flattering to deceive, only six FPL midfielders, all of them much more expensive, have scored more goals than Raphinha (£6.5m) this season. In light of Patrick Bamford’s (£7.7m) latest foot injury, the Brazilian may continue to benefit from penalty-taking duties a little longer, while it’s also worth noting that he is among the top three midfielders for both goal attempts and chances created in 2021/22. The downside is that Leeds United will blank in Gameweek 33, with a particularly tough run of fixtures to follow.
With Conor Gallagher (£6.1m) just two cautions away from a two-match ban (Gameweek 33 is the cut-off for his suspension), Michael Olise (£5.4m) might be worth a look with one eye on Crystal Palace’s run from 20 April onwards, which sees the Eagles face successive matches against Newcastle United, Leeds United, Southampton and Watford, plus a Double Gameweek involving Everton that still needs to be scheduled in.
Finally, for those in search of real differential, the fit-again Ismaila Sarr (£5.7m) is worth considering. The influential winger has racked up six attacking returns in just 16 Premier League appearances this term, and faces a kind run of home matches against Leeds, Brentford, Burnley, Leicester and Everton that will surely define Watford’s season.
