fantasy premier league GW25 budget midfielder tips – player rankings

Here’s our fantasy premier league GW25 premium midfielder tips article in our player rankings series. There’s a range of stats plus commentary on each player and their next 6 fixtures. This will help you choose the best transfer for your team.  We also look at the bench warming midfielders £4.5m or under.

FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE GW25 BUDGET MIDFIELDER TIPS – PLAYER RANKINGS

First it’s important to remember that each player is ranked as a transfer target for this week. So while we generally look at fixtures form and underlying stats a player who’s away to Man City is going to be ranked lower than someone home to Huddersfield for example. If possible a transfer should have a good fixture first up.

Firstly there’s a table of stats. Then there’s a bit of brief commentary on each player and their next 6 fixtures.

This is the 3rd player rankings article. There’s a defenders player rankings article and a premium midfielders player rankings article . You may also find it interesting to see who the 10 top FPL managers I follow have, who the bandwagons are this gameweek

STATS DEFINITIONS

Fixt Ease: The ease of the mentioned fixture range from an attacking perspective. See our GW25 fixture ease article

Mins per FPL Pt. The amount of minutes a player takes to earn an FPL point. The shorter and obviously lower the number is the better

Consistency:  This is the % of games that a player returns a goal or assist in relation to the starts they have made.

The Schedule

It should be remembered that these players are in the main cheap for a reason.  That can either be for gametime reasons or inability to produce returns on a consistent level.  In the main you’re going to be looking at a goal or assist in 1 of every 3 games.  For this reason I’ve tried to concentrate on players with reasonably good fixtures either over a 3 or 6 game spurt to maximise the chance of returns

Lingard

Despite a tough fixture next and uncertainty over gametime due to the Sanchez transfer for Man Utd I still believe Lingard to be the best budget buy even if there is that risk attached to him..  I believe 1 of him or Mata will be sacrificed for Sanchez and maybe even both in very defensive minded games.  I still think he has the potential if he can overcome the gametime issues to produce returns after the Spurs game.

So far he’s scored 7 goals and 4 assists in 11 starts and 9 sub appearances.  His returns in sub appearances have artificially boosted his consistency stats btw

Spurs (A)
Huddersfield (H)
Newcastle (A)
Chelsea (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Liverpool (H)

Shaqiri

The choice between Shaqiri and Choupo Moting from Stoke is a tricky one and depends in some part to your view over a goal threat vs a set piece man.

Shaqiri does have some set piece responsibility and has been playing in an advanced position.  He is on a dreadful run though with 1 assist in his last 8 although recent games have at least given some underlying stat hope.

While I can see Choupo Moting having some gametime risk under the new manager it’s harder to see it with Shaqiri.

Watford (H)
Bournemouth (A)
Brighton (H)
Leicester (A)
Southampton (A)
Man City (H)

Choupo Moting

The days of Choupo Moting leading the Stoke line as striker seem to have well gone and he’s now playing as an attacking midfielder.  On a pretty ordinary run of 1 assist in his last 4 but like Shaqiri has produced some good underlying stats in recent games.

Watford (H)
Bournemouth (A)
Brighton (H)
Leicester (A)
Southampton (A)
Man City (H)

Gross

Brightons set piece man and creative force has had a fairly lean spell of blanks in his last 4 after starting the season off well.  He now has new PSV striker Jurgen Locadia who’s scored 9 goals in 15 matches for PSV this season as a target for his potential assists.  Despite scoring 4 goals and 5 assists this season he really offers very little goal threat even allowing for the defensive mindset of Brighton

Southampton (A)
West Ham (H)
Stoke (A)
Swansea (H)
Arsenal (H)
Everton (A)

Zaha

Although 4 goals and 3 assists in 18 games isn’t a disaster the nub of the problem of his poor FPL point returns is a complete lack of ability to earn bonus as he’s yet to earn a single point this season.  Has moved away from being a strike partner for Benteke or with Townsend to more of a an attacking midfielder/winger as well.

Next 3 fixtures are good but very difficult after that

West Ham (A)
Newcastle (H)
Everton (A)
Spurs (H)
Man Utd (H)
Chelsea (A)

Richarlison

After a great start to the season the returns have faded and he’s failed to add to his 5 goals and 8 assists in his last 3 games.  Does play in an advanced LW position and a good fixture next but after that a little mixed

Stoke (A)
Chelsea (H)
West Ham (A)
Everton (H)
West Brom (H)
Arsenal (A)

Albrighton

Has shown some reasonable form with a goal and 3 assists in his last 6 where he’s also played 90 minutes in most games.  Does lack goal threat but the fixtures are good.

Everton (A)
Swansea (H)
Man City (A)
Stoke (H)
Bournemouth (H)
West Brom (A)

Tadic

Everyone’s favourite fools gold pops up again with a reasonable run of fixtures on the horizon.  Fixtures are all he has though with 1 assist in his last 5 and pretty poor season returns

Brighton (H)
West Brom (A)
Liverpool (H)
Burnley (A)
Stoke (H)
Newcastle (A)

A FEW VERY CHEAP MIDFIELDERS

Here we highlight a few very cheap midfielders for warming your bench at £4.5m or less.  I’ve concentrated on gametime rather than returns but also have tried to avoid CDM’s who manage to turn 2 points in 1 through yellow cards

T Carroll Swansea £4.3m

3 assists in 20 starts plus 2 as sub.  Has some set piece responsibility.  Was a sub v Liverpool but that could have been for more defensive options and that could be repeated in GW25 v Arsenal..  Started the last 6 before that.

Lewis Cook Bournemouth £4.3m

1 assist in 12 starts plus 2 as sub.  Has seemingly replaced one of the Arter and Surman combination  and has now started the last 5.

Nathan Dyer Swansea £4.4m 

1 assist in 9 starts and 5 as sub.  Started the last 3 games but alot of competition for attacking midfield places makes him a bit of a risky pick.

McArthur Palace £4.3m

3 goals in 11 starts plus 7 as sub.  Started the last 3.  Has benefitted from injuries to Loftus Cheek, Puncheon and Cabaye.  None look to be an immediate return and Loftus Cheek could be season ending.  Still a risky pick.

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