FPL premium midfielders GW2 – player rankings for midfielders £7.5m upwards

Fantasy Premier League, Player Rankings

Here’s our FPL premium midfielders GW2 article where we rank the midfielders from £7.5m and upwards. There’s a table of stats to help you make a transfer choice plus some narrative on each player afterwards and their fixtures

FPL premium midfielders GW2 – player rankings for midfielders £7.5m upwards

This is our 2nd GW2 player rankings article. You can see defenders and GK rankings here

Methodology

I’ve started with all the midfielders at £7.5m and above that I think will start GW2 and have some longevity in the team.

I’ve then taken their expected goals and assist information from 17/18 and converted it into projected points through adjustments for minutes played bonus and fixtures. There’s also adjustments for any specific relevant 18/19 factors.  For fixtures I’ve taken a shorter view of 3 games. This is due to the fact that I think you want you transfers to make an immediate impact if possible.

Whether you believe the rankings or not there’s plenty of information to make your own decision

We are obviously only 1 gameweek in so it’s inevitable that the large basis of information is based on last seasons stats

Stats definitions

Pts per 90: the FPL points earned per 90 minutes played in 17/18

Fixture ease ranking so you can see who has the best fixtures from GW2-4 and GW2-8. See our fixture ease article

Underlying stats ranking is from our end of season underlying stats article where projected goals are turned into raw points.  It’s their rank in relation to each other not for every midfielder. Info from the excellent free site understat.com article

VFM rank.  I have divided their projected points by their price to get a rough value for money assessment

ATGS GW2 – 1 bookies anytime goalscoring odds for the player.  It assumes they start and doesn’t include assist potential

The schedule




FPL premium midfielders GW2

Salah

Started off this season where he left off last with a goal in the 4-0 win over West Ham.  Should really have had more when he shot point blank at Fabianski.  Again failed to get bonus points.

32 goals and 12 assists last season says it all.  Will be a big captain favourite and with ownership of 54% of all FPL managers a dangerous player not to own.  His incredible returns from last season still make him good value for me on the proviso that they can be replicated.

3 reasonable fixtures next but then they get tricky although there’s an argument that Liverpool are fixture proof goals wise.

Crystal Palace (A)
Brighton (H)
Leicester (A)
Spurs (A)
Southampton (H)
Chelsea (A)
Man City (H)

Sterling

It’s worth remembering that Sterling got 18 goals and 17 assists last season in FPL which is a phenomenal number.  He’s also had the price hike to match it.  A great series of fixtures next as well.

Started where he left off last season with a goal in the opening match v Arsenal and despite going deep in the World Cup also played 90 minutes.  Interestingly he started on the left which bodes well for Mahrez not taking as many minutes off him as originally thought possible.  That versatility plus the ability to even play as a striker or in a front 3 will hopefully keep his minutes up.

Huddersfield (H)
Wolves (A)
Newcastle (H)
Fulham (H)
Cardiff (A)
Brighton (H)
Liverpool (A)

Mane

Started the season off spectacularly well with 2 goals in the 4-0 win over Liverpool.  10 goals and 8 assists last season in 28 games.  Despite that return though his main problem has been consistently getting bonus points.  Despite 18 returning events in 28 starts as I said above he only got 8 bonus points last season.  The 2 seasons before he got 20 goals and assists in total each season but only got 14 and 16 bonus points.  At least in GW1 he got the whole 3 with his 2 goals

Great fixtures but then they get trickier.  Although as I said for Salah there is an argument that scoring wise Liverpool are fixture proof.

Crystal Palace (A)
Brighton (H)
Leicester (A)
Spurs (A)
Southampton (H)
Chelsea (A)
Man City (H)

Bernardo Silva

The injury to Kevin De Bruyne, if as serious as it was thought yesterday, has given Bernardo the opportunity to hold his place in the longer term as a CM in the Pep 4-1-4-1 formation.  He’s already had high praise from Pep regarding his pre-season form but despite his goal he was rather quiet v Arsenal.  His underlying numbers aren’t great and in particular he isn’t a strong goal threat.

However his price is compensation for those limitations and the fixtures are excellent

Huddersfield (H)
Wolves (A)
Newcastle (H)
Fulham (H)
Cardiff (A)
Brighton (H)
Liverpool (A)

Hazard

Hazard is an interesting phenomenon.  On the face of it his underlying stats are pretty ordinary.  However Hazard has 3 very positive attributes

He is consistently over performs his underlying stats, he also has penalties which is pretty rare for a midfielder and he hoovers up bonus points like almost no other player.   His 24 last season though was significantly lower than his 33 in 16/17 and incredibly 42 in 14/15

It was a pretty positive 14 minute all action cameo in GW1 v Huddersfield for an assist as well.   The new manager should also make Chelsea a far more attacking team (they couldn’t be less than under Conte tbf) and hopefully will end the very annoying habit Conte had of subbing him around 80 minutes.

The only negative with Hazard is that you’re relying on a guy who’s basic foundations aren’t that great to overperform, get pens and get bonus points. If you’re ok with that then no problem.

The next fixture v Arsenal as a transfer fixture isn’t ideal but hopefully it should be important enough for him to start

Arsenal (H)
Newcastle (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Cardiff (H)
West Ham (A)
Liverpool (H)
Southampton (A)

Eriksen

Eriksen although a different type of player to Hazard isn’t hugely different from an FPL perspective.  He doesn’t start from a great underlying stats base (mainly as his shooting stats could be better) but his ability to shoot from distance allows him to overperform them.  Plus you know he’s going to get a decent share of the bonus points.  He may not have pens but he does have the lions share of set pieces.

With Eriksen he does consistently create chances and is on the pitch pretty consistently for 90 minutes.  With set pieces and Harry Kane in that mix and you have a decent platform for producing FPL points.  It’s just that the assist numbers are all over the place year on year and last year he definitely didn’t get his just reward.  I guess that’s the risk you take with an assist based player.  The main watchout though is that he stays an AM and not a CM as he has from time to time.

Great fixture next although Man Utd after does make the next 3 less attractive.

Fulham (H)
Man Utd (A)
Watford (A)
Liverpool (H)
Brighton (A)
Huddersfield (A)
Cardiff (H)



Mahrez

Before everyone jumps down my throat over Mahrez’s ranking let me explain that I’ve based this on his Leicester stats last season.  What you say how ludicrous!  While I’d like to predict how Mahrez returns change after going to City based on 1 game it’s a task which would be a total guess so I’ll present the numbers and you can extrapolate them yourself.

That’s the unknown.  Were only 1 game in.  The injury to De Bruyne should give Mahrez more set piece responsibility and Sterlings ability to play on the left plus Pep’s criticism of Sane should give him some decent gametime.  There’s just alot of “shoulds” in there.

One thing for sure is that the fixtures couldn’t be much better

Huddersfield (H)
Wolves (A)
Newcastle (H)
Fulham (H)
Cardiff (A)
Brighton (H)
Liverpool (A)

Ramsey

Ramsey produced some decent underlying numbers last season although he does have a bit of a habit of under performing them.  However 7 goals and 10 assists in 23 starts is no mean feat.  While box to box midfielders aren’t generally your main target in FPL Ramsey’s ability to get forward on the counter attack and get into the box in a structured attack has seen him as a viable FPL player.

His main drawbacks are his injury record and the unknown of a new manager.  On the plus side he seemed to be involved in the pressing high up the pitch which was a pleasant surprise and on the negative he was subbed after 53 minutes.  That was presumably as he was the inevitable injury doubt prior to the game.

A tricky fixture next makes him a pretty unattractive transfer target this week

Chelsea (A)
West Ham (H)
Cardiff (A)
Newcastle (A)
Everton (H)
Watford (H)
Fulham (A)

Ozil

It’s always worth starting the Ozil debate with the fact that last season that when on the pitch only De Bruyne had better underlying assist stats than Ozil last season.  Not that you’d know as in 2000 minutes or so Ozil only produced 9 assists.  De Bruyne in 3000 minutes produced 18.

With Aubameyang and Lacazette there plus set piece responsibility you’d think he would make hay this season but it’s a bit speculative that’s for sure.

The tricky thing is Ozil fitting into the new managers pressing system which is something you’d think wouldn’t naturally be his strength.

A difficult fixture next gives another week before he can even be considered as an acquisition

Chelsea (A)
West Ham (H)
Cardiff (A)
Newcastle (A)
Everton (H)
Watford (H)
Fulham (A)

Alli

It was a pretty promising performance with his goal and 2 bonus point performance vs Newcastle with his constantly ghosting into the box and joining Kane as a support striker of sorts.  It was far more the 16/17 Dele Alli of 18 goals and 11 assists as opposed to the all round 17/18 Dele Alli of 9 goals and 13 assists.  If we can expect more of that, then were in for an excellent season.

It’s just if you’re going to roll that dice then home to Fulham is the time to do it

Fulham (H)
Man Utd (A)
Watford (A)
Liverpool (H)
Brighton (A)
Huddersfield (A)
Cardiff (H)

Sanchez

The 24 goals and 11 assists 16/17 Sanchez is in there some where.  However his Man Utd form hasn’t been great at all and you’re living on hope of it being rekindled

Brighton (A)
Spurs (H)
Burnley (A)
Watford (A)
Wolves (H)
West Ham (A)
Newcastle (H)

Pogba

It was a game v Leicester of little attacking output from Pogba apart from the penalty.  If he keeps those it would be a welcome bonus.  You have to hope he can bring his World Cup form to United for him to be an investment

Brighton (A)
Spurs (H)
Burnley (A)
Watford (A)
Wolves (H)
West Ham (A)
Newcastle (H)

Who’s not on the list?

Sane – gametime risk as on the bench last week

David Silva – injury risk

Mkhitaryan – not sure about him v Lacazette in a front 3

De Bruyne – injury

Willian – unsure of Willian v Pedro

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