Here’s our fantasy premier league player rankings GW8 article for midfielders £7.5m and above . 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
fantasy premier league player rankings GW8 – midfielders £7.5m plus
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.
This is the 2nd player rankings article. I’ve also written a defenders and GKs player rankings article
STATS DEFINITIONS
Fixt Ease: The ease of the mentioned fixture range from an attacking perspective. See our GW8 fixture ease article
PPG: the points per match taken from the FPL site
ATGS – the bookies anytime goalscoring odds for GW8.
xG and xA per 90 – the expected goals and assists per 90 minutes played from the excellent site understat.com. See our underlying stats summary for expected goal information on teams and players
THE SCHEDULE
I’ve written an article on Manchester City’s attacking players which you may find a useful addition to this. Since I wrote that I’ve seen a guardian article which suggests Aguero could be back for the GW8 Stoke game. There are no club quotes and remember the Argentinian doctor said 6 weeks. Hopefully press conferences will help as his presence does take 1 of the attacking places for Man City.
Sterling
The Man City AM has scored 4 goals in 5 starts this season and has started the last 4 when he’s been available. Suspended v Liverpool. His underlying stats have been very good although they have been boosted to unsustainable levels by the 2 recent big wins against Watford and Palace. However he still has a significant goal threat and good fixtures although he does represent more of a gametime risk than Silva and De Bruyne
Stoke (H)
Burnley (H)
West Brom (A)
Arsenal (H)
Leicester (A)
Huddersfield (A)
Salah
The Liverpool RAM who’s been playing on the right of a front 3 has had a fantastic reintroduction to the Premier League with 4 goals and 2 assists in his first 6 starts. So you start with a player who’s playing in a very advanced position.
His underlying stats have backed this up as being no fluke either even if they are currently at Harry Kane type levels. Has the reputation of being a bad finisher and to be fair has missed some sitters this season but he has pretty much out performed his xG over recent years. What’s more he’s consistently proved a goal threat in each game apart from the Palace game where Liverpool really struggled against the Palace defence.
The unknown is the Mane injury. There have been stats rolled out which shows the negative effect on Liverpool with him out but it seems to me that Salah still provides the pace to stretch defences and Coutinho the creativity. So to me it’s not a issue as yet. The 3 goals vs Leicester were without Mane for example. Fixtures are tough but not sure if this is an issue with Liverpool.
Man Utd (H)
Spurs (A)
Huddersfield (H)
West Ham (A)
Southampton (H)
Chelsea (H)
Sanchez
2 assists in his 3 starts for the season so far which is a bit disappointing considering they were very juicy home games against WBA and Brighton. The underlying stats though have suggested he’s been a bit unlucky. He has the big advantage that he should be rested for the European games which should minimise rotation in the premier league. The fixtures are a bit mixed but this is about faith in his quality overriding short term form his price, and his perceived unhappiness at being at Arsenal.
Watford (A)
Everton (A)
Swansea (H)
Man City (A)
Spurs (H)
Burnley (A)
Alli
The Spurs attacking midfielder plays as a support striker although his stats haven’t lived up to his last season’s form. 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 games isn’t a disaster though and Bournemouth next is a great fixture. You don’t often see £1.80 goal scoring odds for a midfielder unless his name is Sanchez. After that the fixtures are more mixed.
Bournemouth (H)
Liverpool (H)
Man Utd (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Arsenal (A)
West Brom (H)
Silva
D Silva and De Bruyne appear to be an oasis of gametime security in a desert of Pep rotation. Silva is a player who provides the creative input to the team with 6 assists in his first 7 games. More than De Bruyne he plays in the higher ends of the pitch. His underlying stats back this up as well even if they have been given an big boost by the Palace and Watford games which has lifted them above his historical levels.
Stoke (H)
Burnley (H)
West Brom (A)
Arsenal (H)
Leicester (A)
Huddersfield (A)
De Bruyne
I pretty much echo what I said for Silva except De Bruyne hasn’t produced the returns or the underlying stats that Silva has for less of a price. He is performing well below last season in underlying stats though so you either take the view that his so called deeper role is the reason or think there is room for improvement
Stoke (H)
Burnley (H)
West Brom (A)
Arsenal (H)
Leicester (A)
Huddersfield (A)
Hazard
I’ve put Hazard quite low in the rankings. That’s mainly due to the fact that he’s only started the 1 game and has yet to return a goal or assist. He’s also talked about the need for rest related rotation.
However if you’re thinking of him you’re doing it due to his history and undoubted quality. Plus the fact that he’s got great fixtures, penalties and could even be playing as a striker given that’s what happened when Morata went off against Man City
Crystal Palace (A)
Watford (H)
Bournemouth (A)
Man Utd (H)
West Brom (A)
Liverpool (A)
Sane
Again another player quite low purely down to gametime risk especially if Aguero is back earlier than we think. If he plays he will return. He has a good all round goal and assist threat. Read my Man City analysis for more information
Stoke (H)
Burnley (H)
West Brom (A)
Arsenal (H)
Leicester (A)
Huddersfield (A)
Eriksen
2 goals and 3 assists in 7 games is a pretty good return. The nagative though is that the underlying stats aren’t that great. The season stats having deteriorated through the last 3 games where he produced very little assist threat and goal threat despite the goal at West Ham. I hear alot of people talk about him as consistent which isn’t my perception and you’d be transferring him in for a perceived bounce back in a good fixture next.
Bournemouth (H)
Liverpool (H)
Man Utd (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Arsenal (A)
West Brom (H)
Mkhitaryan
After a great start with 5 assists in his first 3 games it’s all gone wrong with 1 goal in his last 4. Those last 4 games have seen some pretty horrible underlying stats posted as well. Particularly his assist threat. Not helpful when the fixtures are about to turn against United as well. That crowded Man Utd attacking midfield area has meant it easy to be turned into a sub magnet and he’s gone off in the 74th and 65th minute in the last 2 games.
Liverpool (A)
Huddersfield (A)
Spurs (H)
Chelsea (A)
Newcastle (H)
Brighton (H)
Coutinho
My personal preference for Salah over Coutinho has some dissenters especially considering he’s got 2 goals and an assist in his first 3 games. Coutinho has set pieces and is more likely to get assists with his creativity but could end up playing in the 2 of 4-1-2-3 even with the Mane injury. I also personally don’t think he’s a consistent enough goal threat if he does play in the deeper position.
Man Utd (H)
Spurs (A)
Huddersfield (H)
West Ham (A)
Southampton (H)
Chelsea (H)
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