It is an indisputable fact that midfielders are the MVPs of Fantasy Premier League, as recent history makes abundantly clear.
Over the past five campaigns a midfielder has finished first in the rankings: Mo Salah has been top of the pile four times with Kevin De Bruyne pipping him to the post on the other occasion.
Now you might be of the opinion that the above statistic isn’t particularly enlightening as one very good footballer has dominated the standings. However, midfielders generally hoover up points season in and season out: seven of the top 10 highest-scoring players in 2017-18 were midfielders and in subsequent campaigns, that number has been five, six, six and five.
Although defenders are starting to rival midfielders when it comes to FPL appeal, they remain the top dogs for now. As a result it is the area of the pitch that you should perhaps invest in most heavily with your £100m budget. Skimping on midfielders is a tactic that looks likely to blow up in your face if recent trends are anything to go by.
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An important factor to weigh up when deliberating between a midfielder or a forward – for example, if you’re torn between Son Heung-min and Harry Kane or De Bruyne and Erling Haaland – is that midfielders earn an extra point for scoring goals and if their team keeps a clean sheet.
So without further ado, here are the 10 best midfielders to consider signing this season:
Mo Salah (Liverpool)
Salah’s consistency in FPL is quite simply unmatched. Using data from Fantasy Football Fix, Salah’s lowest average points per game in FPL is 6.74 (in 2018-19) while his highest was an enormous 8.42 the year before. Salah’s haul of 303 points in 2017-18 is an all-time FPL record.
The obvious takeaway here is that going without Salah is incredibly risky: he has proven time and time again to be well worth the investment. As ever during pre-season, Salah-less teams have been circulating on social media. Going without the Egyptian king might ensure you have a more balanced squad, but it is an almighty gamble to take.
Price: £13.0m Points in 2021-22: 265
Son Heung-Min (Spurs)
It is a testament to Son’s form over the past couple of years that only the aforementioned Salah has outscored him in FPL since the start of 2020-21 and only by a combined nine points too. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Korean has been given a price hike ahead of the new season, with his starting price rising from £10m to £12m.
Deserved as Son’s inflated transfer fee unquestionably is, it does present a conundrum for FPL bosses. Previously, the Spurs midfielder was priced in that delicious sweet spot in between the mid and upper-tier FPL assets, allowing managers to essentially have a premium option at a knockdown price. Even at £12m though he is a stellar option.
Price: £12.0m Points in 2021-22: 258
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
According to Fantasy Football Fix, only Salah and Son scored more FPL points per game than Kevin De Bruyne last season, of those to play more than 1,000 minutes. The Manchester City playmaker enjoyed a purple patch in the final few weeks, memorably scoring four goals in a 5-1 win against Wolves.
Despite proving to be an exceptional FPL asset over a number of years, De Bruyne trails Salah, Son and new teammate Erling Haaland, in the popularity stakes. Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy might explain that but the reintroduction of the five-substitute rule could result in De Bruyne being given more starts than in previous years.
Price: £12.0m Points in 2021-22: 196
Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
If there is one thing that Chelsea have lacked in recent years it is a reliable goalscorer and in Raheem Sterling they have acquired just that. Sterling would have been Chelsea’s top scorer in each of the past five seasons, based on the numbers he posted for Manchester City.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Sterling was one of the very best FPL options. Back in 2018-19, he finished second in the overall table, just six points behind Salah after combining 17 goals with 13 assists. With more regular game-time at Chelsea and Reece James and Ben Chilwell supplying the ammo, Sterling can rediscover his most lethal form.
Price: £10.0m Points in 2021-22: 163
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Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
For the bulk of Jurgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool, the front three picked itself: Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. That is no longer the case, with Mane swapping Merseyside for Munich and Firmino no longer an automatic starter, leaving Salah to spearhead a new-look frontline.
Darwin Nunez is gaining popularity in FPL after firing four goals against RB Leipzig in pre-season, but Luis Diaz is a safer, more Premier League-ready alternative. Diaz slotted in seamlessly upon his arrival from Porto in January and averaged 4.92 points per game in FPL. And with Mane gone, the left wing spot could be his to lose.
Price: £8.0m Points in 2021-22: 64
James Maddison (Leicester)
Leicester’s patchy domestic form is perhaps why James Maddison generally flew under the radar in FPL last season, despite enjoying statistically his best-ever campaign. Maddison recorded double figures for goals (with 12) and assists (11) in the Premier League for the first time in his career and was one of only seven players to achieve that feat.
He was particularly impressive in the latter weeks: from Gameweek 30 until the final day, he ranked second for points among all players, only behind Son. Despite his end-of-season exploits, Maddison is currently owned by less than six per cent of managers and could, therefore, be an excellent differential option.
Price: £8.0m Points in 2021-22: 181
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Jadon Sancho endured a difficult first season at Manchester United as reflected by an underwhelming return of three goals and four assists in the Premier League. As a result, Sancho’s price tag has dipped by £2m to £7.5m making him an intriguing FPL option.
Erik ten Hag’s United are an unknown quantity but there have been promising signs in pre-season and Sancho is one of those to have caught the eye. Sancho managed 38 goals and 51 assists for Dortmund in the Bundesliga and a fresh start could see him rediscover his top form.
Price: £7.5m Points in 2021-22: 91
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
For the first summer in what has felt like an eternity, Wilfried Zaha has not been linked with a move away from Crystal Palace. That rare serenity could have a positive effect on his early season form which has traditionally been rather hot and cold.
Although Conor Gallagher stole his limelight somewhat, Zaha enjoyed the most fruitful Premier League season of his career, scoring 14 goals in total. That tally also meant that he earned 150 FPL points, also representing an all-time best return. Given his output and status as Palace’s penalty taker, a £7m price tag seems rather generous.
Price: £7.0m Points in 2021-22: 150
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Jesse Lingard (Nottingham Forest)
Now this is an intriguing one. Nottingham Forest have made a splash by convincing Jesse Lingard that the City Ground rather than the London Stadium is the best place to showcase his talents.
If Steve Cooper is able to coax the same sort of productivity out of Lingard as David Moyes did during that electric period at West Ham, you would have to back Forest to have a successful season. In that six-month spell with the Hammers, Lingard scored nine goals and provided four assists in only 16 appearances.
Price: £6.0m Points in 2021-22: 29
Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)
Leon Bailey managed a solitary goal and three assists during an injury-hit first season at Aston Villa, but he has looked the part in pre-season and appears to be playing his way into Steven Gerrard’s thinking.
At £5m, Bailey is only half a million more than the cheapest midfielders in the game and his upside is higher than any of those in that price bracket. If you can afford to have him as your fourth or fifth-choice midfielder, he could prove to be an astute buy. The Jamaican scored nine goals and provided eight assists in his final season with Bayer Leverkusen.
Price: £5.0m Points in 2021-22: 37
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