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Fantasy Premier League is back and with that comes a set of new problems. While everyone wants to get Eden Hazard, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and other big names in their team, resources are limited. Trying to find the best possible team for the season or for that matter, the week can be very challenging.
With so many big names to choose from, I decided to focus more on the smaller names or the unknown players who can end up making the difference in your team. These players are not too costly and may be good investments for the season.
A high majority of FPL players will own players such as Kante or Matic as they are cheap. While these are certainly safe buys but I believe buying players who have attacking flair and have a better chance of scoring goals or assisting is the way to go forward.
Players such as Wilfried Zaha and Riyad Mahrez are players that were unknown and ended up being perfect for fantasy premier league. This season many new players have entered the Premier League and so the hope is to find the next Riyad Mahrez that will help you go the distance in winning your league in fantasy premier league.
With that in mind, let us look at 8 mid-fielders, who I believe will be excellent additions to your fantasy premier league team.
#1 Jorginho (£5.0M)
Jorginho joined Chelsea from Napoli and already has some experience of playing under Sarri. He is expected to be in the starting line up along with Ngolo Kante and is going to be the link between the front three and the midfield.
While Jorgino is going to play the deepest role, he has the passing range similar to that of a young Cesc Fabregas. He is always looking to make passes to break the lines and create chances. He may also end up freeing Ngolo Kante on many of such breaks.
While Ross Barkley and Cesc Fabregas are better options moving forward, it is yet to be seen if they are going to start every game. Jorginho seems very impressive and for only £5.0m he is a definitely a player to look out for.
#2 Jack Wilshere (£5.0M)
Wilshere will be looking to create an impact at West Ham United. Under Manuel Pellegrini, he will be in an attacking system and will be looking to control the tempo of the game.
If Wilshere is able to recreate his early Arsenal form for West Ham United then he will be an excellent budget signing.
Having said that, one goal and six assists in his last three seasons with Arsenal and Bournemouth doesn’t make him a favorable buy for fantasy premier league. The biggest issue with Wilshere has been injuries. West Ham will be hoping that he can stay fit and so will all the FPL players who gamble on the Englishman.
#3 Granit Xhaka (£5.5M)
Xhaka fits in the defensive midfield role at Arsenal and hence he is not a mouth-watering buy for fantasy premier league managers. Having said that, Xhaka provided eight assists for Arsenal last season.
Xhaka is said to have a very powerful left foot and is not afraid to unleash it from distance. He had more shots on goal last season, than any other player from the Arsenal midfield.
While Xhaka is a good buy, one should be vary about the other signings that Arsenal have made in midfield. There might be a scenario where he may not make it to the starting eleven which would not be beneficial for fantasy premier league managers.
#4 James Maddison (£6.5M)
James Maddison is a 21-year-old youngster who made the move from Norwich City to Leicester City. He has such a hefty price because he is the player who created more chances last season than any other Championship player.
With the departure of Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City will be relying on Maddison to create chances for his teammates.
Maddison is said to be good at taking set pieces and isn't shy of taking a shot either. He had fourteen goals last season for Norwich City in the championship. He is a promising young player and fantasy premier league managers should keep a close watch on him.
#5 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (£7.0M)
Mkhitaryan is a tad bit expensive than the other players on this list but I believe he can be a very good signing. Arsenal has an easy run of fixtures at the start of the season which makes him an interesting buy.
Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura, Adam Lallana and Jesse Lingard are some other players who are in the same price range whom you may want to consider.
After moving to Arsenal from Manchester United, Mkhitaryan has scored twice and has assisted four times from nine starts. He should have a good season with Arsenal and hence would be a good buy for fantasy premier league managers.
#6 Alireza Jahanbakhsh (£7.0M)
Buying such an expensive midfielder from a team like Brighton & Hove Albion does not seem like the best option but that is the type of hype which Alireza Jahanbakhsh brings.
The Iranian international is an attacking midfielder and likes to play as a winger. He was excellent at the 2018 world cup which is one of the reasons that led to his big-money move to Brighton & Hove Albion.
While I personally would not buy him from the start just due to his heavy price tag but I would definitely keep a close watch as he can turn out to be one of the stars of the season.
#7 Kenedy (£5.0M)
Kenedy is on loan from Chelsea at Newcastle and would be a really good buy at his price. Most players at that price are central defensive midfielders but Kennedy is a flashy Brazilian winger.
In his 13 appearances for Newcastle last season, Kenedy scored and assisted twice and is expected to improve on that tally this coming season. Other notable players in the price range would be Victor Wanyama, Nemanja Matic, Lucas Torreira and Eric Dier.
The fixture list for Newcastle is not kind at the start of the league as they face Tottenham, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal in their first five games. Looking into buying Kennedy after those fixtures may be a smart option.
#8 Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£5.5M)
The only issue with Loftus Cheek is whether he is going to start a lot of games. Kante and Jorginho are bound to start almost all games which leave only one spot up for grabs in that Chelsea midfield.
Loftus Cheek will have to fight with Cesc Fabregas and Ross Barkley to get that spot. If he does become a starter then he would be a dream buy for fantasy premier league players as he is strong, skilled and a willing passer. He has more attacking talent than both Kante and Jorginho.
He may also be sent out on loan. If that is to a premier league club, then I would not think twice before buying him for my team.
Agree with our list? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below!
