High-scoring midfielders traditionally cost a pretty penny, but this season there is a lot of value to be had from some men in the middle who won’t rob you of all your moolah.
Gameweek 10 review
If, like your humble author, you went out of your way to introduce Sergio Aguero into your side, then your (not very) hard work will have been rewarded as the in-form Argentine struck for a goal, three assists and three bonus points in the 7-0 mauling of Norwich to come in as the top scorer this week with 18 points.
A spate of goals scored by defenders last weekend resulted in the Dream Team taking on an unconventional 5-2-3 formation, with Steven Caulker and Gareth McCauley both contributing 15 points, one more than Matija Nastasic, who was one of many City players to get in on the act at the Etihad.
Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie each scored 12 points after a goal and assist apiece against Fulham, with Santi Cazorla (11) and man of the moment Aaron Ramsey (10) forming an all-Arsenal two-man midfield after their goals against Liverpool on Saturday.
It would have been a travesty had Stoke’s Asmir Begovic not got in the Dream Team after his 100-yard thunderbolt against Southampton, a goal which was responsible for six of his nine points, the same total as the remaining two members of the Dream Team, Hull’s Liam Rosenior and West Brom’s Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
J-League
There was plenty of change at the top of the J-League after a weekend when there were a lot of points on offer and the top two swapped positions despite neither of them managing in excess of 70 points.
A solid 68 points from Barry Curran’s Gambitbeer was enough to see him leap above Stuart McGoldrick’s Champions 2013/14 in second, with Jonathan Doyle’s rejects putting on serious heat in third after 92 points this week.
Behind Jonathan in fourth are Sean O’Donoghue’s Celtic D’s, while Emmet O’Brien’s Silent Killers and Chris Duane’s Christal Palace can’t be separated in fifth spot.
J-League Top 5:
- Gambitbeer- Barry Curran: 680 points
- Champions 2013/14 – Stuart McGoldrick: 675 points
- Doyle’s rejects – Jonathan Doyle: 663 points
- Celtic D’s – Sean O’Donoghue: 660 points
- Silent Killers – Emmet O’Brien, Christal Palace – Chris Duane: 655 points
Getting maximum value from your middle men
Back in the day when Cristiano Ronaldo was banging in 40-odd goals a season for Manchester United, or when Frank Lampard was good for five or six braces a campaign in his Chelsea heyday, elite midfielders were the source of the majority of points in Fantasy Football circles.
Although strikers are now very much the main men, there is still a need for all managers to include a real-top quality midfielder or two in their selected XI and when you splash out on one of two gems, sometimes the rest of the middle men are just making up the numbers.
This season, however, that is certainly not the case. Led by the peerless Aaron Ramsey (£7.2 million) – the second highest scorer in the entire league in Fantasy Football terms – almost half (5) of the 12 highest scoring midfielders cost less than £7.5 million.
Ramsey, with six goals and four assists to date, is hardly in need of any more gushing praise right now but there are plenty of others who haven’t been as celebrated as the Arsenal man who deserve greater acclaim for their efforts.
Adam Lallana (£6.6 million) – deservedly called up to the England squad this week – is a case in point and is currently the fourth-highest scoring midfielder in the league. Despite struggling with injuries, our own Robbie Brady (£5.2 million) has more points than David Silva while Ross Barkley has also shone (£5.6 million), although there has been a noticeable decline in the number of points he has been contributing in recent weeks.
They haven’t quite the numbers to match the players mentioned above, but a few other names in the affordable midfielder category are also worth a mention.
England’s most recent saviour Andros Townsend plays 90 minutes nearly every week and costs six million quid while Manchester United prodigy Adnan Januzaj is a bit of a steal at £5.1 million, especially as he already appears to have secured first-team status at Old Trafford.
I hate to come across all Jamie Redknapp but if you’re going to go with your Ozils, your Yaya Toures, your Hazards etc, then you need to fill the rest of your midfield with players who aren’t going to break the bank.
Thankfully, there appears to be quite a lot of very decent players in that category at the moment.
JOE’s Fantasy Football Picks:
Top Dollar: Sergio Aguero (£11.8 million). Aguero has five goals and five assists in his last four games (and that’s just in the league) and is impossible to ignore at the moment. Be afraid Sunderland, be very afraid.
Mid-Range: Aaron Ramsey (£7.2 million). If you’re waiting for the bandwagon to come to a shuddering halt, then don’t, because Ramsey is on fire at the moment. Ramsey’s price may have increased by nearly £2 million since the start of the season but he’s still very affordable and is rightfully in 56% of Fantasy teams at the moment.
Bargain Basement: Guy Demel (£4.9 million). West Ham might not be fashionable but with six clean sheets so far they’re obviously doing something right. With Winston Reid out injured, Demel is a decent and affordable option at the back.
Irish Pick: Ciaran Clark (£4.5 million). Last week’s clean sheet against West Ham was Clark’s and Aston Villa’s fourth of the season so far and there’s a good chance of him getting another at home to Cardiff on Saturday.
Captain’s Pick: Luis Suarez (£11.4 million). Was kept quiet at the Emirates last week, but Liverpool have been particularly good against middle-of-the-road teams at home this season and if Fulham defend like they did against Manchester United last week, then Suarez and Sturridge could go to town.
