AZ from FPL Blackbox is back with their top tips ahead of GW18, as they select the top 10 midfielders for under £6 million.
With the festive matches well underway, FPL managers will be hoping to take full advantage on one of the busiest periods of the campaign.
We’re blessed with a range of budget friendly options in midfield this year. It can be a bit of a head-scratcher knowing who to go for, so I’ve listed (in order) my top 10 for the coming weeks of the season.
AZ From FPL Blackbox GW18 Tips: Top 10 Budget Midfielders
1. Amad Diallo (£5.3m)
Amad has seven goal involvements in his last seven Premier League games, has promising underlying statistics and looks to be the key man for Ruben Amorim.
He was very unlucky to blank against Bournemouth, racking up an xGI of 0.94. Although Man United aren’t exactly on a great run of form at the moment, games against Wolves and Southampton in the next four look promising for returns.
2. Morgan Rogers (£5.3m)
Rogers was one of the most sold players going into the home game against Man City but answered his FPL critics with a barnstorming 14 points against the champions.
Rogers has started every game this season and seems to be improving every week, and with rotation aplenty in the Villa line up, he’s by far the standout option in the side.
Aston Villa have a tempting run of matches coming up, welcoming Brighton and Leicester to Villa Park which look good for future returns.
3. Enzo Fernandes (£5.1m)
Six consecutive starts in a row for Enzo has yielded six attacking returns and the Argentinian is also taking corners for Chelsea, giving him extra routes to points.
Chelsea are second only to Spurs for goals scored this season and have three appealing home games in their next five, as well as a trip to struggling Ipswich.
4. Ismaila Sarr (£5.7m)
Three goals in two games sees Sarr finally coming good on promising underlying data. A heavy loss to Arsenal was a bit out of character for Palace who had been in good form coming into the game, with two wins in three games.
The fixture list is brilliant for Palace going forward, with games against Southampton, Leicester, West Ham and Brentford all likely to involve goals and Sarr looking the best asset in the team.
5. Jacob Murphy (£4.9m)
Jacob Murphy is the cheapest player on this list and has managed to accumulate an impressive return with back-to-back 13 points.
His security of starts and overall minutes is a bit lower than some of the others, but with Newcastle finally clicking in attack he’s a cheap alternative to Anthony Gordon or Alexander Isak if you are looking to move funds into other areas of your side.
6. Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m)
Semenyo can be a frustrating player to own in FPL as he has such a high volume of shots (only Salah and Haaland have more shots in the box this season) but has struggled to return these into FPL points.
His goal against Manchester United was his first attacking return in his last 6 matches. However, when you own a player like Semenyo who is involved in so much of Bournemouth’s attacking play, you always have a chance of getting something from him.
7. Alex Iwobi (£5.8m)
Iwobi was overlooked for much of the first half of the season, mostly due to the form of Raul Jiminez and Emile Smith-Rowe but has been ticking along nicely, sitting 8th for all midfielders in FPL so far this season.
He has blanked in 10 of his 17 games, so patience might be key with Iwobi, but with Fulham in good form at the moment and chasing European football, he’s a sure starter when other players for the team might be less secure with their minutes
8. Callum Hudson Odoi (£5.3m)
Forest are flying right now and Hudson Odoi is a key part of the team that currently sit third in the table. Chris Wood has had a couple of blanks in a row now so it might be time to look to other, cheaper alternatives in the lineup.
The fixtures are a bit of a mixed bag at the moment, but CHO will fancy his chances against Pedro Porro in their next game and goes on to play Wolves and Southampton in Gameweeks 20 and 22 respectively.
9. Justin Kluivert (£5.5m)
Penalty taking maestro Kluivert isn’t the sexiest pick on this list, but remarkable efficiency when taking spot kicks definitely boosts his appeal.
He’s not a 90-minute man and has struggled for returns outside of penalty duties, but it’s no coincidence that Bournemouth are winning so many, with players like Evanilson, Semenyo and Outtara proving to be too much of a handful for many defences in the league this year.
10. Goncalo Guedes (£5.3m)
This one might be too much of a punt, but Guedes looked good in his first start of the season for new manager Vitor Pereira.
A confident 3-0 win against fellow strugglers Leicester could be the catalyst for Wolves season to improve, and with Cunha’s ban imminent, they will need other players to step up in his absence.
If you think Wolves will continue to benefit from the new manager bounce, then Guedes might be a steal at just £5.3m, but it is worth noting that his 13 point haul came from an xGi of just 0.06 so it may be best to monitor him before you go rushing in.
