Budget midfielders offering big value and points in FPL

Midfielders have dominated the player standings in the opening four Gameweeks of 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League.

Of the 13 players to record 25+ points, eight have been midfielders, highlighting why the 3-5-2 formation has proved the most popular for managers in the early stages of the new season.

See: All you need as FPL returns

Top-scoring players by position 2023/24

Handily for Fantasy managers, budget picks are proving more than a match for their expensive counterparts, with Bryan Mbeumo (£6.8m) and Solly March (£6.6m) among the four top-scoring players.

Indeed, of the 15 midfielders to earn at least 20 points, seven are priced under £7.0m, which shows the huge value on offer in this position.

Best budget midfielders to target

Moussa Diaby (Aston Villa) £6.6m
The Frenchman has been quick to settle at Aston Villa following his summer switch from German side Bayer Leverkusen.

Diaby has scored twice and supplied an assist to deliver 24 points, highlighting his all-round style of play.

Diaby's August highlights

The 24-year-old’s nine shots and seven chances created are both only one fewer than his more expensive team-mate Ollie Watkins (£8.0m).

That suggests Diaby could provide strong value in the upcoming period thanks to a favourable run of opponents. 

According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), five of Villa’s next seven matches score only two.

Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) £6.3m
A run of three straight blanks has resulted in a drop of £0.2m for the Crystal Palace attacker since the season got underway.

However, Eze’s goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out suggests those former owners will be regretting the decision to move him on.

Eze's goal v Wolves

Certainly, the underlying numbers could barely be more encouraging.

Eze’s 19 shots rank top among midfielders, while only four other players in his position have surpassed his 13 chances created.

Matches with Villa, Fulham and Nottingham Forest in the next four Gameweeks give him the chance to improve his output.

Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) £6.8m
Brentford’s Cameroonian is the top-scoring midfielder and most-bought player in 2023/24 Fantasy.

Mbeumo has scored four goals in the opening four Gameweeks to earn over 1.89million transfers in.

Although he has a somewhat mixed schedule, Mbeumo's 27 per cent backers will be optimistic of more returns against Everton, Nott’m Forest and Burnley in the next five fixtures.

He has registered six big chances, at least two more than any other midfielder in Fantasy.

Mbeumo's GW4 goal v AFC Bournemouth

Anthony Gordon (Newcastle) £5.5m
The winger appears to have secured a regular role for Newcastle United at the beginning of 2023/24.

Gordon has started all four of the opening Gameweeks, scoring once and supplying an assist.

His eight shots, five shots in the box and five key passes all rank among the Magpies’ top three players ahead of a kind schedule.

Four of their next six matches score a mere two in the FDR.

Newcastle's next six matches

Manor Solomon (Spurs) £5.3m
The Israeli has been overlooked in the rush to acquire his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates Son Heung-Min (£9.1m) and James Maddison (£7.8m).

Whereas Son and Maddison are the two most-bought midfielders over the international break, Solomon is selected by only 0.2 per cent of managers. 

Handed his first start in Gameweek 4, Solomon seized his opportunity by supplying two assists in the 5-2 win at Burnley.

Solomon's second assist v Burnley

Four of Spurs’ next six score two in the FDR, starting with a home encounter with Sheffield United in Gameweek 5.
 
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) £5.0m
Chelsea’s Argentinian has been unfortunate to blank in each of his opening four matches.

Playing as an advanced central midfielder, Fernandez has created a team-high 11 chances.

He has also produced 11 shots, second only to the 15 of forward Nicolas Jackson (£7.2m).

Three of Chelsea's next four matches score just two in the FDR, giving Fernandez the chance to offer outstanding value in Fantasy. 

Chelsea's next four matches