Who are the best budget midfielders in Fantasy?

The Scout analyses the early-season data to help managers in Fantasy Premier League pick the best budget midfielders.

Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe (£5.8m) is the top-scoring midfielder in the sub-£6.0m category, earning 30 points thanks to two goals and an assist.

His strong start to 2024/25 is also reflected in the ownership levels, with the summer signing from Arsenal found in almost 30 per cent of squads.

Smith Rowe's GW5 goal v Newcastle

Everton's Dwight McNeil (£5.4m) has also been involved in three goals, scoring one and assisting two. Despite amassing 24 points he has largely been overlooked and is owned by less than three per cent of managers.

Smith Rowe's team-mates Adama Traore (£5.1m) and Alex Iwobi (£5.5m) also feature in the analysis of the budget midfielders with the most Fantasy points, highlighting the big value offered by Fulham.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa's Amadou Onana (£5.2m), Leicester City's Stephy Mavididi (£5.3m) and AFC Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m) have all scored twice. Indeed, Semenyo has matched Smith Rowe's attacking output but has only been picked by 7.7 per cent of managers.

Top budget midfielders for FPL points 24/25

Who is most likely to score?

By assessing the underlying statistics, managers can get a better idea of the players most likely to score goals.

Bournemouth and Fulham dominate the analysis, supplying a combined seven of the top nine budget midfielders for goal threat, as shown in the table below. 

Semenyo's potential is particularly impressive. Not only is his total of 24 shots more than any other budget midfielder, it is second only to the 26 of Erling Haaland (£15.3m) among ALL players in Fantasy.

Smith Rowe's finishing also catches the eye here, with his 20.0 per cent goal conversion rate the best on show by some margin.

Nonetheless, their team-mates have also boasted a considerable threat. 

For Bournemouth, Marcus Tavernier's (£5.5m) total of 15 shots places second only to Semenyo, while Luis Sinisterra (£5.0m) and Justin Kluivert (£5.4m) have each produced at least seven shots in the box.

Fulham's Traore has mirrored the nine shots in the box of Smith Rowe, while also bettering him for shots and "big chances", which is a situation where the player is expected to score.

West Ham United's Tomas Soucek (£5.0m) and Brighton & Hove Albion's Georginio Rutter (£5.5m) have also offered plenty of goal threat.

Soucek has netted once and had 12 shots in the box, second only to the 14 of Semenyo. Although Rutter has yet to score, his tally of eight shots in the box is impressive considering that he has only started the Seagulls' last two matches.

Goal threat GWs 1-5

Who is most likely to get assists?

The stats for creativity show Everton's McNeil has offered the best chances of assists of any player in Fantasy this season.

The winger's 20 key passes and six big chances created are both league-high totals and highlight his huge potential to offer value. 

Fulham's Andreas Pereira (£5.3m) runs McNeil close on 19 key passes, although just one of them was regarded as a big chance created.

Similarly to McNeil, Pereira's prospects for assists are lifted by his dominance of set-pieces. He has taken 29 corners and supplied a cross from six free-kicks.

Villa duo Youri Tielemans (£5.5m) and Morgan Rogers (£5.2m) have also caught the eye when it comes to big chances created, in particular, with each supplying four.

Rogers' first GW5 assist v Wolves

While Tielemans is boosted by his set-piece duties, Rogers' role as a No 10 has made him a popular pick, with his ownership of 17 per cent second only to Smith Rowe in the budget midfielder category. Although Rogers has managed a mere four shots in the box, three of these have been big chances. 

Notably, though, Tavernier, Iwobi and Traore are the only players to feature among the best players for BOTH our assessments of goal threat and creativity statistics, showing their all-round attacking abilities.

Creative threat GWs 1-5

So who are the best budget midfielders?

The numbers of Semenyo, Smith Rowe and Rogers suggest they are the best options in the sub-£6.0m bracket.

Semenyo's huge goal threat makes him the top short-term pick, with Bournemouth set to face promoted pair Southampton and Leicester in the next two Gameweeks.

Smith Rowe's goal conversion rate marks him out as the best finisher of the lot, although his upcoming schedule isn't particularly appealing. Matches against Man City and Villa in the next three Gameweeks dent his attacking appeal.

Rogers' big-chance involvement is hugely promising. Indeed, his total of seven is more than any other player in this bracket. He also has a kind short-term schedule ahead, with Villa facing Ipswich Town, Fulham and Bournemouth among their next five matches before the fixtures take a turn for the worse in Gameweek 10.