Following on from the most popular £4.5m option in Fantasy Premier League, The Scout's watchlist of budget midfielders continues.
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) £5.5m
James Ward-Prowse can finally break out as a big FPL option over the new season.
The Southampton midfielder has always offered points potential due to his ability to pick a pass and outstanding dead-ball prowess.
In 2014/15, those talents produced eight assists from just 16 starts.
He heads into the new campaign after four goals and four assists in 2016/17, producing his best-ever FPL tally (92 points).
The underlying statistics hint at significant progress.
Ward-Prowse fired a shot every 44.9 minutes last season compared with 54.8 minutes in 2015/16.
He also created chances at a faster rate, providing a key pass every 43.8 minutes compared with 47.9.
He has become a more prominent figure in Southampton's attack.
In 2016/17 he received the ball every 2.2 minutes with an average of 10.0 passes received in the attacking third.
This was up from 2.7 minutes and 4.8 passes in 2015/16.
More significantly, Ward-Prowse scored or assisted 38.9% of Southampton's goals last season when on the pitch, up from 21.4% in the previous campaign.
Ward-Prowse progress
| 2015/16 | 2016/17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mins per shot | 54.8 | 44.9 |
| Mins per chance created | 47.9 | 43.8 |
| Goal involvement | 21.4% | 38.9% |
These numbers offer food for thought for FPL managers.
Priced at just £5.5m, the 22-year-old will be expected to progress further under the guidance of new manager Mauricio Pellegrino.
Southampton players are key targets over the opening months due to their early fixtures.
Their schedule averages just 2.1 in the Fixture Difficulty Rankings (FDR) over the opening 11 Gameweeks, lower than any other side.
Nathan Redmond and Dusan Tadic (both £6.5m) will tempt midfield investment, with the former already part of 11.6% of squads.
With just 1.6% ownership, Ward-Prowse is currently being overlooked.
But that will change dramatically should his FPL points begin to reflect the progress shown in recent seasons.
