As Fantasy Premier League managers can now select their 15-man squads, The Scout analyses standout budget and premium players in each position.
Christian Eriksen (TOT) £9.5m
The Tottenham Hotspur playmaker is one of the most reliable midfield options in Fantasy.
Eriksen supplied 11 goals, 10 assists and 199 FPL points last season.
He was one of only five midfielders to produce double-figures for both goals and assists.
The statistics show why Eriksen excels as both a scorer and creator of goals.
Last season, his record of 97 shots on goal and 39 shots on target was second only to Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) among FPL midfielders.
And only Kevin De Bruyne (£10.0m) bettered Eriksen for chances created, by 106 to 95.
Yet the Dane, at £9.5m, is cheaper than both.
Harry Kane (£12.5m) is currently Spurs’ most popular player. He is owned by 33.9 per cent, compared with Eriksen’s 16.5 per cent.
But Denmark’s early exit in the 2018 FIFA World Cup can work to the midfielder's advantage.
Both Kane and Dele Alli (£9.0m) may be eased back into domestic action by manager Mauricio Pochettino after England reached the last four of the tournament.
Eriksen, however, is expected to be a fixture on the teamsheet from the very start of the season.
He certainly has a favourable run of early opponents.
Only two of Spurs' first nine matches score more than three in the Fixture Difficulty Ranking (FDR).
Spurs' opening nine Gameweeks
| Gameweek | Opponent | Venue | FDR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle | A | 3 |
| 2 | Fulham | H | 2 |
| 3 | Man Utd | A | 4 |
| 4 | Watford | A | 3 |
| 5 | Liverpool | H | 4 |
| 6 | Brighton | A | 3 |
| 7 | Huddersfield | A | 2 |
| 8 | Cardiff | H | 2 |
| 9 | West Ham | A | 3 |
That can boost Eriksen's chances of making a big impact as a key midfielder in early FPL squads.