We’re back with an ongoing look at the players that are being done dirty by the FPL scoring system. Last week was the defenders, and this week it’s the midfielders. And this, dear readers, is where things are going to get a little…complicated. You see, one of the big flaws we at Statr aim to fix with our points system is the ongoing insistence next door at FPL that all wingers are in fact midfielders. We see things differently. The key role of any winger is to get forward and create wide attacks, draw opposition defences out of position, and deliver threatening crosses into the box. Or, if you’re one of the all time greats, cut inside and do the dirty on the goalie your very own self. Sure, when these lads are classed as wingers, it makes things pretty straightforward when you’re wondering which midfielders to draft.
So why is this a problem? Once again, homogenised, dull gameplay, with almost everyone picking up Mbeumo, Salah, Saka…the really obvious meta-game play is to grab these out-of-position assets and then just slap in Cunha and Isak out front for maximum points with minimum effort. The problem? It’s boring as hell! Draft takes care of that up to a point, but because we’re data fiends here at Statr, we also want a more realistic representation of what’s happening on the pitch. More datapoints, more than just attacking returns, no soft clean sheets for attacking players, more tactical options…we want and will deliver the best for our coaches.
So, continuing from last week’s look at the best defenders to draft, this week we’re taking a look at the best midfielders to draft in the upcoming season. These are the lads that didn’t make the top ten in FPL but using our points system showed what they’re actually worth to their clubs and – if you’re quick enough on draft night – your squad next season.
Let’s get the obvious ones out of the way.
First up, the candidates that made both top 10 lists. Cole Palmer, despite a rough spell without his buddy Jackson to assist, still delivered over 500 points in Statr scoring last season, finishing as our highest ranking midfielder and FPL’s third place. Man United’s only good player™ , Bruno Fernandes, landed second in our top ten this year and 6th over in FPL. Jarrod Bowen, who honestly is moving more and more towards a winger role (watch this space for reassignment) , also cracks the top ten in both. Nobody who’s anybody will be surprised or could consider any part of this trio undervalued, however it’s worth pointing out that four of FPL’s top ten (Salah, Mbeumo, Luis Diaz and Semenyo) are unarguable attackers with absolutely minimal defensive involvement. So who are the gems that FPL overlook but Statr have unearthed?
Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest, AM)
What an amazing season for Forest, and who made it happen in the middle of the pitch more than Gibbs-White? He lands the bronze medal in our top ten, delivering on assists, clean sheets, key passes and even tackles as the season progressed. While Forest’s new season is probably the biggest question mark for the Prem next season, Gibbs-White is at a level wherein he demands inclusion by the second round of most drafts. There’s a catch though – while he delivered 12 PPG across the season, this tailed off dramatically towards the last 10 weeks as he battled with injury and transition to a more defensive role. Now, we’re not saying DMs aren’t as valuable as AMs, and Gibbs-White has the skill to make the adjustment. That said, a new role on an unpredictably performing team makes it uncertain that he’ll score as well next season.
Kevin Schade (Brentford, AM)
Often this year there’s been so much talk about Mbeumo on the right wing for Brentford that the outstanding performance by the 21-year-old German have gone overlooked out wide on the left. Schade racked up no fewer than eleven Premier League goals last season, with an unbelievable 90 Aerials won (and those are CB-worthy numbers). Ten clean sheets helped add to the haul, as well as the full 38 appearances for the Bees. Not a whiff of an outbound transfer in sight to ruin the rampage either, although the change in management may provide a little uncertainty for Brentford assets as a whole. Or, it’s entirely possible that with Mbeumo gone, Brentford rely on Schade even more this season. Time will tell.
Declan Rice (Arsenal, DM)
Key passes. Tackles. Crosses. Interceptions. Blocked shots. Aerials. Rice has , in his best season at Arsenal, delivered up and down the pitch for the Gunners. Even in the absence of an experienced target man (sit down Kai, shut up Mikel) which would certainly have yielded him a greater Assist score too, Rice has been the standout for Arsenal all season. And that’s not even factoring in the fun that he and his team had with corners before Christmas, when the whole league shook in fear at the dark arts of Arsenal’s set pieces. Saka’s absence for half the season meant somebody had to swing those bad boys in , and Rice was the man of the hour. He landed sixth of last year’s midfielders at Statr, and we reckon that he can make it all the way to the top this year. And by top, obviously, we mean second, because as long as he’s wearing those two jerseys he’s never going to win a damned thing.
Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool, DM/CM)
It took a while to settle at Anfield, but what a year it’s been for the Argentine. He’s an absolute destroyer defensively and once again showing the attacking involvement he was best at during his time at Brighton, Mac Allister has the highest clean sheets in this list at 14, the highest tackles won at an astonishing 58 (a figure most defenders would be proud of), and a decent to good performance on literally every other metric bar Aerials. He’s nailed on, he’s settled, he’s indispensable, he’s a must-have if you get the opportunity. There’s no indication whatsoever of things slowing down at Anfield so beg, borrow, trade or finagle to get this one on your squad next year.
Tomas Soucek (West Ham United, DM)
We told you we had plans for DMs, didn’t we? Much like Tarkowski at the back for Everton, Soucek isn’t going to provide much by pretty looking play or tiki-taki instagram moments. He’s a grafter, pure and simple. He’s lead the Hammers through most of what’s been – let’s be honest – a shite year for them. His strong points are the trifecta of “big lad in the middle” – Blocked shots, Clearances, and Aerials. If this was FPL, he’d pick up 1-2 points per game, because none of that matters. But this is Statr, a league originally founded in part because I didn’t get N’Golo Kante. West Ham may struggle next season, but Soucek will not.
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea, CM)
Chelsea are doing well before Christmas? Endo looks good. Chelsea have gone to pieces in the new year? Enzo’s looking good. Palmer off the boil? Enzo’s solid. Jackson injured? Enzo’s still alright. Seriously, there was no phase of the season last year wherein Enzo had more than 2 quiet weeks in a row. Key passes and Accurate Crosses were his best earning stats this year. What makes him stand out? Well for starters, his heat map looks like nobody else’s.
This is a player that lends a hand everywhere on the pitch. Why that matters is that even for the stats that aren’t his strongest, he’s getting points from every phase of play and every fixture. If you want brilliance that’s overshadowed by a bigger name, Fernandez is it.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool, BBM)
Speaking of players being overshadowed…if you’re FPL only, Szoboszlai struggles to make your team due to the 3 per club max and Luis Diaz apparently being a mid. If you’re looking at the game as a whole, like Statr does, you’ll see 50+ Key Passes, 20+ Shots on Target, 36 appearances and absolute brilliance in moving Liverpool up through the middle of the pitch all the way through last season. Like Mac Allister, barring some unexpected disaster in Liverpool’s season next year, he’s likely to appear in the top ten again in twelve months time. Ignore him at your peril.
Jimi Kavanagh, June 2025
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