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Welcome to the 2024-2025 Fantasy Premier League season, RotoBallers! The team has given you the team previews ahead of the new season, and now it's time for the position previews. Today, we continue this by looking at players along the backline: midfielders.
They assist more than defenders and get more points for goals than forwards. Crushing your choice of midfielders is one of the best ways to have a great Fantasy Premier League season. From the high-flying premiums of Mohamed Salah to the bargain-bin stars in the £4.5 million range, we will have every shape and size of midfielders in our FPL teams throughout 38 gameweeks.
The first deadline of the 2024-2025 Fantasy Premier League season is Friday, August 16 at 1:30 p.m. EDT, when Manchester United welcomes Fulham to open the campaign. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League slate and UEFA Champions League game with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
FPL Position Previews: Midfielders
Cole Palmer (£10.5M) blew away the FPL world last season with 244 points to become the highest-scoring player in the game. What's remarkable is that he started the season at £5.5M. Every manager had him in their squad by the tail end of the season, and it's left the FPL community scrambling to find the "next" Palmer for the upcoming campaign. Many options exist, so let's break it down with the RotoBaller squad.
Last Season's Midfielder Stats
- Most FPL points: Cole Palmer, Chelsea - 244 points
- Most goals: Cole Palmer, Chelsea - 22 goals
- Most assists: Anthony Gordon, Newcastle - 16 assists
- Most bonus points: Cole Palmer, Chelsea - 32 bonus points
Over your FPL career, what is your strategy for midfielders?
- Euan Leith: I prefer to spend most of my money in midfield and try to slam in as many heavy hitters as possible. That's changed slightly with the emergence of Erling Haaland, but not too much. Mohamed Salah (£12.5M) is usually in my squad, but I'm always on the lookout for that budget-saving, always-playing midfielder to break through the ranks and jump on them early.
- Jamie Steed: My biggest focus used to be on attackers. But over the years, more and more elite midfield options have appeared, and now I focus more on building a midfield and working the attackers and defenders around them. I still ensure I have one discount option I like to take a punt on to give me more financial freedom. But my midfield is generally my priority nowadays.
- The FPL Manual (Wale): I have consistently gone with four to five midfielders starting weekly in a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 shape. My strategy is to own at least one premium midfielder and mix a few mid-priced picks who could contribute solid attacking returns.
What's your favorite FPL price reveal for midfielders?
- Euan: Anthony Gordon (£7.5M) feels like a significant price jump for the Englishman, but it also keeps him affordable. Gordon was fantastic in front of the St James' Park crowd last season, and he can make the jump and contribute at home and on the road. There are rumblings of a potential move to Liverpool before the deadline is over, however, so watch this space.
- Jamie: There isn’t one reveal but more a general feel for how the top-tier options haven’t been overpriced. With Erling Haaland up to £15.0M, it’s still possible to build a solid squad with Haaland and a couple of elite midfielders. There are plenty of solid options under £7.5M, allowing you to build a strong midfield-five and either go with Haaland or strengthen elsewhere.
- Wale: Phil Foden (£9.5M) is a fantastic pricing reveal among the midfielders. The 2023-2024 season Player of the Year is somewhat of a cheap premium asset because he is 0.5 million less than Bukayo Saka and Son Heung-min and will do more exploits under Pep Guardiola's system.
Two players who provided more than 20 goals and assists in 2023/24 💥
Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen both see their price rise to £7.5m 💰#FPL pic.twitter.com/ugj0yOVxl7
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 11, 2024
What's your least favorite FPL price reveal for midfielders?
- Euan: This is a two-for-one, but I'm not a fan of the prices for Declan Rice (£6.5M) or Rodri (£6.5M). Yes, they scored at least 155 points last season, but they don't offer enough attacking threat. If they were priced at £6.0M, I would consider them and create a different way to approach the game. These players will never crack 200 points, but it would be nice to be able to consider them in the player pool. That's not happening at their 2024-2025 price point.
- Jamie: Cole Palmer being the second-most-expensive midfielder at £10.5M isn’t ideal. Yes, his 244 points last season were more than any other player. But nine of his 22 goals came from the penalty spot. He’s got a new head coach and may not start the first couple of games due to his exertions at the Euros. Plus, Chelsea is back in Europe, and even if Palmer doesn’t see much time in Europa League action, the Thursday and Sunday game issue could pose some problems for Chelsea and Palmer.
- Wale: I have no complaints in this category, as I believe everyone was priced reasonably.
Among the £8.5M and above-priced midfielders, who are you most likely to have in your Gameweek 1 squad?
- Euan: Among the 11 most expensive midfielders, only Salah, Son Heung-min (£10.0M), and Martin Odegaard (£8.5M) weren't involved in a continental competition this summer. While Salah has the challenge of a new manager, he's traditionally a fast starter. The Egyptian bagged eight goals in the previous seven opening-day fixtures with Liverpool, and a trip to Ipswich to open the new season gives the 32-year-old a chance to make it nine in eight.
- Jamie: Bukayo Saka (£10.0M) is my mainstay midfielder. His consistency can’t be underrated, and he’s improved his points tally each year. You can use most of the same arguments I made against Palmer to avoid Saka, but the reality is Saka has been consistently elite for three seasons. Last year was his third consecutive season of having 20+ goal involvements, with his 28 being a personal best. He’s still only 22 years old, so he hasn’t reached his potential yet, and his floor is that of a top-5 midfielder.
- Wale: As it stands, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool (£12.5m) is the major player. I’m pretty set on having him for the first gameweek and the excellent run of Liverpool's next five games.
Mo Salah = FPL points 📈
The man himself makes the case why he should be in your squad 💪#FPL pic.twitter.com/l1FZMnE7Ej
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 12, 2024
Who is your favorite £6.5-£8.0M midfielder for the 2024-2025 FPL campaign?
- Euan: I've already mentioned him, but Anthony Gordon is my man this year. He wasn't featured too heavily for England at Euro 2024, so I expect him to be back up to match fitness sooner rather than later. Newcastle has no European football on the calendar this season, and manager Eddie Howe hates rotation. The English winger may see reduced minutes over the first two gameweeks as he works his way back, but by the end of the year, I expect Gordon to crack the 200-point barrier.
- Jamie: Bryan Mbeumo (£7.0M) is being overlooked this season on just 6.7% of FPL rosters. He’s not a discount option, but he scored 127 points in 22 starts. He averaged 5.84 points per 90 minutes played. If we compare that to Eberechi Eze, who is priced the same and on 32.9% of FPL rosters, the Palace man scored 5.96 points per 90 minutes. Almost identical. Mbeumo only started four games with Ivan Toney playing last season, while Palace has lost Michael Olise. If Mbeumo can stay healthy, he could be a top-10 midfielder this season and certainly outscore the Palace man.
- Wale: It's hard to nail down one. However, at the moment, Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze (£7m) is the one talismanic figure for the Eagles I can tag as my favorite. Eze’s strong form toward the end of last season under Oliver Glasner was quite intriguing and could be a perfect occasion for me to back the Englishman in this new campaign.
Whose the best pick in the middle of the pitch priced at £6.0M or under?
- Euan: Can I interest you in some Morgan Rogers (£5.0M) hype? In eight starts last season, the midfielder had three goals and one assist. In this preseason, he's lighting the whole world on fire. Three goals and two assists have seen the bandwagon fill up pretty quickly for Englishman, and he's making a case for my Gameweek 1 squad. With Moussa Diaby out the door and Ollie Watkins returning to fitness, Rogers could be the ultimate early season gamble for your FPL squad.
- Jamie: I mentioned him in the Arsenal team preview, so I’m going with Emile Smith Rowe (£5.5M). I felt he could still have a solid season for the Gunners if he stayed in North London. But, after moving to Fulham, he could shine. I’m a fan of Marco Silva, and I like the team that Fulham has built, so he’s in a great spot to return to form. Assuming he stays healthy, which has been a problem that ultimately derailed his Arsenal career, Smith Rowe can remind everyone just how immense a talent he is. He could play himself back into the England squad this season.
- Wale: Another price bracket where I struggle to pick with emerging talents like Chelsea’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.0M) and West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta (£6.0M). My current favorite, however, would be Fulham's new signing, Emile Smith Rowe, as I believe he will produce excellent performances in his first three fixtures under manager Marco Silva.
Emile Smith Rowe's ownership was at 1.6% before he signed for Fulham, he's now sat at 5.7% 💪
Have you brought ESR into your side since his transfer? ⚪️#FPL pic.twitter.com/vfkyTitbnb
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 9, 2024
Which midfielder will have the best start to the Fantasy Premier League season over the first six fixtures?
- Euan: Emile Smith Rowe feels like the next best bet at 2024-2025 Cole Palmer status, but probably settling into the 150-point range rather than Palmer's 244 points from last year. As a result, he's in my Gameweek 1 thinking, and the fixtures line up nicely. From Gameweeks 1-6, Fulham has the easiest attacking schedule among the 20 teams. If ESR can stay healthy and chip in a few attacking returns, he will be well on his way to a career year.
- Jamie: Following the Euros and Copa America, it’s fair to believe some players who competed at those tournaments will take longer to get up to speed. That’s not something Mo Salah has had to deal with. It remains to be seen how Liverpool will adapt to life after Jurgen Klopp, but there’s no reason to believe Salah won’t be integral to any success they have this season. According to the FPL Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR), Liverpool has the easiest six games to start the season, so Salah could start the campaign with a bang.
- Wale: Despite Arsenal’s rough mix of fixtures at the beginning, my gut feeling is anticipating Bukayo Saka might still do great at the start of the season. He is pretty much a big-game player, and with his consistent double-digit scores, I see the Englishman doing well in that run-in.
A look at the Fixture Difficulty Rating for all sides in the first three Gameweeks 🎯
Identify which teams you want to target and build your team here ➡️ https://t.co/skYPUpe8Se pic.twitter.com/7NXc8ooory
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 9, 2024
Which midfielder will struggle over the first six fixtures of the FPL season?
- Euan: With road games at Liverpool, Man City, and Spurs on the schedule, I can see Bryan Mbeumo struggling at the beginning of the season. He was fine without Ivan Toney to begin last season, but I'm not sure how long that can last. Especially with summer signing Igor Thiago on the injury table until November.
- Jamie: There’s no doubting Phil Foden’s talents. And while he had a fantastic season for Manchester City, he bore the brunt of many England fans’ frustrations during the Euros. In truth, no England attacking player shined, but Foden’s performances disappointed more than anyone’s, especially given the season he had. City face Chelsea and Newcastle away while hosting Arsenal in the season's opening six games. Between the tough fixtures, his late start to preseason, and a possible hangover from the Euros, Foden might take a while to get going.
- Wale: I will go with any of the Ipswich midfielders. Omari Hutchinson (£5.5m) and Conor Chaplin (£5.5m) were superb last season in the Championship. However, the Tractor Boys might struggle to adapt to the intensity and need more time to adjust to life in the Premier League.
As of today, who's your favorite FPL midfielder to target?
- Euan: I'm pondering a punt on Brennan Johnson (£6.5M) to begin the season. The Welshman was electric for Spurs in his debut season with the club, and I expect him to improve in Year 2. The 23-year-old has a knack for finding himself on the end of crosses at the back post last year, and his assist numbers should soar with Dominic Solanke (£7.5M) leading the new-look line for Tottenham.
- Jamie: Outside of the names I have mentioned, Christopher Nkunku (£6.5M) is someone I’m targeting. An injury-ravaged first season for Chelsea saw him limited to just two EPL starts. He still found the net three times and has arguably been Chelsea’s best player this preseason. The Blues' biggest issue last season was sticking the ball in the net, something a fully fit Nkunku will help with. At £6.5M, he could prove to be a real bargain.
- Wale: Simple answer – Mohamed Salah. I love to see the Egyptian King back at his best under the new boss, Arne Slot. I'm hoping for another 200-point FPL season.
£6.5m Christopher Nkunku is looking sharp 👀#FPL https://t.co/iETwUTwzQ8
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 1, 2024
Finally, what's your bold prediction for midfielders during the 2024-2025 FPL season?
- Euan: Five midfielders cracked the 200-point barrier last season. Let's crank that number up to 10 for the upcoming season. Palmer, Foden, Saka, Son, and Salah did it last year, but let's add Gordon, Eze, Nkunku, Bruno Fernandes (£8.5M), and Jarrod Bowen (£7.5M) to those first five.
- Jamie: As well as Nkunku, I’ve been a massive fan of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall since his Leicester City EPL days. I was concerned about his playing time this season, but he’s familiar with Enzo Maresca, having played under him in the Championship last season. And with Conor Gallagher departing, a starting role in the midfield has opened up for Dewsbury-Hall. While I won’t be starting the season with him in my squad, as I want to see his role in the team to start the season, I believe he’ll end the season with more than 150 points and will find himself on over 25% of FPL rosters.
- Wale: My bold prediction would be to watch out for the £5.5m midfielders as we could see the following “Cole Palmer” spring up among these cheap assets this season. Who could that be? Only time will tell.
Join the RotoBaller FPL League
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Pick your squad and compete for #FPL glory now! ⬇️
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 18, 2024
Stick around for more 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
