Six Premier League midfielders you should consider for your fantasy football team*

Ollie Irish

10th, August 2009

27 Comments

It’s no secret that the great majority of fantasy teams will feature either Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard (or both, if you base your team around them) in midfield. And quite right too – they score goals, they make goals, they’re never dropped. In short, they are blue-riband picks. So select them if you want. But for the purposes of this list, I’ve decided to focus on other, cheaper midfielders who you should also take a close look at. In order of preference:

Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool)
Strong like bull. Runs all day. Never gets injured. May play some games up front, especially if Nando Torres is injured. Hardened to the Premier League now. Should be a win-win pick.
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Tim Cahill (Everton)
Like Kuyt, Cahill is a midfielder who often plays in a forward role, which is good news in fantasy football. After an injury-interrupted campaign in 08/09, I anticipate that the combative Aussie will bounce back and show his quality. His fiery temper is a slight concern, but I think the pros outweight that con.
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Aaron Lennon (Tottenham)
Still improving and will surely be in the mood to impress Fabio Capello ahead of the 2010 World Cup. Should be a fixture on Tottenham’s right flank this season. And with Peter Crouch now in Spurs’ squad, Lennon’s number of assists will surely go up.
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Danny Murphy (Fulham)
In the twilight of his career but also in the form of his life – mysteriously, he’s still an underrated playmaker. Has looked good in pre-season. Takes spot-kicks for Fulham, which is a bonus.
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Martin Petrov (Man City)
Fit again and hopefully Mark Hughes will find a role for him among City’s galacticos. Probably the best crosser in the league.
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Lucas Leiva (Liverpool)
Lucas is cheap to buy, he should see plenty of game time in 09/10 and I suspect he’ll prove a lot of doubters wrong by having easily his best season at Liverpool (not a big ask, admittedly). He’s a decent bargain punt, especially if you’re trying to cram both Lampsy and Stevie Me into your XI.
Which midfielders will you rely on this season?
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27 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    crap

  2. Ollie says:

    Wow, thanks for that comment (sarcasm)! Way to start a debate.

  3. Peter says:

    Mikel Arteta and Stephen Ireland

  4. jeneria says:

    My midfield has Cahill, Gerrard, Kuyt, Cattermole, and Davies (Bolton). Obviously I’m leaning heavy on the Liverpool lads to do my scoring.

  5. louwrens.botha says:

    Also had Kuyt last season, but this year his price has shot up so he’s one of the more pricey midfielders in the game. Same goes for Ireland unfortunately.

  6. Ahmed Bilal says:

    ok i see it Fantasy team which means u are better off with players who can play various position while at the same time get picks almost every week without being too expensive…based on that yes i agree with the list add in Tuncay, Fletcher, S.Petrov, P.Neville, W.Palacios, M.Arteta, Tugay if hes still around etc etc etc

  7. AlanS says:

    James Milner looks a decent option this season, cheaper than Ashley Young and got a lot of assists and goals at the back end of last season. Arshavin of course if he’s a midfielder while looking down the league perhaps the likes of Malbranque at Sunderland or Luis Jimenez at West Ham (if you fancy a very low-priced gamble).

  8. Anonymous says:

    Dempsey of Fulham is worth a gamble.

  9. Delboy says:

    Lucas? Seriously?! I’m Red through and through and even I wouldn’t back that donkey. Yossi Benayoun is a much better option, far more versatile, scores goals and is rarely all that expensive.

  10. Ollie says:

    Lucas. Seriously. He’s no donkey.

  11. 291103 says:

    Must quote Delboy. Lucas? Seriously?
    I’d go for Dempsey instead of him.

  12. jeneria says:

    Lucas is obviously the weakest player on the pitch when he is in a game, but he is young. This season could be a break-out season for him (it wouldn’t be hard, I suppose) but I’m not taking him in my fantasy league.

  13. Kev says:

    Lucas is a good call – just before Aquilani returns.
    Others would be Pienaar, Dempsey, Steve Ireland, Mark Noble and Rosicky when he’s back.

  14. Joe says:

    Pretty good list, Ollie. I’ve got Gerrard, Cahill, Matty Taylor and Stephen Ireland.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Tuncay is in the championship, maybe not even in England in a few weeks.

  16. Shel says:

    Like Delboy I’m a red, so it hurts me to say I’d even go for Phil Neville than Lucas, (same 5m price tag). Neville, as captain, is guaranteed to feature and has the long throw-in attribute.

  17. Fnarf says:

    Lucas started a whopping 13 league games last year, so he’s going to have to step that way up to be worth having — along with his scoring, which is close to nonexistent. Doesn’t pick up a lot of cards, though, which is good. That’s what put me off Cattermole, a player I’d love to have in real life but not in fantasy.
    Champion’s League players are a problem simply because if they’re any good they’re going to get used in those games and not the softer Prem matches, which are great matches to pick up points in — but only if you play.
    Fulham had some outstanding fantasy choices in last year’s surprising run — Danny Murphy played every match, Clint Dempsey didn’t but scored goals, Simon Davies had a great season. But they’re going to play in Europe this year, so mark them down a few. There’s some outstanding and dirt-cheap talent coming up from the Championship this year that bears looking at — if Wolves can hold on to even a part of their scoring attack Michael Kightly and Andrew Surman bear looking at. Chris McCann at Burnley. Also Steed Malbranque at Sunderland and Rory Delap at Stoke will give you more cheap points than you might expect.

  18. Fnarf says:

    That said, my squad has Kuyt, Matt Taylor, Jordi Gomez, and Lampard across the middle, with Benayoun on the bench. I might swap out Gomez before the deadline. I would rather have Gerrard than Lamps, but I don’t want too many Reds — don’t want too many from the same team, to spread the risk around.

  19. olliesucks says:

    ollie, what a terrible bunch of choices. you are a muppet

  20. Anonymous says:

    sounds runnish fnarf. wot a dick you are

  21. bellend says:

    delboy? sound like a southern fairy not a northern legend. ure a donkey u twat

  22. Fnarf says:

    runnish? What language are you speaking, sweetheart?

  23. jonnyc says:

    what an idiot you think petrov and lucas will play? And who doesn’t know that cahill will score goals, stop stating the bloody obvious and try to pick some diamonds out of the rough
    idiot

  24. mr rigfh says:

    gerrard ireland geovanni basinas

  25. abdurrhman says:

    Good; if Lucas Palacios place! Fletcher deserves a place, Yossi Benayoun, and Stephen Ireland. Were there any? Many

  26. noporious says:

    arshavin, lampard, cattermole, milner.

  27. Fnarf says:

    Cattermole and Palacios are great players in real life but lousy for fantasy — they don’t score and they pile up reds and yellows like crazy.

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