Player Analysis - Midfielders

Today, we're analysing on the section is a place which bargains can be found, the Midfielders. Why so? Take a look at last season's statistics:

2011/12 Season - Top Midfielders

* Jarvis has moved to West Ham this season.

Unlike the goalkeeper & defence departments, the top midfielder isn't from a Top 4 team. Fulham's Clint Dempsey (5.2) topped the 2011/12 charts with 121 points, with 17 goals scored & 6 assists. He have yet to appear in a game this season, sitting out while pushing for a move to Liverpool.

Man City's David Silva (5.7) was the only other player who crossed the 100pts mark, with Tottenham's Gareth Bale (5.4) just under the mark with 99pts.

Moving down the table, you can find Sunderland's Stephane Sessegnon (4.2), Ex-Swansea's Scott Sinclair (4.0, on a move to Man City) & even relegated Wolves' Matthew Jarvis (3.9, transferred to West Ham) as one of the top midfielders last season, which shows that there can be gems found from mid-table and bottom teams.

So, who should I select?

I'll split the selections into the following tiers: $$$ (5.0 and above), $$ (4.0 - 4.9) and $ (3.9 and below)

i) $$$ (5.0 and above) aka Wah, so Ex?

First off, why are Frank Lampard (5.9) & Steven Gerrard (5.8) the most expensive midfielders in the game? Lampard is no longer a nailed-on starter (even though he already scored 2...penalties), while Gerrard haven't scored in double digits in Premier League since 2008/09. There are better value-for-money choices besides these 2 Englishmen.

Gerrard, David Silva (5.7), Gareth Bale (5.4), Juan Mata (5.3, but due for a break due to his Euro & Olympics commitment) and perhaps Samir Nasir (5.1) are the only nailed-on starters in this group. Everyone else is likely to be rotated by their managers, which will result in headaches for fantasy managers.

1 notable player missing from this list is Eden Hazard, who have played a part in 7 of Chelsea's 8 goals....and is classified as a Striker in Today Fantasy League.

ii) $$ (4.0 - 4.9) aka Reasonably Priced & Bargains

Shinji Kagawa (4.9) may have scored his 1st goal this weekend, but he came off the bench, so he isn't assured of a 1st team spot. Yaya Toure (4.8) is the cheaper option from Man City, and he has a pretty decent record despite playing deep, scoring 6 goals with 6 assists last season.

Mikel Arteta & Santi Cazorla (both 4.4) are the creative engines for Arsenal, though whether their strikers can finish remains to be seen, with 2 goal-less draws so far, and tougher fixtures to come. I would have touted Gylfi Sigurdsson (4.3) to be a bargain, but with him and Rafael Van der Vaart (5.3) tussling for the same spot, I'll wait till the end of transfer window to get a clearer picture on the first 11.

Stephane Sessegnon (4.2) has proved to be a Premier League sensation last season, though there is one other Sunderland player which is a better bargain in the lower tier.

At 4.0, Marouane Fellaini & Steven Pienaar have been impressive in both Everton's victories, while QPR's captain Ji-Sung Park is finally handed a starting role, though his team may struggle in the season. If he can squeeze into the starting 11 in Chelsea's crowded midfield, Victor Moses will be a huge bargain.

ii) $ (3.9 and below) aka 'Pleased to Michu'

Undoubtedly, his performance from the 1st 2 weeks & Swansea's great matchups till end October is likely to cause fantasy managers to jump onto the Michu-choo-choo (3.9) train. Other notable choices in the 3.9 pack includes Damien Duff (2 goals in 2 games), Adel Taarabt (creative spark for QPR, but benched last game), Adam Lallana (bad fixtures for Southampton), James McClean (half a season, 5 goals 3 assists), Kevin Nolan (double digits goals in last 3 season, Big Sam) & Ryo Miyaichi (With Moses going to Chelsea, he could be the main creator for Wigan).

At 3.8, fantasy managers can consider Stephen Ireland (playing in the hole for Villa, though 1st 2 games have been disappointing), Wayne Routledge & Nathan Dyer (great attacking performance for Swansea), Mark Noble (top assist for West Ham last season) & Shaun Maloney (injury-prone).

Below 3.8 are all high-risk picks. Alexander Kacaniklic, Ryan Taylor & Zoltan Gera (all 3.7) isn't assured of the starting role in Fulham, Newcastle and WBA respectively. Joe Allen (3.6) is one of the top players for passing accuracy, but it doesn't translate to any fantasy points. Jean Beausejour (3.6) made 5 assists after joining Wigan in January, but have yet to figure in this season due to injuries, while Danny Guthrie (3.5) could be a key player for Reading this season.

Lastly, I'll round up the analysis with the priciest players in Today Premier League: Strikers.

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