The Premier League season is right around the corner, which means fantasy enthusiasts are crunching the numbers. It’s an important time to break down the most valuable players at each position in order to get ready for the season. On that note, let’s hone in on midfielders in the EPL and rundown the five most valuable guys on the board.
Eden Hazard, Chelsea
The 24-year-old Hazard is entering the prime of his career on an elite Chelsea team that has no shortage of attacking options. They scored the second-most goals in the EPL last season with 73 and Hazard was absolutely instrumental in the club’s success. He found the back of the net 14 times while also collecting nine assists. Hazard dominated the Premier League from a statistical standpoint and it will be interesting to see if he can top last year’s numbers with more pressure on the Blues to produce. The expectation this year is that not only do they have to defend their title in the EPL but they have to do even better in the Champions League after stumbling last season.
Santi Cazorla, Arsenal
Cazorla’s ascendance towards the top of this list can be tracked back to his move to the central midfield position where he has thrived. The veteran midfielder is the perfect fit in the center of the field where he can create for Arsenal’s strikers or take his own shots. The move paid off big time for the Gunners last season when he finished with seven goals and 11 assists for an offense that had the third-most tallies in the EPL. Cazorla will have every opportunity to improve his stat totals this season where he is locked in to an important offensive role in Arsenal’s starting XI.
Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool
Coutinho showed flashes of his elite ability with a pair of outstanding goals versus Southampton and Manchester City that helped him earn the Barclays Player of the Month award last February. He has the potential to dominate for Liverpool this coming season and they’ll need him after mustering just 52 goals last season. Coutinho was an absolute steal for Liverpool when they locked him in for 8.5 million euros but don’t expect him to be a steal in fantasy leagues as he is destined to go high with the chance for a dominant year at the midfield position.
Christian Eriksen, Tottenham
Eriksen is a rising star at the midfield position after finishing third on Spurs in scoring last season behind only Harry Kane and Nacer Chadii with 10 markers. Kane is the player on Tottenham that gets most of the credit but Eriksen was excellent. His two assists were an obvious disappointment but he came on strong at the end of the year when he always seemed to be in the right place but would have benefited from a little more luck. Tottenham needs its young players to step up and really produce at the offensive end of the pitch and with a young core that gained some valuable experience last season, an argument can be made that they are ready to climb even higher in the table. If Eriksen is in fact set for a breakout campaign at the midfield position, Spurs should score more than the 58 they put in last season.
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Mesut Ozil, Arsenal
Ozil spent significant time on the bench with a leg injury last season but he spent that time working on his overall strength and conditioning. His return helped spark Arsenal’s attack. Ozil scored four goals with five assists in 22 games for the Gunners last year and while Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling certainly deserve some consideration among the best fantasy options at the position, we have Ozil as our fifth-best fantasy value at the midfield position heading into the season. We’re banking on him being fully healthy and ready to produce.
