As I continue my look ahead to the new Fantasy Premier League game, I assess which midfielders could do well this season.
The likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Cesc Fabregas are always likely to score highly, but it is hard to fit all three of them in your team because they are so expensive.
If you can accommodate even two of the three, you are likely to need some midfield bargains. So here they are:
At just £5 million, young Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere could be a snip. The Gunners midfield is injury prone at the best of times, meaning there should be chances for Wilshere, and manager Arsene Wenger has indicated that he will get more minutes than in previous seasons. He made his England debut on Wednesday, and has the talent to go far in the game.
Birmingham City's Lee Bowyer scored five goals and registered three assists last season, and looks good value at £5.5 million.
Blackburn Rovers' David Dunn is a little more expensive at £6.5 million, but if he stays fit, he has every chance of emulating a productive 2009-10 campaign which saw him hit nine goals and create two others.
Tottenham's Giovani dos Santos has enjoyed a dazzling pre-season and may finally be set to earn the trust of manager Harry Redknapp. He is worth a punt at £5.5 million.
When playing Fantasy, it is always a bonus if you can get players who play more advanced than their position suggests. For instance, Stoke's Tuncay (£5.5 million) and West Ham's Alessandro Diamanti (£6million) are registered as midfielders, but both generally play in more attacking positions.
Chelsea's Gael Kakuta is one to watch at just £5.5 million because with Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Deco having left the club, he should see plenty of action. There is a lot of excitement about the French youngster at Stamford Bridge.
Newcastle's Joey Barton is something of a liability because of his poor disciplinary and injury records, but he is a fine midfielder when on his game and could represent a bargain at £4.5 million.
Other more expensive alternatives who should flourish this season are Arsenal's Samir Nasri (£7.5 million), Man Utd's Antonio Valencia (£8.5 million), Mikel Arteta of Everton (£8.5 million) and Man City's new signing David Silva (£9 million).
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