FPL Challenge GW14 Tips: The Best Budget Midfield Options ...Middle East

Looking for value in FPL Challenge GW14? With midfielders worth under £7.0m scoring double points, some budget options now come with huge upside. We analyse the top picks with Opta data.

Premier League gameweeks are coming thick and fast, and in FPL Challenge we’re heading straight into a three-gameday event centred entirely around hunting cut-price value.

The time for goalkeepers, defenders and forwards to shine will come in due course, but this week, midfielders priced at £7.0m or under all score double points.

Naturally, we’re going to set up in a 1-3-1 formation as we chase those boosted returns from players well below the premium price bracket.

It’s worth saying that a lower price doesn’t necessarily mean a lower performance. The midfield landscape in FPL this season has been a bit of an anomaly. Long-standing premium options like Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer have been hit-and-miss or injured, while budget-friendly picks such as Antoine Semenyo – who began the season at £7.0m and is currently the highest-scoring midfielder in the game – have emerged as must-haves.

Let’s dive into our FPL Challenge team and break down the Premier League data behind each selection.

Goalkeeper

Senne Lammens: Manchester United vs West Ham (H)

The biggest compliment you can give to Senne Lammens is that nobody’s really talking about him. Given the constant noise that has surrounded Manchester United goalkeepers in recent years, that tells you all you need to know about his assured and steady start.

Since making his debut in United’s 2–0 win over Sunderland, the Red Devils have lost just once (W4 D2) and look to finally be settling under Ruben Amorim.

Defensively, they’ve conceded just 25 shots on target in that time, a tally bettered only by Arsenal (9), Chelsea (15), Manchester City (20) and Brentford (21).

That said, this pick is as much about West Ham as it is about Lammens. The Hammers are averaging 0.97 non-penalty expected goals per game – the sixth-lowest in the league – and didn’t manage a single shot on target against Liverpool on Sunday. And after Lucas Paquetá’s red card, they’ll also be without a key player for this game.

United haven’t kept a league clean sheet since Lammens’ debut, but this is as good a chance as any to put that right.

Defender

Daniel Muñoz: Burnley vs Crystal Palace (A)

Daniel Muñoz brings relentless energy and attacking intent, making him an ideal defensive selection this week.

Burnley, their opponents this midweek, continue to struggle under Scott Parker. Their 3–1 defeat at Brentford in GW13 was their fourth loss in a row, and their underlying attacking metrics remain poor.

They’ve taken just 37 shots and landed just 12 shots on target in six home games. Both of those are the lowest per-game averages for a home team since Opta began recording detailed shot data in 2003-04 (6.2 shots and 2.0 shots on target per game).

Muñoz already has two goals this season and 13 goal involvements (6G, 7A) since the start of last season, which is more than any defender. Only five defenders (500+ mins) average more touches in the opposition box than his 2.9 per 90. Offering a threat in both boxes, he’s a great fit here.

Midfielders

Declan Rice: Arsenal vs Brentford (H)

Now on to the double-point midfielders. Declan Rice (£7.0m) is at the very upper limit of the price bracket for double points to apply, but given his price isn’t expected to rise before the GW14 deadline, we can safely lock him in.

With Arsenal’s set-piece strength and Rice’s superb delivery, the English midfielder has become a reliable creator. His 1.8 chances created per 90 trail only Bukayo Saka (2.2) among Arsenal players, and he already has two goals and five fantasy assists this season, as he continues to play a more advanced role in Mikel Arteta’s side.

He’s also hit double figures for defensive contributions in each of his last four games, surpassing the 12-point threshold in three of them.

A home match vs Brentford might look like one where Arsenal could monopolise the ball too much for Rice to rack up defensive points, but it’s worth remembering he posted a season-high 21 defensive contributions against Burnley earlier in the season, a game in which Arsenal very much dominated.

Yankuba Minteh: Brighton vs Aston Villa (H)

In our humble opinion, Yankuba Minteh (£6.2m) is one of the Premier League’s hidden gems. Operating off the right in Brighton’s attacking three, his dribbling and ball-carrying cause constant problems for opposition back lines – only three players in the league complete more dribbles than his 5.4 per 90.

He leads all Brighton players for chances created per 90 (1.9) and that creativity has seen him rack up four assists in 13 league matches – as many as he registered in 32 appearances last season. All four of those assists have come from open play, too, meaning he leads the league in that category together with Mohammed Kudus.

Brighton have won three of their last four (D1) and come into their home game against Aston Villa in fifth place with momentum behind them.

Jérémy Doku: Fulham vs Manchester City (A)

Jérémy Doku (£6.6m) is another midfielder who fits into our double-point bracket. The only reason he’s this cheap is probably due to the fact that Pep Guardiola rotates his side so much, but the Manchester City boss appears to have made up his mind for now. Doku has started each of City’s last four Premier League games.

And when he’s on the pitch, nobody can match his creativity. He leads all Premier League players per 90 for chances created, both overall (3.4) and from open play (3.1), as well as expected assists (0.38). He also averages more touches in the opposition box per 90 (9.0) than any other player.

Given we can adjust our lineups after team news is announced, we can pivot to another option if he gets benched. But if he starts, he’s a standout option this week.

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Forward

Alexander Isak: Liverpool vs Sunderland (H)

After a difficult start to life at Liverpool, Alexander Isak finally opened his Premier League account with a clean first-time finish against West Ham.

We’re not saying that things are suddenly completely fine at Liverpool, but they were good value for their 2-0 win at the London Stadium. Maybe that strike will unleash the boundless potential we know Isak has.

The Swede only played against Sunderland once for Newcastle, but did score twice in a 3-0 FA Cup win at the Stadium of Light in 2023-24.

Opta Analyst’s Team Reveal: Gameweek 14 FPL Challenge Picks

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FPL Challenge GW14 Tips: The Best Budget Midfield Options Opta Analyst.

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