For the second installment in this four-part series, I will be expanding on the second team structure identified in my guide to 2021/22 FPL Team Structure. This structure is one of the two most popular, as most players will be going for two premiums in their team. Let us look at the various options for a two premium midfielder structure, identifying the pros and cons of each along the way.
Introduction to 2021/22 FPL Team Structure ~Two Premium Midfielders with Drafts
This season of FPL, we can expect most teams to have two premium players. As was seen in the detailed analysis of Team Structure 1, a three-premium structure is viable, but it comes with certain consequences. In the 20/21 FPL season, a three premium structure was template at times. The offerings of budget assets like Dallas, Soucek, and Bamford allowed for more funds to be spent elsewhere; and while there may come a time like that this season, it is difficult to determine which (if any) budget options will perform to the level of mid-priced assets.
Throughout the initial period of this FPL season, we frankly do not know which budget assets are the best value (if we did, FPL would not be a very fun game). This is the most popular team structure because not only does it offer an even spread of funds, but Salah and Bruno both start the season with more favorable fixtures than Kane. This is also the structure that I am currently settled on, although there is plenty of time left before the start of the season.
I will look at the most basic version of a two premium mid structure, provide variations to spend the extra budget on top of this structure, then assess the overall pros/cons. Before that, I want to touch on one point that I brought up in the initial guide: transitioning structures.
Further Read: A Guide to FPL Team Structure | 21/22 FPL Season (Pre Wildcard)
Transitioning Team Structure for FPL 2021/22 Season
In the first detailed analysis, the means of transitioning structure was simple: downgrade any of the premiums to free up funds. This is easy, at any time someone with a three premium structure can revert to a two premium structure with one transfer.
The reverse, transitioning from a two premium structure to a three premium structure, or transitioning between types of two premium structures, is much more difficult—to do so, it takes at least two transfers or two game weeks time. In a structure with Salah/Bruno, you need 2 transfers to bring in Kane: one to upgrade a forward and one to downgrade a premium mid. With sufficient bench depth, planning, and luck, a manager can successfully make these changes.
However, that is easier said than done as we are often faced with injuries, rotation issues, and nagging transfers elsewhere. You will not always be able to hold the two transfers necessary to rotate premiums in this structure. I will touch on this point as I go along, but I wanted to highlight this drawback of every two premium structure. This is especially noteworthy because Spurs assets will be a strong captaincy option in Gameweek 3, so it will be tempting to move away from a two premium mid structure then.
Further Read: A Guide to FPL Team Structure | 21/22 FPL Season (Pre Wildcard)
I will start by identifying the cheapest setup I would go for with each position, then see how many funds are leftover and look at upgrading assets from there.
FPL 2021/22 Season– As I have preached in each team structure article, a 4.5/4.0 combination is often the best option for the goalkeeper slots. The reasonable options at the 4.5 m price are Sanchez (Brighton, popular favorite), Bachmann (Watford), Raya (Brentford), Krul (Norwich), Guaita (Palace), and McCarthy/Forster (Southampton).
Defenders – The cheapest defensive structure I would go for is either 5.5/5.0/5.0/4.5/4.0 or 5.0/5.0/5.0/4.5/4.5. A structure with more 4.5 m assets could work, but I do not see that as a viable option at the beginning of the season. These options are cheap while providing a combination of consistency and depth. The most appealing 5.0 m assets include: Cash, Doherty, Dunk, Firpo, Konsa, Reguilon, Targett, and Tierney. The most appealing 4.5 m assets include: Ayling, Femenia, Fofana, Holding, Lamptey, Lowton, Masuaku, Rose, Veltman, Webster, and White.
Midfielders – Along with Salah and Bruno/KDB at 12.5/12.0, the cheapest midfield I would recommend is 6.5/6.5/6.0 or 6.5/6.0/4.5. The first works for a 352 formation whereas the latter works for 343 or 442. There are several budget options who look like they could provide consistency and value over the course of the entire season: Buendia (6.5 m), Raphinha (6.5 m), Saka (6.5 m), Ward- Prowse (6.5 m), Harrison (6.0 m), Sarr (6.0 m), Soucek (6.0 m), and Smith Rowe (5.5 m).
Forwards – Depending on the formation, the cheapest forward line I would go for is 7.5/7.5/6.5 or 7.5/6.5/4.5. There are several solid 7.5 options, such as Antonio, Iheanacho, Watkins, and Wilson. At the 6.0 m price point, there are a few options (Pukki and Welbeck), but the 6.5 m price point offers more consistency and players with a higher ceiling (Maupay, Rodrigo, ASM, and Toney).
For a 3-5-2 formation, there is a remaining budget of 5.5 m and for the 343/442 formation, there is a remaining budget of 4.5 m; the team structures described above are pictured below.
Each of these teams is suited for a specific formation with 1-2 bench options. While there may come a time where we identify the value picks at the budget price points, it can be difficult to pinpoint those assets early on in a season. The extra funds allow us to upgrade the budget (and uncertain) assets to proven, consistent FPL assets. As well, those funds can allow us to add extra depth to the squad, upgrading the bench assets.
Further Read: A Guide to FPL Team Structure | 21/22 FPL Season (Pre Wildcard)
Upgrading the Base Structure
In Team Structure 1, there are few options for upgrades unless you opt for Son/Sancho over Bruno/KDB/Mane. With a three premium structure, there is little wiggle room, which is why a two premium structure can be more favorable. Spreading the extra funds results in a more balanced squad as well as an accessibility to price points that are limited in firmer structures—such as 6.0-7.5 defenders, 7.5-9.0 m midfielders, and 8.0-9.5 m forwards. In the spirit of spreading funds across the squad, I will look at several variations which upgrade at least 3 assets from the base structures shown earlier. I am using the 343/442 base structure, but the same concepts can be applied to the 352 structure.
Option 1: Template with Depth – Trent, Mid-Priced Midfielder, and Extra Defender
The obvious upgrade to either of the base structures is to fit Trent into the squad. Most likely the best defensive asset of the upcoming season, Trent’s 7.5 m price reflects his consistency and potential. Trent can replace either a 5.5 or 5.0 m asset, depending on which you favor; this upgrade leaves us with 2.5 or 2.0 m, respectively. With that remaining budget, we can look to upgrade elsewhere. The mid-priced midfielder bracket has many great options, so some of the budget could be spent to upgrade one of the 6.0/6.5 m assets.
Notable mid-priced midfielders include: Foden (8.0 m), Grealish (8.0 m), Greenwood (7.5 m), Jota (7.5 m), Mount (7.5 m), Pepe (7.5 m), Barnes (7.0 m), and Ferran (7.0 m). With the remaining 0.5-1.0 m, we could look to upgrading one of the lowest-priced assets. In this variation, I have opted to upgrade the 4.0 m defender to a 4.5 m defender to add an extra option off the bench. A two-premium structure not only allows for an even dispersal of funds across the squad but a deeper and more balanced bench as well.
Further Read: An In-Depth Look at Team Structure 1: Three Premium Assets
Option 2: Template Pick – Trent, Mid-Priced Defender, and Mid-Priced Forward
A second variation alongside Trent bulks up the defense and addresses the third forward slot. While Trent upgraded the defense in option 1, some managers may prefer to go bigger at the back considering the plethora of 5.0-6.0 m options: Cancelo (6.0 m), Chilwell (6.0 m), Dias (6.0 m), Cresswell (5.5 m), Digne (5.5 m), Shaw (5.5 m), Stones (5.5 m), Wan-Bissaka (5.5 m), Cash (5.0 m), Coufal (5.0 m), Dunk (5.0 m), and Tierney (5.0 m) (to name a few).
With the remaining 1.0-1.5 m, we can look to upgrade the 6.5 m forward slot. Although this slot could offer value throughout the season, it is difficult to anticipate how well those assets will start off. An extra 1.5 m allows for the introduction of DCL or Bamford instead, two proven FPL assets.
Further Read: An In-Depth Look at Team Structure 1: Three Premium Assets
Option 3: Even Spread #1 – 5.0 m Keeper, Mid-Priced Defender, Extra Midfielder, and Mid-Priced Forward
While Trent is a wildly popular asset at the moment, some players may feel confident in spreading funds elsewhere and opting for some of the 5.5-6.0 m defenders instead. This option upgrades the starting keeper to a consistent 5.0 m option. Although a 4.5 m keeper should show value, it is only a 0.5 m upgrade and the 5.0 m options are generally more consistent. Elsewhere, a 5.5 m defender is exchanged for the 4.5 m asset to balance out the defense with no Trent. In the midfield, the 4.5 bench player is upgraded to a 6.0 m asset. This adds an extra substitute option and allows flexibility with formation. It should be noted that the fourth midfielder could be upgraded instead of the bench asset. This would upgrade the squad but not add depth. Up top, the 6.5 m forward is exchanged for an 8.0 m asset—once again exchanging uncertainty with an established asset.
Option 4: Even Spread #2 – 5.0 m Keeper, Mid-Priced Midfielder, Extra Midfielder, and Mid-Priced Forward
If you as a manager are satisfied with the state of the defense as is, you can target upgrades elsewhere. Like the last, this option upgrades the 4.5 keepers, 4.5 midfielders, and 6.5 forward. However, instead of upgrading a defender, this option allows for a mid-priced midfielder to be introduced. In most examples that I have presented, there is a lack of mid-priced midfielders. This option targets that price bracket while spreading the remaining funds elsewhere.
Further Read: An In-Depth Look at Team Structure 1: Three Premium Assets
Conclusions on Two Premium Midfielders with Drafts
This structure will continue to be popular throughout the beginning of the 21/22 FPL season, and for good reason. This structure can easily fit in three of the most highly owned assets: Salah, Bruno, and Trent. It does so whilst remaining balanced elsewhere, with more consistent assets and a deeper bench. If you are an FPL manager looking for a solid structure to keep close with the pack at the beginning of the season, this is probably the best choice. It covers the high ownership players, contains proven FPL assets, and is not generally harmed by an injury or benching.
The risk of this structure is low, which can be a good thing going into the beginning of the season. Yes, we may see a time when there are several established budget options that allow for a more imbalanced structure, but that is the decision to be made at the start of every season—try to pinpoint those options early with a risky squad or try to stay solid and transition with a wildcard once those assets are established. This structure provides the latter, but while it is risk-averse it does have its drawbacks.
As noted earlier, the main issue with a two-premium structure is the difficulty in altering that structure. This structure requires commitment because of its rigidity. This could be good because, on one hand, it allows you to focus on other aspects of the squad.
However, shifting between premiums and attempting to pinpoint multiple hauls is generally a good strategy. If any of us could just pick two premiums every week without restriction, Salah would have a very high ownership in Gameweek 1 (vs Norwich), and Kane would have very high ownership in Gameweek 3 (vs Watford). However, this is not the nature of FPL and we need to plan according to the restrictions of the game. This is the main drawback of a two-premium structure, but is there any way to get around it?
There are two ways I see to possibly get around the rigidity of two premium mids and get Kane into a Gameweek 3 squad. The first would be to save two transfers to transition a premium mid to Kane ahead of Gameweek 3. You would want to pick a squad with good depth to cover anything that comes up, but this decision could work well. If you prefer Kane to Bruno/KDB long-term, this may be a good way to start without Kane and avoid the bad fixtures (although he can score anytime).
The second would be to keep money in the bank, with the possibility of getting to a three-premium structure by Gameweek 3. This approach is a bit risky and requires a lot of planning, but it could offer flexibility in what is often an uncertain period of the season. For example, a team with 2.0 m in the bank could transfer Trent and a 7.5 forward to a 4.5 defender and Kane; the option to switch out a premium mid is still available. I could see this plan working, but some people may not want to go into the season with money in the bank, plus there is a lot riding on no injuries or rotation with the rest of the squad.
Lastly, what price points does this structure limit? As spoken on in the overall guide, every structure has certain price points that are almost off-limits, or at least very difficult to access. In this structure, the most difficult price points to fit in are the mid to high-priced assets that are not premiums. It is very possible to fit in one or two of these assets (specific upgrades touched on this), but more than that is nearly impossible. This includes the 6.0-7.5 m defenders, 7.5-10.0 m midfielders, and 8.0-10.5 m forwards. You have to be very selective about the few of these assets you fit into a two premium structure because it is not always easy to transition from one to another.
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Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of the 2021/22 Season:
FPL Budget Strikers (£4.5 – £6.5 Mil) Analysis Ahead Of 2021/22 Season
Official FPL- Making Your First GW1 Draft |Top Picks For 21/22 Season
FPL 2021-22: Best Rotational Pairs of Teams for Alternate Easy Fixtures
Best Premium Defenders To Target For The 2021/22 FPL Season
FPL Season Review – How I became a Top 500 FPL Manager! | FPL Tips
FPL Scouting Report: Jadon Sancho | Is It Worth Getting Sancho in FPL?
Team to Target for Initial Few GW’s – Everton | FPL 21/22 Season
An In-Depth Look at Team Structure 1: Three Premium Assets
2021/22 FPL Season: FPL Price Changes Explained | FPL Guide
2021/22 Fantasy Premier League Season Rules, Tips | The Ultimate Guide
What is Effective Ownership(EO) in FPL? | FPL Guide
A Guide to FPL Team Structure | 21/22 FPL Season (Pre Wildcard)
How Structure and Approach can Shape your 2021/22 FPL Season
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Alex Michel
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