Best 8.0 Million FPL Midfielders- Stats, Comparison & Verdict

Ever since the 2022/23 FPL game launched, the position that has arguably generated the most debate in the community is the £8m midfielder. Many assets that had a great last season will be vying for that precious slot, including some new additions to the Premier League who have already proven to be exciting prospects. Therefore, this article analyses the Best 8.0 million FPL midfielders and considers the pros and cons of each player. These players are:

Bukayo Saka
James Maddison
Mason Mount
Phil Foden
Riyad Mahrez
Dejan Kulusevski
Luis Díaz

All cost exactly the same, but which assets offer the greatest value?

[All stats and maps taken from FFSCOUT]

Best £8.0 Million Midfielders Comparison: The Stats

Before I dive into the stats, it is worth noting that these players all have varied minutes, and I have arranged them in the table to reflect this:

Saka – 36 starts / 2974 minutes
Maddison – 28 starts / 2458 minutes
Mount – 27 starts / 2375 minutes
Foden – 24 starts / 2137 minutes
Mahrez – 15 starts / 1542 minutes
Kulusevski – 14 starts – 1271 minutes
Díaz – 11 starts / 963 minutes

*Excluding FPL assists
* *As this per 90 data was not directly available on Scout, I have calculated this myself using their minutes

Those who have played less minutes will have a slight skew in their data, but the results are still quite interesting. Last season, Saka scored 2 penalty goals; Mount 1; and Mahrez 4.

Optimize your squad, check for player stats, and heatmaps on **FFFix**, signup with a 15% exclusive discount!

Maddison, Saka, and Mount, who all played the most minutes out of these options, also come in as the top points scorers – coming in at 6th, 7th, and 8th among midfielders in FPL for the 2021/22 season.

Maddison scored one more goal than Saka, Mount, and Mahrez. Considering how many minutes he played compared to the others, Mahrez’s goal-scoring record last season was quite impressive and he comfortably beats the others on goals scored per 90 minutes. The downside to Mahrez, however, was rotation in the City squad.

Saka came out on top for both xG and non-penalty xG. He has had the great advantage of being Arsenal’s first-choice penalty taker. However, with the signing of Jesus, this is up in the air. He has a better conversion rate on the spot than Jesus, but Jesus could potentially take away this advantage. It is still promising that Saka had a good goal-scoring record without his 2 penalty goals, but the risk of him no longer being first-choice and the popularity of Jesus (currently at 60.4% ownership) might lead us into investing in other teams.

Mahrez scored 4 penalties last season, but with Haaland now joining City it is likely he will become the first-choice. It is also worth noting that, although Mount took penalties when Jorginho was not on the pitch last season, Havertz has since revealed that Lukaku and himself were next in line to take penalties. This will change now that Lukaku has moved away, but suggests that it could be unlikely Mount will have that advantage.

The difference between most players’ expected goals and actual goals was fairly consistent, with Maddison and Mount being the biggest over-performers.

Mount came out with the most assists, followed by Maddison and Kulusevski, who showed great form last season. Mahrez again showed that, per 90 minutes, he has a great record of actual assists and expected assists.

Overall, Saka came out on top for expected goal involvement, with Mount and Foden behind him. Per 90, the City attackers come first. This demonstrates many FPL managers’ frustrations with the City attackers, as they have the potential to provide great points, but Pep roulette makes it slightly harder to invest in them. With the departure of Sterling and Jesus, Mahrez’s starting position does seem more ‘nailed’.

Also check out this stats table from @EnthusiastFpl:

£8.0 MIDFIELDERS#PremierLeague 2021/22 stats of Diaz, Saka, Kulusevski, Mount, Foden, Maddison & Mahrez.
Data: Opta via @FFScout #FPL #FPLCommunity pic.twitter.com/6zQRRMnbO2
— FPL Enthusiast (@EnthusiastFpl) July 16, 2022

Pre-Season Form

Saka has 1 goal and assist so far
Maddison has 1 goal and 2 assists
Mount has 1 goal
Mahrez has 1 assist

To read full reports of each pre-season game follow this article: 2022/23 FPL Pre Season: All Clubs Friendlies Fixtures, Updates & Results

Saka’s Maps

Saka operates on the right
He has also been on corners, offering even more set piece threat

Maddison’s Maps

Maddison can play centrally as a CAM but has also played on the right
He has also taken free kicks and corners

Mount’s Maps

Mount offers great threat predominantly from the right flank, but also plays centrally
He also takes corners

Foden’s Maps

Foden operates on the left, and can also take corners

Mahrez’s Maps

Mahrez plays on the right, and can take free kicks and corners

Kulusevski’s Maps

As of yet, Kulusevski is yet to be a set piece taker

Díaz’s Maps

Díaz has also not been on set pieces yet and, similar to a lot of these assets, plays as a winger

Further Read: FPL Draft with Haaland, Salah, Kane, Jesus, TAA, James

Team Stats at a Glance

For attacking stats, City and Liverpool are firmly above the rest. Being able to jump on a ‘nailed’ City attacker would be a great way to start the season, but it also suggests that an explosive asset like Díaz could really provide some great points in his first full season.

Chelsea then come in as the 3rd greatest attacking team, and with someone as consistent as Mount this could provide consistent points too. Arsenal and Tottenham do have promising numbers, and with a great set of opening fixtures that I will discuss further on this could allow their attacking assets to perform well.

Leicester understandably come in last for all but 2 statistics, finishing behind all these teams at 8th last season. This suggests that, although Maddison has registered some great numbers, it may be more viable investing in one of the other assets who are part of a greater attack.

Opening Fixtures

Arsenal	Leicester	Chelsea	Man City	Tottenham	Liverpool
cry	BRE	eve	whu	SOU	ful
LEI	ars	TOT	BOU	che	CRY
bou	SOU	lee	new	WOL	mun
FUL	che	LEI	CRY	nfo	BOU
AVL	MUN	sou	NFO	whu	NEW
mun	bha	WHU	avl	FUL	eve

Arsenal have a great few opening fixtures. Games against Leicester and United could prove a little trickier, but they also face 2 promoted teams and their attackers definitely have the potential to bag some great points. This is why Saka, and Jesus in particular, have already proven to be very popular picks to start the season with.

Although Maddison’s numbers are very exciting, Leicester’s fixtures are a little off-putting. They face Arsenal, Chelsea, and United in the opening six games. Compared to the other assets’ fixtures, I think this will deter managers from starting with Maddison.

Chelsea also have some great fixtures, facing Everton and Leeds, who struggled last year. The GW2 tie against Tottenham is not as desirable, and West Ham and Leicester do have the potential to cause some problems, but with an attack as consistent as Chelsea’s Mount could be a great long-term hold.

The top 2 teams last season have a great opening run of games, with Liverpool and City facing 2 promoted teams in their first 6 games. Liverpool comfortably beat United last season, and although United could be stronger in the 22/23 season, it still looks like doubling up on the Liverpool attack could really pay off. West Ham finished 7th last season and pulled off some great performances, but City will still go into GW1 as the favorites.

Similarly, Tottenham play 2 promoted sides but do have that tougher GW2 fixture against Chelsea. Overall, their fixtures do make us consider the likes of Kane, Son, and Kulusevski.

Further Read: Man City Midfielders/Forwards Analysis for 2022/23 FPL Season

£8m Midfielders Comparison: The Verdict

Given Saka’s impressive season, it’s no surprise that he’s already at over 16% ownership. Coupled with a great opening fixture run, Saka could very well pick up where he left off. The penalty-taking situation may help or hinder this, but it’s no doubt that he could again be another reliable asset. If you are opting for the even more popular pick of Jesus however, the £8m midfielder slot could instead be used to invest in an attack that was more impressive last year such as City or Liverpool. Alternatively, doubling up on an Arsenal attack that has been strengthened in the transfer window is also an option.

Maddison’s numbers are also very impressive, and at just 6% ownership I think he will go under-appreciated this season. However, what dissuades me from including him in my squad is Leicester’s opening fixtures, especially compared to that of the top 6 teams. Therefore, I think I prefer quite a few of the other options to have in my starting squad.

I feel like Mount is, similar to Saka, a solid pick to have in your starting squad. Many managers will be investing in the Chelsea defence, and I think opting for someone who has been as reliable as Mount could provide great points.

Out of Foden and Mahrez, Mahrez is my preferred City mid. His per 90 data will be slightly skewed due to his minutes, but with Sterling and Jesus moving away his starting position does seem more assured. However, with City we can never really be sure. Taking that risk on a City mid is very tempting, and if we could be sure of minutes then Mahrez would be my top choice out of the £8m midfielders. Taking into account that risk, opting for a safer asset like Saka, Mount, or Díaz – who are still part of a very strong attack – is still a great strategy, and could suit your playing style more.

Kulusevski’s explosive start to his time in the Premier League has been very impressive, but it is a shame that, with the addition of Richarlison, he is more of a rotation risk now. As far as minutes risks go, I would prefer taking a chance on Mahrez in a brilliant City attack and would rather choose Son or Kane from Tottenham.

Díaz is a top pick for this slot, and almost 30% of managers agree, making him the most-picked £8m midfielder thus far. He has proven to be an explosive asset, and forms part of a great attacking force with a favourable fixture run. The only thing that would put me off Díaz would be opting for Robertson as the third Liverpool player (my current draft has Robbo over Díaz). However, Díaz has the potential for big points hauls, and his effective ownership will also have to be considered.

Overall, I will be personally be avoiding Kulusevski in favour of other options. I really like Maddison as an asset, but will likely lean towards the others who have a stronger opening set of fixtures. As of now, the potential of Mahrez leads him to become my favourite choice, and I do prefer him over Foden as things stand. Hopefully pre-season comments can shed some light on his starting position, but there will always be a rotation risk with City, and with penalties perhaps being no longer to his advantage then I may opt for a safer pick. Díaz, Mount, and Saka are all top picks, and choosing between one of them could really depend on team structure. Saka is also the most ‘nailed’ of these, which could factor into your decision.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. I hope everyone is excited for the 2022/23 FPL season to begin! If you have any feedback or suggestions, I’m more than happy to listen.

If you like our content do consider supporting us by contributing to the website. ALLABOUTFPL is run by the community and for the community. All our content is and will always remain free.

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of the 2022/23 FPL Season

Link to all our 2022/23 Pre Season articles including transfer tracker of all new signings, all team pre-season friendly updates, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!

Link to all our FPL Forwards, FPL Midfielders, FPL Defenders, and FPL Goalkeepers series of blogs including the best 4.0 million defenders, and 4.5 Million midfielders.

Link to all Our FPL Team Analysis Series for all 20 PL Teams from our team correspondents

If you’re new to FPL, here is a link to all our FPL Beginners Guide including FPL Beginner’s Guide- How to play?, Bench boost, Team value, Triple captain, Effective ownership, Price Changes, Free Hit, Bonus Points, and more.

All our Best Pre Season Reads:

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FPL GW1 Scout Picks | FPLDaggaFC & AllAboutFPL
FPL GW1 Preview: Breaking Down FPL Dilemmas for Gameweek 1
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Best 8.0 Million FPL Midfielders- Stats, Comparison & Verdict

Best 8.0 Million FPL Midfielders- Stats, Comparison & Verdict