Best Midfielders for EPL Fantasy 2026/27

Last updated: Gameweek 7 · October 13, 2026

Pascal Groß is the clear midfielder standout in October, averaging 16.08 InfoSport Points per 90 minutes—nearly 1.5 times the pace of rank 3—while all five top-ranked mids offer some combination of goal contributions and defensive volume that should translate across Sleeper, Fantrax and category-scoring leagues. The key separation this month is between players who do both (Groß, Belloumi, Janelt) and those who rely on chance creation alone (Cherki, Gakpo); in a league that rewards tackles and clearances, the two-way threat pays more consistently.

Best Midfielders for EPL Fantasy: Rankings

InfoSport Points model (see our methodology). Pts/90 blends the last five appearances with the full season; ⚠ = availability flag.

Tier 1: The Elite

Pascal Groß (Brighton, MID)

Groß leads all midfielders in our model with 16.08 points per 90 and is tied 1st for goals (3) and assists (4) across the top 30. His 29.7% FPL ownership still undervalues him in category leagues, where his 9 combined clearances and blocks, plus three clean sheets, anchor floor alongside his ceiling. Expect 90-minute roles in the next three matches (SUN (A), CRY (H), LIV (A)); he projects 16.08 InfoSport Points next gameweek.

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, MID)

Saka ranks 1st in expected goals (3.22 xG) despite 14.2% FPL ownership, and his 14.34 points per 90 places him 3rd in the model. He is tied 1st for clean sheets (3) and has logged defensive work (6 tackles, 8 clearances and blocks) to stabilize variance. With 83.2 expected minutes across LEE (H), NFO (A), EVE (H), he projects 13.26 InfoSport Points in gameweek 6.

Kevin Schade (Brentford, MID)

Schade ties 1st for goals (3) and ranks 7th in assists despite 12.1% FPL ownership, giving him genuine ceiling while his 13.31 points per 90 reflects consistent reliability. In the last three gameweeks (GW 3–5) he scored 2.85, 23.84, and 16.76 InfoSport Points, showing the volatility that makes him dangerous in boom-or-bust lineups. He projects 13.22 InfoSport Points next gameweek at AVL (A), LIV (H), HUL (A).

Mohamed Belloumi (Hull City, MID)

Belloumi ranks 2nd for tackles (16) and 5th for clearances and blocks (14), pairing floor with 2 goals and 2 assists—a rare two-way threat at 5.3% FPL ownership. His 13.5 points per 90 and three clean sheets suggest role stability in a tight defense, projecting 11.82 InfoSport Points next gameweek despite only 78.8 expected minutes. He is the highest-upside low-owned pick in Tier 1.

Bruno Borges Fernandes (Man Utd, MID)

Bruno ranks 3rd for expected goals (2.56 xG) and 5th for expected assists (1.32 xA), offering elite chance creation at 38.4% FPL ownership; however, his 13.17 points per 90 masks inconsistency (2.9, 5.27, 4.57 InfoSport Points in the last three gameweeks) and minimal defensive contribution (5 tackles, 3 clearances and blocks). He projects 13.17 InfoSport Points next gameweek but suits ceiling-focused rosters.

Tier 2: Reliable Starters

Morgan Rogers (Chelsea, MID)

Rogers scores 12.51 points per 90 at 40.8% FPL ownership and is tied 1st for goals (3) across the top 30. His next three fixtures (BOU (H), EVE (A), TOT (H)) are mixed for clean sheets, but his 1.72 expected goals and 1.23 expected assists keep ceiling high despite defensive liability (12 goals conceded, no clean sheets).

Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth, MID)

Tavernier ranks 6th for tackles (11) and ties 1st for goals (3), delivering both floor and ceiling at just 6.8% FPL ownership. His 12.08 points per 90 reflects role consistency, though the last-three-gameweek trend (16.79, 15.65, 4.05 InfoSport Points) shows volatility that demands careful start/sit evaluation against CHE (A), SUN (H), MUN (A).

Morgan Gibbs-White (Nott’m Forest, MID)

Gibbs-White ranks 3rd for expected assists (1.42 xA) and 7th for assists (2), offering creative upside at 15.7% FPL ownership and 90-minute certainty. His 9.57 points per 90 and one clean sheet keep floors modest, but the combination of expected assists and goal threat projects 9.57 InfoSport Points next gameweek.

Rayan Cherki (Man City, MID)

Cherki ranks 2nd for expected assists (1.54 xA) and 7th for points per 90 (15.43), but his 60.4 expected minutes severely limit ceiling and projections (10.36 InfoSport Points next gameweek). At 28.4% FPL ownership, he suits GPP rosters that value high-variance ceiling over floor in the next three weeks (LIV (A), IPS (H), AVL (A)).

Tier 3: Value Picks and Streamers

Vitaly Janelt (Brentford, MID)

Janelt ranks 1st for tackles (17) and 1st for clearances and blocks (27)—elite floor at 2.5% FPL ownership and 90-minute minutes, projecting 11.06 InfoSport Points next gameweek. His lack of attacking output (0 assists, 0.53 xG) means ceiling is a goal, but category leagues reward his 14.99, 9.4, and 5.82 InfoSport Points across GW 3–5.

Harvey Barnes (Newcastle, MID)

Barnes ranks 2nd for assists (3) at 5.9% FPL ownership, pairing creative upside with 14 clearances and blocks for floor. His 9.88 points per 90 and 90-minute role reflect mid-tier consistency, though the last three gameweeks (18.59, 6.21, 14.99 InfoSport Points) show feast-famine patterns across COV (A), AVL (H), CRY (A).

Keane Lewis-Potter (Brentford, MID)

Lewis-Potter ranks 4th for clearances and blocks (17) and owns 81.2 expected minutes across AVL (A), LIV (H), HUL (A), offering floor at 1.7% FPL ownership. His 10.27 points per 90 and paired goal-assist contribution (1 each) make him a deep-league option that projects 9.27 InfoSport Points next gameweek.

Anton Stach (Leeds, MID)

Stach ranks 3rd for tackles (13) and ties 1st for clearances and blocks (27), pairing elite defensive volume with one fewer goal conceded (2) than any midfielder on this list—a Leeds-specific floor benefit. At 2.5% FPL ownership and 89.4 expected minutes, he projects 9.69 InfoSport Points and suits defensive-focused category rosters.

Enzo Le Fée (Sunderland, MID)

Le Fée ranks 4th for expected assists (1.34 xA) and 4th for expected goals (2.06 xG) at 3.3% FPL ownership, offering ceiling over floor. His 8.86 points per 90 reflect inconsistency (17.51, 5.35, 11.1 InfoSport Points in the last three gameweeks), but the combination of expected contributions projects 8.63 InfoSport Points next gameweek.

Trending Up and Down This Month

Up: Mohamed Belloumi (Hull City, MID)

Belloumi logged 81 minutes in GW 3 (8.67 InfoSport Points), 59 minutes in GW 4 (22.48 InfoSport Points), and 82 minutes in GW 5 (11.95 InfoSport Points), signaling a return to near-full minutes after a brief absence. His 13.5 points per 90 and elite defensive metrics (2nd for tackles, 5th for clearances and blocks) make the increased role immediately valuable in category leagues.

Up: Kevin Schade (Brentford, MID)

Schade has logged 90 minutes in each of GW 4 and GW 5, scoring 23.84 and 16.76 InfoSport Points respectively after a quiet 2.85 in GW 3. His goal-scoring form (3 goals total) and role stability cement him as a top-three midfielder; expect continued 90-minute usage across AVL (A), LIV (H), HUL (A).

Down: Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal, MID)

Ødegaard has trended downward in volume—76 minutes (GW 3), 84 minutes (GW 4), 72 minutes (GW 5)—and output (19.28, 5.25, 2.88 InfoSport Points). At 19.8% FPL ownership and a projected 9.69 InfoSport Points next gameweek, his ceiling remains elite (1.32 expected assists ranks 5th), but rotation risk limits floor.

Down: Cole Palmer (Chelsea, MID)

Palmer is flagged as doubtful with a 75% chance of playing due to a muscular injury. His last three gameweeks show minimal production (1.64, 8.77, 5.42 InfoSport Points despite 90-minute slots), and the injury flag combined with Chelsea’s defensive fragility (12 goals conceded, no clean sheets) makes him a wait-and-see at 25.3% FPL ownership.

How to Draft and Manage Midfielders

1. Separate floor from ceiling. Tackles, clearances, blocks, and interceptions are worth 0.5 InfoSport Points each; xG and xA are worth 4 and 5 points respectively. Groß, Belloumi, and Janelt offer both; Cherki and Gakpo offer only ceiling. Draft accordingly based on league depth and risk tolerance.
2. Exploit low FPL ownership in category scoring. Belloumi (5.3%), Tavernier (6.8%), Barnes (5.9%), Lewis-Potter (1.7%), and Stach (2.5%) are under 10% owned in FPL but score reliably in our model. Category leagues reward defensive work that FPL ignores, creating arbitrage.
3. Prefer role stability over recent form. Schade and Belloumi each logged 90 and 80+ minutes in the last two gameweeks. That consistency matters more than one-week spikes; prioritize players who occupy defined positions in their team’s XI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I draft Bukayo Saka or Rayan Cherki?

Saka projects 13.26 InfoSport Points next gameweek with 83.2 expected minutes; Cherki projects 10.36 with 60.4 expected minutes. Saka ranks 1st for expected goals (3.22 xG) and ties 1st for clean sheets (3), giving him both ceiling and floor. Cherki ranks 2nd for expected assists (1.54 xA) but has no clean sheets and will sit in many matches. In deeper category rosters, Saka is the higher-floor pick; in shallower leagues that reward assists heavily, Cherki has higher ceiling per minute.

Is Mohamed Belloumi a league-winner?

Belloumi projects 11.82 InfoSport Points next gameweek at just 5.3% FPL ownership, ranking 2nd for tackles (16) and 5th for clearances and blocks (14). He ties 1st for clean sheets (3) and has paired 2 goals with 2 assists, making him a true two-way threat. The only concern is minutes: he logged 59 in GW 4. If he holds the 80+ role, he is an elite value pick; monitor the next gameweek for confirmation.

Why does Pascal Groß rank so far ahead?

Groß averages 16.08 InfoSport Points per 90—more than any other midfielder in the top 30. He ties 1st for both goals (3) and assists (4), ranks 1st for clean sheets (7), and contributes 16 combined tackles and clearances and blocks. At 29.7% FPL ownership, he is not a hidden gem, but our model rewards that defensive volume more than FPL does, which is why he separates so clearly in category-scoring leagues.

Bottom Line

Start with Groß, Saka, and Schade as tier-one anchors; they deliver both ceiling and floor, with 13+ projected points per 90. Use Belloumi and Tavernier as value adds in later rounds—they are under 7% FPL owned but rank in the top 12 of our model. Stream defensive mids like Janelt, Stach, and Lewis-Potter in deep leagues and against weak offenses. For the full ranking and deeper analysis, visit our EPL fantasy rankings and explore how midfielders compare across forward options and set-piece roles.