International breaks are often popular times for Wildcards in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
That’s the case over the current fortnight, too, with just under 50% of site readers who are yet to use the chip saying they will activate it ahead of Gameweek 9.
With them in mind, we’ll be taking a position-by-position look at the best and most discussed options in each category.
You can read a rundown of the stand-out goalkeepers here and defenders here.
The numbers and visuals you see in this piece are from our Premium Members area, where you can access Opta player and team data for every single Premier League fixture.
MOHAMED SALAH
Mohamed Salah (£12.9m) hasn’t been at his best since the start of the season, at least by his usual high standards.
However, he has still managed two goals and three assists in six starts, averaging 6.3 points per match. For context, that’s only just behind Kevin De Bruyne’s (£12.3m) tally of 6.4.
It’s just the arrival of Darwin Nunez (£8.9m), plus the departure of Sadio Mane, has meant Liverpool as a collective are still adapting to a change of playing style, which has affected the Egyptian’s output.
Indeed, Salah has gone from averaging 4.47 shots per 90 minutes last season to averaging 2.83 in 2022/23 so far. He has also been more of a facilitator this term, creating 24 chances for his teammates, more than any other Premier League player bar De Bruyne, who he is level with.
The fixtures immediately after Brighton and Hove Albion aren’t great for Liverpool but do improve from Gameweek 12 onwards, with appealing matches against West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Southampton before we pause for the winter World Cup.
Salah’s role may have changed, but he is still a key part of this Liverpool attack, and it seems premature to write him off, given that he has been the highest FPL points-scorer in three of the last five campaigns.
Luis Diaz (£8.2m), meanwhile, is a cheaper alternative in the Liverpool ranks, yet other mid-price midfielders perhaps have the edge, which we’ll discuss below.
WILFRIED ZAHA
After just five Premier League starts in 2022/23, Wilfried Zaha (7.2m) already has four goals.
As a result, he is averaging 6.2 points per match and looks to be an excellent pick from Gameweeks 10-16, when Crystal Palace sit top of our Season Ticker for fixture difficulty.
In that time, the Eagles won’t face a side currently ranked in the top half of the table, with particularly appealing fixtures against all of the bottom four.
After six Premier League games, Crystal Palace are in 16th with just one win. However, they’ve had a challenging run of opponents, and the schedule should allow them to create better chances so their attacking players can thrive.
Zaha, meanwhile, ended last season with nine goals in 15 Premier League starts. He has carried that goalscoring form into 2022/23, and with an ownership of just 15.1%, is one of the top midfield targets for those on a Wildcard.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE/PHIL FODEN
Manchester City kept their undefeated start to the season intact in Gameweek 8, with a dominant 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Kevin De Bruyne was instrumental in the victory as he picked up another two assists, his fifth and sixth of the season so far.
As a result, the Belgian playmaker leads the way for Premier League assists, and also ranks top among all midfielders for expected goal involvement (xGI).
Above: The top-ranked midfielders for xGI in 2022/23
Phil Foden’s (£8.0m) growing impact is also worth noting, with the England international drifting into more central areas and highlighting his positional versatility by lining up on the right at Molineux.
He’s already racked up two goals and three assists this season, and has started all seven of Man City’s Premier League matches to date.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side do have a Blank Gameweek 12 on the horizon, in addition to a Gameweek 11 trip to Liverpool.
So, if adding De Bruyne or Foden to Erling Haaland (£12.0m) and perhaps Joao Cancelo (£7.2m), it means that you need to limit the number of Arsenal players in your squad, given that they also blank in Gameweek 12.
JAMES MADDISON
The 2022/23 campaign for Leicester City has been a bit of a disaster so far, with only one point from seven games.
However, it has been business as usual for James Maddison (£7.9m), who in the six Premier League games that he’s featured in, has three goals and one assist.
Impressively, he also ranks third among all midfielders for shots and just outside the top 10 for chances created.
Above: The top-ranked midfielders for shots in 2022/23
Now, his fixtures pick up dramatically, which sees the Foxes sit third on our Season Ticker for fixture difficulty between Gameweeks 9-16. Indeed, their next two opponents – newly-promoted Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth – have shipped 17 and 19 goals respectively already this season.
As a result, Maddison is one of the best mid-price midfielders to consider on a Gameweek 9 Wildcard.
JARROD BOWEN
Jarrod Bowen (£8.1m) has had a really slow start to the campaign and is yet to register a single attacking return.
In fact, only one of his 15 shots has hit the target, which is in huge contrast to his 2021/22 form, which saw him produce 12 goals, 17 assists and 206 FPL points.
It isn’t just Bowen struggling, however, as West Ham United are in the relegation zone, having scored the joint-fewest goals in the Premier League (three) from an xG of 7.57 (14th).
As a result, Bowen’s inclusion in this section of our coverage is purely for his fixtures, which includes home clashes against Wolves, Fulham and Bournemouth in the next five Gameweeks.
Whether or not that’s enough to put him ahead of Zaha and Maddison is debatable, but if you do think he will come good, he could be an excellent differential to help propel you up the rankings, given that his ownership sits at just 3.9%.
He may also find himself on penalties, having recently taken one in the 3-1 win over FCSB in the UEFA Europa Conference League, with Michail Antonio (£7.2m) and Declan Rice (£4.9m) both on the pitch when he stepped up.
RAHEEM STERLING
Raheem Sterling (£10.0m) has netted three goals in his last three Premier League appearances, averaging 8.3 points per match, yet his ownership is still under 10% in FPL.
His 3.12 non-penalty xGI, meanwhile, is only beaten by four other midfielders.
Now, under new boss Graham Potter, he could be set to shine in a new role.
Against Salzburg, Sterling was – at least on paper – a left-sided wing-back, but at times it felt like he was more part of a front three, alongside Kai Havertz (£7.7m) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£9.0m).
Indeed, he was often the highest player on the pitch, freed up by Marc Cucurella (£5.2m) covering behind in Potter’s flexible 3-5-2 formation.
READ MORE: The FPL lessons from Graham Potter’s first Chelsea match
As for Chelsea, they have a lovely run between Gameweeks 9-12, although fixtures against Manchester United, Brighton, Arsenal and Newcastle United before we break for the winter World Cup are admittedly more difficult.
OTHER CANDIDATES
After drawing blanks in five Premier League matches in a row, Son Heung-min (£11.7m) hit a stunning hat-trick from the bench in just 31 minutes on Saturday. Now, he is firmly back on the FPL radar, although it is still debatable whether or not he is worth the outlay, given that he is competing with Salah and De Bruyne for a place in our midfields.
An easier option to fit in is Gabriel Martinelli (£6.6m), who is the most-owned midfielder in the game. With three goals and one assist in his first seven matches, it’s hard to argue against the value he offers, it’s just that he faces Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in the next two rounds and then blanks in Gameweek 12. Saying that, many will be happy to hold, having already gone up in price by £0.6m. Additionally, Martinelli ranks fifth among all midfielders for xGI, with his total also ahead of teammate Bukayo Saka (£7.8m).
Elsewhere, Marcus Rashford (£6.6m) has the form, with five attacking returns (three goals, two assists) in his last four matches, but his fixtures are tough, with Manchester City, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the next five Gameweeks.
There are appealing other options, however, like Anthony Gordon (£5.6m), Luis Sinisterra (£6.5m) and Eberechi Eze (£5.5m), while Andreas Pereira (£4.6m) and Leon Bailey (£4.7m) are the best in the sub-£5.0m category, and perfect for a spot on a Wildcard bench.
GAMEWEEK 9-16 POINTS PREDICTIONS: WHAT RMT THINKS
Rate my Team (RMT) is a tool designed to give you an approximation of how many FPL points your team will score over a series of Gameweeks.
Our points projections show algorithm-generated predictions for every FPL player both this Gameweek and in future ones.
