The Ultra-Aggressive Two Premium Midfielder FPL Strategy

FPL managers all over the world are weighing up which premium midfielders to select, with at least six players fighting for a maximum of three slots. Could an ultra-aggressive transfer policy for two premium midfielder roles be the answer?

With the reclassification of Aubameyang as a midfielder, the dilemma FPL managers face as they select their squads is over which premium midfielders to leave out. Many are favouring the stability of Salah and de Bruyne, while Bruno and Aubameyang have many admirers too. The situation is complicated by Bruno and de Bruyne blanking in Gameweek One, with other favourites like Mane, Sterling, Kane and new Chelsea star Werner also factoring into people’s thinking with regards to premium attackers.

The common argument is that you select your premium players, then you trust them over the course of the season knowing that, come season’s end, they will have secured you 200+ points – 400+ for your captain. This convention has been challenged most successfully in recent years by the two-time Indian champion Lateriser, who has finished in the top hundred players twice and finished with an overall ranking of thirty last season. His approach revolves around switching premium attackers depending on the fixtures they have, and can be read about in more detail HERE.

With that in mind, I decided to figure out how that strategy could be applied over all 38 gameweeks, with the rotation involving the Big Four midfielders: Salah, Bruno, Aubameyang and de Bruyne, and featuring a one-week cameo from Mane. So, starting with Aubameyang and Salah, here’s how you could approach this season’s transfers in order to maximise your premium midfielder and captain’s points potential each gameweek.
 
GW1: Start with Aubameyang (ful) and Salah (LEE).
GW2: Salah (che) to Bruno; Aubameyang (WHU) and Bruno (CRY).
GW3: Aubameyang (liv) to Salah; Bruno (bha) and Salah (ARS).
GW4: Bruno (TOT) to de Bruyne; Salah (avl) and de Bruyne (lee).
GW5: Salah (eve) to Bruno; Bruno (new) and de Bruyne (ARS).
GW6: Bruno (CHE) to Salah; de Bruyne (whu) and Salah (SHU).
GW7: Roll transfer; Salah (WHU) and de Bruyne (shu).
GW8: Salah (mci) and de Bruyne (LIV) to Aubameyang and Bruno; Aubameyang (AVL) and Bruno (eve).
GW9: Roll transfer; Bruno (WBA) and Aubameyang (lee).
GW10: Aubameyang (WOL) to de Bruyne; de Bruyne (BUR) and Bruno (sou).
GW11: Roll transfer; de Bruyne (ful) and Bruno (WHU).
GW12: de Bruyne (mun) and Bruno (MCI) to Aubameyang and Salah; Salah (ful) and Aubameyang (BUR).
GW13: Bruno (shu) to de Bruyne; de Bruyne (WBA) and Aubameyang (SOU).
GW14: Aubameyang (eve) to Salah; Salah (cry) and de Bruyne (sou).
GW15: Roll transfer; de Bruyne (NEW) and Salah (WBA).
GW16: de Bruyne (eve) to Aubameyang; Salah (new) and Aubameyang (bha).
GW17: Salah (sou) to Bruno; Bruno (AVL) and Aubameyang (wba).
GW18: Roll transfer; Bruno (ful) and Aubameyang (CRY).
GW19: Bruno (liv) to de Bruyne; de Bruyne (CRY) and Aubameyang (NEW).
GW20: Roll transfer; de Bruyne (wba) and Aubameyang (sou).
GW21: Aubameyang (MNU) to Salah; Salah (whu) and de Bruyne (SHU).
GW22: de Bruyne (bur) to Bruno; Salah (BHA) and Bruno (SOU).
GW23: Salah (MCI) to Aubameyang; Aubameyang (avl) and Bruno (EVE).
GW24: roll transfer; Aubameyang (LEE) and Bruno (wba).
GW25: Aubameyang (MCI) to Salah; Bruno (NEW) and Salah (EVE).
GW26: Bruno (che) to de Bruyne; de Bruyne (WHU) and Salah (shu).
GW27: de Bruyne (MNU) to Mane; Salah (FUL) and Mane (FUL).
GW28: Mane (wol) & Salah (wol) to Bruno and de Bruyne; KdB (ful) and Bruno (WHU).
GW29: de Bruyne (WOL) to Aubameyang; Bruno (cry) and Aubameyang (whu).
GW30: Aubameyang (LIV) to de Bruyne; Bruno (BHA) and de Bruyne (lei).
GW31: Bruno (tot) to Salah; de Bruyne (LEE) and Salah (AVL).
GW32: Salah (lee) to Aubameyang; Aubameyang (FUL) and de Bruyne (avl).
GW33: Aubameyang (EVE) to Salah; Salah (NEW) and de Bruyne (SOU).
GW34: Salah (mun) to Aubameyang; de Bruyne (cry) and Aubameyang (new).
GW35: de Bruyne (CHE) to Salah; Aubameyang (WBA) and Salah (SOU).
GW36: Aubameyang (che) to de Bruyne; Salah (wba) and de Bruyne (new).
GW37: Salah (bur) to Bruno; Bruno (FUL) and de Bruyne (bha).
GW38: Bruno (wol) to Salah/Aubameyang; de Bruyne (EVE) and Aubameyang (BHA)/Salah (CRY).
 
Such a strategy as this would be one of the most aggressive seen in FPL, and it is hard to know how it would turn out. There would inevitably be hauls missed against better teams, there would have to be the odd hit taken to plug gaps in the rest of the squad, and injuries, suspensions, poor form and rearranged matches would mean the plan would need adapting on the fly. However, from the 76 matches a two-premium midfielder approach would give you, your team would have:

48 premium midfielders against lower-half teams.
21 premium midfielders against newly-promoted teams.
2 premiums against Sheffield United – Salah away (no returns last season) and de Bruyne at home (goal and assist last season).
2 premiums at home to Burnley – de Bruyne (no returns last season; sub appearance) and Aubameyang (one goal last season)
2 premium midfielders at home to Arsenal – Salah (two goals last season) and de Bruyne (one goal last season).
1 premium midfielder away to Leicester – de Bruyne (no returns in corresponding fixture last season).
 
69 out of 76 premium midfielder matches against teams that finished outside the top ten of last season’s Premier League is a very strong foundation for success in FPL indeed. With two Wildcards, a Free Hit and the occasional four-point penalty for an extra transfer, this strategy is more plausible than it would appear on first thought; with de Bruyne, Salah and Bruno having premium midfield alternatives in their squad, it is easily-adaptable to injury or suspension too.

It would take a brave manager to take this strategy on, and it would require discipline with transfer funds and having a solid, dependable squad around them. However, if somebody was to follow through with this strategy - and if they were successful - they would go down in FPL legend. If I had the cojones, I’d take it on myself. Maybe I will, just to see what happens. None of my previous strategies have led to success; maybe this could be the one.

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