The Midfield

Lauren Hemp (Manchester City) – £8.0m
It’s impossible not to pick Lauren Hemp. She’s averaging 13 points a game, and her eight bonus points are more than anyone else has picked up. Last time out, she was player of the match as City beat Arsenal 4-2, scoring two goals and setting up another. 

She influences everything City does in attack. So far this season, she averages 3.2 key passes per 90 minutes, the most in the league, and her expected assists total of 3.05 is also the highest. Manchester City have won all five games and sit top on 15 points. Brighton are the visitors, fresh from a 5-1 win over Charlton, but City are scoring for fun right now, and Hemp is right at the heart of it.

Océane Hurtré (Birmingham City) – £6.0m
The newly capped France international has made a flying start to life in the top flight with Birmingham City. Hurtré is the game’s top scorer with 53 points, and just 10% of managers own her. She’s been one of the division’s standout players, scoring five goals in her first five games.

The Blues take on Arsenal this week, a tough opponent on paper, but they conceded four at Manchester City last weekend, so if Birmingham get their tactics right, Hurtré could make an impact. At £6m, she offers high output with relatively low ownership, and it’s pretty hard to leave her out when she just keeps finding the back of the net.

Daniëlle van de Donk (London City) – £4.5m
Van de Donk is enjoying life with London City at the moment. The Dutch international had a hand in three of the goals in LCL’s 6-1 victory over Tottenham, scoring one and setting up two more. She’s up to 39 points for the season, with three goals and two assists to her name, and at £4.5m she represents brilliant value for money.

Everton are up next, and while they’re not an easy side to break down, with just four conceded in five, London City have scored 15 in five, and Van de Donk is proving to be one of their most important players. We’re backing her to put in another big performance this week. 

Lisa Baum (Arsenal) – £6.5m
Given Arsenal’s recent form, this might seem like a bold one. However, it’s fair to say that Lisa Baum has been the Gunners’ brightest spark. She’s a direct winger who loves to run at her opponents and has scored two of Arsenal’s four league goals this season.

She’s picked up 28 points so far this season, including a couple of bonus points, and only 9% of managers own her. At £6.5m, she’s an affordable way into an Arsenal attack that’s overdue some luck. The one concern is minutes. Baum has only played 345 minutes across five games, but she’s been Arsenal’s most consistent goal threat, and that counts for plenty in fantasy. Up against a Birmingham City side that has conceded 12 in five, Lisa Baum could prove to be a shrewd pick this weekend.

Alexia Putellas (London City) – £8.5m
If you want a premium midfielder you can trust, Putellas is the one. The former Barcelona player has been in some fine form of late. She’s on 40 points, with three goals, an assist and seven bonus points already.

She’s owned by 56% of managers, so it’s no secret that she’s one of the game’s most reliable midfielders. Two clean sheets have added to her total too, which is a nice bonus for a creator.

London City have had no trouble finding the back of the net this season, and we fancy that to continue against Everton at home. The Toffees have looked hard to break down, having conceded just four goals so far, but we think Putellas and LCL’s firepower will be too much for them to contain.