Stats Summary – Finding Value at Midfield 2017

 

This is the second of a four-post series focused on finding value in each position. To learn more about the methodology or look at the post about forwards, click here.

For those of you who can’t be bothered to read the last post (lazy bum!)…. the important column in this table is the rightmost one labeled “Residuals”. The higher that number, the better value a player is. On to finding value at midfield!

The Good Value at Midfield

Similar to the forwards, the expensive players are still worth their prices. There isn’t a lot separating Lodeiro, Piatti, Kaka, Kljestan, and Valeri and they will be in many many lineups. My boy Sean Davis leads the way in value and is set to start in the Red Bull midfield.

After the premium options, there’s a bunch of mid-tier guys who represent good value at midfielder. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of question marks around the playing time for guys like Polster, Neagle, Harrison, Hairston, Goosens, and Azira.

name	2017 Price	team	starts	score	pps	vorp	Residuals
Davis	6.5	NY	12	75	5.33	1.49	1.1
Lodeiro	11	SEA	12	99	8.25	4.41	0.97
Díaz	10	DAL	24	187	7.54	3.7	0.94
Piatti	10	MTL	31	234	7.52	3.68	0.91
Kaká	10	ORL	22	168	7.5	3.66	0.9
Kljestan	10	NY	30	225	7.43	3.59	0.83
Nyarko	8	DC	21	133	6.05	2.21	0.8
Valeri	10	POR	30	222	7.4	3.56	0.8
Polster	5.5	CHI	22	104	4.32	0.48	0.76
Harrison	7.5	NYC	17	100	5.65	1.81	0.74
Neagle	7.5	DC	21	150	5.62	1.78	0.71
Sarvas	7	DC	25	133	5.16	1.32	0.59
Hairston	7	COL	13	88	5.07	1.23	0.5
Goossens	6.5	CHI	13	76	4.69	0.85	0.46
Azira	6.5	COL	27	126	4.67	0.83	0.43
Johnson	7	ORL	18	95	5	1.16	0.43
Creavalle	6	PHI	20	91	4.3	0.46	0.41
Molino	9.5	MIN	25	181	6.64	2.8	0.38
B Garcia	7	HOU	25	131	4.92	1.08	0.35
Godoy	7	SJ	22	106	4.91	1.07	0.34
Larentowicz	5.5	ATL	17	72	3.88	0.04	0.33
Saied	6.5	MIN	24	114	4.54	0.7	0.31
Mezquida	6.5	VAN	17	87	4.53	0.69	0.3
Le Toux	6.5	DC	21	112	4.52	0.68	0.29
Cato	6	SJ	15	68	4.13	0.29	0.24
Fagundez	7	NE	25	129	4.76	0.92	0.19
Husidic	6.5	LA	17	91	4.41	0.57	0.18
Sam	8.5	DC	26	152	5.73	1.89	0.14
Feilhaber	10	SKC	28	189	6.71	2.87	0.11
Osorio	7	TOR	27	130	4.67	0.83	0.1
Lletget	7.5	LA	23	128	4.96	1.12	0.05
Alvarez	7.5	CHI	22	130	4.95	1.11	0.04
Muyl	6.5	NY	18	94	4.28	0.44	0.04
Alexander	5.5	HOU	15	60	3.6	-0.24	0.04
Mulholland	6.5	RSL	23	110	4.26	0.42	0.03
Bradley	9	TOR	24	142	5.92	2.08	-0.01
Accam	9.5	CHI	20	130	6.25	2.41	-0.01
Alonso	9.5	SEA	32	200	6.25	2.41	-0.01
Hollingshead	6.5	DAL	21	98	4.19	0.35	-0.04
Acosta	7	DAL	25	117	4.52	0.68	-0.05
Higuita	6.5	ORL	17	75	4.18	0.34	-0.06
Roldan	7	SEA	29	134	4.48	0.64	-0.09
Endoh	6	TOR	15	63	3.8	-0.04	-0.09
Donadel	6.5	MTL	17	74	4.12	0.28	-0.12
Bolaños	8.5	VAN	24	134	5.46	1.62	-0.13
Alberg	7.5	PHI	13	100	4.77	0.93	-0.14
Alex	7.5	HOU	28	136	4.75	0.91	-0.16
Clark	6.5	HOU	29	121	4.07	0.23	-0.16
McCarty	9	CHI	25	146	5.76	1.92	-0.16
Jeffrey	5.5	DC	14	58	3.36	-0.48	-0.2
McNamara	7.5	NYC	27	130	4.7	0.86	-0.21
Jacobson	6	VAN	19	82	3.68	-0.16	-0.21
Cronin	6.5	COL	33	132	4	0.16	-0.23
Vincent	5.5	DC	13	50	3.31	-0.53	-0.25
Espinoza	7	SKC	30	129	4.3	0.46	-0.27
Zemanski	5.5	POR	11	42	3.27	-0.57	-0.28
Perez Garcia	7	ORL	19	91	4.26	0.42	-0.31
Laba	7	VAN	31	130	4.26	0.42	-0.31
Carrasco	6.5	ORL	22	97	3.91	0.07	-0.32
Carroll	5.5	PHI	22	76	3.23	-0.61	-0.33
Meram	9.5	CLB	31	185	5.9	2.06	-0.36
Dawkins	7.5	SJ	27	124	4.52	0.68	-0.39
Pontius	8.5	PHI	32	172	5.19	1.35	-0.4
Nagbe	8.5	POR	27	140	5.19	1.35	-0.4
Morales	9	DAL	23	140	5.52	1.68	-0.4
Powers	7.5	COL	24	113	4.5	0.66	-0.41
Delgado	6.5	TOR	22	95	3.82	-0.02	-0.42
Barrios	8	DAL	29	145	4.83	0.99	-0.42
Ceren	6.5	ORL	23	93	3.74	-0.1	-0.49
Chara	7	POR	29	116	4.07	0.23	-0.5
Rowe	8.5	NE	31	160	5.06	1.22	-0.52
Grella	8	NY	29	140	4.72	0.88	-0.52
Wenger	7	HOU	23	110	4.04	0.2	-0.53
Trapp	7	CLB	28	116	4.04	0.2	-0.54
Hurtado	6.5	VAN	13	63	3.69	-0.15	-0.54
Ulloa	6.5	DAL	16	80	3.69	-0.15	-0.55
Higuaín	9.5	CLB	18	105	5.67	1.83	-0.6
DeLeon	6	DC	27	100	3.3	-0.54	-0.6
Sunny	6.5	RSL	13	49	3.62	-0.22	-0.62
Tchani	7.5	CLB	20	86	4.25	0.41	-0.66
Acosta	8.5	DC	25	141	4.92	1.08	-0.67
Peterson	7.5	ATL	18	88	4.22	0.38	-0.69
Jimenez	5.5	CLB	14	49	2.86	-0.98	-0.7
Zusi	8.5	SKC	17	94	4.88	1.04	-0.7
Beckerman	7	RSL	26	97	3.81	-0.03	-0.76
Nguyen	9.5	NE	33	181	5.48	1.64	-0.78
Caldwell	7	NE	31	118	3.77	-0.07	-0.8
Alashe	6.5	SJ	26	89	3.38	-0.46	-0.85
Pirlo	9	NYC	32	162	5.06	1.22	-0.86
Felipe	9	NY	33	167	5.06	1.22	-0.86
Gruezo	7	DAL	26	94	3.58	-0.26	-0.99
Finlay	9	CLB	26	140	4.92	1.08	-1
Warner	6.5	MIN	23	73	3.13	-0.71	-1.1
Bunbury	6.5	NE	19	73	3.11	-0.73	-1.13
Shipp	7	SEA	20	75	3.4	-0.44	-1.17
Ilsinho	7.5	PHI	14	66	3.71	-0.13	-1.2
Techera	7.5	VAN	18	86	3.67	-0.17	-1.24
Bernardello	7	MTL	11	36	3.27	-0.57	-1.3
Nocerino	7	ORL	18	52	2.72	-1.12	-1.85
Bernier	7	MTL	14	45	2.71	-1.13	-1.86
Shea	7	ORL	22	69	2.54	-1.3	-2.03

The Bad Value at Midfield

Alonso and Bradley are two interesting players, their ceiling is low but their floors are among the highest in the league. If I’m spending that kind of cash, I would rather search the couch cushions for some change and go for a high ceiling player. Several guys I’ve had on my watch list ended up in this range and can be fine picks based on matchups: MPG, Bolanos, Meram, Barrios, and L. Acosta.

Brek Shea The Ugly

Brek Shea is not good at soccer and he’s not a good fantasy pick. There are other guys that are good players in real life, but are priced too high. Avoid Pirlo, Chara, Nguyen, Gruezo, and the every-single-year-too-expensive Darlingon Nagbe. Ethan Finlay drops into the category, but I think he is usable in the right match up as he is a boom-or-bust player.