Fantastic Premier League picks: Is James Maddison the midfield addition you need?

Premier League football is back and fantasy managers around the world will have been glued to the opening fixtures last week.

With rookies, exciting youngsters and established stars, cracking the code for the right selections in your fantasy team can often feel like a daunting task.

Injuries, suspensions and form leave a lot for managers to consider - there's nothing worse than benching or transferring a player who excels.

With the conclusion of the first round of matches, the transfer window has opened again and Stats Perform has calculated the Opta numbers to help you choose four choices.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal v Leicester City)

An impressive debut saw Oleksandr Zinchenko become a huge talking point for Arsenal after he caught the eye on the left, where he netted 11 successful passes in the final third against Crystal Palace.

In just eight Premier League appearances in 2022, the Ukraine international has provided three assists and tops the charts in average assists per game for defenders who have played at least 500 minutes this year.

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Creating 2.01 chances per game on average, Zinchenko's numbers should be boosted with more playing time following his move to Emirates Stadium.

James Maddison (Arsenal v Leicester City)

An assist in Leicester's 2-2 draw with Brentford last weekend took James Maddison to four goals and four assists in his last five Premier League appearances for the Foxes. so no wonder Newcastle United are keen on signing him. /p>

In Premier League history, only Jamie Vardy (174), Riyad Mahrez (66) and Muzzy Izzet have been involved in more goals for Leicester than Maddison (57) - with a record breaking down to 33 goals and 24 assists.

That translates to plenty of points for a much more affordable price than many other high-scoring midfielders - and it might be time to strike ahead of a potential transfer later in the window.

Mason Mount (Chelsea v Tottenham)

Since the start of last season, Mason Mount has scored 11 goals and 10 assists for Chelsea, making him one of only three players to have doubled both in that span, along with Mohamed Salah and Jarrod Bowen.

His assist record since the start of the 2020-21 season is only bettered by Liverpool duo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are among the most expensive picks in their respective positions in fantasy football .

The inconsistency in Chelsea's forward ranks will also have affected the return of Mount, who could see his numbers increase following the addition of Raheem Sterling.

Callum Wilson (Brighton & Hove Albion v Newcastle United)

Scoring Newcastle's second in last week's 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest, Callum Wilson's record for the Magpies now stands at 21 goals in 45 Premier League appearances.

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This return is more than double that of any Newcastle player since the start of the 2020-21 season and gives the England striker a ratio of one goal per 169.62 minutes.

During this period, Wilson's expected goals (xG) have been 19.5, showing that he is outperforming expectations, and his numbers should be significantly increased if he can stay injury free this season.