During the summer, Philippe Coutinho wasn’t on the radar of Draft Fantasy managers, as his future at Liverpool was uncertain. Barcelona were in the running to sign the Brazilian and made a number of bids, as they tried to replace Neymar.

However, the Reds were not willing to let the midfielder leave and he has now been reintegrated into the first team. In his five appearances across the Premier League and Champions League, he has contributed three goals and one assist.

That is a good return and underlines his importance to Jurgen Klopp’s team.

There may have been a few Draft Fantasy managers that gambled on Coutinho as a third or fourth midfielder, even when it looked like he could leave the Premier League.

They are the ones that are now in a strong position as the Brazilian has returned in great form and looks set to improve significantly in the near future.

His underlying statistics suggest that he is set to be a reliable player in Draft Fantasy and he is a player that should be on your radar when it comes to trading.

Why is he a good Draft Fantasy option?

Liverpool have an exciting attack under Jurgen Klopp, with Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Coutinho all excellent fantasy options.

Since returning to the team, the Brazilian has played in an advanced midfield role and it allows him freedom to influence the play from deep.

Against Newcastle United, he was central to everything positive about the Reds’ attack and looked like the only player that could make something happen.

In fact, it was his powerful strike from range that opened the scoring at St James’ Park. Coutinho offers a threat from range with his long shots and can also create, which makes him a difficult player to defend against.

He is currently averaging 6.22 shots and 4.76 chances created per ninety minutes. This is admittedly a small sample size, but to provide context, Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne is averaging 2.08 shots and 3.57 chances created.

Coutinho won’t be able to maintain that level of productivity, but he will certainly be one of the leading midfielders both in terms of scoring contribution and creativity.

Liverpool are in the midst of a frustrating period in attack, but at some point, it will click and goals will flow for the Reds. When it does, their star midfielder will be at the centre of the attack and score a lot of points in Draft Fantasy.

Should you get him in at all costs?

It is difficult to ignore his underlying stats and he is certainly a player that should be on the radar of all Draft Fantasy managers. The next two fixtures, against Manchester United and Tottenham, offer stern tests for Liverpool.

If Coutinho can produce good numbers in these games, in terms of shots and chances created, it will propel him to being one of the best midfielders in the game.

If there is a midfielder that you currently own that you are uncertain about, such as Mesut Ozil, a trade offer for Philippe Coutinho should be in your thoughts. The Brazilian has already contributed to three goals in three Premier League appearances.

The best is yet to come and if he can continue impacting games as much as he currently it, he could finish the season as one of the top three point-scoring midfielders in Draft Fantasy.