The new season of FPL is upon us and already a template has start to set. While template players provide a solid foundation, it’s the lesser-owned gems that can catapult you up the rankings and separate you from the masses.
This year the Fantasy team has nailed the pricing, making it impossible for a team to have all premiums. You cannot have all premiums without sacrificing value elsewhere. Keeping in mind the budget and introduction of Defensive Contributions, this season is shaping out to be quite unique and exciting.
A differential typically refers to a player owned by less than 10-15% of FPL managers, though this threshold can vary depending on the context and your mini-league situation. The key is finding players who offer genuine point-scoring potential while flying under the radar of most managers.
Previous seasons saw differentials such as Rogers from Aston Villa, Chris Wood during the start of the season as well as the Nottingham Forest defenders Murillo and Milkenovic.
Differentials to Consider
Malick Diouf from West Ham is currently owned less than 6% and costs £4.5m. Potter is most likely set to use a wingback system, similar to Oliver Glasner’s system at Crystal Palace. The LWB has great deliveries in his locker with him getting an assist in their pre season game against Bournemouth.
Yoanne Wissa is another great pick, he racked up 18 goals last season. Even though the departure of Bryan Mbuemo has hurt Brentford, his goal threat and with Mbuemo gone he is most likely to take over penalty duties for the Bees. There is also the Newcastle interest, with the latest news being that Alexander Isak wants to move to Liverpool and with Newcastle losing targets Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike, if Wissa is their lone signing he could be a steal for £7.5m.
Eberechi Eze is one to watch, the Crystal Palace man has been a fantastic player for the Eagles, he would rack up 8 goals and 8 assist last season. The reason he could be a gem is that there are rumours of a move to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with James Maddison out with an ACL, he could become the creator in chief of Thomas Franks side.
Tijjani Reijnders has also emerged as option, for £5.5m he is a cheap option for a Manchester City player. He also scored a Brace against Palermo and was on for a Hattrick was it not for a slip costing him the opportunity. The only issue arises with the so called ‘Pep Roulette’. Pep often rotates his squad, even if a player scores a hattrick, he could be benched the next game. With Rodri out due to an injury setback, he could become an exciting option if he becomes a starter for Manchester City.
James Tarkowski is another option but he is on the more expensive side costing £5.5m for a defender. Although he is only 5.9% owned, many top FPL managers have them in their teams. The reason being the new Defensive Contribution points, with this new point system being implemented the Everton defender would have benefited the most.
Ultimately FPL is a game of choice, it is up to the player whether he wants to go safe with a template or take risks with these low owned players for a higher upside. Sometimes the best differential is simply being early to identify the next template player before the masses catch on. The goal isn’t to be different for the sake of it, but to be different in a way that gives you an edge.
