FPL is back after a short International break and in this article, I look at 5 differentials for the coming gameweeks that could help you make up lost ground or build on the lead that you have created at the start of the season.
Pablo Fornals – A Said Benrahma Alternative in FPL
Missed the boat on Said Benrahma and can’t find the funds to bring him in? Good news: for £0.4M less, you can be a proud owner of Pablo Fornals! With West Ham on a tear, they can continue the good run with a decent run of fixtures (@SOU, vs MUN (H), @LEE, vs BRE) and with Fornals possibly nailed in Moyes’ squad.
Here’s a breakdown of stats comparing Fornals with Benrahma:
| Player | Goals | Assists | xG+xA | Goals per Shots on Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pablo Fornals | 2 | 1 | 1.6 | 0.67 (3) |
| Said Benrahma | 2 | 2 | 1.4 | 0.5 (4) |
Though Benrahma has a higher fantasy point tally, Fornals is just as important to their team in terms of attacking contribution.
Abdoulaye Doucouré (Or the Case of the Everton Midfield)
Looking like an astute signing by Everton, Gray has impressed in his return to the Premier League. In fact, despite missing last season’s quality midfielders Rodríguez and Sigurðsson, Everton’s midfield has returned a good amount of fantasy points relative to their value.
To buck the trend, however, I suggest a look at Abdoulaye Doucouré. Gray is definitely a bigger goal-scoring threat from the wing, but Doucouré will provide more assists as he does more creatively for the team (together with Allan). Doucoure leads his team with 14 passes into the final 3rd as well as 16 progressive passes (passes travelling at least 10 yards towards the opponent’s goal).
Lastly looking at ownership and price, he stands at 1.7% owned as opposed to Gray’s 6.2% while being £0.1M cheaper. As long as Rodríguez and Sigurðsson aren’t featuring for the Toffees, really any of the Everton midfielders are a good investment for the price, but Gray and especially Doucouré as the strongest differential stand out.
Francisco Trincão – An Adama Traoré Alternative
Many managers are keeping an eye on Adama Traoré these days, his expected returns are an indicator of things to come. If the proverbial dam breaks, Traoré’s ownership will rise quickly (as will his price). Another player in a similar predicament is Trincão. Playing in the position mirroring Traore in the front three in Wolves’ 3-4-3, Trincao’s expected stats are also mouth-wateringly tempting.
Coupling this with Wolves’ run of fixtures (@WAT, vs BRE, @SOU, vs NEW), their collective dam is likely to break (how does such a quality team not score a goal in 3 games?) and returns should be had by any of the front three, to say the least. However, Trincão is interesting because he is £0.1M cheaper and has a slightly lower profile than Traoré, so the punt may be worth it in FPL if Traoré’s price skyrockets.
Neal Maupay – Striker’s Delight in FPL?
Already scoring 13 points Maupay is a bargain in FPL at £6.5M. If he can keep up this rate of production his ownership rate will go up from his current 2.2%. Barring an injury Maupay will lead the Brighton offence in any formation Graham Potter chooses to play (there have been three different ones already). The constant though is Maupay who currently sits at 22nd in the Premier League for npxG+xA with 1.4, beating out the likes of Vardy, Greenwood and Jota.
Steven Bergwijn – A Budget Entry Into Nuno’s Team
At only £6.0M Bergwijn is a great option if you want to invest in the Spurs offence especially now that Kane is back in the side. Bergwijn has so far scored two assists and recorded a team-leading 1.2 npxG+xA which matches his ownership percentage (1.2%). Bergwijn looks like he’ll provide good value and he’ll allow you to bank some funds if you’re looking to get players like Buendía, Gündogan or Mount out of your team.
By Frederick Schlichting
@timetonotbremse
You can find Fantasy Premier League (FPL) resources for the 21/22 season here.
