Spot the Differential – Gameweek 25

Fears over certain new boys’ starting roles prevented us handing places to the likes of Chris Samba and Lewis Holtby in this week’s article. Instead, we tread a path less risky and roll out three overlooked forwards with game time guaranteed and favourable home ties on their respective agendas this weekend.

Loic Remy

QPR’s record buy made an instant impact on his debut, notching within 15 minutes in a 1-1 draw at West Ham in Gameweek 23. Shackled by City’s backline on his first appearance in front of the Loftus Road faithful in midweek, Remy will be looking to return to goalscoring ways as Norwich roll up to Loftus Road tomorrow.

Harry Redknapp’s side are now unbeaten in four and with home draws against Spurs and City, the R’s will be confident of overcoming a Canaries side that have conceded in 10 of the last 11 Gameweeks. Handed the role of the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 with Adel Taarabt pulling the strings behind him, Remy has played every minute of his two matches so far and offers guaranteed game time and a security of starts that could well see him prosper this weekend and beyond.

The Loftus Road outfit have six enticing looking fixtures in the following seven Gameweeks (swa, sou, SUN, avl, ful, WIG) which certainly bode well for their chances of survival and affords plenty reason for optimism. Priced 6.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and 8.0 in the Sky Sports game, Remy has the potential to prove a mid-price bargain as Redknapp turns to the former Marseille man to fire his side out the drop zone.

Victor Anichebe

So often a peripheral figure at Goodison, the Nigerian has enjoyed a recent run of games which affords Fantasy managers with an intriguing budget option to consider. Mainly utilised on the right due to a recent injury to Kevin Mirallas, the versatile Anichebe was shifted to the lone forward role last Wednesday as David Moyes dropped the off-form Nikica Jelavic to the bench.

An assist in the 2-1 triumph over West Brom maintained a run of form which has now harvested attacking returns in five of the last seven Gameweeks, with four bonus points also thrown in for good measure across that period. Priced at a mere 4.3 in FPL and 6.8 in the Sky Sports game, and with an ownership under 2% in FPL, Anichebe now welcomes Villa to Merseyside tomorrow. Given the game time, he is clearly capable of producing and looks superb value against an out-of-sorts side that have conceded two or more in all but one of their last seven.

Franco Di Santo

The departure of Arouna Kone to the African Cup of Nations has considerably boosted the Argentine’s appeal of late. Moved into the lone forward role vacated by the Ivorian, Di Santo has flourished – scoring in two of the last three, with a couple of bonus points also accrued.

Roberto Martinez’s side welcome Southampton to the DW tomorrow and, from an attacking perspective at least, are starting to finding their form – Tuesday’s 2-2 draw at Stoke meant Wigan have notched twice in back-to-back matches for the first time since Gameweek 3. With an upturn in offensive threat, the Latics will be confident of seeing off the Saints and Di Santo, at just 5.3 in FPL and 7.5 in the Sky Sports game, could appeal to those looking for a real short-term differential gamble, with Kone’s return from international duties later this month likely to see Di Santo move back out wide.