Spot the Differential – Gameweek 38

There’s no doubt our final three differentials of the 2013/14 campaign are very much in the punt category. For many Fantasy managers, it’s now or never, though, and as many mini-leagues go down to the wire, we turn to a trio of midfielders and take inspiration from last season, where West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan fired a hat-trick on the final day of the campaign:

Andre Schurrle

On his day, the Chelsea midfielder has proven to be one of the most explosive Fantasy options around. So far this season, Schurrle has produced a 15-point haul at Stoke, a 20-point return away to Fulham and 12 points in a 6-0 home hammering of Arsenal in Gameweek 31 – seven goals from just 1,303 minutes, compared to Oscar’s eight in 2,046 minutes suggests that with greater game time, the German could flourish further as an attacking option.
After a frustrating end to the season, both domestically and in Europe, Jose Mourinho’s side have the chance to take out their frustrations on relegated Cardiff in Wales later this afternoon. Schurrle – who is available for 6.8 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), 8.0 in the Sky Sports game and 4.0 in the Sun Dream Team, – has now started six of the last seven Gameweeks and is likely to retain his spot in the first-team as the Blues square up to a porous Bluebirds backline that has conceded three or more goals in five of the last seven league fixtures.

Yannick Bolasie

Can Palace’s wide man finally break his drought in the final match of the campaign? Bolasie has fired 44 shots over the course of the campaign – the same number as Raheem Sterling, for example, though the Liverpool winger has notched nine by comparison. Indeed, no other player in the Premier League has registered shots that the Eagles winger without finding the net.

Certainly, Bolasie will be hopeful as Tony Pulis takes his side to Fulham – a team that have conceded 83 times this season on their way to the Championship. Having delivered three assists in the last five, he’s picked up in consistency of late but remains firmly in the Fantasy shadow of team-mate Jason Puncheon. Costing a budget-friendly 4.9 in FPL, 4.5 in the Sky Sports game and 1.5 in the Sun Dream Team, Bolasie may finally earn the goal his recent contributions have more than merited.

Emanuele Giacherrini

A peripheral figure for Sunderland over the last few months, the Italian has relied on brief appearances off the bench to remind us of his capabilities. With Gus Poyet confirming his intentions to rotate for the home game against Swansea, Giacherrini’s chances of a start look likely – all the more so given that both Lee Cattermole and Seb Larsson are struggling with knocks in midfield.

The summer signing will be hoping to replicate the form that only recently served up a pair of assists against City in Gameweek 34, followed by a goal and assist against Cardiff 11 days later. Available for 6.2 in FPL, 6.2 in the Sky Sports game and 3.0 in the Sun Dream Team, Giacherrini’s talents could help the Wearsiders take advantage of a Swans defence which has been breached 11 times in the last 12 Gameweeks, as Poyet attempts to steer his in-form outfit to a fifth successive victory.