Just a quick look at some differential players for Gameweek 1. Here I examine the merits of those players with good opening fixtures, some of whom have gone under the radar in terms of ownership and the Rate My Teams posted on this site. Not all of them will appeal to everyone, but they’re mentioned as food for thought anyway. Generally I take differentials to be under 10% ownership but I’ve tried to curtail it to players around the 5% mark, with the exception of Leicester’s Kasper Schmeichel (since goalkeepers incur higher ownerships due to less choice).
The Bournemouth Quartet
Simon Francis (4.0%) – With very little competition at right-back, Francis looks a decent pick after notching a goal and eight assists last season in the Championship with Bournemouth. He clearly carries an attacking threat, and all for only 4.5, he could be a nice pick for the opening game against Aston Villa.
Tyrone Mings (3.1%) – Playing at left back, the Cherries’ £8m record signing also carries a heavy attacking threat, like Francis, and notched a goal and five assists in comparison last season while at Ipswich. It remains to be seen which full-back will be utilised more in Bournemouth’s attacks by boss Eddie Howe, but either are solid options to start with for Gameweek 1.
Matt Ritchie (4.6%) – Managed 15 goals and 17 assists last season for Bournemouth, which makes him quite an appealing option at only 6.0. He has a surprisingly low ownership, as well as being on set pieces, and could do the damage against Aston Villa. Definitely a dangerous player and could be this year’s Sigurdsson depending on how Bournemouth’s season unfolds throughout the coming months.
Callum Wilson (5.6%) – Bournemouth’s main threat last year, boasting 20 goals and 13 assists over 45 games. The young striker definitely looks as though he will be involved in many of Bournemouth’s goals this season. For 5.5 he is quite a popular third striker option for FFS managers, allowing upgrades elsewhere at virtually no disadvantage thanks to his kind run of fixtures from the start.
The Leicester Trio
Kasper Schmeichel (7.6%) – Surprisingly Kasper Schmeichel has lower ownership than that of backup keeper Mark Schwarzer and will set you back a mere 4.5. As Giggs Boson pointed out on his recent post about goalkeeper bonus points, Schmeichel is the third best 4.5 goalkeeper and is always good for save point or two each game, boosting his potential for bonus points. With a home game against goal-shy Sunderland up first, investment seems wise.
Robert Huth (3.3%) – Huth was snapped up last season on loan from Stoke and quickly established himself in the heart of a Leicester defence that racked up six clean sheets in 14 games toward the end of the campaign. His place should be nailed, especially when we consider that new manager Claudio Ranieri originally brought him to England during his spell at Chelsea in 2002. With a history of consistent attacking returns and goal threat, the big German is certainly a decent option at only 4.5.
Jamie Vardy (3.1%) – Has notched three goals in his pre-season games and was an important player for Leicester last season; perhaps not so much at scoring (five goals), but he ended up with the second highest number of assists for the season (joint with Angel Di Maria, Yannick Bolasie and David Silva, on 12). At 6.0 he won’t break the bank, but his returns could be based on which Sunderland side shows up on the day.
The Everton Duo
Ross Barkley (2.9%) – In their opening fixture, Everton host a Watford side that haven’t looked great at the back at times. With so many changes made during the summer, it remains to be seen how the Hornets will gel in a competitive game. With Everton’s injuries piling up, Barkley is likely to play in the hole behind the ever-popular Lukaku. He is priced steeply enough at 6.5 considering the other options available in this price bracket, yet as a differential with a tidy opening game, he gets the vote here.
Kevin Mirallas (3.5%) – One winger at Everton is Aiden McGeady, and the other is McGreedy, a.k.a. Kevin Mirallas. The Belgian is explosive at times in his returns, and other times just plain frustrating. Nevertheless, he is always good for a goal and opening up the opposition’s defence, and with set pieces in the bag we can surely hope to see more than the single assist he managed over the whole of last season. His 7.0 price tag may prove generous by the end of the season, especially if he can generate some momentum and form early on. He has the potential to rack up a solid points haul when Watford visit.
The One And Only
Aleksandar Kolarov (2.1%) – The Serbian heart-breaker… Every year the Kolarov bandwagon starts rolling, and this time it’s right at the start of the season. However, with reports of Gael Clichy picking up an injury and missing Man City’s last preseason game against Stuttgart, this would mean Kolarov seems nailed on for their away trip to West Brom. Should Yaya Touré and Sergio Aguero fail to feature too, this would possibly put the Serb on penalties too (but at minimum he should still take his share of free kicks). For 5.5 I think he is both a worthy punt and differential for the opening game.
One last nomination…
Oscar (1.4%) – At 8.5, Chelsea’s Oscar is a player who is very consistent in his returns each season. Fielded behind the striker, he has hardly any competition, except when Fabregas is moved forward. He carries a good goal threat and is capable of hitting a decent free kick. Oscar might not be a great long-term investment, especially if Jose Mourinho decides to experiment with two strikers, making him the player likely to drop out. But for now, playing Swansea at Stamford Bridge as an opening game could prove fruitful for those that decide to take a punt on him while keeping tabs on other 8.5 midfielders such as Depay and Firmino.
8 years, 7 months ago
Great list. Had Vardy in my team until last week - he may go back again. Good differential I think.
Great to see Oscar there too...does do well against Swansea.