Needing to rein in a rival and wipe that grin off their face? Looking to stretch a lead as the season hits the final stretch? Then fear not. We have the answer. Maybe.
The phrase “differential”, used too often during the course of the season and typically associated with a blind sense of panic, can now be afforded an air of legitimacy as the Premier League season edges into April.
Coming on the back of Rafa Benitez’s bold midweek prediction that Alberto Aquilani will play a major part in the remainder of Liverpool’s season, we have decided to follow suit, and given some consideration to a select band of possibles with very low Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ownership…
They may soar high, performing man-of-the-match style heroics and help their respective clubs finish the campaign in a blaze of glory, or they may very well just crash and burn, skulking off into the shadows without even the merest hint of a whimper.
Worth transferring in? Nah, we’re not condoning that much; that’s what “The Watchlist” is for. Only you can decide whether they are worthy of a punt yourself. So, ladies and gents, may we offer up the lowdown and introduce to you “The Differentials XI”…
GK-Craig Gordon (SUN, £4.4m, 0.6% owners)
23 pts in last 5 games, including 2 Clean Sheets, 1 Bonus Point,
8 saves v Man City, 9 v Birmingham.
DF-Gary Caldwell (WIG, £4m, 0.5%)
3 clean sheets, 1 goal, and 2 Bonus Points in last 5 home games.
DF-Robert Huth (STK, £4.5m, 1.2%)
1 goal, 1 clean sheet, 1 Bonus Point in last 5 games. A double game week to come.
DF-Chris Baird (FUL, £4.3m, 0.9%)
4 clean sheets, 1 assist in last 7 games. A double gameweek and good fixtures.
MF-David Jones (WLV, £4.9m, 0.1%)
2 assists and 4 Bonus Points in last 5 games, man of match v West Ham.
MF-Alberto Aquilani (LPL, £7.3m, 0.3%)
1 goal, 3 assists and 2 Bonus Pts in last 3 home games he’s played in. Great home fixtures to follow.
MF-Samir Nasri (ARS, £7.8m, 0.9%)
1 assist, 2 clean sheets, 4 Bonus Points in last 5 games. Oh and that goal against Porto…
MF-Morten Gamst Pedersson (BLA, £5.9m, 1.4%)
2 assists, 1 Bonus Point in last 5 games. Decent away fixtures to come, tough home games, but draw with Chelsea showed Blackburn’s capabilities.
FW-Frazier Campbell (SUN, £5.4m, 0.3%)
3 goals, 1 assist, 2 Bonus Points in last 4 games.
FW-Dimitar Berbatov (MUTD, £9.4m, 1.3%)
In last eight starts, he has scored 6 goals, 2 assists, 1 Bonus Point.
FW-Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (HUL, £4.8m, 0.3%)
1 goal, 2 assists, 1 Bonus Point in last 4 home games. Hull have more home games left than any other team, with 5. Has scored all his league goals at home.