Spot the Differential – Gameweek 4

Bournemouth and Villa’s wide men are on our radar in this week’s scour for overlooked Fantasy options, whilst Tottenham’s out-of-position defender also plays a part in the Gameweek 4 thinking.

Max Gradel

Having notched 17 times in 31 outings for Ligue 1 outfit Saint Etienne last season, Max Gradel returns to former club Bournemouth in fine scoring form. The 6.0-priced midfielder – who sits at a 0.5% ownership – was a peripheral figure in the Fantasy Premier League until he served up a brace of assists during the Cherries’ 4-3 victory over West Ham last weekend.

Since being handed his first start in Gameweek 2, Gradel places second for shots (three) behind Matt Ritchie (seven) among the south coast club’s midfield contingent, though he’s tallied the most penalty-box touches (six) and key passes (five) across that stretch. Although the latter’s Fantasy allure is intensified by his share of free-kicks, Gradel posted a far superior shot conversion rate (16.6%) than Ritchie (9.9%) last term, which suggests he’s more of a clinical finisher.

Bournemouth will be buoyant in the wake of their maiden top-flight victory, so recruiting from their attacking corps looks like an astute strategy in the coming weeks. Eddie Howe’s troops embark on an excellent quintet of fixtures (LEI, nor, SUN, sto, WAT), ensuring that this differential pick is afforded ample time to flourish.

Jack Grealish

Having recovered from a hamstring injury picked up during Aston Villa’s pre-season tour, Jack Grealish was handed a start on the left of a front three against Crystal Palace on his return to action. The 19-year-old Academy product then went on to play the full 121 minutes of the Villains’ midweek League Cup win over Notts County, getting him one step closer to peak fitness.

Although Scott Sinclair’s hat-trick hogged the headlines, Grealish also turned in a fine performance against the League Two opposition, serving as Villa’s most creative outlet and bagging two assists in the process. In light of the fact that Tim Sherwood’s men rank second-bottom for chances created (17) over the opening trio of matches, the former Spurs head coach will be desperate to funnel their play through the winger, augmenting his appeal as a Fantasy asset.

Priced at 5.4, Grealish occupies a bracket that’s devoid of any sure-fire bets (Riyad Mahrez has shot up to the 6.0-mark), so there’s value to be had in unearthing a hidden gem. A home tie against Sunderland – who’ve conceded more goals (eight) than any side this term – should certainly afford Grealish plenty of possession to showcase his burgeoning talents.

Edit: Grealish has emerged as a late doubt for Villa’s meeting with Sunderland with reports stating that he has sprained an ankle in training.

Eric Dier

Eric Dier has been deployed in the double pivot alongside Nabil Bentaleb and – more recently – Ryan Mason this term, furnishing Fantasy managers with an out-of-position prospect. Although the former Sporting Lisbon centre-back is yet to launch a marauding run of the ilk that saw him net a late winner in the opening Gameweek of last term, he’s already found the net in his previous home appearance against Stoke and ranks joint-second among defenders for headed attempts (two).

Spurs are yet to register a clean sheet this campaign, but there were signs of improvement during their visit to Leicester. Mauricio Pochettino’s men limited the high-flying Foxes to just seven shots inside the box, one big chance and two attempts on target, implying that Tottenham forced Leicester into unfavourable shooting positions.

The Lilywhites conceded just one goal against Everton in the previous campaign, winning the home leg 2-1 and triumphing 1-0 at Goodison Park in the final Gameweek. Notwithstanding their dominant performance away to Southampton, the Toffees have mustered just 10 attempts on target this term, offering hope for Dier’s shut-out prospects as the hosts look to clinch their first win of the season.