Spot the Differential – Gameweek 25

After two of last week’s selections, Everton’s Ross Barkley and Watford’s Troy Deeney, provided instant returns in Gameweek 24, we’re hoping our latest picks can follow suit.

This time around, we’ve plumped for a trio of budget midfielders, with two also benefitting from the fact their teams are guaranteed to play in Gameweek 28.

Josh King

Although the main headline-maker from that thrilling nine-goal contest at Goodison Park last weekend was Lukaku, the part played by Bournemouth’s Josh King shouldn’t be forgotten.

The Norwegian international, who played as the lone striker for Eddie Howe’s side, scored twice for the visitors, and collected 13 FPL points.

When looking at King’s underlying statistics, he’s impressively ranked joint-fourth among midfielders for shots inside the box over the last four Gameweeks with eight, while he’s also created three chances over the same period.

So while it was Junior Stanislas who attracted plenty of investment following his form over the festive period, it could now be King who represents the strongest attacking option for Bournemouth.

Available at just 5.3 in FPL, King will on Monday night face a Manchester City side who’ve shipped seven goals in their last four matches, while the Cherries also have a guaranteed fixture in Gameweek 28 – at home to West Ham United, and also host Swansea City a week later.

While he may at times be used in the attacking midfield positions if Howe decides to hand a recall to Benik Afobe as the lone striker, King, who now has six goals to his name this season, looks an intriguing option based on recent form and that Gameweek 28 fixture.

For those needing to free up some cash in midfield, then, King could present a handy solution, and with an ownership of only 1.2% in FPL, he also provides plenty of upside as a differential if he can build on that brace against Everton.

Ademola Lookman

While he was unable to produce any attacking returns in Everton’s 6-3 victory over Bournemouth last weekend, Ademola Lookman did play his part in an dazzling offensive display from the Toffees on his first Premier League start.

Lookman registered two shots from inside the box, and while some of his more illustrious team-mates such as Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman are stealing the limelight at the moment, the 5.4-priced midfielder perhaps shouldn’t be slept on.

Bought from League One side Charlton Athletic last month for a fee of around £11 million, the 19-year-old attacker made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut as a late substitute in the 4-0 win over Manchester City.

This afternoon he’ll come up against a Middlesbrough side that rank joint-first for big chances conceded over the last four Gameweeks with 10, while they’re also joint-fourth for shots conceded from inside the box over the same period with 40.

That looks a favourable match-up for the red-hot Everton attack, then, and with their upcoming schedule (SUN, tot, WBA, HUL) remaining very kind over the coming weeks, including a guaranteed fixture in Gameweek 28, Lookman could be a viable budget option.

The youngster could still be a slight rotation risk, given he only started for the first time last week, but should the Toffees produce another emphatic win at the Riverside Stadium, he could be able to keep his place in the side over the longer term.

With an ownership of just 0.1% in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Lookman is the ultimate differential then, although one probably only likely to be gambled on by truly maverick Fantasy managers.

Adnan Januzaj

With Sunderland manager David Moyes revealing Adnan Januzaj should be available for this afternoon’s home clash against Southampton, we’re happy to back the young Belgian as our final choice.

Restored to the starting XI against Crystal Palace, playing in a central attacking midfield role behind lone striker Jermain Defoe in a 3-5-1-1 formation, Januzaj was at the heart of all the Black Cats’ attacking play, and finished up with two assists in the comprehensive 4-0 win.

Confidence should be high for Sunderland heading into today’s match, while the opposite can be said for Southampton, who have conceded five goals in two matches in the absence of the injured Virgil van Dijk.

So Januzaj, who’s now available at just 5.3 in FPL, may be able to build on an encouraging outing at Selhurst Park, with his relationship with striker Jermain Defoe flourishing further.

The 22-year-old is only owned by 0.5% of FPL bosses, so while investment would present something of a gamble, the success of players such as Peter Crouch and James Morrison over recent weeks indicates that the budget bracket should not be ignored.