Deulofeu a tempting FPL differential as an “out of position” midfielder

With the Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 11 deadline less than 24 hours away, we’ve taken to championing the case of three overlooked FPL assets in our regular Friday feature.

Two of our differentials once plied their trade for Barcelona, while the other is a 20-year-old budget midfielder who only made his senior debut in September.

Lucas Digne (£4.8m)

FPL ownership: 1.7%

Having recorded clean sheets in both of their previous home fixtures, Everton look a decent bet for a third successive shut-out at Goodison Park when Brighton and Hove Albion visit in Gameweek 11.

No side scored fewer Premier League away goals than the Seagulls (ten) last season and Chris Hughton’s side have failed to find the back of the net in three of their five league fixtures on the road in 2018/19.

Brighton have also registered fewer attempts on goal and shots on target in away matches than the 19 other top-flight clubs.

What sets Digne apart as a stand-out asset is the left-back’s creativity.

Only two FPL defenders have delivered more crosses and created more chances than Digne this season, with the former Barcelona man prominent at corner-kick situations and taking his fair share of direct free-kicks, too.

Digne has recorded ten attempts on goal in just eight league appearances this season, meanwhile.

Only Burnley have conceded more chances than Brighton from their right flank (i.e. Everton’s left) this season, with just two clubs having allowed more crosses than the Seagulls from that zone.

Gerard Deulofeu (£5.4m)

FPL ownership: 0.5%

Watford’s all-new strike pairing of Deulofeu and Isaac Success (£4.5m) were among the goals last weekend and both have excellent cases as differentials for Gameweek 11.

With Troy Deeney (£5.9m) a major doubt for the trip to Newcastle United, Success looks likely to continue alongside Deulofeu in attack and the Nigerian has understandably been the focus of much FPL transfer activity, attracting over 50,000 new owners.

Success’s long-term first-team prospects are uncertain, however, and it remains to be seen whether he can still keep Deeney out of the side when the Watford club captain is fit and available.

That Andre Gray (£6.0m) continues to sit on the bench is a positive sign for Deulofeu, however, and the performances of the former Barcelona and Everton midfielder over the last two Gameweeks have been eye-catching.

Deulofeu has had as many attempts on goal and shots in the box as Success over the last fortnight and that he has racked up more touches than the Nigerian striker in the final third and opposition penalty box – despite playing fewer minutes – in Gameweeks 9 and 10 illustrates that he is generally playing further forward than Success in this Watford system.

Only two FPL midfielders had more shots in the box than Deulofeu in Gameweek 10.

The Hornets’ opponents this weekend, Newcastle United, haven’t kept a clean sheet at St. James’ Park in 2018/19 and only two Premier League clubs have conceded more goal attempts in their area than the Magpies in home fixtures this season.

Grady Diangana (£4.5m)

FPL ownership: 0.0%

Budget-freeing enablers are always a welcome prospect in Fantasy Premier League and there has been much talk in recent weeks surrounding Isaac Success (see above), Josh Murphy (£4.8m) and Victor Camarasa (£4.5m) as cut-price options in attack and midfield.

We could potentially have another bargain find on our hands in the form of West Ham’s Grady Diangana.

With Andriy Yarmolenko (£6.8m) out long-term and Michail Antonio (£6.8m) delivering an abject performance in midweek, Manuel Pellegrini’s options on the right flank would appear to be limited to Diangana and Robert Snodgrass (£5.3m) – himself a set-piece-taking differential and only owned by 0.1% of FPL managers – for the time being.

Felipe Anderson (£6.8m) is, of course, another attacking midfielder to contend with but with Pellegrini favouring a 4-2-3-1 in recent weeks due to a lack of available options in central midfield, there is room for the Brazilian as well as Snodgrass (who started centrally against Leicester in Gameweek 10) and Diangana behind Marko Arnautovic (£7.0m).

Burnley have conceded more opportunities from the flanks than any other Premier League side this season and no top-flight club has allowed more big chances or shots on goal than the Clarets.

At £4.5m, Diangana would also free up funds to splurge on, for instance, a heavy-hitting defence.

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