Three differential FPL forwards to consider ahead of Gameweek 13

With the final international break of the calendar year well and truly over, it’s time for us to turn our attention back to Fantasy Premier League.

In the previous Gameweek, we only saw one player with a double-digit ownership – Jamie Vardy (£9.6m) – to feature among the top five FPL points scorers of the round.

In fact, with the exception of Bernardo Silva (£7.9m), no other player from Manchester City or Liverpool featured in the top ten in terms of points.

This once again reinforces the importance of those plucky differentials, with two-thirds of this campaign now remaining. Here are three low-owned picks worth considering for Gameweek 13.

Gerard Deulofeu

Ownership: 2.6%
Price: £6.1m
Gameweek 13 fixture: Burnley (h)

It wasn’t long ago that Watford players were being avoided en masse. After their 8-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City, the situation looked perilous.

However, in the past five Gameweeks, they’ve somehow mustered three draws and a win that puts them only three points away from 17th spot.

The defence has had a large part to play in their recent turnaround but Gerard Deulofeu’s (£6.1m) influence hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Having failed to score in the first ten games of the season, he has now registered two goals in his last two games.

In the last two Gameweeks, he was joint-third for final third touches and ranked second for penalty area touches among forwards priced at £6.5m or less. It’s clear that he’s getting in the right places and is finally being rewarded for his efforts.

Deulofeu scored ten league goals last season and he’s more than capable of matching or exceeding that tally this time around.

However, despite featuring in every Premier League game this season, he hasn’t always started or has been subbed off early, which is a minor concern. Indeed, he has only played three complete league matches since August.

The fact that Watford have only scored four goals in their last seven Premier League games also needs to be acknowledged.

However, Deulofeu is a key focal point of their attack and the Hornets depend on him for his creative output. Their next opponents are Burnley, who have the second-worst away record in the league and who have conceded 11 goals in six games, which should bode well for Deulofeu in his pursuit to make it three goals in as many matches.

Danny Ings

Ownership: 3.0%
Price: £6.0m
Gameweek 13 fixture: Arsenal (a)

Southampton are another team that have struggled in the league since August. Goals have been in short supply and the Saints have been prone to conceding at the other end, most notably seen with Leicester City’s 0-9 triumph at St. Mary’s.

Having said that, if there’s a flicker of hope in their team, look no further than Danny Ings (£6.0m). He’s quietly scored five goals this season – more than the likes of Raul Jimenez (four), Son Heung-min (three) and Kevin de Bruyne (two).

From an attacking returns perspective, Ings has been involved in 55% of Southampton’s goals since Gameweek 1, which is all the more remarkable when considering he’s only played a full match on two occasions.

Looking at sub-£6.0m forwards over the past six Gameweeks, Ings is ranked first for most goals scored, second for goal attempts and joint-second for big chances created. There’s a strong case to be made for his name in the third forward spot.

Of course, if we look closely, he’s only scored one goal in the past three games.

But I’ve got no doubt that he can benefit with the fixture run ahead. The Saints next face a demoralised Arsenal team with one win in their last five league games and with only two clean sheets this season, which provides Ings with another viable opportunity to add to his goal-scoring tally.

Alexandre Lacazette

Ownership: 1.7%
Price: £9.3m
Gameweek 13 fixture: Southampton (h)

There’s no doubt that the Gunners’ attack has been weakened without the regular appearances of Alexandre Lacazette (£9.3m). The France international registered a respectable 25 Fantasy returns during the last campaign and much was expected of him again in 2019/20.

Unfortunately for Lacazette, injury meant that his opportunities have been largely limited since Gameweek 1.

But with Arsenal under pressure to deliver better results, he will be key in their pursuit for fourth spot. The fact that he has started their last three games and assisted twice shows that he is improving and getting back to his best.

The biggest concern with Lacazette is his expensive price tag, especially when considering that there are cheaper players like Raul Jimenez (£7.3m) and Tammy Abraham (£8.0m) that have been scoring regularly of late.

It can also be argued that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.0m) is Arsenal’s main attacking outlet and is less likely of being rotated than Lacazette.

But if you want to capitalise on Arsenal’s good fixture run and can’t afford Aubameyang, then maybe Lacazette is an option for you.

Despite their shaky start to the season, Arsenal have scored 11 goals in six games at home. They can’t afford any more slip-ups if they are serious of finishing in a Champions League spot and it’s high time for players like Lacazette to prove their worth and pedigree.

Nominated for ‘Best in Fantasy Football – Editorial’ at the Football Content Awards 2020

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