The return of the Premier League, and Fantasy Premier League, saw several intriguing mid-price differentials emerge with double-digit hauls, including Matt Ritchie (£5.3m), Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.4m), Stuart Armstrong (£5.2m) and one of our Gameweek 29 selections, Phil Foden (£5.1m).
Suddenly, there’s no shortage of low-owned picks to consider for those willing to think outside of the box.
This time, we focus on three assets who we like the look of for Gameweek 31+ and beyond, all of whom have an ownership of 5% or less.
Dele Alli
- FPL ownership: 3.4%
- Price: £8.3m
- GW31+ to 35+ fixtures: WHU | shu | EVE | bou | ARS
Having missed Friday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United through suspension, Dele Alli (£8.3m) is back for Tottenham Hotspur’s home clash with London rivals West Ham United.
The feeling amongst supporters is that he will replace Erik Lamela (£5.7m) in Spurs’ starting XI and will line up in his favoured no. 10 role, behind Harry Kane (£10.8m) in a 4-2-3-1.
Alli’s resurgence at the time of Jose Mourinho’s appointment in November saw him go on a run of four goals and three assists in seven league matches. In fact, no teammate has scored more goals (six) or provided more assists (four) for Spurs in the Premier League since, whilst his 12 big chances over that period is more than any other midfielder.
His ability to both create and score is appealing, and the hope is now that he can kick on and finish the season strongly.
Spurs sit nine points behind Chelsea in fourth, and four points behind Manchester United in fifth, which could be enough for Champions League qualification depending on Manchester City’s appeal against their impending ban.
Whilst many are looking to Son Heung-min (£9.7m) as their Spurs differential of choice this week, Alli is flying under the radar, and with nine goals in all competitions already this season, it surely won’t be long before he’s into double figures.
Paul Pogba
- FPL ownership: 3.7%
- Price: £8.3m
- GW31+ to 35+ fixtures: SHU | bha | BOU | avl | SOU
At his best, there is no doubt that Paul Pogba (£8.3m) is one of the most talented midfielders in the world. The question for FPL managers is, how consistently can he show it?
The 27-year-old has endured a stop-start campaign due to a string of injuries but returned on Friday night with an eye-catching cameo. In just over half an hour at Spurs, he completely changed the course of the game and won the equalising penalty after some neat footwork. The stats were telling: 95% pass competition, two out of two take-ons completed, four ball recoveries, one assist and one shot.
Whilst debate rages about his inconsistencies and off-the-ball contributions, what no-one can doubt is his ability. Amongst midfielders who have played over 500 minutes this season, he ranks seventh for chances created per 90, and his passing and dribbling ability will be a key weapon for United when trying to unpick deeper-lying defences.
The Red Devils are now unbeaten in 12 games across all competitions, and with Bruno Fernandes (£8.7m) adding some much-needed creativity and invention further forward, they are starting to look good again.
We suspect we may see Pogba from the start against Sheffield United and, if he can repeat what he showed on Friday night going forward, he can be a key figure as United battle for a place in the top four.
James Justin
- FPL ownership: 0.4%
- Price: £4.7m
- GW31+ to 35+ fixtures: BHA | eve | CRY | ars | bou
James Justin (£4.7m) has had to wait patiently for his opportunity since joining Leicester City for £6m plus add-ons last summer but with first-choice right-back Ricardo Pereira (£6.3m) out until October after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, the 22-year-old is set for a run in the first team.
In Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Watford, Justin provided an exciting glimpse of his potential. Amongst teammates, only James Maddison (£7.5m) had more final third touches, whilst he also created two chances and won seven of his eight tackles. It was a composed performance, in what was just his third Premier League start.
The young English full-back, who can play on either flank, is a forward-thinking, energetic and hard-working player, and whilst he doesn’t offer the same level of attacking threat as Pereira, his performance at the weekend suggests he should do well for bonus.
Leicester are now only three points clear of fourth-place Chelsea and while they still look odds-on to secure Champions League football, Brendan Rodgers has to make sure his side don’t take their foot off the gas during the run-in.
The Foxes are unbeaten in their previous five encounters when facing Brighton and Hove Albion and head into the match as heavy favourites.
Looking at Leicester’s next five opponents, the highest-ranked team is Crystal Palace in ninth, and with Justin now the cheapest route into their backline, he could be a nice differential for those in search of a budget defender.
Double Gameweek 30+ FPL Lessons Learned
- Aston Villa 0-0 Sheffield United
- Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal
- Norwich City 0-3 Southampton
- Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Manchester United
- Watford 1-1 Leicester City
- Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 Arsenal
- West Ham United 0-2 Wolves
- Bournemouth 0-2 Crystal Palace
- Newcastle United 3-0 Sheffield United
- Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea
- Everton 0-0 Liverpool
- Manchester City 5-0 Burnley
