The Gameweek 1 deadline of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is almost upon us, which gives us an opportunity to have a look at some differential options for the start of the season.
As always, we’ve selected three players with an ownership of 5% or less at the time of writing, who represent viable alternatives to some of the more popular Fantasy assets out there.
SADIO MANE
- FPL ownership: 4.5%
- Price: £12.0m
- GW1-5 fixtures: nor | BUR | CHE | lee | CRY
Sadio Mane (£12.0m) was not at his best during the 2020/21 season but finished strongly and still managed double figures for both goals (11) and assists (11).
As a result, he ended the campaign as the fourth-highest scoring midfielder with 176 FPL points but he has largely been overlooked in pre-season due to the popularity of team-mate Mohamed Salah (£12.5m), whose ownership currently sits at 51.1%.
In his own words, Mané labelled last season as the worst of his career, as fatigue and a lack of confidence meant that he often missed that explosiveness in the final third which makes him such a threat. However, a four-week break over the summer seems to have worked wonders, as he has looked remarkably sharp in Liverpool’s recent friendlies and finished as the Reds’ top scorer during pre-season, combining three goals and an assist in five appearances.
The return to form of Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) could be key, too. The right-back’s quick switches of play via those long diagonal passes to Mané are hugely important in Liverpool’s ability to stretch their opponents, and when performing at his top level, he’s often able to find his teammate at the far post ready to tap home a cross.
Liverpool’s favourable early schedule also looks promising for their attacking prospects, with matches against Norwich City, Burnley and Crystal Palace in the opening five Gameweeks.
It’s fair to say we saw a dip in Mané’s usual standards last year, but following an impressive pre-season, he could be a nice differential for those willing to move away from the midfield template.
ISMAILA SARR
- FPL ownership: 3.5%
- Price: £6.0m
- GW1-5 fixtures: AVL | bha | tot | WOL | nor
Ismaila Sarr (£6.0m) impressed in the Championship last season, finishing the campaign with a total of 13 goals and five assists.
It’s also worth noting that his output increased significantly after Xisco Muñoz took charge, when he returned the 23-year-old to his natural position on the right wing either in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3.
In 16 league matches under former boss Vladimir Ivić, Sarr scored just three goals and made two assists. However, in his 23 appearances under Muñoz, he registered ten goals and three assists, which suggests that he’ll be Watford’s main attacking weapon again in 2021/22.
Muñoz aims to get his wingers on the ball as often as possible, and as a result, the wide areas are where most of the Hornets’ attacking threat stems from. His partnership with Kiko Femenía (£4.5m) down that side also caught the eye and was a key component to last season’s success.
Another interesting thing to note is that in games when Troy Deeney (£5.5m) wasn’t on the pitch, the two players who won penalties – João Pedro (£5.5m) being one, Sarr the other – ended up taking them. Crucially, the Senegalese winger was fouled on five of the 10 occasions that led to a penalty last season.
Watford start with an appealing run and sit top of our Season Ticker for ease of fixture in Gameweeks 1-7. This weekend’s opener against Aston Villa could be a good one for Sarr, too. Dean Smith’s side have been trialling a new look 4-4-2 system in pre-season which has at times left them a little too open and susceptible to counter-attacks. Given that the Senegalese winger’s acceleration is so difficult for any defender to deal with, he may be able to exploit space in behind, then.
Sarr has established himself as a key player for Watford in recent seasons and with an ownership of just 3.5%, could be a useful differential for the opening rounds.
RYAN BERTRAND
- FPL ownership: 2.1%
- Price: £5.0m
- GW1-5 fixtures: WOL | whu | nor | MCI | bha
Ryan Bertrand (£5.0m) looks set to start the new campaign as Leicester City’s first-choice left-back, having impressed at his new club in pre-season.
During last weekend’s 1-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City, the 32-year-old impressed defensively and also got forward well to support team-mate Harvey Barnes (£7.0m). He even registered a pair of assists in the recent 3-2 friendly win over La Liga outfit Villarreal.
Crucially, his ability from set-pieces appears to have been recognised by manager Brendan Rodgers, as he has been immediately handed a share of dead-ball duties. In fact, one of those assists we mentioned above arrived via a free-kick.
Defensively, the Foxes only have one recognised centre-back who is fit and available right now: Çaglar Söyüncü (£5.0m). That may cause alarm, but it’s worth noting that versatile squad man Daniel Amartey (£4.0m) stepped in against Man City and demonstrated that he is more than capable of filling in, at least until a new centre-back arrives, with Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard (£5.0m) reportedly on his way. That suggests that the absences of Jonny Evans (£5.5m) and Wesley Fofana (£4.5m) might not affect them quite as much as first feared.
Leicester start 2021/22 with a reasonably favourable set of fixtures and play Wolverhampton Wanderers, Norwich City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Burnley before the end of September. Encouragingly for Bertrand and Barnes, there could be plenty of space to attack down the flanks against Bruno Lage’s Wolves this weekend, with his full-backs often asked to advance high up the pitch.
Bertrand is an underrated player, and with his ability to contribute points at both ends of the pitch, is a tempting investment given Leicester’s early schedule.
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