With Gameweek 5 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) fast approaching, we pause to reveal our three differentials.
As always, to qualify, the player must have an ownership of 5% or less at the time of writing.
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KEVIN SCHADE
- FPL ownership: 0.1%
- Price: £5.4m
- GW5-9 fixtures: tot | WHU | WOL | mun | IPS
Kevin Schade (£5.4m) is a player who could warrant a gamble in light of Yoane Wissa’s (£6.1m) ankle injury.
The German, who secured a Fantasy assist in Gameweek 3, played up front in Brentford’s EFL Cup win over Leyton Orient on Tuesday.
He didn’t overly impress, but Schade will have benefitted from getting 90 minutes under his belt ahead of Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
Favourable home clashes against West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town follow.
In 2023/24, Schade delivered some impressive numbers when handed playing time.
The 22-year-old scored two goals and provided two assists in just 388 minutes of football, so with a more advanced role and increased game time, there is massive potential.
Currently owned by just 0.1% of Fantasy bosses, Schade should attract more investment over the coming weeks, particularly for those looking for a cheap midfielder in order to carry Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) and Erling Haaland (£15.2m).
DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN
- FPL ownership: 3.1%
- Price: £5.9m
- GW5-9 fixtures: lei | CRY | NEW | ips | FUL
Yoane Wissa’s injury and a benching for Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz (£6.0m) means plenty of Fantasy managers are seeking out a new forward this week.
Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.9m) is perhaps someone we shouldn’t overlook.
The 27-year-old has scored two goals and provided one assist in four outings this season. He also scored four goals in his final seven appearances of 2023/24, so his record from the start of April is actually very good:
- Starts: 10
- Subbed on: 1
- Mins: 819
- Goals: 6
- Assists: 2
- Bonus: 9
- FPL points: 59
In addition, one of the major plus points regarding his prospects is the fact he is Everton’s penalty taker.
Calvert-Lewin missed the midweek Carabao Cup tie against Southampton through illness but was back in training on Thursday, so should be ready for Saturday’s trip to Leicester City.
Both sides have been involved in high-scoring games of late, so the fixture should provide goals.
Leicester are also bottom for headed efforts and attempts from set plays conceded, offering further encouragement.
Beyond that, Everton have decent fixtures to tap into, so Calvert-Lewin could prove to be a solid differential, providing he can stay fit.
JAMES MADDISON
- FPL ownership: 4.2%
- Price: £7.5m
- GW5-9 fixtures: BRE | mun | bha | WHU | cry
For those Fantasy managers who aren’t afraid to roll the dice, James Maddison (£7.5m) could be a player to back this week.
The playmaker admittedly hasn’t been at his best since the ankle injury he picked up last November, but he opened the new season with two assists, suggesting he can get back to form.
Furthermore, Maddison ranks third among midfielders for expected assists (xA) and crosses over the first four Gameweeks.
Those underlying stats tells us he has the talent to unlock a defence, either from open-play or set-pieces.
It’s perhaps a matter of judging when is the right time to take a chance on Maddison.
The fact he racked up six shots, nine key passes and three assists against Thomas Frank’s 3-5-2 formation in 2023/24 suggests the former Coventry City academy graduate may be worth taking a chance on immediately.
Above: Brentford’s chances created conceded heatmap in 2024/25
For those unable to stretch to the funds required to recruit Son Heung-min (£10.0m), Maddison presents an interesting alternative.
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