Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea assets are on our differentials radar in Gameweek 17.
At the time of writing, these three players all have an ownership of 2.0% or less in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
TIMOTHY CASTAGNE
- FPL ownership: 0.7%
- Price: £4.2m
- GW17-21 fixtures: SOU | che | BOU | IPS | whu
With Kenny Tete (£4.5m) set for 8-10 weeks on the sidelines following a knee injury against Liverpool, Timothy Castagne (£4.2m) looks destined to earn a recall for Fulham.
Discussing the current right-back situation in his Friday presser, Marco Silva said:
“It’s going to be a time for Timothy to come and to show his quality again. He’s more than ready for it, and he has all the trust from ourselves. And, more than that, he has the quality to do it in a very good way. And probably it’s one of the positions that is just a matter of who is going to start, because they are different football players, but they are two very good right-backs, and we are really comfortable with that situation.” – Marco Silva
Castagne has shown his offensive qualities many times before, having racked up 10 attacking returns in the past two seasons.
The role of the right-back in Marco Silva’s 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation offers further encouragement.
With Antonee Robinson (£4.8m) staying wide and holding the width, Tete was given plenty of license to get forward and shoot. In fact, the Dutchman is the leading sub-£5.5m defender for shots this season, with 18.
Tete couldn’t find the net with any of those 18 attempts, but it shows he was getting into decent goal-scoring positions.
Defensively, Fulham have just two clean sheets this season but rank seventh for expected goals conceded (xGC).
They also have some very decent fixtures on the horizon, with three of the next four at home, plus West Ham United and Leicester City to follow immediately after.
So for those Fantasy managers on the lookout for a new budget defender, Castagne is worthy of consideration.
MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE
- FPL ownership: 1.4%
- Price: £6.3m
- GW17-21 fixtures: bre | TOT | eve | wol | LIV
Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White (£6.3m) has really started to flourish of late.
The 24-year-old scored and provided an assist in the 3-2 win over Manchester United in Gameweek 15, and followed that up with another assist at the City Ground last time out.
Across those two outings, Gibbs-White has racked up four shots, four key passes and 1.38 expected goal involvement (xGI), one of the division’s highest figures.
Forest now visit a Brentford outfit that leaks plenty of goals, having conceded 11 in their last five home games.
Added to that, the Bees are second-bottom for key passes conceded in the centre zone across the season, an area of the pitch Gibbs-White often dominates.
Nottingham Forest’s passing network v Aston Villa in Gameweek 16
That combination of Gibbs-White’s form and Brentford’s defensive issues make the £6.3m-priced midfielder an intriguing differential prospect, with his ownership currently sitting at just 1.4%.
Forest also face decent attacking match-ups against Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton in the next six, so Gibbs-White is a valid contender for our five-man midfields.
MALO GUSTO
- FPL ownership: 2.0%
- Price: £4.9m
- GW17-21 fixtures: eve | FUL | ips | cry | BOU
Chelsea defender Malo Gusto (£4.9m) is our third and final differential pick in Gameweek 17.
The Frenchman caught the eye against Brentford last week.
Regularly stepping into midfield alongside Moises Caicedo (£4.9m) and Enzo Fernandez (£5.1m), he ended the game with 58 touches in the opponent’s half, more than any other player on the pitch.
He also registered eight crosses from open play, the most of any defender in Gameweek 16, and two key passes.
Furthermore, Gusto leads all Chelsea defenders for shots (15), chances created (nine) and xGI (2.15) over the season, so expect him to pose a threat on Sunday, in a game where Enzo Maresca’s side will surely see lots of the ball.
While Chelsea aren’t as strong defensively as they are going forward, they face a Toffees side who have scored the second-fewest goals in the division.
They also take on Ipswich Town and Wolves in the next six, so it’s a very nice run for Chelsea’s defenders.
- Gameweek 17: Everton (StatsBomb xG rank: 18th)
- Gameweek 18: Fulham (14th)
- Gameweek 19: Ipswich (19th)
- Gameweek 20: Crystal Palace (12th)
- Gameweek 21: Bournemouth (4th)
- Gameweek 22: Wolves (16th)
With Reece James (£4.8m) injured and Caicedo perhaps needed back in central midfield while Romeo Lavia (£4.5m) is out, Gusto should line up as one of the two full-backs at Goodison Park on Sunday.
It suggests he could be a decent differential, with his ownership currently sitting at just 2.0%.
