Sunderland, Everton and Leeds United players are on our differentials radar in Gameweek 1 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
DAN BALLARD
- FPL ownership: 5.3%
- Price: £5.0m
- GW1-5 fixtures: ips | FUL | bre | ARS | mci
With newly-promoted Ipswich Town up first, followed by a home encounter with Fulham, Dan Ballard (£5.0m) looks like a decent under-the-radar pick.
The Sunderland centre-back averaged 10.98 defensive contributions (DefCon) per 90 minutes in 2025/26.
He subsequently hit the required DefCon threshold in 51.7% of his matches.
Notably, only six defenders (and four current ones in FPL!) had a greater DefCon hit rate:
Ballard also carries a bit of goal threat from set plays.
He scored twice from such situations last season, and ranked fifth among defenders for shots from set plays, with 24. Given his lower minutes (2,164) compared to other defenders on this list, it’s even more impressive.
Ballard also recorded two Fantasy assists, one from a penalty he was awarded, the other from a cross that he flicked on.
By prioritising structure and defensive shape, Sunderland ranked joint-fourth for clean sheets last season, with 11.
Further down the line, European football could potentially impact their domestic form. However, Matchday 1 of the Europa League isn’t until after Gameweek 4, so Ballard could still be a nice option for those on an early Wildcard strategy.
It allows you to target those early Sunderland fixtures against Ipswich and Fulham, both of whom are under new management.
THIERNO BARRY
- FPL ownership: 1.3%
- Price: £5.5m
- GW1-5 fixtures: CRY | bou | MUN | tot | IPS
Picked by only 1.3% of managers, Thierno Barry (£5.5m) is a cheap forward option to consider, particularly for those on an early Bench Boost.
Everton are hardly known for their attacking intent, and Barry did somewhat underwhelm last season, with eight goals in just under 2,000 minutes of top-flight football.
However, lots of his shots were from good positions inside the box (0.21 xG per shot).
His 18 big chances weren’t bettered by any other Everton player, either.
Barry isn’t completely nailed-on to start each week, and even when he does, he usually gets subbed off early.
But he does appear to have moved ahead of Beto (£5.5m) in the striker pecking order this summer, having scored three goals and supplied one assist in pre-season. He also started each of Everton’s final two friendlies against Newcastle United and Lille.
According to our Fixture Ticker, David Moyes’ side have the best first six matches of all teams, with new boys Ipswich Town and Hull City included in that run.
Up first is Crystal Palace, who new head coach Pierre Sage has already said aren’t ready for their Premier League opener.
At an affordable price, Barry could be a decent cheap forward enabler.
ANTON STACH
- FPL ownership: 0.9%
- Price: £6.0m
- GW1-5 fixtures: nfo | BRE | bha | NEW | CRY
Anton Stach (£6.0m) averaged an impressive 4.9 points per start last season, outperforming many other popular FPL midfielders, including Elliot Anderson (£6.5m, 4.8 points per start), Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m, 4.7) and Morgan Rogers (£7.5m, 4.6).
Yet the Leeds United man is owned by merely 0.9% of squads as we approach Friday’s deadline.
Helped by a role on set plays, Stach scored five goals and supplied six assists (three Opta/three Fantasy) in 29 matches last season.
In terms of assist potential, he created 63 chances for his teammates, by far the most of any Leeds player:
He also hit the DefCon threshold 10 times, with a 34.5% hit rate.
Harry Wilson’s (£6.5m) arrival at Elland Road may see Stach play a bit deeper and share set plays. However, Leeds’ early run of fixtures offers encouragement that he will still have plenty of license to push forward.
Daniel Farke’s men visit Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 1, with further encounters against Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace before the first international break.
Three of those fixtures are on home turf, where Leeds only lost five times last season.
After that, the schedule takes a turn for the worse, so Stach could be an ideal early investment, partricularly for those managers who plan to Wildcard in Gameweek 6.
