Names from Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa feature in our differentials column this week.
All three players have a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ownership of 5% or lower.
JULIO ENCISO
- FPL ownership: 0.8%
- Price: £5.5m
- GW6-10 fixtures: FUL | mci | NFO | hul | BOU
While he has failed to deliver any attacking returns in each of his last three matches, we feel that Julio Enciso (£5.5m) shouldn’t be written off ahead of Saturday’s home encounter with Fulham.
The Paraguayan is only £5.5m in FPL and has an ownership of under 1%.
Although he is yet to score this season, he started the campaign with back-to-back assists against Sunderland and Manchester United.
Enciso has impressively racked up 17 shots over the first five Gameweeks, the joint-fourth most of any FPL midfielder…
With a knack for finding the back of the net from outside the box (11 of his 17 shots have come from distance), Enciso’s ability to create attacks is equally important.
Primarily as a No 10, he’s created six chances for his teammates so far this season.
That could be important, too. Fulham are in the bottom four for key passes conceded from the centre of the pitch in Gameweeks 1-5, with 20.
As for Ipswich Town, they surprisingly rank fourth for open play expected goals (xG), with 7.32.
After they host Fulham, who have conceded more big chances than any other side (20), Gary O’Neil’s men have a pretty decent schedule…
Enciso could warrant consideration as a fourth/fifth midfielder, then.
MURILLO
- FPL ownership: 2.3%
- Price: £5.5m
- GW6-10 fixtures: cry | ARS | ips | bre | MCI
One of the standout defensive contribution (DefCon) performers over the first five Gameweeks, Murillo (£5.5m) could be a decent under-the-radar pick.
The Nottingham Forest centre-back is one of only two FPL defenders to have secured eight DefCon points in 2026/27 so far…
With an average of 10.7 DefCons per 90 minutes, Murillo also carries a bit of goal threat.
He’s had five shots in his last four matches, with four of those attempts from set plays.
Sunday’s opponents, Crystal Palace, have notably conceded 25 attempts from dead-ball situations this season, the fifth-most of any team.
Above: Murillo’s shot map in 2026/27
After five Gameweeks, Nottingham Forest have conceded only 4.77 xG, the second-lowest of any team.
No side in the division can better their tally of only six big chances conceded, either.
Oliver Glasner’s men will subsequently be optimistic about securing away clean sheets at Palace and Ipswich Town over the next three Gameweeks, given that they tend to perform well on the road.
However, Murillo’s ability to rack up DefCons means he could still return points even in the tougher upcoming fixtures against Arsenal, Brentford and Manchester City.
Certainly, without Europe or the EFL Cup, Murillo should be a nice ‘set-and-forget’ option right through until the end of the year.
JOHAN MANZAMBI
- FPL ownership: 0.5%
- Price: £5.9m
- GW6-10 fixtures: BRE | new | MCI | FUL | mun
After an impressive full debut in Aston Villa’s 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur prior to the international break, Johan Manzambi (£5.9m) is a differential name to consider.
The 20-year-old scored and supplied an assist in Gameweek 5, amassing 13 points.
Dovetailing beautifully with Nicolas Jackson (£6.5m), he racked up four shots and two chances created in north London. It offers an exciting glimpse into what Unai Emery could potentially develop with his new group of players.
Above: Aston Villa’s average position map v Tottenham Hotspur in Gameweek 5, featuring Manzambi (No 44) and Jackson (No 11)
After the match, Emery added…
“Manzambi played a good match, but he does not understand everything that we want in terms of positioning. His qualities go beyond the tactical idea that I want to achieve with him because he is a fantastic player. Sometimes he must feel free to play and exploit his qualities, but always within our structure.” – Unai Emery on Johan Manzambi
It’s clearly early days for Manzambi. However, he now looks likely to keep his starting berth against Brentford, who have conceded in both of their away matches in 2026/27 so far.
Notably, three of the Villans’ next four matches are on home turf, too.
Manzambi’s arrival at Villa Park was greeted with much anticipation after he produced three goals and two assists in four matches for Switzerland at the World Cup.
With his fitness on the rise and another goal for Murat Yakin’s team against North Macedonia over the international break, he certainly looks like a player who could be worth taking a gamble on if you’re looking for a high-impact differential.
