Old FPL favourites Mendy and Alonso are back on the differential radar

It’s fair to say that the last round in Fantasy Premier League was far from being a classic, with a paltry average score of 37.

That’s not surprising, especially when considering that 12 of the top 13 FPL point-scorers in Gameweek 9 had modest ownership levels of 5% or less.

In fact, the highest-scoring player with an ownership of 20% or more was Lucas Digne (£6.0m), who ironically was sold en masse in previous weeks.

Defying the so-called template, those plucky differentials have continued to break the mould once again. Can they continue to perform? Here are three low-owned players that are worth a think for Gameweek 10.

Marcos Alonso

• Price: £6.2m
• Ownership: 3.7%
• GW10 fixture: Burnley (a)

For many Fantasy managers, a defender that has scored 15 Premier League goals and registered 15 assists over the past three seasons would be an automatic must-have.

However, in the case of Marcos Alonso, he seemed to have lost his way at the latter stages of Maurizio Sarri’s reign. It wasn’t until Gameweek 5 of this season that he once again appeared in the reckoning for Chelsea, hence his single-digit ownership and price fall. He seems to have now come full circle, when he scored during a clean-sheet win again Newcastle United last Saturday, which served as a reminder of his attacking capabilities

Among all defenders in Gameweek 9, Alonso had the most touches in the opponents’ half (69) and the joint-second most passes received in the final third (27).

Of course, we need to factor in that Chelsea’s last league opponents are hardly known for their defensive fortitude and in some ways, it may be unfair to look at those stats in isolation.

However, under Frank Lampard’s attacking style of play, it seems that there may be more opportunities for Alonso to venture forward, which brings the best out in him from a Fantasy perspective. Chelsea have scored a staggering 12 goals in their last three away games and it wouldn’t be a complete shock if Alonso picks up another attacking Fantasy return this weekend.

Youri Tielemans

• Price: £6.4m
• Ownership: 4.7%
• GW10 fixture: Southampton (a)

Since the second half of last season, Leicester have been undergoing somewhat of a footballing renaissance. It’s clear to see that Brendan Rodgers has recalibrated them as a radically new unit that can once again compete against the very best.

Youri Tielemans is one of the flair players that has changed their course of direction, as seen with him registering eight Fantasy returns between February and May of this year. Such consistency was expected of him almost immediately this season but in some ways, he has been overshadowed by James Maddison (£7.2m). In addition, four of Leicester’s first eight games included teams that finished in the top five, which may have hampered their attacking flow despite still being able to pick up some positive results.

Tielemans has yet to register back-to-back Fantasy returns this season, which is a minor concern. But the possibility of him delivering more has increased with Leicester’s generous upcoming fixture run.

The fact that he has started every league game since August shows the regard that Rodgers has of him. Leicester’s next match is up against Southampton, who have the worst home record in the Premier League during this campaign. This can act as a good platform for the Foxes to continue their momentum and for Tielemans to add to his Fantasy points tally.

Benjamin Mendy

• Price: £5.9m
• Ownership: 0.6%
• GW10 fixture: Aston Villa (h)

On paper, it seems surreal to think that there is a World Cup-winning left-back for the reigning champions of England with an ownership of less than 1%. But on closer inspection, it’s easy to see why.

Benjamin Mendy is an enigma. He’s managed to win two league titles at a canter since joining Manchester City and yet has only featured in 18 league games to date. Injury has hampered his time on the pitch but when he does play, his value is clear to see: he averaged 5.9 points per game last season from ten matches.

It was good to see Mendy play a full match last weekend and with a clean bill of health, this could be the beginning of many starts to come. His Premier League assists-to-game ratio (39%) can’t be ignored, but of course, this is skewed due to his limited number of appearances since 2017.

During his absence, Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.4m) has proven to be a capable replacement and Mendy could be at the risk of ‘Pep Roulette’ during important Champions’ League games and the festive fixture run. For now, at least, he has become viable again and we should make the most of him while he remains a differential.