Spot the Differential

Willian a differential FPL route into an explosive Chelsea attack

On the face of it, last weekend seemed to return to type as the top three Fantasy Premier League points’ scorers had an average ownership of more than 15%. But they all happened to be defenders priced at £6.0m or less – or in John Lundstram’s (£4.8m) case, a midfielder that just happens to be listed as a defender.

In this climate of unexpected backline mega-hauls, the differentials also matched these tallies with double-digit points of their own from Lys Mousset (£4.9m) to Leandro Trossard (£5.8m).

This column’s picks also chipped in with attacking Fantasy returns for Christian Pulisic (£7.3m) and Sebastian Haller (£7.3m).

It’s time to look again at some other players that may be flying under the radar. Here are three differentials to have a think over for Gameweek 12:

Dele Alli

  • Ownership: 0.8%
  • Price: £8.4M
  • GW12 fixture: Sheffield United (h)

It’s strange to think that a midfielder that has scored in excess of 40 Premier League goals over the past four seasons has an ownership of less than 1%.

In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that Dele Alli was a mainstay for FPL managers. However, form and fitness issues over the past 12 months have reduced his output and ultimately resulted in him losing his place in the England team.

Having said that, Alli has seemingly turned a corner with three full Premier League starts in a row that saw him score two goals for good measure.

Of course, it may seem a bit steep to purchase a player with his price tag after only recently returning to the first-team set-up.

But it can’t be discounted that, over the past four Gameweeks, only Pulisic and Ayoze Perez (£6.1m) have scored more goals than him among midfielders priced at £8.5m or less.

Alli’s two goals have come from three shots on target. While this highlights accuracy, the lacks of shots over 300 minutes is a minor concern.

Up next for Tottenham are Sheffield United. The newly-promoted team have proven their defensive credentials of late but they’ve conceded during their last two travels to the capital and Spurs’ attack will definitely challenge them.

Willian

  • Ownership: 2.7%
  • Price: £7.1M
  • GW12 fixture: Crystal Palace (h)

Tammy Abraham (£7.9m) and Mason Mount (£6.9m) are currently among the most-owned players in Fantasy Premier League, while Pulisic has also demonstrated his worth of late.

But there’s a player from Chelsea’s old guard that is definitely worth considering if you’re looking for someone different.

Willian has started every Premier League game since Gameweek 5 and has also quietly racked up four attacking returns during his last five league outings.

Over the last six league games, he is ranked fourth for passes received in the final third (128) and sixth for touches in the final third (195) among midfielders priced at £7.5m or less.

Despite playing in an attack-minded team, the biggest concern with Willian is that Mount could offer more in terms of price per million with his marginally cheaper price.

Willian also takes set-pieces which adds to his appeal and he has averaged over ten attacking returns during the past four seasons, which shows his capabilities and importance to the team.

Chelsea this weekend face Crystal Palace, who have only kept one clean sheet in their past seven Premier League games. This should bode well for Willian and his teammates as Chelsea have scored 25 goals in 11 Premier League games this season.

Harvey Barnes

  • Ownership: 1.0%
  • Price: £5.9m
  • GW12 fixture: Arsenal (h)

Leicester seem almost unbeatable of late under Brendan Rodgers.

For now, they reside at the top echelons of the Premier League table, as they were during their unexpected title-winning season.

If they are to challenge the status quo again, then it will be players like Harvey Barnes who could make the difference in terms of durability across the season.

His FPL ownership is a fraction of Jamie Vardy’s (£9.4m) and yet Barnes has also chipped in by registering 23 points in his last three games. That’s no mean feat for a player priced at less than £6m, especially one that has proven to play across multiple midfield positions.

In his last six games, Barnes has had more touches in the final third than the likes of Son Heung-min (£9.6m) and Andriy Yarmolenko (£6.0m).

Barnes has also exceeded his attacking returns from last season in half the minutes played.

It’s clear that he’s getting better and could be a genuine fourth or fifth midfield option for those FPL managers that can’t afford the likes of James Maddison (£7.4m) or Youri Tielemans (£6.6m).

Leicester currently boast the third-best home record in the Premier League and on Saturday face an Arsenal team that have only won one away league match this season and are struggling to keep clean sheets.

Lessons learned from Gameweek 11

691 Comments Post a Comment
  1. SpaceCadet
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son or Martial?

    1. ChelseaGuy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Sonnnnnn

    2. La Vida Latte
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Martial

    3. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      SONsational

    4. La Roja
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Sonaldo

    5. Gearoid
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      I Have Martial but want Son

    6. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      The Son Dance Kid

  2. The Red Devil
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Martial or Jimenez?

  3. TM44
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Team for this gw, Gtg? No ft, £0.8m itb,

    Pope

    TAA Robertson lundstrum soyuncu

    Mount salah KDB maddison

    Vardy abraham

    Subs: button, cantwell, mendy, greenwood

  4. New Post
  5. Sadio
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    For those faced with a similar decision:

    Are you starting Lundstram or Soyuncu?

    1. Kip
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Tough call, but starting Lund

    2. footballfreak
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      lund

    3. Boxwoods
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Lord Lund

  6. Weerman
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Sterling + Connolly -> Maddison + Jimenez this week for free
    & Traoré + Willems -> Hayden + Robertson next week for -4

    or just roll my FT's for the second week in a row

    Team atm:
    Ryan Button
    TAA Lundstram Soyuncu Willems Rico
    Sterling Mané KDB Mount Traoré
    Vardy Abraham Connolly

  7. Gearoid
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    1 ft and 0 itb. Ederson to

    1. Gaza
    2. Ramsdale
    3. Patricio
    4. Other

    Ederson
    VVD Lundy Rico AWB
    Salah Sterling Martial Mount
    Vardy Abraham

    Button, Hayden, Diop, Connolly

    Should Hayden start?

    1. Kip
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      4. Hendo

  8. Warby84
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Heavy Mount out transfers going on currently -103.5 on Fplstats

    1. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      It could be beautiful.

  9. Champions united
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Play
    1.cantwell
    2.lasc

    Captain
    1 tammy
    2 vardy

  10. Tucker
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    What seems most sensible this week?

    2FT

    (A) Sterling and Greenwood > Tielemans and Vardy

    (B) Sterling, Greenwood, Otamendi > Martial, Vardy, and Rico (-4)

    (C) Downgrade Otamendi > Rico and bank a transfer

    1. Boxwoods
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      B looks good. Otherwise, C.

  11. checkit_j
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    A) Mount to Willian? -4
    B) Mount to Traore -4
    C) Save and hope he plays

    I'm wild carding during IB

  12. footballfreak
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    so play mount and getting the risk of just playing 10 minutes or play cantwell?

  13. rodragon
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Bench one
    Tomori rico lund mount thanks!

  14. Rbyrne95
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Help. Who to play Def & Mid?
    -TAA, Rico, Lund, Pereira, Tomori.
    -Sterling, Salah, McGinn, Mount, Martial,

    Tammy & Vardy up top

  15. kboateng
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Who will you start?
    Mahrez or Hudson Odoi?

  16. Blue Gaffer
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Aguero & Cantwell to Abraham and Son yes or no?

  17. Raf
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Gtg? Or swap anyone?

    Pope
    Soy tomori Lund
    Mani mount kdb Maddison
    Jiménez vardy Tammy

    Button Mendy taa McGinn

  18. Pia06rc
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    any chance Cantwell starts tonight?