Out-of-position Antonio could thrive as West Ham’s key attacker

After huge success for this column in Gameweek 27, our tails are up for our Blank Gameweek 28 selections.

Last time out, all players we tipped, Shane Long (£4.6m), Bruno Fernandes (£8.2m) and Dwight McNeil (£6.0m) all registered important hauls for their brave owners.

All of these options, at the time of writing, were owned by fewer than 5% of Fantasy Premier League managers, suggesting there is still value to be found.

Michail Antonio

• FPL Ownership: 0.7%
• Price: £6.9m
• GW28-32 fixtures: SOU | ars | WOL | tot | CHE

Despite a narrow defeat on Monday night, West Ham United came close to inflicting Liverpool’s first Premier League defeat of the season and were the first team to score two goals at Anfield since Everton last year.

It was a vastly improved performance by David Moyes’ men and gives the Hammers something to build on in their battle against relegation.

In fact, post-match, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp described them as being a “proper threat”.

Setup in a 4-5-1 shape, Michail Antonio (£6.9m) led the line and impressed till tiring in the second half. Despite not getting on the scoresheet, he continually looked dangerous on the counter, using his pace to keep Liverpool’s centre-backs on their toes.

Since returning to the starting XI in Gameweek 25, Antonio has been West Ham’s most advanced player.

Over that same period, he has produced six shots in the box. That tally is four more than any other teammate, whilst it is only bettered by three FPL midfielders – Mohamed Salah (12.8m), Son Heung-min (£9.8m) and Richarlison (£8.3m).

The next set of games are crucial for the Hammers, with Saturday’s match against Southampton being billed as a ‘six-pointer’. Knowing a win will move them outside of the bottom three, Antonio looks a good differential for Gameweek 28.

Reece James

• FPL Ownership: 0.9%
• Price: £5.0m
• GW28-32 fixtures: bou | EVE | avl | MCI | whu

Chelsea right-back Reece James (£5.0m) has burst onto the scene in 2019/20, and has quickly established himself as a key part of Frank Lampard’s exciting young team.

He has made 23 appearances in all competitions this term, contributing two goals and three assists, and has now been named in the Blues starting XI in six of the last seven Gameweeks.

His marauding displays have drawn plenty of praise in recent weeks, with Gareth Southgate reportedly eyeing him up for a place in the next England squad.

The underlying numbers show he has been one of the most attacking defenders in FPL over the last two Gameweeks. His total of four shots is only bettered by Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.7m) and Virgil van Dijk (£6.6m), whilst his three created chances demonstrate his assist potential.

Also, if we look back further to the turn of the year, we can see he’s been putting his superb delivery to good use – only five defenders have put in more crosses than him.

Chelsea have had an unpredictable season, and despite a forgettable Champions League night against Bayern Munich earlier this week, we’re tipping James to get back on track against a Bournemouth side who sit just two points above the relegation zone.

Diogo Jota

• FPL Ownership: 4.3%
• Price: £6.2m
• GW28-32 fixtures: tot | BHA | whu | BOU | avl

Diogo Jota (£6.2m) is a player who has been in our thoughts for a while now. In fact, he only narrowly missed the cut for last week’s Spot the Differential.

Since then, the 23-year-old ran the Norwich City backline ragged, and followed up his Europa League hat-trick with a brace. Those goals, alongside an assist and maximum bonus, meant he returned a huge 16-point haul for his small army of owners.

It was a hugely impressive performance by the Portuguese, who led the way for shots, shots in the box and big chances.

With 11 games to go in the Premier League, Wolves remain in the hunt for a Champions League place, and sit just two points behind Manchester United in fifth.

Rested in midweek, Jota looks set to be unleashed on Sunday, against a Tottenham Hotspur side who have struggled defensively in recent matches, conceding seven goals in their last four in all competitions.

After Spurs, the schedule couldn’t be much kinder for Wolves, who face Brighton and Hove Albion, West Ham, Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Currently owned by just 4.3% of FPL managers, Jota is a man in form, and looks like a major differential for the season run-in.