Once again differentials had a lot of success in Gameweek 5, with the likes of Che Adams (£5.8m), Ross Barkley (£6.0m) and former column inclusion Sergio Reguilón (£5.5m) all registering attacking returns for their owners.
There’s no shortage of candidates to consider this week either.
This time, we’re focusing on differentials from Manchester City, Leeds United and Fulham, who we like the look of for Gameweek 6 and beyond.
As always, to qualify, the player must have an ownership of 5% or less at the time of writing.
Sergio Agüero
- FPL ownership: 2.5%
- Price: £10.4m
- GW6-10 fixtures: whu | shu | LIV | tot | BUR
Sergio Agüero (£10.4m) is back on the FPL radar after scoring a penalty in Wednesday’s Champions League comeback win against Porto.
Manchester City’s all-time leading scorer has now played 133 minutes since returning to the starting XI against Arsenal last weekend, and it surely won’t be long before he rediscovers his usual goal-scoring form.
The impact of City having to use makeshift strikers in recent weeks has been well documented. During this period, manager Pep Guardiola has turned to Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) to lead the line, but with the attack not functioning quite as fluidly as in previous seasons, it’s probably fair to say it hasn’t worked out for them.
However, with Agüero gaining fitness day-by-day and Kevin De Bruyne (£11.5m) back in training ahead of schedule, we should see them move up a gear in the coming weeks.
City travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham United in Gameweek 6, having won all five of their previous visits in all competitions. That run has seen them score at least four goals in each game, and should they collect another three points on Saturday lunchtime, they will lift themselves up to third in the Premier League, at least temporarily.
Agüero scored 16 times in just 18 league starts last season, and with a crucial run of games coming up, could make a real impact for early investors.
Pascal Struijk
- FPL ownership: 2.2%
- Price: £4.0m
- GW6-10 fixtures: avl | LEI | cry | ARS | eve
With Kalvin Phillips (£5.0m) set to sit out the next few games with a shoulder injury sustained in Monday’s loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed Pascal Struijk (£4.0m) will replace him in Leeds United’s starting XI.
That hands FPL managers a medium-term, starting £4.0m defender, who will be deployed out-of-position as a holding midfielder.
The 21-year-old was outstanding in Leeds’ deep-lying midfield role during the final games of last season, and has continued to impress this term after featuring at centre-back against Liverpool and Wolves.
Struijk offers a big physical presence, with good passing ability, which was recently highlighted in an interview with teammate Luke Ayling (£4.5m).
“… his range of passing is probably the best at the club, honestly. Both feet he can ping a ball 40/50 yards and it’s pretty impressive to be honest.” – Luke Ayling
You can certainly see an assist or two over the coming weeks with a long pass out to one of Leeds’ wide-players, while he also carries a goal threat from set-pieces.
Leeds United kick off Gameweek 6 tonight at Aston Villa, with games against Leicester City and Crystal Palace to follow, both of whom have struggled to score from open-play in recent weeks.
Understandably, there is a lot of interest in Max Kilman (£4.1m) in the community right now. However, with question marks around who is Nuno Espírito Santo’s first choice left wing-back, and who he prefers as his left-sided centre half if Romain Saïss (£5.2m) is displaced from the flanks, Struijk currently looks the safer option for regular starts, at least. He has made big strides since moving to Leeds in 2018, and given how much Bielsa can improve players, could be a solid value pick for the next run of fixtures.
Ademola Lookman
- FPL ownership: 0.3%
- Price: £5.0m
- GW6-10 fixtures: CRY | WBA | whu | EVE | lei
Since joining Fulham on a season-long loan from RB Leipzig last month, Ademola Lookman (£5.0m) has impressed.
The 22-year-old was excellent at Sheffield United last weekend, netting the opener in an eye-catching appearance which saw him register three shots and lay on three further chances for his team-mates. Always looking to get on the ball, run at opposition defenders and exploit space between the lines, his performance was a breath of fresh air.
Interestingly, Fulham moved away from their usual 4-2-3-1 shape and opted for a 3-4-2-1, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£5.9m) and Lookman handed free roles behind Aleksandar Mitrović (£5.9m). If Scott Parker is to continue with that system it certainly heightens Lookman’s appeal, and would give him a real platform to thrive free from too many defensive responsibilities.
Fulham have largely disappointed since returning to the Premier League, but take on a Crystal Palace side in Gameweek 6 who are without a clean sheet in four matches. With a home tie against West Bromwich Albion to follow, the fixtures give them the opportunity to kick start their season.
Lookman is an exciting player who offers something different for Fulham. Already, he looks like the most likely of their attackers to make things happen in the final third, and at just £5.0m, could be a nice enabler who can step into your starting XI when needed.
4 years, 19 days agoBench 1:
A. Bissouma
B. Mitchell