Gameweek 12 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is almost upon us, which gives us an opportunity to have a look at some more differential options.
This time, we’ve selected low-owned picks at Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Hove Albion and Burnley who we think have the potential to make an impact.
As always, to qualify, the player must have an ownership of 5% or less at the time of writing.
EMERSON ROYAL
- FPL ownership: 0.4%
- Price: £4.9m
- GW12-16 fixtures: LEE | bur | BRE | NOR | bha
Despite an inconsistent start to life at Tottenham Hotspur following his summer move from Barcelona, Emerson Royal (£4.9m) has begun to show his quality in recent matches.
The 22-year-old has been used as a right wing-back in Antonio Conte’s first two games in charge, and was one of Spurs’ best players at Goodison Park prior to the international break. During that match, he provided a constant outlet down the right and attacked the box with real urgency, almost scoring from a Sergio Reguilon (£5.0m) cross.
Prior to his summer move, Royal contributed four goals and 10 assists in 76 La Liga appearances, mostly for Real Betis. Notably, Barcelona’s Jordi Alba was the only full-back to be involved in more Spanish top-flight goals than Royal since the start of 2019/20, while it’s also worth noting that he gained plenty of experience playing in a more advanced role whilst at Sao Paolo.
Spurs’ schedule between Gameweeks 13 and 15 should also hand Royal further opportunities to impress, given that Burnley have allowed 138 crosses from their left flank, compared to 97 from the other side, while Norwich City’s left-sided vulnerabilities have been well documented throughout the campaign so far.
Royal’s Fantasy prospects will surely be handed a boost by the arrival of Conte, and with an FPL ownership of just 0.4%, is a tempting differential at the back.
LEANDRO TROSSARD
- FPL ownership: 2.6%
- Price: £6.5m
- GW12-16 fixtures: avl | LEE | whu | sou | TOT
Leandro Trossard (£6.5m) has started the season strongly, providing goals in each of his last two outings.
As a result, the 26-year-old now has four attacking returns since Gameweek 4, and overall, has accumulated more FPL points (51) than any of his colleagues.
The statistics suggest there is more to come, too. Amongst all midfielders, only Mohamed Salah (£13.0m), Sadio Mane (£11.9m) and Jarrod Bowen (£6.3m) rank higher for shots in the box, while his 309 final-third touches and 17 created chances highlight his importance to his team’s attack. He also took a penalty in Gameweek 12, although the absences of other key personnel may have been the reason for that.
Tactically, since his arrival at the Amex from Genk back in 2019, the Belgian has largely been deployed on the wing, where his performances have been a little inconsistent. However, he has taken up a more central role this season, and in particular, thrived as a false nine at Anfield in Gameweek 10, where he was able to drag Liverpool’s centre-backs out of position, which in turn created space in behind for Brighton’s midfield runners.
Despite failing to win a single match since Gameweek 5, Graham Potter’s side have taken points from Liverpool and Arsenal during that time, which will give them confidence ahead of Saturday’s trip to Villa Park, before an enticing home encounter against Leeds United to follow.
All things considered, that makes Trossard one of the most appealing options in the mid-price category right now, and an exciting differential for those unconvinced by the longer-term prospects of Conor Gallagher (£5.9m) and Emile Smith Rowe (£5.8m).
MAXWEL CORNET
- FPL ownership: 1.4%
- Price: £6.0m
- GW12-16 fixtures: CRY | TOT | wol | new | WHU
Maxwell Cornet (£6.0m) has hit the ground running since his summer move from Olympique Lyonnais.
In just six Premier League starts, the Ivorian has chalked up an impressive four goals, and having completed almost 90 minutes for the first time in Burnley’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea in Gameweek 11, could now be set to kick-on.
Statistically, amongst all team-mates, only Chris Wood (£6.7m) has produced more goal attempts, shots in the box and penalty area touches over the last four Gameweeks, while his role in the team – which probably isn’t certain yet – has seen him regularly feature as a second striker. Going forward, if he can consistently produce the required work-rate, he could perhaps become Burnley’s talisman as the season progresses.
While Sean Dyche’s side struggled during the opening weeks of the season, losing four of their opening five matches, they have since lost just one in six, which has seen them beat Brentford and take points off Chelsea and Leicester City. Admittedly, the in-form Crystal Palace (h), Spurs (h) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) won’t be straightforward, but appealing matches against Newcastle United (a), Watford (h) and Aston Villa (a) follow, which does suggest that their assets might be worth considering.
In a short space of time, Cornet has proven that he has the ability to thrive in the Premier League, and could now be a useful differential option for our FPL squads.
2 years, 6 months ago
Good to go?
Sa
TAA Chilwell Reguilon
Salah(C) Jota Foden Zaha
Wilson Jesus Toney
Steer / Livramento / ESM / Semedo