Gameweek 19 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is almost upon us, which gives us an opportunity to have a look at some more differential options – and hopefully, these players we’ve selected will all have fixtures on Boxing Day amid the postponements elsewhere.
This time, we’ve selected low-owned picks at Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Southampton, 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.
LUCAS MOURA
- FPL ownership: 1.3%
- Price: £6.4m
- GW19-23 fixtures: CRY | sou | wat | ARS | che
Tottenham Hotspur booked their place in the EFL Cup semi-finals after a 2-1 win over West Ham United on Wednesday night, with Lucas Moura (£6.4m) on the scoresheet.
The Brazilian’s winner – his fifth attacking return in eight appearances under Antonio Conte in all competitions – capped off a wonderful display, with his manager hailing him as one of Spurs’ best players after the match:
“Lucas Moura is one of the best players in our squad. He links quality with quantity and he’s also a wonderful person. You always find on him a smile and I love to work with these types of players.” – Antonio Conte
It could have been more, too, when his smart through ball picked out Harry Kane (£12.1m) in the first-half, only for Alphonse Areola (£4.7m) to produce a solid save.
Despite his omission from the starting XI in Gameweek 18, as Tottenham held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw, the expectation – certainly amongst supporters – is that Spurs will revert to a 3-4-3 formation against Crystal Palace. That in turn creates an additional attacking spot behind Kane for Moura to be deployed, having seen Dele Alli (£6.2m) and Tanguy Ndombele (£5.7m) preferred in Conte’s 3-5-2.
With three fixtures still to be rescheduled (bur/bha/lei) following their Covid and weather-influenced cancellations, investing in Spurs assets feels like a no-brainer right now, especially given their immediate schedule, which sees them take on Crystal Palace (h), Southampton (a) and Watford (a) in the next three.
Son Heung-min (£10.3m) remains the stand-out pick in Spurs’ midfield, but if funds are needed in other areas, Moura’s price of just £6.4m offers real value.
MICHAEL KEANE
- FPL ownership: 2.2%
- Price: £4.9m
- GW19-23 fixtures: bur | NEW | BHA | nor | AVL
Investing in Everton assets admittedly won’t be for everyone right now, but the Toffees’ forthcoming schedule certainly suggests we could see an upturn in form in the coming weeks.
From Gameweeks 19 to 26, Rafa Benitez’s side sit top of our Season Ticker for ease of fixture, with matches against Burnley (a), Newcastle United (home and away), Brighton and Hove Albion (h), Norwich City (a), Aston Villa (h), Leeds United (h) and Southampton (a) on the menu. There is also the prospect of a Double Gameweek, with their tie against Leicester City (h) still to be rearranged.
Defensively, Everton have conceded 29 goals across their 17 games so far, which is very un-Benitez like, though 12 of those did arrive against Liverpool, Manchester City and Watford. However, with fixtures easing, you’d expect them to improve, with their next five opponents ranked 19th, 18th, 15th, 20th and 17th respectively for non-penalty expected goals (non-pen xG).
That leads us to Michael Keane (£4.9m), who has been an ever present this season with the 28-year-old playing every minute of every Premier League game. He also leads his defensive colleagues for baseline bonus points (BBPS), while his 11 shots in the box – which includes two big chances – is a top 10 total amongst all defenders in the game.
Keane is an intriguing defensive option ahead of Everton’s fixture swing, and with an ownership of just 2.2%, could be an effective differential.
ARMANDO BROJA
- FPL ownership: 3.9%
- Price: £5.1m
- GW19-23 fixtures: whu | TOT | NEW | wol | MCI
After his 12-point haul at Crystal Palace in Gameweek 18, budget forward Armando Broja (£5.1m) has now produced four goals and one assist across his 13 Premier League appearances this season.
Notably, that has included just five starts, with all of his goals arriving in those matches. That suggests that if he’s in the starting XI, he can make a notable impact, ahead of this weekend’s clash at West Ham United. However, the real appeal lies in Gameweek 21, when Southampton take on the division’s worst defence, Newcastle United, with their postponed match against Brentford (h) also to be rearranged, possibly around that time.
Broja’s loan spell at St Mary’s Stadium has had its up and downs, as he was at first criticised by boss Ralph Hasenhuttl for what he described as a ‘slow start’. Things have got better since, though, with the 20-year-old’s confidence on the up and his decision-making in the final-third improving.
“After his slow start, he has been definitely showing up. You can see that his qualities are absolutely there and he is putting it out there on the pitch now, this is what we need.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl
With expensive assets like Son Heung-min and Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.5m) back on the radar, raising funds via Broja could be a shrewd move, knowing that he is capable of stepping in and producing when the fixtures fall kindly. And while Tino Livramento (£4.4m) has stolen the show in FPL this season, Broja’s recent performances suggests that he can now become Southampton’s main man, and in turn, become a nice under-the-radar option for our squads.
