It’s time to reveal our three differentials for Gameweek 12, as we edge closer to Saturday’s Fantasy Premier League (FPL) deadline.
As ever, to qualify, the player must have an ownership of 5% or less at the time of writing.
PEDRO NETO
- FPL ownership: 1.2%
- Price: £6.2m
- GW12-16 fixtures: lei | AVL | sou | tot | BRE
A promising trip to Leicester City in Gameweek 12 ensures that Chelsea’s Pedro Neto (£6.2m) makes the cut.
The winger has been growing in confidence of late, perhaps due to the fact he’s played from start to finish in each of the last three Gameweeks.
In that time, he’s scored and assisted, racking up 16 points in the process.
Neto’s underlying stats over those three matches underline his appeal. Only Erling Haaland (£15.2m), Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.3m) have produced more shots than the Portuguese (10).
He also ranks top at Chelsea for key passes (five) and passes received in the final third (48).
Saturday’s clash at the King Power Stadium looks particularly favourable. After 11 matches, Leicester have conceded 21 times – only Brentford, Ipswich Town (both 22) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (27) have let in more.
A pattern of conceding from the right side has also developed over the season:
Above: Leicester City’s goals conceded map in 2024/25, via StatsBomb
In addition, Chelsea’s upcoming schedule remains favourable over the coming weeks, so the 1.2%-owned Neto could also provide a longer-term solution.
There is some risk attached, of course, with positional rivals like Jadon Sancho (£6.3m) and Mykhailo Mudryk (6.2m) vying for starts/minutes. However, with his confidence levels up, Neto is a tempting differential option.
JURRIEN TIMBER
- FPL ownership: 1.5%
- Price: £5.5m
- GW12-16 fixtures: NFO | whu | MUN | ful | EVE
With Ben White (£6.2m) set to be out for anywhere between 6-12 weeks, we’ve turned to Jurrien Timber (£5.5m) as our second differential.
The Dutchman has had his own injury problems, of course, but he now appears to be back to full fitness and will surely play a crucial role going forward.
In White’s absence, Timber could be shifted over from left-back to feature on the opposite side of defence.
It’s an exciting prospect from a Fantasy perspective, given that he’d be positioned on the same side of the pitch as Martin Odegaard (£8.2m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.1m), the two driving forces behind Arsenal’s attacks.
From that position, Timber could tuck into midfield or potentially overlap beyond Saka.
“He gave me a lot of confidence that when he’s one v one with an attacker, he’s going to win the ball back and give it to me. On the ball, he’s so composed, so calm, and confident. He’s a top player.” – Bukayo Saka on Jurrien Timber
Timber has offered decent assist potential so far this season, with 10 key passes, the fourth-most among Arsenal players. He’s also recorded six shots.
Furthermore, the fixture list for the Gunners remains very kind right up until the end of the year, boosting their clean sheet prospects.
So, as a cheaper alternative to Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.1m) and William Saliba (£6.0m), Timber offers real potential.
MARTIN ODEGAARD
- FPL ownership: 3.7%
- Price: £8.2m
- GW12-16 fixtures: NFO | whu | MUN | ful | EVE
Sidelined for seven Gameweeks with an ankle injury before his return against Chelsea, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard currently sits in just 3.7% of FPL squads.
The playmaker took little time to remind us of his quality at Stamford Bridge, providing the assist for Gabriel Martinelli’s (£6.9m) opener. He also registered two shots and four key passes.
It suggests Odegaard can become a factor, having racked up 42 attacking returns in 72 league appearances over the past two seasons.
“Our player has been out for six weeks and barely trained with the team. To be able to play at this level in the Premier League tells you how much he looks after himself and the leadership and character he has. Everything flows better with players like this. Today we clicked much better. You could see everything was flowing but again it is about winning.” – Mikel Arteta on Martin Odegaard
Although Nottingham Forest have defended well under Nuno Espirito Santo, their 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United in Gameweek 11 suggests they can be vulnerable, with Odegaard expected to provide the inspiration for the home side.
And with a decent fixture on the horizon against West Ham United, he may just warrant immediate attention.
It’s also worth noting Odegaard is £1.9m cheaper than Saka, who is currently flagged. The Norwegian is therefore a decent shout.
