With just four short weeks to go, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that there is no way of catching the Contributors League leaders, but I’ll still be looking for a cheeky punt or two to make ground in the overall rankings. For those still in contention in their mini-leagues however, ‘Differentials’ take on a whole new meaning – a big score from a player that none of your rivals will have thought of is the only way to close a gap quickly. If you’re looking for a last minute gamble then, here’s our selection to consider this week…..
Stephane Sessegnon
When injuries to Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck against Wigan last weekend left Sunderland without a recognised forward, it fell to Stephane Sessegnon to take on the lone striker role, and the Benin International took full advantage with a goal and an assist in the final 30 minutes of the game.
Sunderland look set to start against Fulham in exactly the same formation as they finished against Wigan, with Sessegnon up front and Steed Malbranque playing just behind. With 5’7” Sessegnon likely to be marked by 6’4” Brede Hangeland, it’s unlikely Sunderland will be relying on crosses from the wings, so the link-up between these two through the centre will be key; if they can combine as effectively as they did last week then both players look like strong Fantasy picks.
Sunderland’s recent form has been very poor, but their victory last weekend will give them confidence as they move into an easier run of fixtures [FUL, bol, WOL, whm]. All of those games should provide goals, so considering Sessegnon’s out of position role and very low ownership of just 0.1%, he looks a great value differential to tide you over to the final gameweek.
Joleon Lescott
Man City look too good to ignore this week; their home tie against bottom side West Ham is followed by a double next week and their players have rightly been the focus of much attention on this site over the last few days. While Aleksandar Kolarov, David Silva and Adam Johnson can all be classed as differentials due to their low ownership, we’ve opted for Joleon Lescott as our differential pick. With West Ham missing both Noble and Parker, it’s hard to see them breaking down an organised City side and as Lescott looks like the best option of the Man City defenders right now, he could be a great differential with just 1.7% ownership.
At 6.3 he isn’t as cheap as Kolarov but with Toure out, Lescott is a nailed on starter at centre-half, with the potential to provide attacking points on top of any clean sheets. In the 2007/2008 season Lescott scored 10 goals for Everton for a massive 196 points, and while he is a long way off that total this year, he could prove to be one of the top scoring defenders over the final few weeks of the season.
Seb Larsson
Seb Larsson is undoubtedly Birmingham’s form player at the moment; his two goals in the last three games were just reward for his influence in those matches, the only surprise was that he did not pick up more Bonus Points. As the main man on free-kicks and corners, as well as a prolific crosser of the ball (he has delivered more crosses than anyone bar Ashley Young in the last four weeks) he has the potential to pick up points against any opposition, and the return of Nikola Zigic will make Larsson’s set pieces even more valuable. Unfortunately it appears Craig Gardner is back on penalty duties, but Larsson still looks good value at 5.0m.
With all four Birmingham based sides still not safe from relegation, the atmosphere in England’s second city will be buzzing with two derbies this weekend. Birmingham may be coming off the back of two thrashings at the hands of Chelsea and Liverpool, but three points for City should see them safe for another season, and with their home form considerably better than the away form of Wolves, they will be confident of getting the goals they need.
Best of the Rest
Nearly making it this week was Maxi Rodriguez who should keep his place in the side after his hat-trick last weekend. Liverpool’s defensive form at home has been excellent recently, so 18-year-old Jack Robinson might also be worth a punt at just 4.0. Finally, Salomon Kalou’s excellent form could earn him his fourth start in a row against Spurs this evening, making him a risky, but potentially very profitable gamble.
