With just days to go until the launch of the new Premier League season, I thought I’d give a quick run down of the top differentials to look out for as you finalise your teams. All the below had a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ownership of below 10% as of August 9.
Best Teams For Differentials
Manchester City – For the most attacking side last year, Manchester City attackers seem to have a relatively low ownership with many Fantasy managers divided on whom to have. David Silva (8.1%) has been generously priced at 9.0 again this year and consistently delivers every season, with a 6.2 Points Per Game (PPG) average last year. Sergio Aguero (8.9%) has cautiously been selected by many due to his injury history, yet the Argentine had probably one of the highest threats with 9.1 PPG average over a mere 1528 minutes. Lastly, Stevan Jovetic (6.5%) steps into many FFS managers’ teams for 8.0. The Montenegrin has impressed in preseason, in addition to coming out of an impressive few cameos in the first team for Man City last season with an 8.3 PPG rating.
Newcastle this year seems to be a differential in every position, except goalkeeper Tim Krul. With many expecting Newcastle to rise up the table after their vast spending to strengthen the squad, surprisingly no player has gone over the 10% mark. New signing Siem de Jong (5.9%), at 7.0, could be a decent pick with a likely role in the hole available. Newcastle’s defence seems the most neglected area of Fantasy manager’s teams with their main defeners all under 5.0% ownership.
Southampton have made plenty of changes so far to their team, and we can expect more before the window closes. So perhaps there is an element of caution in the ownership of new signings Dusan Tadic (1.8%) and Graziano Pellé (3.7%). Having said that, those willing to punt on the former early on may be rewarded generously. Tadic, as mentioned before, has given us plenty of reasons to include him in our squad for 7.5, yet evidently many seem to be keeping tabs on the Serbian for now.
Tottenham’s Érik Lamela (2.7%) will certainly have high expectations this year after a miserable debut season in English football. The Argentine, priced at 8.0, comes in at the same price as popular pick Eriksen. Where Eriksen has set-pieces and more creative ability, perhaps Lamela can become the flair pick under Pochettino as Spurs look to find a man to replace Gareth Bale. Another forgotten man set to re-establish himself could be Jan Vertonghen (6.1%) at 6.0. The Belgian found himself playing left-back for a lot of last season under Tim Sherwood, a position he made it clear he did not like. Under Pochettino, he will start at centre-back and hopefully emulate his first season in England when he managed five goals. With Pochettino’s defensive history, he may well be set for many more clean sheet points too.
Stoke have seen a renaissance under Mark Hughes, with the Potters becoming a more dangerous side as they finished in 9th place last term. Hughes has added to his squad over the summer bringing in Mame Biram Diouf who had an impressive spell in Germany. The Senegalese striker is owned by a mere 0.5%, with many opting for the ever-popular and cheaper Bójan instead. A key figure from last season was none other than Marko Arnautovic, who only has 2.8% ownership. The strong winger managed four goals and 10 assists and could be set for another great season with a 6.5 cost. Lastly, Robert Huth (0.7%) stands out as a great option for the coming season with a 5.0 price tag. The tall German has an eye for goal as his history shows, yet he may be eased back in after a knee injury ended his season last year.
Sunderland have many differentials, yet it remains to be seen where the points will come from. Cheap options such as Patrick van Aanholt (0.9%) could be a decent option for those that wish to use cheap rotation in defence. Adam Johnson (7.5%) seems the best midfield pick at 6.5 and has been very generously priced considering he was the 11th best midfielder in FPL last season with all those ahead of him being priced at 7.5 or higher.
Swansea have an array of differentials available to us Fantasy managers. New signing Bafetimbi Gomis (0.9%) is certainly one to watch if he can nail down a starting place. At the moment his 7.0 price tag is a bit steep, but should he cement a role in Swansea’s first team, we may see him replicate the form of his Lyon days. The popular Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.3%) has gone somewhat unnoticed in the wider community due to his relatively low ownership. His permanent move to Swansea could see him return to his form of yesteryear, and at 6.5, is emerging as a strong contender for bargain player of the season. In defence, Neil Taylor (0.7%), priced at 4.5, seems an easy route to Swansea’s back-line at the moment with Kyle Bartley (0.4%) also an option at 4.0 at the moment with the departure of Chico Flores. Another player to keep an eye on is Jefferson Montero, priced at 6.0, with an ownership of 0.3%.
West Brom are a team that are worth keeping an eye on under new manager Alan Irvine. Apart from Ben Foster (4.6%) at 4.5 there are no real standout differentials, with uncertainty surrounding the back-four. Stephane Sessegnon (0.6%) could return to form, but at 6.0, it is probably best to wait and see how the new team plays in the early games.
West Ham – like Newcastle, the entire West Ham team are differentials, with Kevin Nolan, at 5.3% ownership, the highest owned player in the squad. Similarly to Sunderland, it seems difficult to spot where the points will come from in midfield. With Andy Carroll out, Mauro Zárate (1.2%) and Enner Valencia (0.9%), at 6.5 and 7.0 respectively, would be the likely source of goals in the team should the latter be deemed fit to start the season. West Ham’s defence is arguably overpriced, for example left-back Aaron Cresswell.
Best of the Rest
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (1.9%) The Arsenal midfielder could be an early differential due to Walcott’s absence. He could be a decent punt for 6.5, averaging 6.9 PPG last season over his 529 minutes played.
Michael Duff (2.2%) The Burnley man seems likely to start for 4.0 but remains under the radar among most managers.
Scott Dann (0.4%) The Crystal Palace defender has a surprisingly low ownership given the hype around his side’s clean sheet potential this year. The 5.0-priced Dann was drafted in by manager Tony Pulis in January and featured heavily, tallying five clean sheets and a goal in his 14 games played.
James Chester (0.9%) The Hull defender is perhaps another option that we wouldn’t expect to have such a low ownership. Hull, with a European campaign upcoming, have broadened their squad, yet it seems Chester is set to see plenty of game time for a mere 4.5, in addition to Hull’s great run of opening fixtures.
Liam Moore (1.4%) has impressed during pre-season, with Leicester putting in with some good performances and has surely given manager Nigel Pearson food for thought with regards to his selection in the starting XI. Last year, Moore was a key figure in the heart of the defence but was dropped to the bench in the latter half of the season where Leicester kept nine clean sheets in their final 18 games.
Jose Enrique (1.0%) had a year to forget with an early injury that kept him out of Liverpool’s impressive season. The strong left-back managed two assists and three clean sheets in the Red’s first seven games, averaging 5.2 PPG. Likewise, Phillippe Coutinho (4.6%), at 8.0, could be an alternative to other Liverpool options, with the news that Lallana will miss the start of the season.
Ashley Young’s popularity has soared in the FFS community in recent games, and with a price of 5.5 and an ownership of 4.6%, he could be the ultimate differential this year. The United man has impressed over pre-season and could still have a first-team place under new manager Louis van Gaal. Capable of playing in right-midfield or left-midfield as a sort of advanced wing-back, his ability to get forward and track back has appealed to United’s new style of play. With Antonia Valencia picking up an injury last game, and Rafael’s inconsistency, it may well suit United to play Young on the right when left-back Luke Shaw is fit.
High Ownership Players To Watch Out For
On the other end of the spectrum, high-owned players that don’t seem to feature in a lot of Fantasy Football Scout managers’ teams include:
Pablo Zabaleta (14.4%), Leighton Baines (14.0%), Seamus Coleman (13.6%), Yaya Touré (22.9%), Mirallas (11.6%). It is worth keeping these players in mind when finalising our teams before next weekend as a high score from any of this group could hurt non-owners.
