The Premier League season is now underway, and as is the FPL campaign running alongside. As you begin building your first teams, there will, of course, be a lot of different factors to consider – from fixtures to pre-season form, to the chances of even starting. However, one key, almost underlying, factor is player ownership. Most regular hitters in FPL will be owned by a lot of players, and remember, Fantasy Football is all about doing better than your opponents. That would be very difficult to do if you carry a lot of the same players to each other. That’s where the differentials come in. These differentials are the uncommon players which tend to go under the radar, but can still have the potential to score tidy points. It’s a good idea to have a couple of these differentials as they can really give a strong edge over your opponents, and a return from them can really help you with the advantage. Here is a list of FPL Fantasy PL 2021/22 Differentials that can bolster your squads ahead of gameweek 5.
FPL Fantasy 2021/22 Gameweek 5 Differentials
1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Forward) – 9.9 million
Arsenal has seemingly regained some sort of momentum after their 1-0 victory against Norwich. It could be argued that the score-line didn’t ultimately justify the final score, the Gunners dominated with 30 attempts at goal compared to Norwich’s 10. The smooth run of fixtures continues with Arsenal facing Burnley in Gameweek 5, with a win definitely expected.
One of the key players in the starting line-up is, of course, Aubameyang, who although has not looked like the same deadly talisman a couple of seasons ago, has still managed to poach a goal here and there. He was the lone scorer in the win against Norwich and with Arsenal managing to create so many chances as a team, it would make sense for Aubameyang to score a couple more. It’s a hefty price to pay for a differential, but the 2.2% ownership could make him a brilliant one. Furthermore, the upcoming fixtures look quite promising too.
2. Sadio Mane (Midfielder) – 11.9 million
It seems as though a lot of people have been sleeping on Sadio Mane recently, the Liverpool winger has been putting up great underlying numbers, despite such low ownership. Mane has 24 points to his name so far, scoring twice and assisting a further one for his teammates. In addition, Mane averages 2.1 shots per game, with 1.15 on target, as well as 1.85 key passes per game too.
On top of that, the fixtures look very appealing as well, with Crystal Palace, Brentford and Watford all cropping up within the next 4 weeks. Speaking specifically of GW5, Liverpool has a 49% chance of scoring 2.5+ goals. If all that isn’t enough, Mane was rested midweek during Liverpool’s UCL fixture; it’s all but confirmed that Mane is starting on the weekend.
Obviously, a differential for the price close to being the highest in the game is not ideal in the slightest and should be a selection reserved for when most necessary. If you’ve had a rocky road in the first 4 weeks, and you’re looking to cover some ground between you and your desired overall/mini-league position, this could be the game-changer. Whilst most FPL managers will look towards the premium options of Bruno, Salah, Ronaldo, and Lukaku combinations, the sneaky Mane pick can really catch your opponents off guard.
3. Adama Traore (Midfielder) – 6 million
Wolves now have some of the best fixtures in the next few games, as they face Brentford, Southampton, and Newcastle all back-to-back. As for Traore, he is literally like a ticking bomb waiting to explode, and a haul is right around the corner. The Spaniard has had 12 shots in total, 7 of them being inside the box, as well as 2 big chances on top of that.
As well as going for goal, Traore has helped his teammates too, averaging 2 key passes per game. The only missing pieces are the FPL points. Although only scoring 9 points in total with 0 returns, Traore has had an expected points total of 20.8. He should be sitting at more than double the points he’s at now, which shows almost how unlucky he’s been. The time is all right now, with fixtures looking much better too. 6 million could net you a brilliant differential with just a 4% ownership.
4. Jack Harrison (Midfielder) – 5.8 million
Although quite overshadowed by his colleagues in Bamford and Raphinha, Harrison is still carrying some of the class from last season. Speaking of last season, when Leeds played against Newcastle (the same fixture this GW5), Harrison registered 2 goals and 1 assist in both fixtures. As well as that, for some more recent stats, Harrison averages 2 key passes and 5.54 crosses per game.
The opponents rank 18th for the largest xG figure out of all 20 teams so far this season, conceding 74 shots on target so far with 45 from within the box. Leeds has a habit of playing with high energy and this could heavily throw off Newcastle. If that was not all that convincing, perhaps the price tag will show some reconciliation. 5.8 million for a differential with 2.2% ownership, which is also expected to start for a heavily attacking team, is a pretty decent price!
5. Nelson Semedo (Defender) – 4.9 million
Wolves have been surprisingly tough in defense according to statistics, as they sit 3rd for the best xG figure 3 in the league. On top of that, the side has a 49% chance of a clean sheet in GW5 against Brentford too, that too being the 3rd highest behind Liverpool and Man City. It seems as though especially with the strong fixtures for Wolves, a clean sheet or two looks likely.
Semedo is one of the attacking-minded players of this defense, already having 2 big chances this season with 11 touches in the opposition box, as well as 3 shots in there too. His positioning has stood out as being very progressive, and it could only be some time before he grabs that assist or even a goal. Whilst the budget option in Marcal is growing in ownership, Semedo could be the strong differential that can sneak in a few cheeky points for your FPL team.
So what are you waiting for? Setup your squads and join our very own FPL 2021/22 Fantasy League through this invitation code ehvefg or join from this link and win exciting cash rewards for absolutely free!
Did you find our analysis on FPL Fantasy 2021/22 Gameweek 5 Differentials useful? Are you considering anyone from here? Drop your comments in the comment section below!
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