We’re now slowly delving into the madness of the Winter Premier League. The first-midweek gameweek of the season is upon us, and there’s a lot more where that came from. Lots of games, lots of rotation, lots of drama! The weather here in the UK is not helping the case at all either, with the Spurs vs Burnley game being called off in Gameweek 13 due to heavy snow. It’s highly advised to start building for the hectic schedule now, and as usual, we’ve compiled a list of 5 differential players with under 5% ownership. These assets are risky, but highly rewarding, with each of their returns contributing greatly to your ranks. Here is a list of FPL Gameweek 16 Differentials 2021/22 that can bolster your squads ahead of gameweek 16.
FPL Gameweek 16 Differentials 2021/22
1. Diogo Dalot (Defender) – 4.4 million
Diogo Dalot is another Manchester United player who is expected to flourish under Ralf Ragnick’s wing. The Portuguese man was preferred by the manager against Crystal Palace in GW15, and Ragnick was quick to express his praise on Dalot’s performance as well. In his first game under Ragnick, Dalot scored 8 points which included the clean sheet as well as 2 of the bonus points.
He was a constant threat down the right-hand side and provided 2 successful crosses out of 3 attempts, a number bettered only by Trent Alexander-Arnold in that gameweek. Ragnick’s tactical set-up involves a 4-2-2-2 with the full-backs encouraged to join the attack, this opens vast space for attacking potential on Dalot’s case as well.
GW16 will see the Red Devils face Norwich who has been a comfortable victory for most this season. Norwich has struggled offensively, scoring the least goals all season (8 from 15 matches). They also rank 3rd for the least big chances (6) and 4th for the lowest xG in the last 5 gameweeks. The bookies have given United a respectable 45% chance at a clean sheet and a further 43% chance of scoring more than 3 goals.
2. Andrew Robertson (Defender) – 7.0 million
After a slow start to the campaign, the high-value Liverpool full-back, Andrew Robertson looks like he’s finally starting to hit the ground running with his attacking potential. His 12 point haul against Southampton in GW13 marked his return, and since then, Robertson has recorded 3 assists and a round total of 24 points. That equates to 8 points on average every week for the last 3 game-weeks, rewarding the lucky 2.5% of managers that own him.
The Scottish defender’s attacking output has dramatically improved in this short space of time. The first 12 weeks saw Robertson create just 1 big chance, but he has already smashed that, tallying 3 big chances created in the last 3 weeks, which also happens to be the joint-most out of any other FPL asset. His 8 key passes in that period are also joint-most of all defenders, matched only by his teammate Alexander-Arnold. Furthermore, his minutes perchance has also almost halved from the first 12 weeks to the last 3 weeks, jumping from 64 to 34.
GW16 will see Liverpool invite Aston Villa to the world-renowned fortress, Anfield. Liverpool has kept 9 clean sheets this season, the most of any other side, and should be looking at more, as the fixture schedule looks especially appealing. Tottenham is the only classic top-6 team to be involved in the next 5 weeks, and for every one of those 5 fixtures, the clean sheet probability does not drop below 35%.
3. Jadon Sancho (Midfielder) – 8.9 million
Manchester United‘s poor form looks like it’s coming to a close, and with the bright list of fixtures coming up, it is highly advised to start buying into some of these assets from now. New signing Jadon Sancho is starting to ease into life at Manchester and has started putting in some good performances recently. His 9 points return in GW13 against Chelsea included the goal which helped Manchester United hold the draw against the top-of-the-table at that time. Sancho’s 7 key passes in the last 4 gameweeks is the joint-highest tally at the club and the 5th highest of all FPL assets.
It is evident what the English youngster is capable of, after his time at Borussia Dortmund. 114 goal involvements in 137 total appearances for the German giants speak for himself. Now that Manchester United has also been taken under the new management, perhaps Ralf Ragnick can help get the best out of Sancho once again. The 21-year-old is predicted 5.2 points in GW16 and is expected to average about 4.9 per game over the next 5 gameweeks as well.
What a great opportunity for Sancho to hit the ground running as well since the fixture schedule for United is a sight to behold. Only 1 team is rated higher than 3 in the next 12 weeks on the FPL Fixture Difficulty Ratings. It would also be ideal to transfer in Sancho, or any other United asset, by the next deadline as the Red Devils will visit Norwich in GW16. The Canaries sit bottom of the table and have the 3rd worst expected goals conceded in the league. Especially against the classic top 6, Norwich has been leaky in defense, averaging 19 shots conceded per game.
4. Hakim Ziyech (Midfielder) – 7.3 million
Life in the Premier League hasn’t been great for Ziyech, who has struggled to live up to the bar he set during his time with Ajax. However, he has picked up form in recent weeks and has earned a decent amount of points that have gone unnoticed. Ziyech has blanked just once in the last 4 matches, recording 1 goal and 2 assists for an average of just over 4 points per game.
His attacking threat has been evident from the underlying stats during the last 4 GWs as well. Ziyech’s tally of 12 shots ranks him 4th of all players in the league, and the best out of his club. Furthermore, Ziyech also ranks top for the most touches in the opposition box (20) and the most big chances created per 90 (0.9).
The Blues will host Leeds at Stamford Bridge in GW16, a fixture they should comfortably be winning. Leeds has only kept 3 clean sheets this season out of 15 games, a number worsened by just 4 other teams. Meanwhile, Chelsea tends to thrive whilst playing on home territory, as they rank 3rd for the most big chances and the highest xG.
5. Martin Odegaard (Midfielder) – 5.4 million
Arsenal’s shock defeat to Everton in GW15 took the headlines, though this left the performance of one specific individual unknown to the majority. Despite his side managing just 3 shots on target against Everton, Odegaard put in a strong show of football in his attempt to keep hopes alive. The Norweigan is running the best form of points out of any of his teammates, thanks to his 2 goals in the last 2 games, totaling 14 points in that period.
His 8 key passes are joint top of all FPL assets, alongside Sterling, and is almost triple the tally of 2nd place at Arsenal (Martinelli with 3). Furthermore, Odegaard’s 4 successful crosses, 9 attempted crosses, and 16 entries into the opposition box are all topping numbers amongst his teammates as well. At just 5.4 million, Odegaard has the potential to be one of the best value midfielders in the game should his form continue, yet he is owned by only 1.4% of FPL managers.
In gameweek 16, Arsenal will host Southampton at the Emirates, which is easily the better position for the club. The Gunners rank 2nd for the most shots on target per game this season whilst playing at home (6.14), and 4th for the most shots in the box per game (10.86) and the most big chances per game (2.43). Furthermore, Southampton could be without one of their regular goalkeepers for that match as well, with both McCarthy and Forster possibly out injured.
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 16 Differentials useful? Are you considering anyone from here? Drop your comments in the comment section below!
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