Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 3 | Differential picks
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Gameweek 3’s deadline is bearing down upon us, as we embark on yet another Fantasy Premier League weekend. But with Aston Villa facing Everton on the 23rd, it does mean that the transfer deadline is bearing down on us, which changes a lot for us and it’s where a differential star walks in.
When it comes to getting points on the board for an FPL gameweek, few options do it as well as the premium men. The £8.5 -£13m million bracket is full of players like that when talking about just midfielders and forwards, with defenders falling between £5.5-£7m. It’s there that a large majority of players make up their points or rather get their points.
But it’s not the only method and that does come as a big surprise to a few FPL managers. The differential pick, however, you look at it also plays a big part. That is despite many people even thinking that a differential doesn’t make too much off a difference. The reality is that it does, more than most realise, and a differential pick can prove to be a game-changer at times.
The Top Men
Manuel Lanzini
Picked by just 1.5% of FPL managers, the Argentine has enjoyed a decent start to the season so far with 10 points, creating a goal in the last game. But even then, combined with his rather creative skills, the Argentine hasn’t been a top choice despite being worth as much as Josh King, Bernard, Jesse Lingard and even Diogo Jota.
However, Lanzini is still a midfielder and given the Hammer’s next few fixtures, it makes bringing him in a no-brainer. That is especially if you are on a wildcard, which according to Official FPL, 485,000 of you are on. It’s a risky move, but given that both Sebastien Haller and Felipe Anderson are still returning back from injuries but available, it makes the Argentine the best West Ham player.
And if they do manage to keep a clean sheet, then he gets points for those as well. A great all-around pick.
Son Heung-min
He shouldn’t really be even considered as a differential option but given that his antics at the end of last season earned him a red card and a three-game ban, Son is on this list. Mercurially brilliant for Spurs last season, at £9.5m he is a complicated option, but if you aren’t opting for Sterling/Salah/Mane/Sane, then the South Korean is a great pick.
He scores goals, he plays as a center-forward and more importantly, he’s a rather selfish yet not so selfish player. By that, it means that he shoots a lot but has also created his fair share of assists. Plus there’s the fact that since he is just back from a suspension, you’ll have the upper hand over the managers who don’t know that he’s available.
That doesn’t include too many managers, but it’s a fair few. Beware, his status could and should change in the near future, so grab him up fast.
The Maybes
Christian Eriksen
Another superstar albeit an inconsistent one, Eriksen will be a key man against Norwich City in the upcoming weekend for two reasons. One, his performance against Manchester City was downright terrible for a player as good as the Dane and two, it’s his last chance to show his suitors just what he can do before the European transfer window slams shut.
Not the easiest player to have on your side, Eriksen was the game-changer against an Aston Villa side that defended deep and played on the counter. Against a fearless Norwich City side, who never who are rarely on the counter, the 27-year-old should have a lot of space and run Tottenham’s midfield.
That does mean set-pieces, a lot of shots on target plus the odd assist or so. It also means a lot of points and all by a mere 5.2% owned player.
Gerard Deulofeu
Owned by just 4.1% of the FPL managers around the world, Deulofeu could finally come of age in Gameweek 3. Add that to Troy Deeney’s absence from the Watford squad, and it does mean that everything will fall upon the Spaniard’s shoulders. However, given that the Hornets haven’t exactly started the season all that well, this could be the game to change things.
It’s against West Ham, a team that Deulofeu loves to score against and he’ll likely partner Andre Gray up-front, which means that the burden to create/score something will fall upon him even more. That isn’t a dig at Gray, who has struggled since his move from Burnley a few seasons ago, but rather it’s what manager Javi Garcia will expect.
It’s Complicated
Alexandre Lacazette
Given that the Frenchman does play for a top-four contender, and finished last season with double figures for both goals and assists, how does he become a differential pick? That answer is a mere injury and Lacazette made his return with a bang last week. He scored a rather impressive goal against Burnley and opened his scoring for the season.
Now, given that Arsenal face Liverpool and Tottenham in their next two matches, it does make for a rather complicated pick. However, if you’re on the internet or rather Twitter, then a certain stat has floated around the interweb over the last few days. The fact that the Frenchman has scored or created a goal against 20 of the 22 teams he’s played against.
Leandro Trossard
If there is one thing that Trossard is, it’s prolific. He finished his final season in Belgium with 22 goals and 11 assists. Yet given that is the Jupiler Pro League, it means next to nothing but it shows that Trossard knows where the goal is and knows how to find it. Yet it’s also why, with Brighton’s rather impressive start under Graham Potter that the £6m midfielder is a great option.
The reason why’s he placed here, is because of the fact that he’s still adjusting to the Premier League and Brighton are still adjusting to Graham Potter. Add that to his mere 0.9% ownership and three rather impressive fixtures on either side of a Manchester City clash, it does help his cause.
