As the season kicks off, managers with early chip plans, whether that’s a Gameweek 4 Wildcard or a Gameweek 3 Free Hit, will already be looking for an edge.
Differentials can be particularly valuable for these strategies, whether you’re targeting a one-week advantage or searching for a longer-term enabler who can free up budget elsewhere in your squad.
Here are five players under 10% ownership who I’m considering as differential targets, ranging from short-term punts to options with the potential to offer long-term reliability.
Jeremie Frimpong
Ownership: 3.5% Price: £5.5m Position: DEF Outlook: Short-term (GW2, 4)
📅 Fixtures: Forest (H) and Fulham (H) in Gameweeks 2 and 4, including Liverpool’s first home game of the campaign.
🔒 Minutes Lock: Minimal competition at right-back, played the full 90 minutes last time out and can also fill in at right wing.
🎯 Chance Creation: Created the joint-most chances in the opening game.
Ben White
Ownership: 5.8% Price: £5.5m Position: DEF Outlook: Short-term (GW2, 3)
🧱 Arsenal Defence: Arsenal have the highest clean-sheet percentage in the league over the first half of the season.
🔒 Minutes Lock: With Timber injured and Konsa not yet integrated into the squad, White looks well placed to play 90 minutes consistently. Unlike Calafiori, he doesn’t currently have a fit, established minutes threat in the squad.
⚔️ Genuine Attacking Threat: Registered 5 touches in the opposition box and 18 line-breaking passes last game, while also providing an assist.
🛣️ Multiple Routes to Points: Alongside his open-play attacking threat and clean-sheet potential, White also hit DEFCON in the Community Shield.
Yoane Wissa
Ownership: 2.6% Price: £6.0m Position: FWD Outlook: Long-term
🔥 In Form: Ran the show against Liverpool, registering 1.0 xG and grabbing an assist.
🎯 Positioning: Started in the No. 10 role before moving up front to play as the No. 9 once Osula came off.
📅 Fixtures: Has a fairly favourable run ahead, including back-to-back matches against promoted sides in Gameweeks 5 and 6.
Mamadou Sangaré
Ownership: 6.4% Price: £5.5m Position: MID Outlook: Long-term
🛣️ Routes to Points: Two assists, DEFCON and 3 bonus points in just 76 minutes says it all. There are multiple routes to returns here.
💰 Price: A genuine budget enabler who can free up valuable funds to invest elsewhere in your squad.
📅 Fixtures: The long-term fixture run looks favourable, while matches against the bigger sides are still playable thanks to his DEFCON potential.
Kevin Schade
Ownership: 3.5% Price: £6.0m Position: MID Outlook: Long-term
📊 Data Merchant: Led all midfielders for xG last season and started this campaign with another 0.52 xG showing. He also had the most touches in the opposition box last game, took five shots and won a penalty.
🔒 Minutes lock: The only Brentford attacker to play the full 90 minutes in Gameweek 1, offering some early reassurance over his minutes.
📅 Fixtures: The long-term fixture run looks favourable, while matches against the bigger sides are still playable thanks to his DEFCON potential.
