Fantasy Premier League: Five differential picks for DGW32 | OneFootball

The doubles have arrived in Fantasy Premier League, which means we can expect managers activating their chips left, right and centre over the coming weeks – with most of them scrambling to bring in the same players.

Whether you’re on a wildcard, free hit or looking to set up for a bench boost, everyone could use a sneaky differential to separate themselves from the pack. To help, we’ve picked out five of the best low-owned players for this week to give you the edge over your rivals.

Harvey Barnes – Newcastle United

MID – £5.9m – 1.4% owned

Fixtures: MUN (H) + CRY (H) – AVL (A) – IPS (H)

Newcastle assets will be hot property this week with two nice home fixtures for their double, and whilst every man and his dog will be looking to captain Alexander Isak, Harvey Barnes could be an option that flies under the radar for the Magpies.

Barnes has started the last three games now in the absence of Anthony Gordon, and although he’s picked up just one goal, his xGI (Expected Goal Involvement) of 2.71 in that time would suggest he’s been unlucky.

In fact, his xGI over the last three is by far the best in the Newcastle squad and over double that of Isak’s (1.24).

When he plays, Barnes is always a solid option in FPL due to his direct nature; he’s not afraid to have a crack at goal, and he’s shown us before that he can return on a regular basis. Barnes found the net 13 times when playing for Leicester City in the 22/23 season.

It’s worth keeping an eye on any news of Anthony Gordon’s return, but manager Eddie Howe said the England winger “wasn’t close” to making the squad for the game against Leicester on Monday, so Barnes’ minutes should be secure for now.

Donyell Malen – Aston Villa

MID – £5.3m – 0.2% owned

Fixtures: SOU (A) – NEW (H) + MCI (A) – BLANK

When double gameweeks arrive, it can be easy to get tunnel vision and ignore the single fixtures. Meaning players who would normally be on everyone’s radar end up being overlooked. Donyell Malen may end up being the one that got away for most this week.

Some rotation can be expected for Villa, with this game sandwiched in between their two Champions League quarter-final legs against Paris Saint-Germain, but Malen looks to be nailed on for a start with him not being registered for their UCL squad.

He’s scored in both of his last two games with limited minutes and is now facing one of the worst teams in Premier League history, Southampton. No need to overthink with this one.

Marc Cucurella – Chelsea

DEF – £5.4m – 10.9% owned

Fixtures: IPS (H) – FUL (A) – EVE (H)

Clean sheets have been tough to come by for most defences this year, but only Liverpool, Arsenal and Crystal Palace have conceded fewer goals than Chelsea’s 37 this season.

Marc Cucurella looks to be the standout option in their defence. He’s been one of Chelsea’s best performers this year and is getting more involved in their attack than he ever has before.

The Spaniard has scored 38 points over the last five gameweeks; only Bruno Fernandes (41) has more in the entire league in that time, and the next closest defender is Nikola Milenkovic with nine points less.

I’d expect Chelsea assets to be popular for those looking at bench boosting this week with Ipswich at home and then the bonus of a nice fixture at home to Everton in blank GW34.

Conor Bradley – Liverpool

DEF – £4.7m – 0.3% owned

Fixtures: WHU (H) – LEI (A) – TOT (H)

With Trent Alexander-Arnold currently sidelined with an ankle injury and set to move away from Anfield this summer, Liverpool have once again turned to young full-back Conor Bradley.

The 21-year-old showed us in spells last season just how effective he can be. He has quality on the ball and plays with attacking intent, two strong signs of a valuable defensive asset in FPL.

Liverpool look to have one of the best chances of a clean sheet this week, coming up against a West Ham side who have really struggled for goals of late. In fact, over the last 10 games, only Leicester have scored less than West Ham’s tally of eight goals.

The Reds have proven over the course of this season that they’re the best the league has to offer and will be going all out to seal the title as early as possible. You could do much worse than opting for a Liverpool asset this week.

Bart Verbruggen – Brighton

GK – £4.5m – 2.9% owned

Fixtures: LEI (H) – BRE (A) – WHU (H)

Goalkeeper transfers are not something I often advise in FPL, but with lots of managers looking at using their bench boost chip this week and potentially needing to add a second playing keeper, I thought I’d throw one out there.

If you’re looking for someone to get you a clean sheet on any given week, then simply backing whoever’s playing against Leicester is a pretty safe bet right now.

The Foxes have scored in just one of their last 11 Premier League games now and look as if they’re on the beach with their minds set on Championship football next season.

They’ve conceded 21 goals since they last scored one themselves and have the worst xG in the league.

It’s hard to back Leicester to score in any game at the moment, so if you’re looking for a one-week punt between the sticks, Verbruggen’s your man.

Read – The best chip strategies for the double gameweeks

See also – Top FPL tips to help you master Fantasy Premier League

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