Many FPL managers gravitate towards similar template assets, but there are benefits to be gained by choosing well. The difference – players who have attractive fixtures will play regularly over this period and will have different routes to points but will have less ownership.
If you want to climb the rankings as we enter Gameweek 16 and the busiest stretch of the season, these five differences could be crucial.
little-owned talisman
Despite being one of the most reliable attackers in the Premier League over the past two seasons, with a combined 29 goals and 17 assists, Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) At the time of writing it was owned by less than six percent of FPL managers. The West Ham United forward has provided points in his last two matches (one goal and one assist respectively), making him an ideal replacement for the festive period.
The biggest positive for Bowen is his minutes. He is one of the few attackers in the Premier League who is almost guaranteed to play all 90 minutes Everyone Match when fit and available. During December, when most FPL managers were suffering from their Premier League counterparts unexpectedly benching players, being able to rely on Bowen’s patience has been invaluable.
Even though West Ham go hot and cold as a team, he remains their primary threat – he takes set pieces, makes runs in behind the opposition defense and is heavily involved in his team’s attacks.
Jarrod Bowen is West Ham’s most reliable attacker (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
The best part is that most of West Ham’s upcoming matches look kind. In the next eight, they come up against Aston Villa (H), Manchester City (A), Fulham (H), Brighton & Hove Albion (H), Wolverhampton Wanderers (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Tottenham Hotspur (A) and Sunderland (H). Bowen Could deliver double digit returns at a time when many FPL squads will be depleted.
If you need a low-ownership option that can save you from the rotation chaos of the Christmas schedule, Bowen is one of the most reliable players available.
forgotten forward
Another proven asset in this league with low ownership (one percent at the time of writing).
After years of setbacks and inconsistency after suffering a head injury in November 2020 that nearly ended his career, Raul Jimenez (£6.2m) After all, he looked close to his best performance last season, finishing with 12 goals and three assists in the league.
He has one goal and three assists since Gameweek 8, starting all seven of these contests as a fellow striker Rodrigo Muniz (£5.4m) Recovered from hamstring surgery. Muniz is expected to return in early January but his rehabilitation may take longer. Having not played since the beginning of November he will need time to build up to match fitness, so Jimenez’s minutes look pretty secure for the coming weeks.
The Mexican is Fulham’s clear first-choice striker, being the focal point of their attack and their designated penalty taker. His The fixtures in December also look promising – the west Londoners will play Burnley (A), Forest (H) and West Ham (A) in their next three fixtures.
Jimenez offers a way to vary your attack without sacrificing expected returns. If he continues to get a good number of minutes, which he should, he could put up points during this run. That festival could also become one of the program’s surprise success stories.
This weekend looks like an excellent entry point for them.
reverse wildcard
Starting every game since Gameweek 2, Kevin Shade (£7.0m) Has been one of Brentford’s most dangerous attackers.
He is suspended due to accumulating five yellow cards this weekend, but looks a good option From Gameweek 17. his minutes should be even more secure Dango Ouattara (£6.0m) Heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Burkina Faso after Sunday’s home game against Leeds United.
Schade’s underlying stats show promise – he has three goals and two assists with an expected goals (xG) involvement of 4.3. The German scored 11 Premier League goals in limited minutes last season (2,281, or the equivalent of 25 over 90-minute matches), so with more game time to come, he should perform well again.
Kevin Shedd scoring in Brentford’s 3-2 win against Liverpool in October (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
after Igor Thiago (£6.9m)He is Brentford’s biggest goal threat and looking at their upcoming fixtures, he should score some good goals. From Gameweek 17 to 23, they play Wolves (A), Bournemouth (H), Spurs (H), Everton (A), Sunderland (H), Chelsea (A) and Forest (H).
Skade is the definition of an active differentiator pick – someone who can reward early adopters before the wider FPL community catches on. As I write this, it is owned by 0.8 percent of the managers.
If you want an FPL midfielder who offers explosive ability on very short possessions, he is one of the best punts.
protective stone
Most FPL managers pursue defenders with strong ability to attack returns during busy periods, but December and January are often about registering reliable clean sheets.
Piero Hincapie (£5.4m) Presents one of the more interesting differential defensive options. with Gabriel (£6.2m) Having recovered from a thigh problem and with no expected return date yet revealed, Hincapie should be selected to start for Arsenal. combine it with an ability William Saliba (£6.0m) injury, and the Ecuador centre-back could also become a long-term option.
As the cheapest route into the league’s best defense, Hincapie has a lot of advantages. He has started the league leaders’ last four games and has reached the defensive-contribution points threshold in the most recent two games. He has more attacking ability than most people give him credit for. In four full seasons at previous club Bayer Leverkusen, he scored seven times and recorded five assists.
In December, Arsenal will play Wolves (H), Everton (A), Brighton (H) and Aston Villa (H). Despite the 2-1 defeat against them on Saturday, their defensive record remains one of the most impressive in the league. They have conceded only nine goals in their 15 matches and boast an xG against of 9.52 (best in both divisions).
While many managers load up on more fashionable defensive assets, Hincapie offers a quieter, more calculated edge — the type of difference that can give you consistent six-to-nine-point returns each gameweek when others are blanking or rotating.
sustainability-friendly manufacturer
Harry Wilson (£5.3m) FPL managers have many reasons to buy him – cheap, good early on, good fixtures, on set-piece duties, goals and assists.
The 28-year-old Welshman showed he is in good form with his goal in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace. If fit, he will be a certainty to be in the Fulham line-up for the upcoming matches, especially with the Nigeria internationals Alex Iwobi (£6.4m) And Samuel Chukwueze (£5.3m) Set to depart for AFCON after a weekend trip to Burnley.
Fulham’s fixtures (after Burnley, they host Forest and visit West Ham in their next two games) have given them plenty of opportunity to take advantage of three of the weakest defenses in the division, and their minutes have been strong enough to be considered a viable margin. With two goals and two assists in his last two games, Wilson has picked up the pace. He has become one of Fulham’s most reliable options.
Wilson is also the type of low-risk player you can keep as your fifth midfielder for a long time, due to his low price.
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