Simple fact: a good differential pick is the difference between winning a crucial Fantrax matchup 99% of the time. It’s all very well (and also, essential) having a core of top players. However, that low ownership gem that no one thought of can, more often than not, be the difference between a narrow loss and a convincing win which leaves your rivals in awe of your football knowledge.
Each week on Fantasy Football 92, we pick a full eleven consisting of low ownership players which you can help yourselves to in your league in order to (hopefully) grab yourself the win. All of our differentials are 60% owned or lower.
Here are your picks for Gameweek 5
Sam Johnstone | Goalkeeper | West Brom | 13% Owned
If you stream goalkeepers like I do, a solid strategy is to look for the one who makes the most saves. Karl Darlow leads the way in this regard (20) but doesn’t qualify for selection here due to his 64% ownership, meaning we are going for the lesser owned Sam Johnstone. The West Brom stopper has made 19 saves over the first four weeks and with clean sheets seemingly few and far between this season, the strategy of targeting saves is a very decent one. Johnstone faces Burnley this week who are one of the few teams who haven’t cashed in on the early Premier League goal rush.
Joe Bryan | Defender | Fulham | 39% Owned
Fulham face up to Sheffield United in what looks like it could be the battle of two full back systems this weekend between two teams in desperate need of a win, or even a point. Despite the glut of goals conceded by Fulham, Joe Bryan has scored relatively well and his license to get forward, share of the set pieces and the fact Sheffield United just can’t seem to score goals is a good combination for Bryan to score well here.
Charlie Taylor | Defender | Burnley | 32% Owned
Burnley’s Charlie Taylor earned plenty of Fantrax related praise for his performances last season, and rightly so. He should have been drafted in the vast majority of leagues this season but it appears as though his early season jitters have led a lot of managers to lose patience already. Burnley’s defence will tighten up, there’s no doubt at all about that, and starting with the matchup vs West Brom this weekend, I would expect Taylor’s scores to start to get back to where they were on a consistent basis in 2019/20.
Jack Robinson | Defender | Sheffield United | 2% Owned
In a similar vein to Burnley, you’d expect Sheffield United’s defence to be much stronger in the long run than it is right now. Jack O’Connell’s surgery should mean Jack Robinson should enjoy a long spell in the team this season. Although he doesn’t always score as well as O’Connell does, Robinson is solid enough to start in favourable fixtures like the weekend’s game against Fulham.
John Lundstram | Defender | Sheffield United | 31% Owned
Staying with Sheffield United for a moment, despite losing his OOP status, it looks like John Lundstram is a half decent Fantrax asset this season. Playing as the most advanced in a midfield three, “Lord Lundstram” looks to be a threatening part of the attack and is 6th amongst midfielders for key passes this season (8), level with Bruno Fernandes. Definitely one to start against Fulham this weekend.
Tanguy Ndombele | Midfielder | Tottenham | 34% Owned
I’m not as wild about Tanguy Ndombele’s long term prospects as others may be but he’s clearly put in enough work to change Jose Mourinho’s opinion of his and not many manage that! His recent performances have been decent and his goal at Old Trafford won’t have done him any harm. He should start this week against West Ham.
Cengiz Under | Midfielder | Leicester City | 38% Owned
Leicester’s 3-0 home loss against West Ham will have brought them back down to earth with a thump following their Etihad success. Following a busy international break as well as that dreadful GW4 showing, you’d expect Brendan Rodgers to make a few changes and Cengiz Under should get his first Premier League start. There’s plenty of excitement around Under’s prospects!
Yves Bissouma | Midfielder | Brighton | 13% Owned
The last time we tipped Yves Bissouma, he was sent off. At least it can’t be that bad again, right? The Brighton man is still a very solid Fantrax asset and even scored in their last outing against Everton.
Theo Walcott | Midfielder | Southampton | 19% Owned
Theo Walcott has come full circle and returned to his boyhood club in Southampton in what was the most romantic transfer of the summer transfer window. With fitness concerns over Moussa Djenepo and Stuart Armstrong, Walcott should make his second Saints debut against a Chelsea side who will be without first choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Ashley Barnes | Forward | Burnley | 14% Owned
Ashley Barnes has returned at the right time for struggling Burnley. The fact that he’s straight back into the lineup after a long layoff shows exactly how important he is for the Clarets as they look to recover from their poor start to the season with a win over fellow strugglers West Brom.
Ademola Lookman | Forward | Fulham | 16% Owned
Fulham may have quietly pulled off one of the best bits of business of the transfer window in securing the services of Ademola Lookman. Those players like Allan Saint-Maximin and Adama Traore who go past players for fun are always fun to own in Fantrax and Lookman could be the next player in that mould to come into the league. He should start this weekend against a Sheffield United side who are potentially without two of their favoured back three.
Fantasy Football 92 