After all the frenzy of double Gameweeks, we finally have a single GW to look forward to. GW27 was rather disappointing, largely because of the underperformance of the Manchester City defense and the Manchester United win in the derby. Indeed a lot of us benched or sold Man UTD assets ahead of what looked like a difficult fixture on paper. So, we look at some potential differential options to replace City defenders as well as other options ahead of FPL GW28 deadline.
Note: The ownership and price given is at the time of writing, and is subject to change thereafter.
FPL GW28 Differential Picks:
Gareth Bale vs Arsenal (A) £9.4, TSB: 6.0%
Where else to start? Gareth Bale looks every bit the player he was before he left the league all those years back, again. Bale has registered 4 goals and 2 assists in the last 4 matches, and more importantly, he has started three games in a row. The key thing to note is Bale is getting himself into the box a lot with Son and Kane turning providers. Son in particular has become a creative force, as a result of which Bale is likely to get more goals, as illustrated below.
| Player | SIB | Shots on target | Big chances | xG | G | BCC | xA | A | Points |
| Bale | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1.63 | 4 | 1 | 0.84 | 1 | 35 |
| Son | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.86 | 0 | 6 | 2.86 | 3 | 23 |
Pro Tip: If you do own Kane and Son already, it is definitely worth bringing in Bale and tripling up on the Spurs attack ahead of FPL GW28. If you own just Kane and want to bring one of Son or Bale, then Bale is the go to option as he offers the greater goal threat.
Further Read: Kane. Son. Bale. | Worth Tripling up On Spurs Ahead of FPL GW28?
Riyad Mahrez vs Fulham (A), £8.1, TSB: 6.0%
Is it time to fall into the Mahrez trap again? It has happened once already this season. Oddly enough, that was also ahead of a game against Fulham, back in GW 11. Jokes apart, if there is a player who is in red hot form in the league, it is Riyad Mahrez.
The Algerian has started each of the last 6 league matches and has played 90 minutes in all but one of them. In that time, he has come up with 4 goals and 4 assists, 53 FPL points to along with. No other asset has accumulated more points at that time.
Mahrez was subbed off early against Southampton in midweek which suggests that he is in line to start in FPL GW28 against Fulham. With Pep, it is always difficult to know when he will rotate, but Mahrez is in a rich vein of form and we think that he is likely to keep his place in the team for the foreseeable future.
Further Read: FPL GW 28 – Chip Strategy, Tips, and Team Reveal |FPLNima
Joel Veltman vs Southampton(A) £4.3, TSB: 1.1%
Brighton are one of 8 teams who have a fixture in GW29 and as it happens they also a favorable game in FPL GW28, at Southampton. The Seagulls have been an xG specialist this season. They’ve perennially underperformed both their xG and their xGC.
In the last 4 matches, Brighton have an xGC of 2.55, which is lower than any other side in the division. They showed that they can translate numbers into clean sheets from GW19 to GW24 wherein they conceded just 1 goal in 6 matches. It is only a matter of time before they go on such run again.
Joel Veltman offers the cheapest route into the Brighton defense. He also carries an attacking threat. Now that Tariq Lamptey has been ruled out for the rest of the season, it is safe to say that Veltman’s place in the starting line-up is no longer in jeopardy.
Stat Attack
- Veltman has had 9 shots (7 in the box), in the last 4 Gameweeks, a tally that is highest among defenders.
- The Dutchman has had 2 big chances in last 4 games, only Cooper has had more. He has also created 2 big chances for his teammates.
Further Read: Kane. Son. Bale. | Worth Tripling up On Spurs Ahead of FPL GW28?
Wilfried Zaha vs West Brom(H) £7.1, TSB: 8.5%
We all know that Crystal Palace are a different team with Zaha in it when compared to when he isn’t there. The main man came back in to the team at Spurs last weekend, and nearly scored, when he struck the post. In FPL GW28 Zaha takes on a West Brom side against whom he racked up 18 points (2 goals 1 assist, 3 bonus) last time out.
Zaha particularly likes playing against teams in and around Crystal Palace in the league table. He has got 5 goals and 2 assists in 6 matches against teams from the bottom 8. More than 50% of his FPL points have come in these matches.
The Crystal Palace man has an excellent record against West Brom in the league. He has scored 4 goals in his last 4 matches against the Baggies. Although, West Brom have defended reasonably well in last few matches, Zaha may well prove to be too hot to handle.
Further Read: FPL GW 28 – Chip Strategy, Tips, and Team Reveal |FPLNima
Richarlison vs Burnley(H) £8.0, TSB: 9.9%
Everton was a popular team pre GW26 as they had a double and another one still to come. Unfortunately for FPL managers though, we all jumped on the wrong forward. Indeed, DCL has been a massive disappointment, who has blanked in each of the last three games. Richarlison, on the other hand, has been scoring goals consistently in that time. The Brazilian has netted 4 times in his last 5 matches.
This change in form of Richarlison has largely been down to the change in formation from Carlo Ancelloti. The recently deployed 3-5-2 system has meant that both DCL and Richarlison play as wide forwards. This has suited Richarlison’s game and inhibited DCL’s output. The below comparison would show how Richarlison has become the bigger goal threat in recent matches.
| Player | Shots | Shots on target | Big chances | xG | G | SIB | xA | A | Points |
| Richarlison | 10 | 3 | 4 | 1.88 | 3 | 8 | 0.43 | 0 | 27 |
| DCL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0.52 | 0 | 4 | 0.18 | 0 | 6 |
Pro Tip: If you are planning to sell DCL in GW29, then it is fine to stay away from Richarlison. However, If you plan to hold on to DCL because of Everton’s good fixtures and a potential double, beyond GW29, then it is advisable to make a sideways move from DCL to Richarlison.
Further Read: FPL GW 28 – Chip Strategy, Tips, and Team Reveal |FPLNima
Ultra-Differential Pick for FPL GW28(<1% TSB):
Kelechi Iheanacho vs Sheffield United (H) £5.6, TSB: 0.7%
Leicester City were the attention seekers of many FPL managers ahead of double Gameweek 26. A lot of managers piled on their attacking assets. As it turns out, we have all joined the wrong party as Barnes, Maddison, Pereira and indeed Vardy have all been big let downs, for various reasons. One player who has benefited from all that is Kelechi Iheanacho.
In the absence of Maddison and Barnes, Iheanacho has been playing as a second striker in the last 3 matches for Leicester. In that time he has scored 2 goals and got himself 6 bonus points in FPL. Not only that, the Nigerian has outperformed Jamie Vardy in every single aspect, as illustrated below.
| Player | Shots | Shots on target | Big chances | xG | G | SIB | xA | A | Points |
| Iheanacho | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1.41 | 2 | 6 | 0.26 | 0 | 20 |
| Vardy | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.07 | 0 | 1 | 0.12 | 0 | 6 |
In FPL GW28, Leicester City take on bottom club Sheffield United, a team that has conceded more big chances(23) than any other team since GW22. While fantasy managers may assume that Vardy is going to haul in this game, it may actually be Iheanacho who gets the points once again.
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Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW28:
Kane. Son. Bale. | Worth Tripling up On Spurs Ahead of FPL GW28?
FPL GW 28 – Chip Strategy, Tips, and Team Reveal |FPLNima
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K K Anirudh
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