Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW1 Deadline

FPL is just a couple of days away!! The Template Teams are starting to flood the timelines of Insta, X(formerly Twitter), Threads, Bluesky, and YouTube.

While most of would be going with 7-8 Template players in our team, there is always an option to go with a couple of Tasty Differentials (Lowly owned FPL assets) in your team, so that you enjoy their hauls to yourself.

Jumping on the Bandwagon a week earlier compared to most people can be highly beneficial for your Overall ranks. After that, just enjoy their hauls and hope for some prices rises while most people flock to that Bandwagon.

In this article, we will be highlighting 5 Players who are less than 10% Owned and 1 Ultra Differential (less than 1% Owned) for all of you as of Wednesday, 13^th August, 2025. There are many more whom you guys can consider if you decide not to go with the 6 players mentioned below.

Link to all our 2025/26 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, differentials, players to target, budget enablers and more. Completely free to access as well!

Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks

Nikola Milenkovic vs Brentford(H), £5.5 Defender – 9.8 % TSB

Clean Sheet potential – check, Great Fixtures to start the season – check, Monster at set pieces – check, good for defensive contributions (Defcons) – check. No wonder Milenkovic ranks as one of the best defenders to start the season with.
Milenkovic scored 5 Goals and got 2 Assists last season and even had a few disallowed. At 6ft 5 inches, he is a set piece target man. He had the Most headed attempts on goal among Defenders (21). He had 8 Shots on Target, got 7 Big Chances and 27 Shots in the Box. He had an xG of 3.79 and these numbers are usually what your attack minded fullbacks get.

**Most Head Attempts among Defenders last season. Stats from Fantasy Football Hub. Subscribe now with a 50% discount.**

Milenkovic got 26 Defcons last season and will be a guaranteed starter along with Murilo at the heart of the defence, even when Forest play in Europe. Milenkovic averaged around 8.4 Defcons per 90 and got a solid base of 4 points in 60% of the games last season. Add that with his attacking threat, and Milenkovic could be a Set and Forget Defender for your FPL teams.

Fantasy Football Hub(FFHUB)

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Elliot Anderson vs Brentford(H)– £5.5 Midfielder – 6.6 % TSB

Here comes another Defcon Monster. Anderson started 33 Games for Forest last season and got 36 Defcon points. He averaged around 13.35 Defcons per 90 and got a solid base of 4 points in 52 % of the games last season.
His point tally would have increased to 143 points, which is what Mitoma got with 10 Goals and 5 Assists from last season. As a 5.5 Midfielder who plays week in and week out, this would be a steal. He could allow you to go heavy with the Premium Players this season.
Anderson is not like Caicedo, Christie, or Baleba, who have almost no attacking threat. He actually got 2 Goals and 6 Assists last season. He is a 90-minute man and will also have an increased share of Set pieces this season with Elanga departing Forest.

Further Read: Premier League Penalty & Set Piece Takers | 2025/26 PL Season

El Hadji Malick Diouf vs Sunderland(A) – £4.5 Defender – 6% TSB

Diouf arrives from Slavia Prague after scoring 7 Goals and getting 3 Assists last season. Even in Pre-season, he has been tearing it up with 1 Assist for Bowen. His crosses and deliveries into the box to Bowen have been amazing. He reminds me of Munoz when he first came to the League, and playing at wing-back will only help his attacking potential.
West Ham have a great fixture to start the season. Then the fixtures toughen up. The problem with Wan Bissaka is that he is the highest owned defender, and this could lead to some early price falls if West Ham fail to keep a clean sheet in the 1st 2-3 Gameweeks. Diouf, being lowly owned, will have less chance of this, and although Diouf may not get any Defcons, he could be the more exciting pick for your FPL teams as you cheer him on as he bombs forward, whizzing in crosses.

Further Read: 2025/2026 FPL Team Structure Guide with Drafts & Ratings

Cody Gakpo vs Bournemouth(H)– £7.5 Midfielder – 6.3 % TSB

What a Pre-season Gakpo has had. 4 Goals and 1 Assist, he has been Liverpool’s most impressive player in Pre-season. Not Wirtz, not Salah, not Frimpong, not Ekitike. Good old, consistent, and boring Cody Gakpo. Gakpo also does not have too much competition on the Left wing until Isak joins, as Ekitike should continue playing as a Center Forward.
Gakpo got 10 Goals and 5 Assists last season. His stats were impressive despite starting only 23 Games. He had 23 Shots on Target, 43 Shots in the Box, he got 12 Big Chances, and he also created 11 Big Chances for his teammates. He had an xG of 7.02 and an xA of 3.77. He is also good for Bonus, having got 22 Bonus Points last season.
At 7.5 million (7 million less than Salah), he could be a viable double-up with Wirtz for those going out without the Egyptian King. He could also form a double-up with Salah, and my hunch is he sees more minutes in the initial few games, compared to Wirtz.

**Ownership difference between Wirtz and Gakpo as it stands**

Further Read: 2025/26 Pre-Season Summary of All 20 Premier League Teams

Niclas Fullkrug vs Sunderland(A)– £6.0 Forward – 3.1 % TSB

Fullkrug looks to have got back to his groove after scoring 3 Goals in Pre-season. He looks set to start alongside Bowen in Potter’s 3-5-2 formation. West Ham have a tasty Gameweek 1 fixture against Sunderland. He got 3 Goals and 2 Assists last season from only 6 starts, and he is a clinical finisher who is a massive unit from set pieces.
Remember that before his injury last season, Fullkrug had a great few seasons for Dortmund and was even in the Bundesliga team of the season. He also has 13 Goals for Germany and had a great Euros despite not starting a single game for Germany.
With Wilson not even on the bench in West Ham’s last friendly and his partnership with Bowen prospering, he should be free from rotation for the time being. Also, Fullkrug is a streaky player. When he is hot, he is HOT, and when he is not, he is NOT. Currently in Pre-season, Fullkrug is HOT!!

Further Read: 2025/26 PL Season: Predicted GW1 Lineups of All 20 PL Teams

Ultra Differential Pick for FPL GW1(Under 1 % Ownership)

Georginio Rutter vs Fulham(H)– £6.0 Midfielder – 0.8 % TSB

An OOP Midfielder playing as a Striker is something we all want for our FPL teams. Rutter has been doing that in Pre-season, playing as the Center Forward for Brighton in Pre-season. He has got 1 Goal and 3 Assists in Pre-season and seems to have replaced Welbeck (for now) as Brighton’s main striker.
Rutter had a decent debut season in the Premier League last season, where he got 5 Goals and 6 Assists from only 21 starts. He had 12 Shots on Target, 37 Shots in the Box. He also got 9 Big Chances. He even created 6 Big Chances for his teammates. Rutter could also be on penalties if Welbeck is not on penalties.

**Rutter Stats Last Season. Stats from Fantasy Football Hub. Subscribe now with a 50% discount.**

That’s it for Gameweek 1. We will be back with 6 More Differentials next Gameweek, where we will be hoping to get some positive returns from our current selected Differentials for Gameweek 1.

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2025/26 FPL Season

If you’re new to FPL, here is a link to all our FPL Beginners Guide including FPL Beginner’s Guide- How to play?, Bench boost, Team value, Triple captain, Effective ownership, Price Changes, Free Hit, Bonus Points, and more.

Link to all our 2025/26 Pre-Season articles including all position-wise analysis, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 1 of the 2025/26 FPL Season?

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Ron Mukherjee

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Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW1 Deadline - August 13, 2025
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Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW1 Deadline

Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW1 Deadline

Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks

Nikola Milenkovic vs Brentford(H), £5.5 Defender – 9.8 % TSB

Elliot Anderson vs Brentford(H)– £5.5 Midfielder – 6.6 % TSB

El Hadji Malick Diouf vs Sunderland(A) – £4.5 Defender – 6% TSB

Cody Gakpo vs Bournemouth(H)– £7.5 Midfielder – 6.3 % TSB

Niclas Fullkrug vs Sunderland(A)– £6.0 Forward – 3.1 % TSB

Ultra Differential Pick for FPL GW1(Under 1 % Ownership)

Georginio Rutter vs Fulham(H)– £6.0 Midfielder – 0.8 % TSB

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2025/26 FPL Season

What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 1 of the 2025/26 FPL Season?

Ron Mukherjee

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Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW1 Deadline

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Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW1 Deadline

Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks

Nikola Milenkovic vs Brentford(H), £5.5 Defender – 9.8 % TSB

Elliot Anderson vs Brentford(H)– £5.5 Midfielder – 6.6 % TSB

El Hadji Malick Diouf vs Sunderland(A) – £4.5 Defender – 6% TSB

Cody Gakpo vs Bournemouth(H)– £7.5 Midfielder – 6.3 % TSB

Niclas Fullkrug vs Sunderland(A)– £6.0 Forward – 3.1 % TSB

Ultra Differential Pick for FPL GW1(Under 1 % Ownership)

Georginio Rutter vs Fulham(H)– £6.0 Midfielder – 0.8 % TSB

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2025/26 FPL Season

What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 1 of the 2025/26 FPL Season?

Ron Mukherjee

Latest posts by Ron Mukherjee (see all)

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