Top FPL GW17 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of Deadline

The GW16 Differential Article had a good week with 4 of our 6 picks returned with FPL Points. This week, we will be aiming to continue with some strong scores this Gameweek.

• Cole Palmer – 1 Goal – 6 Points
• Harry Wilson – 2 Assists, 1 Goal, 3 Bonus – 16 Points
• Nathan Collins – 2 Defcon – 4 Points
• Pierro Hincapie – 2 Defcon – 4 Points

That makes it 38/96 picks that have returned FPL Points from our picks this Season. 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 Thursday, 18^th December, 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 FPL GW17 blogs including scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, best forwards, and more. Completely free to access as well!

Top FPL GW17 Differential Picks

Rayan Cherki – Man City – 6.5 Midfielder – 5.7 % TSB – 

• Let’s be honest, most engaged FPL Managers have both Haaland and Foden, which means your gains are minimal if City scores. To maximize your gains, why not add a 3rd City attacker into the mix?
• Enter Rayan Cherki. With the injury to Doku and the departure of Marmoush for AFCON, along with Cherki’s great form (7 Assists in the last 7 gameweeks), he should be a safe bet to start in the upcoming fixtures. He even got a goal in the Midweek EFL Cup Quarterfinal.
• Cherki is mostly a creative player, and that is what Pep would be relying on this week, as West Ham would mostly be parking a 3 Man Bus after losing both their first-choice full-backs to AFCON.

• Cherki has created the joint 2nd most Big Chances in the League among Midfielders and is tied with Bruno & Minteh with 7 Assists this season. From a goal threat perspective, he has had 7 Shots in the Box, 4 Shots on Target, and around 1.03 xG.
• West Ham still rank in the Bottom 3 for most of the key defensive numbers. They are ranked Bottom for Shots in the Box conceded, headed chances conceded, and big chances conceded. They are ranked 2^nd Bottom for Shots conceded, Shots on Target conceded, Non Penalty xGC, and xGC. They could be there for the taking this Gameweek when Man City face them at the Etihad.

Further Read: FPL GW17 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups

Adrien Truffert – Bournemouth – 4.5 Defender – 2.3 % TSB – 

• Bournemouth have the 3^rd best chance of keeping a Clean Sheet according to the Market Odds for Gameweek 17. They play a Burnley side which is in the Bottom 3 for xG, non-penalty xG, and have scored the 3^rd fewest Goals in the League (18).
• They are ranked in the Bottom 2 for Shots and ranked Bottom for Shots in the Box. Bournemouth are a much more solid defensive unit at home and recently held Chelsea to a Goalless draw at the Vitality. So this could be a good chance for a Clean Sheet for Bournemouth.
• Truffert has actually done quite well for a fullback in terms of Defensive Contributions. He averages 7.5 Defensive Contributions per 90 and has picked up the additional 2 points in 4 Games so far this season.
• He has only picked up a solitary assist, but has been unlucky not to pick up more. He has played 15 Key passes for his teammates and created 1 Big Chance. He also has had 1 Shot on Target and 5 Shots in the Box. Burnley also tend to concede a lot of Big Chances from their Right side, which could add to Truffert’s routes to points this Gameweek.

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Evanilson – Bournemouth – 7.0 Forward – 1.6 % TSB – 

• Targeting Burnley seems to be the best thing in FPL right now, and in the last 5 Gameweeks, many FPL picks have gone on get double-digit returns against the Clarets. (Enzo in Gameweek 12, Thiago & Dango in Gameweek 13, Munoz & Guehi in Gameweek 14, Bruno Guimares in Gameweek 15, and Harry Wilson in Gameweek 16).
• Burnley are in free fall right now, having lost their last 7 Games and they are Bottom or 2^nd Bottom for all key defensive metrics such as Shots conceded, Shots in the Box conceded, Shots on Target conceded, Big Chances conceded, xGC, non-penalty xGC, and Goals conceded.
• Evanilson returned to scoring ways against Manchester United and will fancy his chances of continuing his recent form against Burnley. Evanilson has got the same number of Big Chances as Semenyo (10), and he has had 10 Shots on Target and 28 Shots in the Box.
• He has underperformed badly this season with only 2 Goals from an xG of 4.11. Burnley tend to concede a lot of shots from Headed attempts, and this is where Evanilson thrives. Combine that with his rate of Big Chances, and he could have a good day against the Clarets this Gameweek.

Further Read: Best Mbeumo Replacements to Consider ahead of FPL GW17

Matheus Nunes – Man City – 5.3 Defender – 1.7 % TSB – 

• Most FPL Managers would be targeting Nico O’Reilly, but Nunes has actually got more attacking returns than his popular teammate. He has 1 Goal and 4 Assists to O’Reilly’s 1 Goal and 3 Assists.
• Stats-wise, O’Reilly beats Nunes in all departments, but for those looking to take an uncommon route into the Man City Defence, Nunes could be your guy. He also did not play a single minute of the midweek EFL Quarter Final game and looks set to start this Gameweek.
• City have improved defensively this season and are in the top 3 for all Defensive metrics. They have also kept the Joint 2^nd most Clean Sheets this season (7). Plus, they face a West Ham team who are underperforming from an attacking perspective. West Ham have the 4^th lowest xG and have only scored 19 Goals so far this season (Joint 4^th Worst). This could be a good chance for another City clean sheet.

Further Read: Best Mbeumo Replacements to Consider ahead of FPL GW17

Jan Paul Van Hecke – Brighton – 4.6 Defender – 4.2 % TSB – 

• Van Hecke has been having quite an exciting season so far. He has scored 3 Goals, had 1 Assist, earned 4 Defcon points, and bagged 3 Clean Sheets since Gameweek 7. That places him as the 5^th Highest scoring Defender over that time (with 55 points). 
• He is, in fact, tied with Munoz and Cash as the Defender with the Highest Number of shots on Target this season (7). His attacking threat has definitely increased this season, with an xG of 1.72 (7^th best among Defenders). He also has been very clinical, converting each of his 3 Big Chances into Goals so far.
• Brighton have 2 good home games against a depleted Sunderland side (6 players gone to AFCON) and a Burnley team struggling recently. Brighton also play West Ham away from home in Gameweek 19. With such a good short-term fixture list, Van Hecke could add a significant amount of FPL points to his tally

Further Read: FPL GW17 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups

Ultra Differential Picks for FPL GW17 (Under 1 % Ownership)

Kevin Schade – Brentford – 7.0 Midfielder –  0.7 % TSB – 

• Back from suspension, Schade will look to add to his attacking returns after 4 back-to-back FPL blanks. Schade reminds us of a Flat Track Bully who usually did well against the Weaker teams last season.
• Well, if you look at his upcoming opponents – Wolves, there isn’t any team weaker in the Premier League. Wolves have conceded the most Goals in the League so far (35). They have not won a single match this season and are ranked in the Bottom 4 for all Key Defensive Metrics.
• Schade’s underlying stats look good this season with 8 Shots on Target, 20 Shots in the Box, 5 Big Chances, and 3.31 xG. He has also created 15 key passes for his team-mates and created 3 Big Chances, generating close to 1 xA. Considering Wolves’ current state, no one would be surprised if Schade adds to his 5 attacking returns this Gameweek.

That’s it for Gameweek 17. 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 17.

Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of FPL GW17

Premier League Players who will miss PL due to AFCON 2025
Top FPL Gameweek 17 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL Gameweek 17 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold, & Sell
Top FPL GW17 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of Deadline
Best Mbeumo Replacements to Consider ahead of FPL GW17
FPL GW17 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More
FPL GW17 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups

Link to all our FPL GW17 blogs, including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 17 of the 2025/26 FPL Season?

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