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The first week back of FPL action following the international break was a difficult one for managers, with low scores across the board.
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❓Top Gameweek 5 Differentials (<15%)
🇨🇴 Jhon Duran – Aston Villa (£6.0m, 2.0%)
It could have been so different for Duran, he was close to being a West Ham player, but clearly, Aston Villa held onto him for a reason. You can visibly see and feel that lift to the team and fans when he comes on and his current scoring record is simply exceptional. Having only played an average of 26 minutes per game this season he has scored 3 goals already, an average of a goal every 34 mins, way beyond even Erling Haaland levels.
We think for FPL he’s currently not a good pick due to Ollie Watkins being the number one, but with the Champions League in midweek and good fixtures against Wolves and Ipswich around the corner, it’s the fantasy of a Watkins/Duran partnership up top that I am betting on. It’s slightly left-field but after we see what Duran is capable of in 90 minutes, we might very well change our minds.
🏴 Harvey Barnes – Newcastle (£6.4m, 1.2%)
I often think of Harvey Barnes as the Diogo Jota of Newcastle. In terms of types of players they are completely different yes, but in the fact they both come off the bench often and seemingly always score is where I draw the parallel, and this weekend was no different. Newcastle required something different and a more direct approach, so on steps Barnes at half time and a goal was produced.
Newcastle have no European football this season so they will have a slight advantage over their tougher upcoming opponents, Arsenal and Man City, with easier sides like Fulham and Everton sandwiched in between. Barnes has likely earned another start, and though he is a naturally left-sided player, he will play right wing with Gordon on the left, reducing his effectiveness, but only slightly. At only 1.2% ownership, it is risky so proceed with caution.
I also like the look of Tonali (£5.5m), the Italian looks promising and I will be keeping a close eye on him in the coming weeks.
🇫🇷 Jean-Phillipe Mateta – Crystal Palace (£7.4m, 4.3%)
Fresh off Olympic duty representing France in the Olympics, Mateta is in fantastic goal-scoring form, stretching back up until the end of last season. He has scored 16 goals and notched five assists in 35 games, which has made me sit up and take notice. Against Leicester, he was much improved from the opening game against West Ham, scoring two goals, including a penalty.
The original thought was that Eze was on them but if Mateta takes the spot kicks now, this increases his value tenfold. Currently owned by under 5%, not many managers share the same sentiment and perhaps that’s down to his price. When you have Calvert-Lewin and Joao Pedro much cheaper and Solanke and Jackson being around the same price point, it’s tough to poke your head from the parapet and select him. Is it his time now? It very well could be.
🏴 Dominic Calvert-Lewin – Everton (£5.9m, 2.5%)
I will admit, originally, I wasn’t having this one. However, watching Everton over the weekend I realised one thing, Calvert-Lewin is pretty much the only credible threat, and essentially the only way Everton will score this season. Yes, McNeil chips in with some assists and goals but the main man up top is the focal point of how Everton attack.
He scored, hit the woodwork and missed a one-on-one against the goalkeeper, so he should have had a huge score. In recent seasons he’s had his fair share of injury problems, but in playing 32 games last season, seemingly this is behind him.
The upcoming fixture run for Everton is quite possibly the best of any team at any point this season and to fit in the big players within our squads we need to save budget somewhere. You can save some here but perhaps without the drop off of points. Trust me, take a look at him!
🇦🇷 Alejandro Garnacho – Man United (£6.4m, 10.8%)
Honestly, I am not sure why Garnacho is currently not starting, a sentiment currently shared by many of the Man Utd faithful. Only having one start and playing an average of 35 minutes over four games hasn’t affected his output of 1.7xG, 1.2 shots per game, 1 goal, and 1 assist.
Yes, Man Utd had a great result against Southampton but Ten Hag will require all the firepower he has for the upcoming fixtures to get a result. Attacking midfielders can return big points and in looking at his heatmap, you can see in his limited in-game time, he affects play especially within the second and third portion of the pitch.
His price could be great value for money in a season where he is expected to improve on numbers from last season (seven goals and four assists in 36 games). The fact he has crept up from 7% owned to 10% shows that managers are noticing him, maybe you should too?
Conclusion
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