Gameweek 30 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is fast approaching, which gives us an opportunity to have a look at some more differential options.
This time, we’ve selected low-owned picks at Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Aston Villa, who we think have the potential to make an impact.
As always, to qualify, the player must have an ownership of 5% or less at the time of writing.
EBERECHI EZE
- FPL ownership: 1.9%
- Price: £5.4m
- GW30-34 fixtures: lee | sou | EVE | wol | WHU
Eberechi Eze (£5.4m) was restored to the Crystal Palace starting XI for the first time since Gameweek 26 on Saturday, playing a key role as they beat Leicester City 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
It meant Roy Hodgson enjoyed a winning return, in a match they dominated, as they racked up a whopping 31 shots, four more than in their previous four games combined.
The star man was undoubtedly Eze, who played brilliantly in a more central no. 8 role. He was a real playmaker on the day, creating three chances, but also had five shots of his own. In fact, it was his free-kick that smashed against the crossbar and led to Daniel Iversen (£3.8m) deflecting the ball into his net, earning him his fourth assist of the season.
Hodgson’s switch from Patrick Vieira’s trusted 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-3-3 felt key, as it enabled two advanced midfielders – Eze and Jeffrey Schlupp (£4.7m) – to push further up the pitch, penning Leicester in. They did, however, lose talisman Wilfried Zaha (£7.2m) to injury before half-time, with an update eagerly anticipated later this week.
That’s because there are some tasty fixtures for Palace still to come. They have the second-easiest run-in according to our Season Ticker and the highest-ranked team they play are Tottenham Hotspur, with seven of their last nine games against direct relegation candidates.
Eze and his Crystal Palace colleagues looked refreshed playing under Hodgson on Saturday, in a style nobody really expected, so he could be a nice set-and-forget differential option for the remainder of the season.
JACK GREALISH
- FPL ownership: 2.4%
- Price: £6.8m
- GW30-34 fixtures: sou | LEI | – | ARS | ful + WHU
Jack Grealish (£6.8m) has established himself as a key member of Manchester City’s attack since the restart, providing a goal and assist against Liverpool on Saturday.
It was one of his most complete performances under Pep Guardiola and continues a strong run of form that has seen him produce three goals and six assists in his last 14 appearances. In that time (Gameweek 17 onwards), he ranks second at Man City for shots in the box/chances created and third for expected goal involvement (xGI), only behind premiums Erling Haaland (£12.0m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0m).
Rotation is always a concern at the Etihad, yet Grealish has now started 10 league games in a row and is clearly thriving on the left side of Man City’s attack. He has, of course, been helped by Phil Foden’s (£8.0m) ongoing fitness issues since the World Cup, but Guardiola clearly thinks he is playing at his top level right now, telling reporters at the weekend “Today was amazing, he was really good. Football is more than stats, it’s many things. The way he gives us the tempo to play and to make extra passes”.
Man City will blank in Gameweek 32 but that won’t be a problem for those planning to Free Hit. They also have two Double Gameweeks before the end of the season and can’t afford any slip-ups as they attempt to overthrow Arsenal. It’s also worth noting City’s next two opponents – Southampton and Leicester City – both rank among the worst three sides for chances conceded from their right flank since the restart, which should suit Grealish.
A move for the former Aston Villa man isn’t without risk, given Man City’s hectic schedule and Guardiola’s tendency to rotate, but at just 2.4% ownership, Grealish is an intriguing differential.
JACOB RAMSEY
- FPL ownership: 0.7%
- Price: £5.2m
- GW30-34 fixtures: NFO | NEW | bre | FUL | mun
Jacob Ramsey (£5.2m) has impressed for Aston Villa in recent matches, becoming a key part of Unai Emery’s midfield.
The England U21 star scored against Bournemouth prior to the international break and then registered an assist in the 2-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday. He will be disappointed that he didn’t get on the scoresheet at Leicester City, too, when he shot over, but his trademark driving runs into the box asked plenty of questions. His defensive work is equally key, with 23 tackles in the last six matches, a team-leading total.
As for Aston Villa, their 2-1 win at Leicester was their 10th in 16 matches since Unai Emery took charge. In fact, since the weekend of the Spaniard’s first game, only Arsenal (41) and Manchester United (35) have earned more points in the Premier League than Villa (32).
Next up is an appealing home meeting with Nottingham Forest, who have won just six points on the road all season, the joint-worst return in the division. Encouragingly for Ramsey, both of their full-backs – Neco Williams (£3.8m) and Harry Toffolo (£4.3m) – were given a torrid time at Leeds United on Tuesday, so whichever side the midfielder lines up on (he can play left or right), he should get some joy.
Ramsey is starting to flourish under Emery, playing a key role in their resurgence, and could be a decent budget midfielder for FPL managers to acquire.
