The Hard Tackle lists seven differentials you should consider for your FPL teams before the fixture pile-up in the festive period kicks in.
The international break is over, and the 2023/24 Premier League season will resume on Saturday to kick off with Gameweek 13. While managers are finalising their plans for the upcoming round of fixtures, FPL bosses are also getting their teams in shape ahead of Saturday’s deadline.
As ever, injuries are playing spoilsport for managers ahead of a round of fixtures. But the biggest talking point this week is the upcoming fixture pile-up in the festive season. Before that comes into the equation and rotations start kicking in, managers can bank on teams with a solid run and invest in a few differentials to help them rise through the rankings.
So, after careful consideration and combing through the upcoming fixtures for every club, The Hard Tackle has compiled a list of seven players whose addition can help your team soar in the rankings. With that in mind, we present our shortlist.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (7.1% TSB)
🧵 Top 5 defs under £5.0m since GW8:
1. Mykolenko (EVE): 36pts
2. Tsimikas (LIV): 28pts
3. Zinchenko (ARS): 26pts
4. Pinnock (BRE): 25pts
5. Toffolo (NFO): 24pts#Mykolenko #Tsimikas #Zinchenko #Pinnock #Toffolo #fpl #ffs pic.twitter.com/c1WqMyTyTF— fantasyfootballstats.org (@ffstatsdotorg) November 20, 2023
Arsenal will have the most promising run of fixtures in the next few weeks. And if you do not have a defender from the North London club in your FPL teams, investing in Oleksandr Zinchenko might be the best step for you.
The Ukrainian international is the cheapest of the three regular starters for Arsenal at £5.0m. In addition, he also has the fourth-highest ownership numbers of all Arsenal defenders, featuring in only 7.1% of the teams.
But with the former Manchester City utility man regaining fitness and showing good potential in the final third after scoring against Burnley, it is worth considering him to be part of your teams in the upcoming games.
Rayan Ait-Nouri (0.4% TSB)
Continuing with the defenders, we name another left-sided full-back whose ownership numbers create much food for thought. We are talking about Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have improved in recent weeks, losing only one of their last seven games. While they have kept a clean sheet in only one game thus far this term, their upcoming fixtures should have a high clean-sheet potential.
Three of their next opponents are Fulham, Burnley and Nottingham Forest, with none of the three teams renowned for their goalscoring threat this term. In addition, with Ait-Nouri reprising an advanced role in the last few games, the in-demand 22-year-old should be worth considering.
Simon Adingra (1.2% TSB)
Simon Adingra with another beauty of a goal for Ivory Coast yesterday. 😳🔥pic.twitter.com/cZvooVVaXw
— FPL Zh0u (Joe) 🇲🇾 (@ZhouFPL) November 18, 2023
As we delve into the midfielders, our first pick might surprise the readers of this column. But give us time, and we will explain why we have picked Brighton & Hove Albion winger Simon Adingra in our shortlist.
The Ivory Coast international commands a price tag of just £5.0 and features in only 1.2% of the teams. Meanwhile, he earned Brighton a point in the Gameweek 12 fixture against Sheffield United, his third strike of the season. So, with Kaoru Mitoma’s availability in doubt, Adingra should feature regularly in the next few games, making him worth the punt.
Luis Diaz (6.9% TSB)
Our second midfield pick has not started in the last three Premier League games. So, readers of the column might again scratch their heads. But with the off-field distractions behind him, Luis Diaz is in line to start regularly for Liverpool.
The Colombian international has three goals and one assist in 638 minutes of game time in the Premier League this season. So, he has contributed to a strike once every 160 minutes. And with regular game time, that output should improve. So, if you do not have the budget to afford Mohamed Salah, taking a chance with Luis Diaz might be worth your time.
Hwang Hee-chan (5.3% TSB)
Hwang Hee-chan keeps on delivering the goods, yet his ownership numbers have scarcely improved. The South Korean international has an impressive tally of six goals and two assists in 12 appearances this term.
In addition, he has provided an attacking return in five of his last six outings. So, with the coming fixtures not providing much cause for concern, you should draft Hwang in your team, considering his price tag is just £5.5m, with only 5.3% of the teams owning him.
Nicolas Jackson (5.6% TSB)
Then & now Nicolas Jackson 💙 pic.twitter.com/4cFjsJ8bLD
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) November 23, 2023
We move into the forwards, and our first pick was perhaps the most frustrating attacker in FPL in the first few games. But the Senegalese international picked up form ahead of the international break, including scoring a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur.
Jackson then added to his tally by finding the back of the net against Manchester City, taking his returns to six goals. With his form finally improving, FPL managers should invest in Jackson, with his price tag (£6.8m) being attractive and considering he features in only 5.6% of the FPL teams.
Dominic Solanke (3.9% TSB)
Our list ends with another striker, a player who has quietly gone about his business without gaining much popularity this term. We are talking about Bournemouth attacker Dominic Solanke, whose returns have been impressive this term.
The former Chelsea prospect has a miserly price tag of just £6.4m and features in only 3.9% of the FPL teams. But considering he has found the back of the net in six of the 12 games this term, he is bang for the buck for the price tag he commands.
Solanke scored twice against a tricky opponent like Newcastle United before the international break, suggesting he can deliver the goods against the toughest opposition. So, taking a punt on the 26-year-old might be worth your time.
