THT FPL Top Differential Recommendations: Gameweek 18

The Hard Tackle lists the five best differentials to consider to bring into your team heading into FPL Gameweek 18 of the 2025/26 season.

FPL managers heading into Gameweek 18 are staring at a tricky set of fixtures, rotating lineups, and a template that looks more rigid by the week. This is exactly the kind of environment where a handful of shrewd differentials can tilt mini-leagues and chip strategies. The focus this week is less on the usual premium names and more on hungry assets sitting in that sweet spot between form, fixtures, and low ownership.​

Brighton & Hove Albion’s misfiring attack, Bournemouth’s chaotic defending, Manchester United’s leaky backline, and West Ham United’s inconsistency all create openings if managers are willing to zig while others zag. These structural weaknesses in mid-table and chasing sides mean defenders with clean-sheet potential and forwards with penalty-box presence deserve a closer look than their ownership numbers suggest.

When blended with recent underlying performances, that picture becomes even more appealing.​ The five players below – Piero Hincapie, Keane Lewis-Potter, Anthony Gordon, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Kenny Tete – are not trendy big-name picks.

They are, however, exactly the kind of differentials who can deliver short-term bursts of points when the fixtures align. They come into Gameweek 18 with encouraging recent returns, clear tactical roles, and match-ups that expose the opposition’s flaws rather than their own. If the goal in this busy festive period is to gain ground without tearing up the entire squad, these are the sort of targeted moves that can quietly transform a season.

Piero Hincapie vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Arsenal host Brighton & Hove Albion in Gameweek 18, facing a side that still wants to play expansive football but has struggled to turn possession into consistent output in 2025/26. Brighton continue to build from the back, but their attack has developed a bad habit of stalling in the final third, with long spells of pressure leading to few clear-cut chances.

That plays into the hands of a composed, front-foot defender like Piero Hincapie, whose reading of the game and comfort stepping into midfield suit Arsenal’s control-first approach. Hincapie’s Arsenal spell has been stop-start, but his recent run has been quietly impressive from a Fantasy perspective.

Reports note that he has now produced defensive returns in four straight matches, rewarding FPL managers who backed him despite rotation worries earlier in the campaign. His combination of recoveries, blocks, and tidy passing keeps him involved throughout games, and when Arsenal are on top, he spends long stretches camped high up the pitch, increasing the chance of bonus points or the odd attacking contribution.

From an FPL ownership standpoint, Hincapie is exactly the type of player who can flip a gameweek by himself. Sitting at about 3.1% ownership, he is far from the cluster of heavily-owned Arsenal assets and fits neatly into that “under-the-radar” category that serious managers love to exploit.

With Arsenal’s defensive structure still among the stronger units in the division and Brighton failing to find a reliable cutting edge, the Ecuadorian defender offers a blend of clean-sheet potential and bonus upside that makes him a standout Gameweek 18 defensive transfer.

Keane Lewis-Potter vs Bournemouth

Brentford’s meeting with Leeds United in Gameweek 18 looks tailor-made for managers hunting for a low-owned midfielder who can punish an unstable backline. Bournemouth have spent most of the season oscillating between bold, front-foot attacking and near-chaotic defending, with their back four dragged out of position at times and leaving space out wide and between the lines.​

Enter Keane Lewis-Potter, whose game for Brentford has grown from energetic winger to a versatile wide threat who works both ways and times his movements cleverly in the final third. His 2024/25 campaign put him on the radar, but this season he has added end product, recently delivering a brace in a 2–0 win over Wolves after being reintroduced into the starting XI following a spell as an impact substitute.

That performance showcased his sharpness in front of goal and his ability to exploit tired or unbalanced defences with late runs and direct shooting.​ In FPL terms, Lewis-Potter’s recent points trend is encouraging: increased minutes, an upturn in attacking returns, and growing confidence from his manager reflected in consecutive starts.

Combine that with an ownership hovering around just 1.0%, and you get a textbook differential for Gameweek 18, a player who, if he hauls, immediately separates his backers from the bulk of the field. Against a Bournemouth defence that still has not solved its structural problems, Lewis-Potter is a risk worth taking for managers seeking a bold midfield punt.​

Anthony Gordon vs Manchester United

Newcastle United’s clash with Manchester United in Gameweek 18 carries all the ingredients for a wide forward to thrive: an away side that presses aggressively and a defence that continues to look fragile under sustained pressure.

Manchester United’s issues out of possession, especially when faced with runners attacking the channels and half-spaces, have been a recurring theme even as personnel and systems have shifted. Their backline often ends up exposed, relying on last-ditch interventions rather than collective structure to survive.​

Anthony Gordon, meanwhile, has evolved into one of Newcastle United’s most important attackers, even through a stop-start campaign marked by knocks and the occasional rotation. When fit, he offers relentless work rate, sharp movement off the left, and a willingness to attack the box rather than simply hug the touchline. So, it is no wonder he has emerged as a target for Liverpool.

Recent evidence of his FPL value includes being flagged as a top transfer target in other gameweeks after scoring and picking up bonus points, underlining his ability to turn strong performances into tangible FPL returns. Underlying data for the season points to steady goal contributions and a consistent threat when he gets minutes.​

From a differential perspective, Gordon’s appeal is amplified by his modest ownership, hovering around the 3.1% mark in the broader group of under-owned assets. Managers have sometimes shied away because of perceived rotation risk or price-point awkwardness, but when he starts, his ceiling is high in fixtures where Newcastle can get at the opposition back line.

With Manchester United still conceding chances and struggling to protect their penalty area over 90 minutes, Gordon stands out as a high-upside midfield move for Gameweek 18 that can outscore more popular template options.​

Dominic Calvert-Lewin vs Sunderland

Leeds United against Sunderland in Gameweek 18 does not immediately scream “easy attacking fixture” on paper, but Sunderland’s recent form has been far more volatile than in prior seasons, and that inconsistency opens the door for a confident centre-forward like Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Black Cats remain dangerous going forward, but their off-the-ball structure has slipped at times, leaving gaps for physical strikers to exploit between centre-backs and full-backs, particularly when they are forced to defend crosses under sustained pressure.​

Calvert-Lewin’s move to Leeds United has already begun to look inspired, with the forward adding real weight to their attack and bringing with him the penalty-box instincts that made him a standout at Everton. Early-season numbers show him on the scoresheet again in the Premier League, with 7 goals assists in the current campaign, suggesting that his finishing radar is firmly back on after injury-hit years.

His aerial presence, ability to pin defenders, and knack for attacking the six-yard box make him a constant threat, especially against sides that struggle with second balls and defensive organisation. Recent form charts reinforce that this is not a flash in the pan; Calvert-Lewin’s output this season already eclipses his tally from last year, with more goals from fewer appearances and healthier shot-on-target numbers.

In FPL terms, that kind of sustained purple patch pairs perfectly with an ownership figure around 7.4%, high enough to signal credibility but still low enough to count as a meaningful differential in most leagues. For managers wanting a forward who combines form, minutes, and a vulnerable opponent, Calvert-Lewin presents one of the most attractive Gameweek 18 transfer options.

Kenny Tete vs West Ham United

Fulham’s meeting with West Ham United in Gameweek 18 offers an intriguing angle for managers looking beyond obvious defensive names. West Ham’s season has been defined by inconsistency: bursts of attacking quality followed by flat displays where their build-up looks disjointed and their press half-hearted.

In games where they struggle to connect midfield to attack, they can spend long periods toiling against well-organised back lines and are not immune to being caught out wide by overlapping full-backs.

Kenny Tete has quietly put together a strong 2025/26 campaign for Fulham, offering solid defensive work and useful attacking contributions from right-back. In the league this season he has featured regularly, with data showing 14 appearances, 1 goal, 4 clean sheets and strong defensive numbers in tackles, interceptions and clearances, underlining just how busy and effective he has been on his flank.

Passing stats show him comfortable in possession, with over 80% accuracy and a steady supply of balls into advanced areas, making him a threat in both phases. From an FPL standpoint, Tete’s appeal is all about value and uniqueness. He sits around the 0.9% ownership mark, placing him firmly in the ultra-differential bracket.

With Fulham capable of keeping clean sheets against sides who are not fully switched on and Tete offering the odd attacking return on top of defensive solidity, he is the kind of pick that can quietly deliver 6-9 points while more popular defensive options blank in trickier fixtures. For Gameweek 18, where West Ham’s inconsistency meets Fulham’s renewed defensive discipline, Tete is a gamble that could pay off handsomely.

FPL Differential Transfer Recommendations at a glance

Honourable mentions

For managers looking beyond this core five, several other names deserve a brief nod for Gameweek 18 and the weeks beyond. Malo Gusto continues to offer attacking upside for Chelsea from full-back when he starts, with his delivery and overlapping runs giving him a decent assist ceiling in a side pushing near the top.

Matheus Nunes has shown flashes of creativity and ball-carrying quality that could translate into returns if his minutes and role stabilise. In midfield, Kevin Schade remains a pace-heavy option in Brentford’s attack who can punish high defensive lines. Matheus Cunha has quickly become a central part of Manchester United’s revamped attack.

Up front, Ollie Watkins remains a reliable all-round FPL forward with both goals and assists in his locker, and Jarrod Bowen continues to be West Ham’s main attacking outlet even in an inconsistent side.

Managers may not be able to fit all of these names into their squads, but keeping them on the watchlist, alongside Piero Hincapie, Keane Lewis-Potter, Anthony Gordon, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Kenny Tete, should ensure that Gameweek 18 is approached with both imagination and intent.