FPL Gameweek 17 Differentials: Low-Owned Players to Consider
Gameweek 16 was a high-scoring one in Fantasy Premier League, with many big names performing and some differential gems shining. Whether you are struggling to catch your mini-league rivals or want to hold your lead, you will need to identify the right differentials to target ahead of the holiday period.
In this article, I highlight the best FPL differentials for Gameweek 17 who could provide the points that you're looking for.
Check out RotoWire's updated FPL GW17 rankings and full FPL strategy tips for this week.
For the latest updates on player availability, check our FPL GW17 Injury News and Updates page, including detailed reports, AFCON absences and other key Premier League injuries.
Best FPL Differentials for Gameweek 17
Jan Paul van Hecke - 3.9% (Brighton)
Choosing a cheap defender is difficult right now, as many of the budget options who performed well early in the season don't have great upcoming fixtures.
However, Brighton are one of the few teams that have a favourable upcoming run for clean sheets with Sunderland, West Ham and Burnley in three of their next four.
The Seagulls haven't kept many clean sheets this season and haven't been the most defensively solid team, but fixtures create form, and I expect them to do well in the coming weeks.
Jan Paul van Hecke is a nice option at just £4.5m if you're looking for a budget defender this week.
Matheus Nunes - 1.5% (Manchester City)
Man City have back-to-back clean sheets in the league, so naturally, their defensive options will be of interest this week.
Nico O'Reilly has been a popular buy recently due to his attacking returns and his favourable price. However, Matheus Nunes should also be on your radar if you're looking for a Man City defender.
He's nailed down the right-back spot, starting 13 of the last 14 Premier League and Champions League matches, and he proved against Crystal Palace that he has the quality to provide assists for to Erling Haaland.
If you're looking for a differential Man City asset, then Nunes is the best option.
Rayan Cherki - 4.7% (Manchester City)
Sticking with Man City and it's a player who is impossible to ignore on the pitch, new playmaker Rayan Cherki.
He's been electric of late, and he appears to have developed a brilliant understanding with Phil Foden as they have now combined for multiple goals. In City's last seven Premier League games, the Frenchman has seven assists despite only starting five of them.
In that time, City have scored 20 goals (2.8 goals per game), so Pep seems to have found his best team, and Cherki has had a big role in this.
Foden is, of course, the obvious midfield pick from Man City, but if you want a cheaper, more differential option, then Cherki is great.
Boosting both of them is a new injury to Jeremy Doku, which should especially allow for more starts for Cherki.
Kevin Schade - 0.6% (Brentford)
Kevin Schade picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Spurs in Gameweek 15, meaning that he was suspended for Brentford's Gameweek 16 against Leeds. He'll be back in GW17 for the away fixture against Wolves.
Schade doesn't really have competition for starts or minutes at the moment. Dango Ouattara is away at AFCON, while Reiss Nelson and Fabio Carvalho are injured. Keane Lewis-Potter, last season's left-back, started and went just 61 minutes in the draw against Leeds last game.
Wolves are bottom of the table and have lost 14 of their 16 games. Things don't seem to be improving, so Schade could be a great differential in Gameweek 17 on less than one percent of FPL teams.
Raul Jimenez - 2.7% (Fulham)
Fulham have been impressive going forward recently, thanks to a more favourable run of fixtures. Highlighted by Harry Wilson, who was mentioned in last week's article and picked up a 16-pointer in Gameweek 16.
Considering the team's goalscoring form, it's surprising that Raul Jimenez has only been involved in one of their last 10 goals.
However, I expect this to change in the coming weeks when Fulham face Nottingham Forest and West Ham. If you're looking for a budget forward, then Jimenez represents great value at just £6.3m.
Randal Kolo Muani - 0.4% (Tottenham)
One win in the last seven Premier League games would suggest that picking a Spurs forward may not be the best idea. Given their performance at Nottingham Forest (six shots, .33 xG), that's probably the correct assumption.
Still, Randal Kolo Muani has been a rare bright spot in an underperforming attack since coming into the team.
Spurs face a Liverpool team in GW17 that has struggled defensively at times, so Kolo Muani could prove to be the ultimate differential as he is in just 0.4% of teams.
