The Scout looks at the transfer trends of Fantasy Premier League managers and picks out the best differentials ahead of the start of the 2022/23 season.
Midfielders
Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) is the go-to midfielder in Fantasy, with his 56.4 per cent ownership more than double any other player in his position.
There is far more variety elsewhere in managers’ midfields, with only three others selected by over 20 per cent of managers.
Salah’s Liverpool team-mate Luis Diaz (£8.0m) has emerged as the most popular mid-priced pick, while Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min (£12.0m) is another favourite in the premium bracket.
And Fulham’s Andreas Pereira (£4.5m) is the preferred budget option following his summer move from Manchester United.
As a result, there are plenty of overlooked players who could prove to be standout differentials in the early stages of the new campaign.
Jack Grealish (MCI) £7.0m
The Manchester City winger has been quick to find his form, supplying the assist for Erling Haaland’s (£11.5m) debut winner against Bayern Munich last week.
Although he managed just three goals and three assists in his debut campaign for Man City last season, Grealish’s underlying numbers are encouraging.
Indeed, his 41 shots in the box and 53 chances created both placed among their top five players.
At a cost of £7.0m, he can be found in a mere five per cent of squads ahead of a favourable early schedule.
The champions are the only side who avoid all of last season’s top six in the first six Gameweeks.
James Maddison (LEI) £8.0m
Leicester City’s playmaker enjoyed his best-ever Fantasy campaign last term, amassing 181 points thanks to 12 goals and 11 assists.
Maddison’s all-round influence on the Foxes’ attack is further highlighted by his statistics.
His totals of 72 shots, 33 shots on target and 48 chances created were all more than any team-mate.
The 25-year-old is owned by just over five per cent of managers ahead of home meetings with Brentford and Southampton in the first three Gameweeks.
Yet Maddison thrived in the corresponding fixtures in 2021/22, claiming double-figure hauls on each occasion.
Daniel Podence (WOL) £5.5m
A kind early run of opponents lifts the value of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ key players in Fantasy.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), four of their first six matches score just two.
Pedro Neto (£5.5m) has emerged as a popular target for opening squads, boasting an ownership of 19 per cent.
Yet not only is Podence the same price, he has matched Neto’s output of three goals and an assist over the summer.
Sitting in under one per cent of squads, Podence is an enticing option in the sub-£6.0m bracket.
Also in this series
Part 1: Sa among overlooked goalkeepers
Part 2: Versatile Zinchenko can thrive at Arsenal
Part 4: Back Vardy in kind home fixtures
