Holly Shand returns with another round of FPL tips on SportsCasting – this week centred around the best midfield differentials for Gameweek 17.
While the template among premium FPL players remains firm, there are plenty of options to consider in the fourth midfield slot to go alongside Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka. So who are the best low-owned options?
FPL Gameweek 17 Best Midfield Differentials
Alex Iwobi vs Southampton (H)
Fulham have one of the best schedules over the festive period, with home games against Southampton, Bournemouth and Ipswich Town across the next four gameweeks. A trip to Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day is their only challenging fixture.
The Cottagers’ best fantasy asset this season has been midfielder Alex Iwobi, who has chalked up five goals and three assists this season. Five of those goal involvements have come in the last six gameweeks, but Iwobi remains a differential in only 5% of teams.
Fulham have picked up six points in the last four gameweeks, scoring seven goals in this spell. Iwobi has had seven shots in this period, including two big chances created. He’s completed 90 minutes in three consecutive gameweeks.
Jarrod Bowen vs Brighton (H)
West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen presents an interesting differential option this weekend as the Hammers entertain a Brighton side that have just lost 3-1 to Crystal Palace. Bowen sits in just 6.9% of teams, despite being among the top ten scoring midfielders this season.
It’s a game where West Ham could have a lot of joy on the counter-attack. We know that Bowen tends to perform well at the London Stadium, with two-thirds of his goal involvements coming there. He’s also completed 90 minutes on 14 occasions this season.
Bowen’s underlying numbers carry plenty of promise over the last four gameweeks, where he’s produced 12 shots on goal, ranking him fifth among all players. He also ranks sixth for key passes in the same period with nine, highlighting his routes to points.
Heung-min Son vs Liverpool (H)
Tottenham captain Heung-min Son made the Team of the Week in Gameweek 16, with one goal and two assists in 45 minutes against Southampton, which ended as a 5-0 win for the North Londoners. That takes Son up to 11 goal involvements for the campaign.
Spurs are among the leading goalscorers this season, scoring 36 goals from 57 big chances. They’ve scored 3+ goals in half of their games in the campaign and so remain an attack we should be invested in despite the difficult fixture on paper.
The home advantage means we expect Spurs to score in this one, with Son as their penalty taker a key part of that, but he’s only 5% owned. He has two goals and three assists from his last four starts, with five big chances and six big chances created in this period.
