Ones To Watch: The Differentials You Need In Your Fantasy Football Team For Gameweek 1

More managers than ever are playing FPL, and advice on how to play and who to pick is everywhere too.

This means some players are owned by everyone, but also means some get missed by the herd. These are called “differentials” in the FPL world, and are ones who can rocket your rank upward if they go off for you.

Ahead of the first Gameweek of the season, I’ll pick out who is on my radar (but not necessarily gracing my team).

Phil Foden, Manchester City (£8.0m)

Phil Foden with the Premier League trophy (PA Images / Alamy)

Congested £8.0m midfield spot, but he could be an excellent pick to help you have a route into the Man City attack - especially if you've gone with Harry Kane too.

Foden adopts intelligent attacking positions on the pitch, which shows in his excellent points per 90 of 6.6 over the last two seasons. With Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus having departed to pastures new, it could be that England's boy wonder makes a mockery of that initial price tag this campaign.

Matt Doherty, Tottenham Hotspur (£5.0m)

Doherty has flourished under Conte

Despite not being in the lineup as the season began, seemingly unfancied by former manager Nuno and also Antonio Conte, Doherty burst onto the scene around the turn of the year and was simply a revelation until his season was cruelly cut short by injury in around April.

Over the course of around 12 Gameweeks, the Irishman amassed a frankly ridiculous 7 points per game as he rampaged into the positions we used to see him at Wolves; high up the pitch, in goalscoring positions.

There’s lots of competition for the wing back slots at Spurs, and all eyes are on his team mate Ivan Perisic who sits in around one third of teams versus Doherty in just 1.1% of them. Nonetheless, he seems in the frame to start the season for Spurs in that enticing fixture at home to Southampton and could well be a bargain again at his price.

Callum Wilson, Newcastle United (£7.5m)

Wilson is Newcastle's key man up top

Last season was hampered by injury for Wilson, who only managed just under 1400 mins (18 starts; 2 sun appearances) last term – his worst ever amount of time on the field.

Nonetheless, Wilson started brightly and managed an impressive 4 goals in his first 5 games, alongside ending the season with a decent points per 90 score of 4.86.

With a nice early game against Nottingham Forest and a team vastly improved from the one who began last campaign, I think the Toon’s no9 could be in a positive to flourish under a manager in Eddie Howe who knows his strengths and will ensure he gets the kind of service that saw him score well in the past. Wilson is in just 3% of sides currently.

Each gameweek, Tom from Who Got The Assist? FPL podcast will be bringing you tips, transfer recommendations and all the advice you need to win your mini league.