WEEKLY WILDCARDS 2018/19: FPL Gameweek 5

Ahead of each round of Premier League games The Hype Train analyses the best wildcard player options for your Fantasy Premier League teams. Historically, weekly FPL Dream Team’s comprise of mostly differential players whose selection falls with a low selection percentage of overall players, to which there is no doubt that their influence cannot be ignored. With such an abundance of points coming from the FPL’s hidden gems The Hype Train selects one player from each Premier League match in the upcoming Gameweek to decide who could be the differential that sets your team apart. All aboard.

WILDCARDS: WHAT IS A DIFFERENTIAL PLAYER?

The rules for the 2015/16 season were easy enough to follow. The only rule was that a player had be to selected by less than 5% of the FPL's populace. With 2016/17's price changes, and player selection trends, we were been forced to revise our rules on what constitutes a differential. In the 2017/18 season, after testing the waters with selection, there are just not enough differentials with the classification in each position from years past, so we have introduced position specific rules regarding what is and isn't a wildcard/differential player in the FPL that we believe is representative to the game this season.

Goalkeepers

- Any shot stopper outside of the top 8 selected. A differential Goalkeeper is now considered outside of the top bracket due to the overwhelming ownership selection % of the top 8 GK's for any one Gameweek.

- A GK's ownership must not exceed 10%

Defenders

- A Defender's ownership must fall below 8%, with the top 20 owned defenders all harbouring 8% ownership or more.

- The Outsider Rule: This new rule applies to defenders who are the last defensive option in a team who we provide an exception to as the 4th of 5th most owned defender from one team if they offer a different value. For Example, if Chelsea or Spurs have three defenders with 10% plus ownership, and their 4th defender choice has downwards of 10% ownership, we will include them as a differential, as they are outside of the common conversation when picking defenders, even from within their own squad. This rule will mostly be used when adding defenders from top half clubs, who lack proper differential status for their defensive options.

Midfielders

- Any Midfielder under 8% ownership is classified as a differential.

- Our percentage criteria of 8% is due to a greater wealth of premium midfielders. There is a monopoly of top midfielders for most Premier League clubs, leaving only a handful of Midfielders that provide differential options on a weekly basis.

Forwards

- The top 10 most owned Forwards in the FPL at any given time can not be touched as a differential.

- Any Forward outside of the 10% ownership range, who is not in the top 10 owned forwards.

GAMEWEEK WILDCARD DIFFERENTIALS

• For each FPL Gameweek we select a wildcard player from each game.

• We do not select a back-up player for the differentials we bank on – that’s the whole point, being a wildcard.

• The selection percentage and player price is accurate with the posting of the article.

• Our rundowns of player selections are representative of the Premier League’s TV fixture list.

Weekly Differentials (GW5)

The international break has come and gone, and no doubt it will cause all sorts of pandemonium, further justifying why certain Spanish managers in Manchester continue to field a fifth consecutive team sheet with a changed formation. As usual we pick ten differentials for Gameweek 5 in the wake of the lukewarm reception to the UEFA Nations League.

Goalkeepers (2/10):

Wayne Hennessey (CRY), Rui Patricio (WOL)

Wayne Hennessey (CRY)

The Welsh goalkeeper has accumulated save points in every game of the season so far, and thus is a source of guaranteed fantasy points. Also, you would be kidding yourself not to be banking on any team defensively versus Huddersfield, they look like they are going to struggle for goals this season.

Rui Patricio (WOL)

First differential outing for the Portuguese goalkeeper, and after Wolves picked up three points and keeping their defence in good enough shape to force a clean sheet the Midlands club are on the up, as expected. Burnley have struggled getting into second gear, and if Wolves last appearance in the Premier League has anything to go by then you’d expect this game to have few goals in it.

Defenders (2/10):

Antonio Rüdiger (CHE), Aymeric Laporte (MCI)

Antonio Rüdiger (CHE)

Cardiff at home for Chelsea this weekend, say no more. This could be easy points for any Blues defenders, and we have already picked David Luiz to no great success, so we hand the baton to the German centre-back.

Aymeric Laporte (MCI)

Pep Roulette hasn’t affected French defender Laporte, yet. Having not seen any action during the international break, Laporte should retain his place at the heart of City’s defence against Fulham at the Etihad. Fulham haven’t faced the Champions, and we’re predicting that it could be the toughest game for the London for the entire season.

Midfielders (2/10):

James Milner (LIV), James Maddison (CRY)

James Milner (LIV)

The problem about Spurs is that they have no good differentials. Their players are snapped up quickly because they are prone to occasionally scoring goals against bottom half teams, and then struggle against the top six clubs. Spurs also have a problem with rotation, you want to trust their line-up, but you just can’t. So, we at The Hype Train ignore Spurs in these types of fixtures, so instead we turn to our noble steed Liverpool, and their Mr. Reliable.

James Milner has three assists and one goal so far this season, averaging a return per game, the Englishman is also on corners and penalties. If there are goals, and there will be in this fixture, we expect Milner to either be creating them or scoring them.

James Maddison (LEI)

Leicester picked up a real gem in Maddison, he looked the real deal versus Liverpool, dictating and controlling the game. He didn’t look out of his depth against the Reds, he even picked up an assist after Alisson’s blunder. Maddison has two returns from four, and Bournemouth haven’t been airtight in defence. Their could be goals at the Vitality this weekend, and we think Maddison has been overlooked, making him the perfect differential.

Forwards (4/10):

Alexandre Lacazette (ARS), Troy Deeney (WAT), Cenk Tosun (EVE), Danny Ings (SOU)

Alexandre Lacazette (ARS)

Surprise, surprise. Who’d have thought that if you play a cold blooded a centre-forward alongside the fifth quickest player in the league, who is also a goal machine, that you’d win games. It took Unai Emery four gameweeks to figure out this puzzle, and by playing his obviously talented striker from the beginning, instead of unjustifiably benching him, Arsenal looked capable of winning a game. Lacazette is a no-brainer option. Hopefully Unai plays him, but based on prior judgment, who knows.

And if you were wondering…Yedlin, Salah, Mane, Walker, and Aubameyang.

Troy Deeney (WAT)

We’re following the form trail, and despite Man United beating Burnley, we can’t ignore just how good that Watford were against Spurs. We have a bad habit of overlooking Deeney when he strikes big, and the Englishman has tormented the Red Devils before, and we aren’t second guessing the Hornets ability to make another big sting this season. Two goals and one assist for Deeney so far this season is brilliant, and we refuse to rule him out to add to his tally this Gameweek.

Cenk Tosun (EVE)

We may have been a week late for Tosun, we still stand by our belief that the Turkish international is a great option and is playing well. Tosun gets another roll of the dice because it is West Ham who are visiting Goodison, and we can’t think of another team that anyone wouldn’t be able to score against in this moment. The Hammers could lose to a Sunday pub team right now, that is how bad it is going for them.

Key Differential: Danny Ings (SOU)

The time has come. Step forward Liverpool loanee, Danny Ings. The second his move to the South Coast was confirmed the FPL community was alerted to a then £5.5mil forward with goal potential. Since his move fantasy managers haven’t been disappointed. Two goals from three starts has put everyone on high alert as to the potential, and we are taking the plunge with the budget forward in the hotly anticipated Coastline Clash. Southampton and Brighton have had some cagey, and entertaining affairs, since their first clash in the Premier League.

Southampton have also surprised us, as it stands the Saints have had the fourth most amount of shots, only behind Man City, Chelsea, and former graduation club Liverpool. Ings has made a legitimate difference to the Saints fortunes, and his two goals doesn’t justify his impact. Brighton have lost both of their away games and are yet to keep a clean sheet which further cements our hope that Danny Ings is a stalwart option for the Gameweek.

Ings may not be a differential for much longer, so while he is within our grasp we’ll trust him to continue his strong start to the season.

Liverpool gave back to the community and look at the results.

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The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in the Fantasy Premier League (#FPL), providing beautiful graphics and weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb ranking tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review movies, live sport, and professional wrestling.

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All aboard.