Weekly Differentials 2019/20: FPL Gameweek 8
Ahead of each round of Premier League games The Hype Train analyses the best left-field 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.
Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 8 Deadline
For the 2019/20 Premier League season, the FPL deadline will be one hour before the commencement of the week's first game. Our website provides a real-world countdown timer for the the upcoming Gameweek, whilst you can read our latest Fantasy articles from the season on our 2019/20 FPL weekly hype sub-section.
Weekly Differentials (GW8)
Before the second international break of the season, we reflect on last week where we selected Ricardo Pereira as differential captain who turned out to be the weeks second best player. Sometimes faith in a fixture is everything you need to be sold on including a player. We will be doing that again this week, with another off-radar captain. Once again, we present ten players that could make the difference to your teams this week.
Gameweek 8: Differentials
BHA/TOT: Christian Eriksen (TOT, MID, £8.8mil, 3.9% ownership)
BUR/EVE: Chris Wood (BUR, FWD, £6.2mil, 1.1% ownership)
LIV/LEI: Adrián (LIV, GK, £4.6mil, 7.0% ownership)
NOR/AVL: Emiliano Buendía (NOR, MID, £6.0mil, 2.0% ownership)
WAT/SHU: Ismaïla Sarr (WAT, MID, £6.3mil, 0.1% ownership)
WHU/CRY: Andriy Yarmolenko (WHU, MID, £6.0mil, 3.7% ownership)
ARS/BOU: Bukayo Saka (ARS, MID, £4.5mil, 0.4% ownership)
MCI/WOL: Riyad Mahrez (MCI, MID, £8.5mil, 4.7% ownership)
SOU/CHE: Fikayo Tomori (CHE, DEF, £4.6mil, 3.7% ownership)
NEW/MUN: Fabian Schär (NEW, DEF, £5.0mil, 2.5% ownership)
GW8: Differential Highlights
Adrián (LIV): This might be the last outing for the Spaniard before Alisson takes back the Reds Goalkeeper mantle. Joe Gomez is also going to start after Klopp’s pre-match conference. Leicester will be a tough game, but Liverpool are seven for seven and you can’t go bad in trusting a team and defence in form.
Fabian Schär (NEW): On Reddit we got some negative feedback on one of our Fantasy Forecast picks for including Fabian into one of our teams. Manchester United failed to have a shot on target during Thursdays Europa League game against AZ Alkmaar. Newcastle and Manchester United are both in the same struggle: failing to score goals, failing to keep clean sheets, and have not an ounce of momentum. This could be a drab, low scoring affair, featuring the leagues most out of form teams. Fabian has been selected because if there is anyone who can score a goal it is the Swiss.
Ismaïla Sarr (WAT): Watford’s record signing made his Premier League debut last weekend, and it is exactly what the Hornets need…something different. If you haven’t watched Sarr he is the closest thing to Sadio Mane in the league. Lots of pace to burn, likes to cut in, and likes to take people on. Sarr was part of the Rennes team that won the 2019 Coupe de France against PSG and comes with a big reputation after being watched by some of the best teams in Europe. He has come into a struggling team, and now it is the sink or swim time for Sarr, and they will need some fresh ideas to beat a stubborn Sheffield United.
Key Differential: Andriy Yarmolenko (WHU)
After last week’s success with Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira as differential captain we are going even further down the rabbit hole in search of differential success, and this time we return to West Ham for the second time this season looking for fantasy returns. We aren’t looking at Sebastien Haller this time around, but their most in-form player on the right-wing, the Ukrainian Andriy Yarmolenko.
After last years season ending Achilles rupture against Spurs, the Ukrainian has faced a lengthy spell on the side-lines. Before this injury he was a man in-form, and it all came crashing down on the winger. Yarmolenko was a high-profile capture for West Ham, and he has performed well at every club he has been at. Yarmolenko is a season veteran and natural goal-scorer, and currently is outshining Felipe Anderson who was the Hammers best player last year.
The Hammers currently sit at fifth in the table, and after he scored against Man United it was a big statement from Manuel Pellegrini’s side: they are here to stay. West Ham are no longer relegation fodder, and they have even somewhat sorted out some of their defensive liability. Drawing against Bournemouth was the exact kind of fixture that West Ham were judged to be walkovers in, but their recruitment in the last two seasons has been significantly better as they look to acquire sure things than optimistic prospects.
Yarmolenko has three goals in his last four games against Norwich, Manchester United, and most recently at the draw against Bournemouth. There is no debate that he is a game changer, and a legitimate threat in the box with Haller and Felipe Anderson in attack. Objectively looking at the Premier League table so far it is no surprise as to why West Ham have started the season strong. The Ukrainian has added quality to their team and is now one of the leagues fastest rising stars. Currently owned by 4.5% of FPL owners we can see that changing if the form continues. Reasonably priced at £6.0mil he is an affordable option that a lot of fantasy managers will look to for the upcoming fixtures:
West Ham’s next 5 league fixtures:
GW8: CRY (H)
GW9: EVE (A)
GW10: SHU (H)
GW11: NEW (H)
GW12: BUR (A)
There is medium-to-long term value for keeping in Yarmolenko, and just like last week we trust the fixture. Crystal Palace have really, really struggled ever since Zaha rocked the Eagles boat by trying to force a move to Everton. Yes, Everton. Everything is going right for West Ham, and barely anything is going right for Crystal Palace. Just like Leicester and Newcastle last week. Yarmolenko is a massively under-appreciated midfielder heading into the weekend’s games.
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The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in Fantasy sports reporting, starting with Fantasy Premier League (FPL), before expanding to MLS Fantasy coverage in 2018.
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All aboard.
