In-form Tierney an appealing FPL differential for Blank Gameweek 18

******Please not that this feature was written before the postponement of Aston Villa v Burnley on Saturday afternoon******

Gameweek 18 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is almost upon us, which gives us an opportunity to have a look at some more differential options.

As always, to qualify, the player must have an ownership of 5% or less at the time of writing.

KIERAN TIERNEY

• FPL ownership: 5.2%
• Price: £4.8m
• GW18-22 fixtures: lee | nor | WOL | MCI | tot

At 5.2% ownership, Kieran Tierney (£4.8m) sits just above our usual differential threshold, but with a vastly reduced pool of players to pick from this week, we’ve made an exception.

The 24-year-old has endured a difficult season at the Emirates, having suffered his fair share of injury problems, but now looks to have turned a corner, starting all three of Arsenal’s most recent Premier League outings. During that time, he has produced a whopping 31 points, and ranks joint-fifth amongst all defenders for passes received in the final third.

For Arsenal, it does feel like progress is being made, as they now sit in the Champions League qualification places, having taken 29 points from a possible 42 since Gameweek 4. Notably, they have kept eight clean sheets in those 14 fixtures, a total no team can better and only Manchester City and Liverpool can match.

Up next for Mikel Arteta’s side is a trip to Elland Road, followed by games against Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, the two worst performing attacks in the division this season. As a result, Tierney has potential for points at both ends of the pitch and could be a smart differential for those on the lookout for a new defender.

JACOB RAMSEY

• FPL ownership: 1.1%
• Price: £4.5m
• GW18-22 fixtures: BUR | CHE | lee | bre | MUN

In recent weeks, Jacob Ramsey (£4.5m) has established himself as one of Aston Villa’s main attacking threats.

The 20-year-old has started five of Steven Gerrard’s six games in charge, netting against Norwich City on Tuesday, with his performance in the 2-0 win arguably his best of the season to date.

Whether deployed on the left of Villa’s midfield three, or further forward as an inside forward, Ramsey has excelled, producing a respectable six goal attempts, five shots in the box and nine penalty box touches across his last five starts.

“I never watch my stuff back unless someone else has put it on the telly! But listen, he should try and watch as much football as he can and learn off as many people as he can. That is the mentality I want, for him to keep trying to be the best version of himself. The goal was really impressive, a tight one-two and then the power and speed to get into the box and finish on his weaker side. It was a top, top goal. But I don’t want the goal to take away from the fact his overall performance was really top level. I am really excited to keep working with him.” – Steven Gerrard when asked about Ramsey’s admission that he had been inspired by watching clips of him

Under Gerrard, it’s four wins in six for Villa, having beaten Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Norwich, with their only losses arriving against the current top two: Manchester City and Liverpool. The Villans now take on Burnley in tomorrow’s Gameweek 18 opener, before appealing away trips to Leeds United and Brentford to follow.

In a short space of time, Ramsey has proven he has the physical and technical ability to thrive in the Premier League, and with minutes now more assured in the absence of Marvelous Nakamba (£4.5m), he looks ready to kick-on.

CHRIS WOOD

• FPL ownership: 1.4%
• Price: £6.7m
• GW18-22 fixtures: avl | EVE | mun | lee | LEI

With just three goals in 16 Premier League appearances, it’s been a slow start to the season for Chris Wood (£6.7m).

However, the New Zealand international has been a model of consistency since joining Burnley from Leeds United back in August 2017, scoring at least 10 top-flight goals in each of his four Premier League campaigns.

This season, he has posted team-leading totals for goal attempts, shots in the box, efforts on target, big chances and penalty area touches, and while performances have taken a dip in recent weeks, Wood is generally a dependable member of Sean Dyche’s squad who he often turns to in big moments.

Looking ahead to Gameweek 18, Burnley have a testing trip to a much-improved Aston Villa side, though fixtures against Everton (h), Leeds United (a) and Leicester City (h) to follow are all particularly appealing, given that those three sides rank 16th, 18th and 15th respectively for expected goals conceded (xGC) across the opening rounds.

Notably, Wood didn’t score his third goal of the campaign until December last year, but then went on a run, finding the back of the net nine times across his next 20 appearances. Hitting those same heights again is a big ask, but Wood has proven he can deliver consistently over the years, and could be an effective differential for our frontlines in the coming weeks.