FPL Waiver Wire: Gameweek 27 Differentials

After a never-ending Gameweek 26, it's back to normal in Gameweek 27 with a regular slate of weekend matches. There were no serious injuries and then news came out Tuesday that Son Heung-Min broke his arm and could miss the rest of the season. While he wasn't all that popular in the Premier League's official fantasy game, it's still a relevant injury. If you want to stick with Tottenham, Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn are logical replacements, but a difficult upcoming schedule in addition to Champions League play may mean it's better to look elsewhere.

FPL DIFFERENTIALS

Nicolas Pepe could get some attention after his most recent performance, but Arsenal don't have a Gameweek 28 match. It's a similar sentiment with Richarlison because Everton face Arsenal, Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next four matches. The most popular move seems to be dropping Raheem Sterling (or Son) for Sadio Mane, which means the latter will be one of the more popular players soon. If anything, I'd rather take a swing on one of the cheaper midfielders like James Ward-Prowse, Robert Snodgrass or Ondrej Duda. Southampton have the most favorable slate of that bunch with home matches against Aston Villa and Newcastle ahead. The problem is that Ward-Prowse isn't getting the same looks as earlier in the season, and he hasn't hit the back of the net since GW14.

Jamie Vardy has been one of the most transferred out players in FPL over the last few weeks. He's still the most popular forward, but he hasn't scored since Dec. 21, failing to score in his last six league starts, and the upcoming match against Man City isn't going to help. It gets easier after that, which puts a lot of fantasy managers in a tough situation. Trust an out-of-form Vardy, who has a favorable upcoming schedule, or turn to another forward who may be even harder to trust.

Unfortunately, the number of viable differential forwards is minimal because of injuries to Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford. You could throw Jay Rodriguez into the mix because of injuries to Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes, but you never know how long he will be a starter and it's hard backing a forward from a team who is struggling to score. Mbwana Samatta, who has started the last two for Aston Villa, is a future target, but he doesn't have a Gameweek 28 match.

At some point, people will start dropping John Lundstram, who has come off the bench in each of the last three matches. While he bailed everyone out with a goal last match, there are few reasons to keep a non-starter in your squad, especially one that's on close to 50 percent of teams. Newcastle and Southampton defenders make the most sense if you want a player who is cheap and has a decent chance for a clean sheet in upcoming matches. Jan Bednarek was the top Southampton choice, but Jack Stephens may have that role now with newcomer Kyle Walker-Peters also a possibility at the same price. Walker-Peters went 72 minutes in his Southampton debut and should remain a starter. Newcastle have loads of options in the back and Jamaal Lascelles is the cheapest, having started the last four matches. These players aren't guaranteed for clean sheets, but they're a better bet than Lundstram, who looks set to continue his role off the bench.

FANTRAX FINDS

The injury to Son will force more teams to look elsewhere at forward with the position almost bare in draft leagues, at least in terms of players available. Jay Rodriguez remains oddly under owned at Fantrax and I don't think it matters who is on the schedule. Both Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes are hurt and he's gone a full 90 in each of the last four games. If you're in a really big league, Matej Vydra could get a start or two, as well. Oddly, Edward Nketiah is on more rosters than Rodriguez at Fantrax even though he's unlikely to stay in the starting XI. Glenn Murray is on the radar again having gone 90 in the last two matches, but I'm not sure that will continue. 

Given the Son injury, it could be worthwhile to take a flier on Gedson Fernandes and see if he draws a start in the coming weeks, though he's unfortunately only listed as a midfielder. Ryan Sessegnon could also be in that boat, but if you need someone for this weekend, Moussa Djenepo and Valentino Lazaro are other possibilities. They may not provide consistent fantasy value, but they're in more favorable matches this week, which should help their numbers if they start. The same goes for Oriol Romeu if he gets another call in Southampton's midfield.

Defenders are plentiful for this gameweek because of the aforementioned Southampton, who are home against Aston Villa. Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters are available in a few leagues, while Jack Stephens has been the most consistent center-back. It may be worth it to keep an eye on Burnley injuries because Phil Bardsley could start again, this time at home against Bournemouth. Looking further down the list, Eric Bailly made his first start for Man United on Monday and there's a chance he stays in that role, with Watford on the schedule next.

CAPTAIN DEEP DIVES

Liverpool have another juicy matchup (home against West Ham), so there will be plenty of armbands given to Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and any of their defenders. There isn't another matchup that truly stands out as Chelsea host Tottenham and Man City are in Leicester. Arsenal are probably next in line, and it seems like whenever you begin to trust them, that's when they fall apart, so captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at your own peril. I said Danny Ings would score last match and he did and I think he'll do so again versus Aston Villa. My other favorite captain differential is Raul Jimenez, who hasn't been as potent against top competition but should rebound against Norwich (the same goes for Adama Traore).