FPL Waiver Wire: Gameweek 9 Differentials

The last time we saw the Premier League, Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah were both injured. Two weeks later and it appears both are healthy, or at least back at training. That being the case, I wouldn't pull the trigger and drop either, even with some difficult fixtures ahead. Neither are differentials, though De Bruyne has been dropped by close to one million fantasy manager in the Premier League's official game. I'd rather drop Raheem Sterling, who is the most popular midfielder in the official FPL game at almost 40 percent. Either most people are waiting for him to turn things around or ignoring that he's started two of Man City's last four matches. 

FPL DIFFERENTIALS

At Sterling's price, you can add anyone you want, with De Bruyne, Salah and Sadio Mane the most logical choices. Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva are also in the conversation, but similar to Sterling, you aren't guaranteed a start every match. Unfortunately, John McGinn and Son Heung-Min are no longer differentials, so I'll have to cover different options, with Andriy Yarmolenko near the top of the list. West Ham have one of the more favorable upcoming schedules that includes Everton, Sheffield United, Newcastle and Burnley. As for Yarmolenko, he has similar numbers to teammate Sebastien Haller, who is slightly more expensive. Yarmolenko isn't producing a ton, but he has three goals and one assist from six shots on goal and nine chances created. Gylfi Sigurdsson is suddenly a differential because he's been one of the most dropped players since the beginning of the season. However, he has a good chance to turn things around. Everton have a manageable upcoming schedule and they can only get better as a team after some bad performances. Sigurdsson is in the same role as last season and is averaging almost three chances created per match, so the goals and assists will come. The deep cuts are Willian, Manuel Lanzini and Adama Traore with all in play in case you plan on dropping Wilfried Zaha. Willian has started Chelsea's last six matches in all competitions and has made the scoresheet in the last three. The other two don't have the same consistency, but Traore will soon become a favorite if he can stay in the starting XI. Most importantly is that Wolves have two of their next four at home against Southampton and Aston Villa.

Teemu Pukki's ownership has begun to drop and it probably won't stop with a match against Manchester United next weekend. Wesley Moraes may be the hot forward coming off a brace, but there's no use in adding him with upcoming matches against Man City and Liverpool. Instead, I'd rather look at Haller, who maybe hasn't been amazing but has played a full 90 in all but one match. 

I don't hate going full differential at defender, especially to save some salary cap space. Now is a good time to drop the expensive Liverpool players, namely Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson. Even with Alisson Becker back in the fold, I'm not sure how many clean sheets they'll get with both Manchester clubs and Tottenham in the upcoming schedule. I'd also drop all of my Crystal Palace players with four of their next five against big-six teams and the other against Leicester City. The best teams to buy into in terms of schedule are Arsenal, Chelsea and Wolverhampton. Calum Chambers is worth a look to save money, though like the rest of the Arsenal defenders, he can't be trusted for clean sheets. Conor Coady makes the most sense if you want a player from one of those teams who will start every match. Otherwise, it's kind of a guessing game, especially with Chelsea getting back a few defenders from injury.

FANTRAX FINDS

There may not be any forwards worth taking a stab at, but there should be plenty of midfielders to add ahead of Gameweek 9. Sean Longstaff didn't score Newcastle's last goal, though he's taking the majority of their set pieces while Matt Ritchie is out. Matthew Longstaff is a bit more of a stretch mostly because his spot isn't guaranteed in the starting XI. That said, John Fleck, one of Sheffield United's set-piece taker, may be the better move this week against Arsenal because Newcastle travel to Chelsea. If you want someone who doesn't provide upside but is producing at almost the same rate every match, Marvelous Nakamba is widely available. The same goes for Conor Hourihane, who has started the last two matches and produced a goal and assist against Norwich. On the other end of the field, Dale Stephens has been a surprisingly decent fantasy option, and I'm not sure Villa will stop that from continuing.

It's a bit easier to find defenders on the wire with Coady, Matt Targett and Ben Davies all in play. Davies received his first start last match and Targett has started the last two for Villa. If you're in a big league, there are still viable choices, with Djibril Sidibe set to start for Everton against West Ham because Seamus Coleman is suspended. I'd also keep an eye on Ryan Bennett, who replaced an injured Romain Saiss last match.

CAPTAIN DEEP DIVES

Harry Kane is the most reasonable captain at home against Watford, but I'm not sure any other top player is in an overly good situation. Man United host Liverpool while both Man City and Arsenal are away against sides who prefer to play defensively. Instead, I'd rather turn to Jamie Vardy (v. Burnley) or Raul Jimenez (v. Southampton), who are both in great situations to score. My favorite differential captain is Callum Wilson, who faces a Norwich City team that gave up five goals to Villa last match. It also helps that he's made the scoresheet in all but one match this season.