5 Must-Have FPL Differential Picks for Gameweek 1

The Fantasy Premier League season kicks off in just a few hours, and the clock is ticking to finalize your Gameweek 1 squad. With new scoring rules, extra chips, and fierce competition, a strong start is more important than ever.

If you pick the same template players as everyone else, you risk falling behind early. The key? Differentials — low-owned players with high upside who can give you a points boost your rivals won’t get.

Here are 5 differential picks for FPL Gameweek 1 that could set your season off with a bang.

---

1. Cody Gakpo (£7.5m, Liverpool) – Low-Owned Reds Goal Threat

• Ownership: 7.1%
• 2023/24 Stats: 10 goals, 4 assists in 35 matches (23 starts)
• Pre-Season: 4 goals, 1 assist – most in Liverpool’s squad

Why Pick Him?: Likely starter on the left for the opening fixtures. Cheaper route into Liverpool’s attack than Salah, making him a great option whether doubling up or covering if you’ve gone without the Egyptian. So far in pre season, he has already scored 4 goals and has one assist to his name. More than any of his teammates. He seems to be a favourite of Slot for the start of the season.

---

2. Maxim De Cuyper (£4.5m, Brighton) – Attack-Minded Left-Back

• Ownership: 6.8%
• 2023/24 Stats (Club Brugge): 2 goals, 5 assists in the league, plus Champions League experience.
• Why Pick Him?: Known for bombing forward and delivering in the final third. New Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler encourages fullbacks to attack, which could make De Cuyper a bargain defender with attacking returns. He has good experience at the highest level as well having played and scored in the Champions League for his previous club Brugge.

---

3. El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.5m, West Ham) – Set-Piece Threat

• Ownership: Low differential potential (under 5%)
• 2023/24 Stats (Slavia Prague): 8 goals, 3 assists from defence in the league.
• Why Pick Him?: A natural wing-back in a likely 3-5-2 system under Graham Potter. With Cresswell gone, Diouf looks set to start and offers aerial threat from set pieces plus attacking width. He has already endeared himself to Hammers fans having produced a sumptuous assist for club captain Jarrod Bowen in a pre-season win against Bournemouth. He is coming of a league winning season in Czech Republic for Slavia Prague in which he played a crucial role in his one and only season for the club.

---

4. Elliot Anderson (£5.5m, Newcastle) – New Defensive Contribution Magnet

• Ownership: 7.3%
• 2023/24 Stats: Would have earned 36 extra points under this year’s new “Defensive Contributions” scoring.
• Why Pick Him?: Defensive contribution points are one of the new ways that players can earn points in FPL this season. If this was the case last season, then only Moises Caicedo of Chelsea would have earned more points than Elliot Anderson. If these same points were available last season, then he would have gotten an additional 36 point in 33 starts. If you have spent big elsewhere in your team and want someone cheap to add to your team that can still get point, then Anderson might be your man

5. Djed Spence (£4.5m, Spurs) – Temporary Starter with Attacking Upside

• Ownership: 1.1%
• 2023/24 Stats: 25 games, 1 goal, 2 assists.
• Why Pick Him?: With Destiny Udogie injured, Spence looks set to start at left-back. New manager Thomas Frank is more defensively disciplined than his predecessor, which could mean clean sheets plus attacking involvement early on. We already saw this against European champions PSG a few days ago in the European SuperCup. Okay fine…Spurs did what Spurs do and ended up losing the game after taking a 2-0 lead. But still, for 70 min Spurs looked pretty comfortable in defence against last seasons Champions League winners. This bodes well for the upcoming season.

---

Final Thoughts

Differentials are all about getting ahead of the curve. Even if just one or two of these players deliver big in Gameweek 1, you’ll already have an edge over the template squads.

With the deadline just hours away, lock in your picks, trust your gut, and get ready for another rollercoaster FPL season.