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 12 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 (GW12)

Heading into the last Gameweek before the last of the European Championship qualifiers, there are lots of collective musings about whether it is time to activate your wildcard or not. There are also titanic fixtures this week, like Burnley hosting the cutthroat West Ham, and the epic encounter on Friday night as title challengers Norwich host Watford who can’t stop winning. For the twelfth time this season we are helping you navigate the nail-biting dilemmas of the Premier League with a player from each game.

Gameweek 12: Differentials

NOR/WAT: Roberto Pereyra (WAT, MID, £5.6mil, 0.9% ownership)

CHE/CRY: Kepa Arrizabalaga (CHE, GK, £5.5mil, 5.6% ownership)

BUR/WHU: Dwight McNeil (BUR, MID, £6.0mil, 0.6% ownership)

NEW/BOU: Federico Fernández (NEW, DEF, £4.4mil, 0.2% ownership)

SOU/EVE: Richarlison (EVE, MID, £7.9mil, 6.5% ownership)

TOT/SHU: Heung-Min Son (TOT, MID, £9.6mil, 6.3% ownership)

LEI/ARS: Harvey Barnes (LEI, MID, £5.9mil, 1.0% ownership)

MUN/BHA: Anthony Martial (MUN, MID, £7.6mil, 6.6% ownership)

WOL/AVL: Adama Traoré (WOL, MID, £5.1mil, 4.0% ownership)

LIV/MCI: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (LIV, MID, £6.2mil, 0.5% ownership)

GW12: Differential Highlights

Dwight McNeil (BUR): The Clarets have produced a quality player in McNeil, and so far, this season he has accumulated five returns from eleven games which is good going for a Burnley asset. Choosing West Ham players is incredibly frustrating due to the Hammers inclination of dropping out of any form they pick up almost immediately. After being deservedly beaten by Newcastle, I can see Burnley’s McNeil asking lots of questions about the horror show that is the West Ham right-back position.

Harvey Barnes (LEI): The young Fox has been quietly going about his business, and in his last five games Barnes has three returns, two at home against Newcastle and Burnley, and away at Southampton in the 9-0 mauling. An in-turmoil Arsenal are turning up at the King Power on Saturday evening and we can see things go from bad to worse for the Gunners, with Barnes contributing to that misery.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (LIV): Time is running out on Jordan Henderson’s time with both The Ox and Naby Keita ramping up gears. Also, Ox has been finding the back of the net with more frequency of late. Cast your mind back two years and the Englishman ran this fixture, and Liverpool sorely missed him in last years 0-0. The Ox has found his feet again after a year out with an ACL injury, and he is legitimately a differential that can get them over the line against City.

Key Differential: Anthony Martial (Man United)

At the top of the table there is a clash between Liverpool and Manchester City which could be a game that effectively decides the fate of the Premier League title. That isn’t the only battle taking place that could have ramifications for the end of the season, as there is one team that has acquired an ambitious manager and is seeking to build up the club through implementing a set way of playing to sustain a top half finish. To send a message to the other teams vying for this goal they must take points off a direct competitor, who are two points behind them in the table…Manchester United.

Throughout the last two years Brighton and Manchester United has tussled for Premier League points, with both teams fighting hard to ensure they have bragging rights over the other. Look at the last four meetings between the two equally matched sides:

25/11/2017: Manchester United 1-0 Brighton

04/08/2018: Brighton 1-0 Manchester United

19/08/2018: Brighton 3-2 Manchester United

19/01/2019: Manchester United 2-1 Brighton

Brighton and United have been in a viscous tug-of-war, with neither side being able to break the trend of home team wins, and for Manchester United to keep up this trend they will need a capable goal scorer to leapfrog Brighton in the table, and between these two mid-table differential teams there is maybe one hope for Manchester United to overcome the in-form away team. Speaking of form, Man United really have their backs against the wall, look for yourself:

Brighton Hove Albion Form (last five games): LWLWW (9pts)

Manchester United Form (last five games): DLDWL (5pts)

Things haven’t been the same since Anthony Martial was injured, the Frenchman started the season with three consecutive returns in a win, draw, and loss. Was it not for VAR, United may not be in the position to jump ahead of a direct competitor for top half positions. Brighton have scored five goals in their last two games and represent a real threat for United to contend with this weekend. To overcome this mental block, they will need their best player up for the challenge. Brighton are coming to win at the weekend, and even if it is a consolation goal the most likely player is Martial.

It might be a push, but if they work hard, and get the best out of Martial, and get a few lucky decisions from VAR, Manchester United might…just might…have a chance against Brighton at the weekend.

Want to know more about The Hype Train?

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.

We pride ourselves in providing beautiful graphics, statistics, in-depth analytical reporting and free weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb rankings tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review games, live sport, and professional wrestling.

In 2019, Hype Train Football Club was formed, becoming the first Fantasy Football website to take to the field. HTFC is a socially active team across social and web channels, providing regular match highlights, match reports, comprehensive player statistics and unique player profiles.

The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog' in 2016 by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), and were again shortlisted as a finalist in 2019 in the 'Best Fantasy Football Blog' category.

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All aboard.