FPL Differentials 2026/27: Four Cheap Picks for the Opening Gameweeks

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Here are four FPL differentials worth a look for the opening gameweeks of 2026/27. Each pick rests on two things only: what the player did last season, and who his team plays in the first five games. No preseason hype and no guesswork.

Worth saying up front. Most of your squad should be the safe, popular players. They are popular because they score. Carrying one or two differentials around that core is how you quietly get ahead, but it should stay a small part of the team.

The four picks

Kevin Schade, Brentford, £6.0m, 2.4% owned

Barely owned, and cheap for what he gives you. Schade scored eight goals last season with a 0.40 xG90 and a 0.47 xGI90 across 2,744 minutes, so the goal threat is real and he played nearly every week. At 20.8 points per million he is a lot of output for £6.0m, and 2.4% ownership keeps him a proper differential.

Brentford's start is decent. They face Spurs, Leeds, Sunderland, Bournemouth and Chelsea.

Marcus Tavernier, Bournemouth, £6.0m, 1.5% owned

Good value at 22.8 points per million, on 4.0 points per game and a 0.45 xGI90 over 2,732 minutes, and owned by just 1.5%. Eli Kroupi's recent injury makes him more important still. With Bournemouth's young forward out, more of the attack runs through Tavernier, which lifts both his floor and his ceiling in the opening weeks.

The fixtures are harder here. Man City and Liverpool sit at either end of the first five. But a player this central to his team's attack, at this price and ownership, is a cheap way to find points.

Rayan Cherki, Man City, £7.5m, 9.6% owned

The big swing, with a catch. Cherki is not nailed. At least he was not with Pep around. His 1,772 minutes tell you he was in and out of the side last season, and City rotated heavily. That is still a risk. The reward is his potential. A 0.67 xGI90 is a serious underlying threat, and if he starts regularly he is a goldmine, because that output over a full run of minutes is worth far more than his 4.1 points per game suggests.

The fixtures back the gamble. City play Bournemouth, Palace, Coventry, Man Utd and Sunderland, a soft and mostly home run, with newly promoted Coventry at home the standout. Watch the team news. If Cherki is starting, this is the pick with the most upside.

Enzo Fernández, Chelsea, £7.0m, 5.2% owned

The numbers speak for themselves. He scored 4.4 points per game over 3,114 minutes last season, with a 0.54 xGI90 off the back of ten goals. That is steady, heavy output for a midfielder, and at 22.4 points per million the price looks light for what he gives you.

One thing to keep an eye on. Enzo returns to training in early August, so a condensed preseason makes him a slight risk for the opening match. He stays a central figure in Chelsea's midfield plans under head coach Xabi Alonso, but his starting spot on the first weekend will come down to his sharpness and match fitness in the final warm up sessions. Check the team news before you lock him in.

Chelsea's opening run is friendly. They play Fulham, Brighton, Arsenal, Hull and Brentford, and only Arsenal looks tough.

To sum up

Four FPL differentials, all under 10% owned, all backed by last season's output and decent opening fixtures. Build around your safe, popular picks first, then use a differential or two from here to get ahead of the pack. Enzo and Tavernier are the steady options, Schade is the cheap punt, and Cherki is the gamble that could win you the early weeks if he pins down a starting spot.

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