With the second half of the 2025/26 season beginning to take shape, FPL Gameweek 23 offers a strong opportunity for managers looking to gain an edge.
Whether you’re chasing rank, attacking a mini-league deficit or setting up for future fixtures, targeting low-owned players with encouraging data can pay off.
Our strategy balances attacking potential with defensive coverage:
⚽ 3 attacking player – midfielders or forwards
🛡️ 2 defensive players – defenders or goalkeepers
This ensures coverage across the pitch while prioritising FPL points, essential for Gameweek success.
The 24-year-old Senegal international returns to the Everton line-up fresh from winning AFCON and will be keen to re-establish himself quickly. Despite not featuring since Gameweek 16, Ndiaye remains Everton’s joint-top league goalscorer with four goals, highlighting just how influential he has been in limited appearances.
Across his 16 league outings, Ndiaye has recorded 20 total shots, with 12 on target — the highest figure among Everton players. Creatively, he has chipped in with two assists, while also creating four 'big chances' for teammates.
His first game back comes at home to Leeds and, as shown in the Heatmaps feature, Ndiaye is averaging 4.6 FPL points per home match — Everton’s third-highest return, behind only Dewsbury-Hall (5.6) and Keane (5.9), both of whom will be unavailable. Leeds have conceded 24 goals in away matches, the third most in the league, and have kept just one clean sheet on their travels.
With Everton having scored only 24 goals in 22 matches — the sixth fewest in the division — the Toffees will be hoping the Senegalese midfielder can provide an attacking spark in the second half of the campaign.
At just 22 years old, the Germany international has quietly become one of the most intriguing midfielders in FPL from an underlying data perspective. Over the last five Gameweeks, Schade has posted 4.25 non-penalty expected goals, second only to teammate Thiago (4.77) during that period.
Across those five matches, as shown in the Match Centre tool, he ranks second among Brentford players for goals (3), xG (4.2), shots on target (9) and FPL assists (2), while also sitting third for attempted assists (5).
Looking at the season as a whole, Schade has scored six goals from 38 total shots, with 37 of those coming from inside the box. That shot volume in central areas is particularly encouraging and highlights his advanced positioning within Brentford’s system. Despite being classified as a midfielder in FPL, his Opta heat map and chance profile closely resemble that of a second striker.
With Brentford hosting Nottingham Forest, they will be looking to build on a strong home goal tally of 23 — bettered only by Arsenal (26) and Manchester City (27). Given Schade’s license to operate between the lines, he stands out as one of the most explosive differentials available for the upcoming Gameweek.
Selecting City attackers always comes with rotation concerns, but the 22-year-old Belgium international could be well placed this week. Having not featured midweek in the Champions League, Doku looks primed for a starting role as City aim to bounce back from recent defeats to Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt.
Despite limited minutes overall, Doku has already delivered seven FPL assists — the second most among Manchester City players — as shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox. He has also created 10 'big chances' this season, highlighting his ability to consistently produce high-quality opportunities from wide areas.
Despite their recent resurgence, Wolves arrive having conceded 41 league goals, the third-highest tally in the division, while keeping just two clean sheets all season. The Predicted Points & Stats tool is projecting City to score over two goals, the highest of any team in Gameweek 23. With City likely to dominate possession and territory, Doku’s pace and creativity make him a high-upside gamble at low ownership.
The 25-year-old Northern Ireland international has been a quietly reliable option in Sunderland’s back line. His baseline bonus numbers are strong and he has picked up seven FPL bonus points so far this season — the joint third-most among Sunderland players. Added to that is his attacking threat, having already contributed two goals and one assist.
With favourable fixtures continuing, Sunderland rank top for defensive difficulty over the next two Gameweeks — facing West Ham (A) and Burnley (H) — according to the Fixture Planner.
Ballard is the fourth-highest defender for predicted points (9.2) across this period, with only Tarkowski (9.4), Chalobah (9.4) and Gabriel (10.1) ranking higher — all of whom are both more expensive and more highly owned.
As a result, Ballard combines strong value with genuine differential appeal.
At 26, the Portugal international has grown into a dependable defensive asset under Pep Guardiola, having previously featured in midfield before settling into his current role.
With O’Reilly’s minutes increasingly under threat after failing to start the last two league matches, Nunes may now represent the best defensive route into the Manchester City back line.
City have conceded the second-fewest goals (21) and kept nine clean sheets — the joint second-highest in the league — as shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox. Wolves offer an appealing opportunity to add to that tally, having scored just 15 goals all season while also registering the lowest xG (19.99) figure in the division.
The Predicted Points & Stats tool rates City with a 60% chance of a clean sheet — the highest of any team in Gameweek 23. While managers should monitor Guardiola’s press conference after Nunes missed last Gameweek through illness, he remains one of the safest and lowest-owned routes into City’s defence.
Whether you’re rolling the dice with explosive attackers like Schade and Doku, or shoring up your defence with Ballard and Nunes, these five FPL differentials for Gameweek 23 combine strong data, low ownership and excellent fixtures. Used wisely, they could be the difference between maintaining rank and making a decisive climb.
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