Top 5 FPL Differentials for Gameweek 32: Wildcard Special

With Double Gameweek 33 now confirmed and Blank Gameweek 34 looming large, many Fantasy Premier League managers are settling on the same chip strategy: Wildcard in Gameweek 32, Bench Boost in Double Gameweek 33, then Free Hit in Blank Gameweek 34.

That makes this the perfect week to hunt for differentials.

The good news is that last Gameweek’s picks delivered. Anthony Gordon scored and collected maximum bonus points against Sunderland, while Matty Cash rewarded owners with a clean sheet against West Ham.

So, for managers chasing rank, here are five more under-the-radar options to consider if you're playing your Wildcard.

How We Picked These FPL Differentials

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.

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Jack Hinshelwood: Brighton’s new number 10 is flying under the radar

• Ownership: 0.1%
• Next fixture: Burnley (A)
• Predicted points: 3.9

Few players in the game are more of a true differential than the Seagulls midfielder, with just 0.1% ownership. Hinshelwood is owned by almost nobody, yet his recent role makes him a very interesting option for managers looking to get ahead of the template.

The 20-year-old has made 20 appearances this season, scoring once and providing five assists. His overall numbers are fine for a budget-friendly player priced at just £5.1m, with 23 shots, seven on target, 2.13 expected goals (xG) and 1.89 expected assists (xA).

However, his role has changed in recent weeks. Deployed in an advanced number 10 position, six consecutive starts have brought 10 shots in the box, two big chances, three assists and two big chances created.

His Opta shot map above shows the 14 shots he has had in the last six Gameweeks compared with the nine he managed across Gameweeks 1 to 25. That is the sort of output that can quickly turn a 0.1%-owned player into a major talking point.

Brighton’s immediate fixture against Burnley is decent enough, with the Clarets keeping just one clean sheet in their last 19 matches and conceding 27 goals in that period, the joint-most in the league alongside Spurs, as shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox.

If you are looking for a chip-strategy enabler who could also provide attacking upside, Hinshelwood is a very interesting gamble.

Rayan Cherki: The ultimate high-risk, high-reward punt

• Ownership: 6.9%
• Next fixture: Chelsea (A)
• Predicted points: 3.2

This is the purest definition of a differential. Most managers playing their Wildcard will look at Haaland, Semenyo and O’Reilly when shopping in the Manchester City pool. Cherki, though, offers a completely different route in.

The France international has played 25 times this season and has three goals and nine assists. His goal threat is modest enough, with 33 shots, eight on target and an xG of 2.67, but his creativity numbers are outstanding.

Only Bruno Fernandes (12.37) has bettered Cherki’s 7.05 xA total, while his 15 big chances created also rank second in the league, again behind the Manchester United talisman (24). He also has 42 attempted assists, which underlines just how central he has been to City’s attacking play.

There is a clear minutes risk, which is why his ownership remains so low, but the upside is obvious. Among Manchester City players who have played at least 900 minutes this season, Cherki is averaging 6.88 FPL points per 90 minutes, bettered only by Haaland’s 7.33, as shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox tool.

For those willing to embrace a bit of chaos in the run-in, the 22-year-old could be a huge rank-booster.

The question is simple: will he get enough minutes?

Danny Welbeck: Brighton’s veteran forward still delivering

• Ownership: 5.2%
• Next fixture: Burnley (A)
• Predicted points: 4.1

At 35, the England international is enjoying another superb season and continues to defy expectations. Welbeck’s previous best Premier League campaign for goals came in 2024/25, when he hit double figures for the first time with 10. This season, he has already gone better with 12 goals, proving he really is ageing like a fine wine.

The Brighton striker has played 30 matches this season and his underlying numbers remain strong. He has registered 43 shots, 20 of those on target, alongside an impressive 9.88 xG. Creativity is not really where his value lies, with no FPL assists and 1.87 expected assists, but in front of goal he is clearly Brighton’s main threat.

That has also shown up in the Match Centre data over the Seagulls’ last five matches, where Welbeck is top among Brighton players for goals (4), xG (2.0) and shots on target (5).

For managers targeting Brighton’s Double Gameweek 33 against Spurs and Chelsea, the experienced frontman offers a nice differential route into Fabian Hürzeler’s attack.

Jan Paul van Hecke: Brighton’s standout defensive differential

• Ownership: 5.1%
• Next fixture: Burnley (A)
• Predicted points: 4.9

The Dutch defender is not just a budget enabler. He is Brighton’s top-scoring FPL asset this season with 120 points, which says plenty about both his consistency and his all-round routes to returns.

Van Hecke has played 29 times, scoring three goals and supplying two assists. For a defender, those attacking numbers are excellent, especially when backed up by 19 shots, nine efforts on target and an xG of 2.76. He has also created 10 chances and posted 0.71 expected assists, which adds another layer to his appeal.

At the back, the 24-year-old has kept seven clean sheets and continues to offer strong DEFCON value. He has delivered four DEFCON returns in the last six Gameweeks and Brighton have also kept three clean sheets in that same spell.

For Wildcard managers targeting Brighton’s Double Gameweek 33, van Hecke stands out as one of the safest picks in this list. He offers clean-sheet potential, aerial threat, bonus potential and steady minutes, all while still being owned by barely 5% of the game.

Hill: Bournemouth’s budget defender with upside

• Ownership: 7.6%
• Next fixture: Arsenal (A)
• Predicted points: 3.6

Hill is unlikely to be the glamour pick in Wildcard drafts, but not every differential needs to be explosive. Sometimes the value lies in finding a cheap defender who can help make the Bench Boost structure work in Double Gameweek 33 and free up funds elsewhere.

Since Gameweek 23, he is the third-highest scoring defender, with 52 points. Only Gabriel (53) and Virgil van Dijk (54) have returned more. In that time, he has collected two bonus points, three assists, four clean sheets and DEFCON returns on six occasions.

The immediate trip to Arsenal is far from ideal, but this article is written through the lens of Wildcard managers planning ahead for a Bench Boost in Double Gameweek 33, so he could easily be benched this Gameweek.

Bournemouth’s double against Newcastle and Leeds gives Hill far more relevance in that context, especially as a defender priced at just £4.2m.

However, if you do have more budget to play with, Senesi (£5.1m) could be the better option. Tarek Balbaa, the 10x top 10k-finishing manager who is currently ranked 38,430, has opted for him while on Wildcard. You can check out his full draft on the Elite XI: Team Revealtool.

Wildcard 33 Differentials Final thoughts

When so many Wildcard squads begin to look the same, differentials are where rank can really be won.

Welbeck brings proven finishing and form. Cherki offers explosive creativity if the minutes come. Hinshelwood looks like a left-field gem in an advanced role. Van Hecke is arguably the standout Brighton defender. Hill, meanwhile, makes plenty of sense as a budget Bench Boost enabler with a confirmed double on the horizon.

For managers planning around Wildcard 32, Bench Boost 33 and Free Hit 34, these five names could help separate your squad from the template.

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