With just a few Gameweeks left of the 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League season, Double Gameweek 36 offers managers another chance to attack the rankings with low-owned picks.
Last week’s differentials delivered strong returns. Kroupi Jr scored against Palace, while Hill produced a 10-point haul thanks to a clean sheet, DEFCON points and two bonus points against the Eagles. That is exactly the kind of upside we are looking for again this week.
However, this is not simply a case of loading up on every Double Gameweek player available.
Many FPL managers will already be tripled up on Man City assets, with Haaland, Cherki, Semenyo and O'Reilly all expected to be heavily owned.
Palace, meanwhile, have shown plenty of rotation as they keep one eye on European success. So, despite both clubs having two fixtures, we are not recommending players from only those two teams.
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.
Jérémy Doku comes into Double Gameweek 36 fresh from a 15-point haul against Everton, a timely reminder that there is more to Man City’s attack than Haaland, Cherki and Semenyo.
The 23-year-old Belgian is still owned by just 3.1% of managers, making him an interesting differential route into City’s double against Brentford and Crystal Palace. With many FPL managers likely to be tripled up on the more obvious City picks, Doku offers a way to target the same fixtures while going against the grain.
His recent numbers add to the appeal. Over the last five Gameweeks, Doku is joint-top among Man City players for goals, level with Haaland on three. He has also registered 0.9 expected goals, had four shots on target and attempted 10 assists during that spell, as shown in the Match Centre.
Across the season, Doku has played 25 matches and registered eight FPL assists. Creativity has been one of his main routes to points, with 50 attempted assists and 7.00 expected assists (xA).
Among Man City players, only Cherki has attempted more assists with 56, while Doku’s eight FPL assists also rank second for the club, again behind Cherki’s 12.
At just 3.1% ownership, he is the kind of differential who could make a real difference in Double Gameweek 36.
Jack Hinshelwood was recommended back in Gameweek 32 after appearing to take up a more advanced role for Brighton, and he has rewarded that interest by scoring twice since then.
✅ 2 goals and 1 assist in 5 games
— Fantasy Football Fix (@FantasyFootyFix) May 5, 2026
✅ 2.2 xG and 5 big chances in that spell
✅ WOL (H) • LEE (A) • MUN (H)
✅ Just 0.6% owned
✅ Only £5.1m
Does Hinshelwood tempt you for the run-in? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/0rRECqbAxN
The 21-year-old Englishman remains incredibly low-owned at just 0.6%, although that could change with Brighton hosting Wolves in Gameweek 36.
Excluding the two teams that double, Brighton have the most favourable attacking fixtures for the run-in according to the Fixture Planner.
They face Leeds, who look all but safe from relegation, and Man United, who have already qualified for the Champions League. With the Seagulls still chasing European qualification, they should have everything to play for.
At this stage of the season, a 0.6%-owned midfielder with genuine attacking threat can be a powerful differential, especially if Wolves struggle to contain Brighton at the Amex.
And if you are considering a more obvious route into the Brighton attack, we recently compared Hinshelwood to Welbeck in a Who To Target article. You might be surprised by the outcome.
The football and FPL landscape can change quickly. A few weeks ago, recommending a Spurs player may have looked more than risky, but two wins in their last two matches suggest Roberto De Zerbi may have started to turn things around.
Richarlison has been one of the main reasons for that change in fortune. The Brazilian assisted against Wolves before scoring and collecting maximum bonus points against Aston Villa, showing signs that he could be hitting form at exactly the right time.
Spurs host Leeds in Gameweek 36, giving the 28-year-old a chance to continue his recent run. Leeds’ away record is a concern, having conceded 31 goals on the road, the fourth most in the league, while keeping just two clean sheets, the joint-third fewest, as shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox. With safety all but confirmed, there is also the possibility that their intensity drops slightly late in the season.
Richarlison’s season-long numbers show why he remains interesting. Across 29 matches, he has scored 10 goals, provided four FPL assists and picked up 16 bonus points. In what has been an injury-ravaged season for the north London side, he has still stood out above their other attacking assets for output in the Opta Stats Sandbox.
At 5.7% ownership, he could make a huge difference to your rank if he continues to return and helps push Spurs to safety.
Matheus Nunes often appears in our differential articles, but with Haaland, Cherki, O’Reilly and Semenyo likely to attract so much attention, he can easily be overlooked.
The Insight Live tool shows that Nunes is currently the fifth most-owned Man City player in the top one million managers, with just 3.0% ownership. Haaland (85.9%), O’Reilly (61.5%), Semenyo (59.9%), Cherki (27.1%) and Guehi (21.6%) are all ahead of him.
That is often where the best FPL differentials are found. Going against the grain does not always mean avoiding a popular team completely. Sometimes, it means selecting the less obvious player from the side everyone wants to target.
The 27-year-old Portugal international has played 2,627 minutes across 30 matches this season, the most of any City defender, which should ease some rotation concerns.
He's scored once and provided eight FPL assists, with his assist output a key part of his appeal. Among City players, only Cherki has more FPL assists.
His value comes from a combination of minutes, creativity, clean-sheet potential and bonus.
Nunes has already collected 16 bonus points this season, bettered only by Semenyo and Haaland among City players. Semenyo’s total is slightly inflated by the bonus he collected for Bournemouth before his January move, making Nunes’ figure even more impressive in context.
The Portuguese defender has a strong baseline bonus profile, averaging 8.33 baseline BPS per game. If City keep a clean sheet in a low-scoring match, Nunes looks well placed to compete for bonus points.
With 9.5 predicted points, fixtures against Brentford and Crystal Palace, and just 3.0% ownership, Nunes looks like one of the standout differentials for Double Gameweek 36.
You would be forgiven for avoiding Palace players altogether in Double Gameweek 36. The rotation risk is real, especially with their attention also on Europe. But if you do fancy taking the risk, Maxence Lacroix looks like one of their more secure options.
The 26-year-old Frenchman has played 90 minutes in each of the last five matches and has totalled 2,846 minutes across 32 games this season. Among Palace outfield players, only Mitchell has played more, with 2,938 minutes. However, you could also argue that those heavy minutes make Lacroix due a rest.
His biggest appeal is defensive contributions (DEFCON). Lacroix has recorded 345 DEFCON this season and averages 10.78 per game, putting him above the threshold for the additional two points. That means he could still return even if Palace concede.
The Man City fixture is clearly far from ideal, but the Everton match gives him genuine clean-sheet potential. Everton have scored just 19 away goals, the sixth fewest in the league, and have managed only 53 shots on target, the second fewest. The Predicted Points & Stats tool also gives Palace a 50% chance of keeping a clean sheet in that fixture.
At 6.5% ownership, Lacroix is not risk-free, especially with Palace’s European focus, but he offers multiple routes to points across the double: clean sheets, DEFCON, bonus and the occasional attacking return.
Double Gameweek 36 is not just about picking players with two fixtures. Rotation, ownership and routes to points all matter.
Doku offers explosive upside in a Man City attack where many managers will take the more obvious routes. Nunes provides a steadier, bonus-friendly way into City’s double. Lacroix gives Palace defensive coverage with strong DEFCON appeal, while Hinshelwood and Richarlison both offer low-owned alternatives with attractive single fixtures.
All five are under 10% owned, making them genuine differentials for managers looking to attack the final stretch of the season.
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