If you are the sort of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) manager who enjoys going against the grain – or takes satisfaction from finding hidden gems before the crowd – then lowly selected players (differentials) can often provide value and offer a source of points which won’t be shared by many other managers. As long as the player picks are justifiable, differentials can give you an edge over your mini-league rivals.

Fancy an early Christmas present? Why not treat yourself to Premium Plus access for free by clicking here.In this article we look ahead to Gameweek 15 and find players from each position who are currently selected by less than 10% of managers, but could reward their owners in the upcoming Gameweeks.

DEF: Reece James

• Cost: £5.4m
• Selected by: 4.3%
• Next Fixture: MUN (a)

If you ask ten different FPL managers about their experiences owning Reece James (£5.4m), you may well get ten different answers. Timing is key with the Chelsea full-back, who has been known to frustrate managers who get it wrong, yet be a season changer for those who get it right.

His points tally this season don’t make a great argument for his prospects. Between an injury which ruled him out for seven Gameweeks, and a red card in Gameweek 13, James has bagged just seven points so far this campaign.

But… we know what the man can do! According to the Opta Stats Sandbox, there is not a single player who can beat James’ xA/90 (0.61). He’s also ranked second amongst defenders for xFPL Points per 90 (6.58).

If indeed owning James is about the timing, then could there be a better occasion to jump on board than right now? Chelsea is about to embark on a golden run of fixtures which runs right through to Gameweek 21 (and yes, we are including Manchester United away in that run!). According to our Fixture Planner, Chelsea is ranked 4th best for attacking difficulty, and top for defence in that period.

A strong reminder that James sits firmly in the dreaded ‘injury prone’ category. If he can stay fit, then he could really reward those willing to taka punt. But, heading into the festive madness, he could upset his owners by hitting the sidelines again.

MID: Hwang Hee-chan

• Cost: £5.6m
• Selected by: 6.9%
• Next Fixture: BUR (h)

Another player who has stepped up in the absence of an important team mate is Hwang Hee-chan (£5.6m). It may surprise you to learn than Hwang has only blanked five times so far this season. To put a more positive spin on it, he has returned in 9 out of his 14 appearances and in three of those, he played for just 45 minutes or less.

In the absence of Pedro Neto (£5.6m), his minutes are much more assured, having played the full 90 minutes in every fixture since Gameweek 9. Our South Korean differential faces Burnley at Molyneux, a team who have conceded 32 goals already this season.

FWD: Gabriel Jesus

• Cost: £7.9m
• Selected by: 3.3%
• Next Fixture: LUT (a)

It is fair to say that Arsenal’s attacking prowess seems somewhat subdued compared to last season and part of this could be the fact they have been missing a key attacking option in Gabriel Jesus (£7.9m).

Owned by just 3.3% of managers ahead of Gameweek 15, Jesus faces newly promoted Luton Town. On the back of two blanks, since returning from injury, Jesus will be desperate to find his mark, and Luton – who have conceded 242 shots and 33.04 xG – could well provide him with the opportunity he needs to get back on track.

By Matt Whelan

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