The three Liverpool players who could win you your FPL mini-league as late differential picks
Liverpool has nothing left to play for this season. But the same is not true for millions of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players around the world.
That includes Jonas Sand Låbakk, the Liverpool supporter looking to hold on to top spot in the overall FPL standings. In truth, he looks to be cruising to victory, but will hope to ward off any big swings to take home the overall crown.
For the vast majority of FPL players, the stakes are a little lower heading into Gameweek 38 (GW38). Most are simply chasing down a good ranking in various mini-leagues.
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But even where there is only pride on the line, there are some important decisions to be made. And for those pursuing late comebacks, Liverpool could be hugely important in GW38.
Amid a slump in form ahead of real-life manager Jürgen Klopp's final farewell (and successor Arne Slot could cause some FPL headaches next season), virtual managers have flocked in their thousands to dispose of Liverpool assets. That process has been expedited by the lack of double gameweeks for the Reds recently — big hitters from the likes of Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester City have come to the fore, ousting Mohamed Salah and others.
Of course, all of the double gameweeks will be over heading into GW38. But with free transfers limited, and Liverpool's form not exactly glittering, few will be rushing to bring Reds players back in.
However, aiming to produce a rousing farewell for Klopp, plenty of Liverpool players have potential for big points. Pending any injuries against Aston Villa, here are three players who could become heroes for your FPL team as you chase mini-league success.
Mohamed Salah
Let's start with the obvious one. A staple of most FPL teams for a long while, Mohamed Salah has become far less of a must-own asset amid a post-injury slump in form. Even through that, he's still produced steady returns, but has not come close to justifying the premium price.
Bringing him back in for his last ever game under Klopp offers a high upside. Salah has been missing lots of chances, and while there's no guarantee that luck turns against Wolves, it's a good bet he will have the opportunity to find the net multiple times.
He's now owned by just 23.1 per cent of FPL players. It's a rare chance to use Salah as a differential — maybe even as a captain.
Cody Gakpo
Listed as a forward, you can bring in Cody Gakpo without having to sacrifice a midfield slot. With so many premium midfielders you'd be scared to go without, that could be a plus point for the Dutchman.
Gakpo comes with major risk, because he's not even guaranteed to start. But there's little doubt that he's been the form Liverpool attacker over the last few weeks, and would merit a place in the XI for Klopp's farewell match. Owned by just 2.4 per cent, he's a great Hail Mary for the mini-leagues.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Addressing the elephant in the room, Trent Alexander-Arnold costs an awful lot for a defender in a team that has not kept a clean sheet for months on end. Liverpool's last shut-out came at the start of March.
But Wolves are one of the lower scorers in the Premier League, and it's not unthinkable that Liverpool finally manages to keep things tight at the back. And in any case, a clean sheet would really be an added bonus for any Alexander-Arnold owners, with the real upside in his attacking returns.
Likely to be on most set pieces, and carrying significant threat in open play as well, Alexander-Arnold might well be driven by the 'Klopp farewell factor' more than anyone else in the side. He has never known another coach, and owes his career to the German. Getting back up to full speed after injury, he's shown flashes of his brilliance, and a big haul from him could be a game-changer in your mini-league — he's been picked by less than 10 per cent of managers.