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Who are the best under-the-radar players to add to your Fantasy Premier League team for Gameweek 35 of 2025-26?We assess the Opta data to reveal our top picks.
There are important matters still to be resolved this season. Which team is going to win the Premier League? Are Tottenham going to get relegated? Most vitally of all, are you going to win your mini Fantasy Premier League ahead of your mates?
We’ve crunched the Opta data to identify five players you should consider owning on your Wildcard, despite them currently being picked by fewer than 10% of FPL managers.
GK – Karl Darlow | 3.9m | 6.1% Ownership
Teams have very mismatched priorities at this stage of the season. Some clubs have everything on the line, others have players who are already on the proverbial beach.
Leeds are almost in the latter category. While not mathematically safe, Opta rate their chances of relegation at just 1.2% at the time of writing. They host a Burnley side on Friday night who are certain to be playing in the Championship next season. The Clarets parted company with manager Scott Parker on Thursday, with Michael Jackson taking interim charge for the rest of the season.
Maybe this means they will play with freedom, with a new boss and the pressure of avoiding the drop having been released. But even if they do, the Clarets remain the second lowest scoring side in the division, only ahead of Wolves. Even though they have been relatively better on the road, they still average just 1.12 goals per game.
This augurs well for Karl Darlow, who has marshalled Leeds to a fine defensive record. After a five-game run earlier in the campaign, he has been Daniel Farke’s consistent pick from Matchday 22 onwards.
Leeds have conceded just 14 goals in this period. Among teams who’ve played 13 matches in this time, the best defensively have been Brighton and Nottingham Forest. They have only allowed three fewer goals.
Darlow is an FPL bargain too, with his 54 points the most by a goalkeeper who costs less than £4m. There are only six men in any position who can top that output while costing so little.
Leeds head to Tottenham next weekend. They’re low scoring but maybe wait and see how the relegation picture looks before retaining Darlow. He should collect points this week for starters.
DEF – Ferdi Kadioglu | 4.4m | 0.8% Ownership
The initial advice for a defender remains the same as last week – if you can figure out who Mikel Arteta will select then transfer in an Arsenal man. The Gunners are at home to Fulham, who have nothing much to play for and didn’t score many away goals even when their matches carried more weight.
Another team that should profit from facing a team whose season is effectively over is Brighton. The Seagulls are favourites with the Opta supercomputer to finish sixth, which may yet bring UEFA Champions League qualification if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth. At the very least, it will return Brighton to European football for just the second time.
Fabian Hürzeler’s men are at Newcastle on Saturday to face a club against whom they are unbeaten in six meetings. Even without the head-to-head advantage, Brighton have been playing much the better football recently. They are second in the six-game form table whereas the Magpies are 16th, having lost their last four matches.
They should make good opponents for Ferdi Kadioglu, who is looking to end a drought. He’s had no issues with collecting FPL points. His total of 108 is only bettered by Chris Richards (123) and Omar Alderete (112) among players who cost no more than £4.4m.
The problem for Kadioglu has been seeing his creative efforts rewarded. He has generated 2.55 expected assists without any of his passes leading to a goal. Leeds’ Gabriel Gudmundsson is the sole player in the Premier League who has been less fortunate, with 2.75 xA having gone unconverted.
With a home game versus Wolves to follow the trip to the north east, the season should end well for Kadioglu.
MID – Alex Scott | 5.1m | 2.6% Ownership
Bournemouth are on one of the Premier League’s best ever unbeaten runs. Their current streak of 14 games without defeat has only been bettered 32 times within any of the last 27 Premier League seasons. If we ignore the established big six clubs, only Newcastle have outdone the Cherries in this period, having gone 17 unbeaten in 2022-23.
Few players have contributed more to this achievement than Alex Scott. He is one of five players who have started every match in the run. Bournemouth have a goal difference of +4 when Scott has been on the pitch this season, a figure only James Hill, Junior Kroupi and Enes Ünal (all +6) have bettered for the club.
He is in decent form creatively too. Scott has amassed 1.28 expected assists across the previous six gameweeks, the ninth most of any player. He hasn’t been rewarded with an assist either, with only Yankuba Minteh (1.72) and Mathias Jensen (1.47) accumulating more xA without setting up a goal in this period.
Perhaps Scott’s luck can turn for the better during the next two matchdays. Bournemouth host a Crystal Palace side midway through a UEFA Conference League semi-final on Sunday, then travel to Fulham who have nothing much at stake.
Only Marcus Tavernier (with 43) and Evanilson (29) have created more chances for the Cherries than Scott (24) this season. He should continue that form to help Bournemouth maintain their streak of wins and draws.
MID – Anton Stach | 4.8m | 1.6% Ownership
We’ve already covered Burnley’s poor attacking record but their defending hasn’t been up to much either.
A Leeds team that perhaps needs a few more points to be absolutely certain of staying up will be heavy favourites to beat them at Elland Road on Friday, and their chances will be boosted by the return of Anton Stach.
After missing the previous three league games, the German came off the bench at Wembley for the second half against Chelsea. Stach’s three shots in 45 minutes were the most any player on either side managed in the match.
Creativity is his strongest suit though. The 27-year-old has set up an average of 2.4 chances per 90 minutes this season, second only to Bruno Fernandes (3.8) among players with over 1,600 minutes in the bank. Stach’s overall tally of 58 means he has created over twice as many as any other Leeds man aside from Brendan Aaronson. Even then, the American is a long way adrift of his midfield colleague, on 31.
While there’s a risk Stach won’t start, Farke will want him in his team if at all possible.
FWD – Danny Welbeck | 6.3m | 7.7% Ownership
It’s funny how forwards can enjoy playing against certain teams. Even then, their form can fluctuate depending on which club they are representing. Exhibit A: Danny Welbeck against Newcastle.
He has faced them 20 times in all competitions in his career. The first 11 matches came with Preston, Sunderland (one match each), Manchester United (three), Arsenal (five) and Watford (one). Welbeck failed to score in any of those appearances.
His nine games against Magpies as a Seagull have seen him score five times. The England international is also responsible for four of Brighton’s previous six goals against Newcastle. Both goals in a 2-1 victory earlier in 2025-26 came from Welbeck, as did winners in league and FA Cup (after extra time) at St James’ Park last season.
The one concern with the veteran is whether he will start. However, the three instances of Welbeck not being in Hürzeler’s previous 13 Premier League starting XIs all occurred when Brighton played twice in a four-day period. With no such concerns now, Welbeck is likely to be on the pitch for the first whistle.
He has amassed 11.9 expected goals this season. Only six men have more, all of whom have played more minutes, so Welbeck should get chances this weekend (probably from Kadioglu). His total of 2.6 xG across the previous four gameweeks is the most of any player in the division too.
Oh, and it’s Wolves after Newcastle for Brighton. With seven career goals against them, they are Welbeck’s joint-third favourite opponents. Feast on the weak, Daniel.
*FPL player values and ownership data accurate as of 30 April 2026
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