Relegation-battling players are not usually go-to FPL picks &#8211; but it feels different in Gameweek 38.
Spurs and West Ham are fighting for survival, which could make some of their players worth targeting in contrast to others who don&#8217;t have anything left to play for.
Spurs only need a draw to be safe, while West Ham have to win to give themselves a chance. 
And FPL managers are buying into the narrative. Jarrod Bowen is the most-signed player in FPL this week at the time of writing, with Richarlison also in the top 10. 
At the other end of the pitch, Pedro Porro and Konstantinos Mavropanos are among the most-signed defenders.
<a href="https://www.squawka.com/">Squawka</a> have used the <a href="https://www.squawka.com/en/comparison-matrix/">Comparison Matrix</a> to assess the four players to give you help in these crucial picks.
<h3>Jarrod Bowen v Richarlison</h3>
On paper, it’s easy to see why Bowen is so popular, as West Ham are one of just three teams with a Fixture Difficulty Rating of 2 or lower. 
Bowen has however blanked in his last three gameweeks after a 10 point haul against Everton &#8211; coincidentally coming at the end of West Ham’s mini unbeaten run.
Over the season as a whole, Bowen has been more creative than he has been a goalscoring threat. 
That’s in part due to his position on the wing, with less time through the middle as in previous seasons. 
He’s averaging 1.2 chances created per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, resulting in 0.3 assists per 90. 
Bowen also has decent link-up play with those around him, completing 1.2 lay-offs per 90. 
But his shooting leaves a bit to be desired, hitting the target with 55.1% of his 1.4 shots per 90. And he’s only averaging 0.3 goals per 90.
<div id="attachment_79533" style="width: 492px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-79533" class="size-full wp-image-79533" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Bowen-v-Richarlison.jpg" alt="Jarrod Bowen v Richarlison" width="482" height="725" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Bowen-v-Richarlison.jpg 482w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Bowen-v-Richarlison-199x300.jpg 199w" sizes="(max-width: 482px) 100vw, 482px" />Jarrod Bowen v Richarlison</div>
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The Hammers&#8217; talisman has an interesting match-up against Richarlison, who is pretty much his opposite. 
If you want goal threat over creativity, then Richarlison will be the one for you. 
The Spurs man isn’t as fancied as Bowen among FPL managers but there is still a decent bit of movement. 
He scored in Spurs&#8217; 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in midweek, giving them a glimmer of hope in snatching a point &#8211; though they ultimately failed.
The Brazilian has been hurt by injury problems this season, which is largely the story of Spurs&#8217; campaign. 
But he is fit and looks set to lead the line on the final day. He’s a nuisance for defenders, with 5.8 touches in the opposition box per 90, ranking above Bowen’s 4.4. 
He’s also a decent threat in front of goal. The Brazilian has averaged 2.2 shots per 90 in the league this season, hitting the target with 57.78% of those. 
That’s translated to 0.6 goals per 90, with a conversion rate of 18.64%. Against Chelsea alone Richarlison scored with one of his three efforts.
<div id="attachment_79228" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-79228" class="size-full wp-image-79228" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2266658810.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="692" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2266658810.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2266658810-300x203.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2266658810-768x519.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Richarlison. Picture by Getty Images</div>
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<h3>Konstantinos Mavropanos v Pedro Porro</h3>
Mavropanos had a little scoring run recently, with three goals in three games, which included a 21 point haul against Wolves. 
There was a -1 recently too but Mavropanos has been picking up points in recent weeks for his defensive contributions.
The Greek centre-back averages 6.9 clearances per 90 across the campaign, having to deal with a lot being thrown at the West Ham backline. 
He also puts in decent interception numbers at 1.8 per 90, which a full-back would be proud of. 
Mavropanos doesn’t get carded much either and all these things add up when making crucial FPL decisions. 
On the other side of the defensive coin is Porro. Full-backs were a must-have in FPL sides in years past but they feel less of a necessity now.
<div id="attachment_79534" style="width: 490px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-79534" class="size-full wp-image-79534" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Mavropanos-v-Porro.jpg" alt="Konstantinos Mavropanos v Pedro Porro" width="480" height="717" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Mavropanos-v-Porro.jpg 480w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Mavropanos-v-Porro-201x300.jpg 201w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" />Konstantinos Mavropanos v Pedro Porro</div>
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Porro also hasn’t been as great offensively to make up for Spurs&#8217; defensive shortcomings. The Spaniard has only averaged 0.1 assists per 90 in the league this season. He is very much involved, though.
His 2.4 tackles per 90 is in keeping with the general full-back level, while he also isn’t too bad for interceptions at 1.0 per 90. 
Naturally, he doesn’t make as many clearances or blocks as many shots as Mavropanos but he does OK. 
Despite Spurs&#8217; issues, they do have the better defensive record compared to West Ham &#8211; averaging 0.3 clean sheets and 1.4 goals conceded with Porro in the team.
On the final day of the season however, where clean sheets can often be hard to come by, most FPL managers will prioritise attacking moves, making one of Bowen or Richarlison the higher-upside play.
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FPL tips: Relegation rivals – key match-ups | Squawka

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