Having a few under the radar players in your back pocket is essential for a successful Fantasy EPL Draft. People will pick up the players you want, that's 100% going to happen. You need to delve a little deeper into the Average Draft Position (ADP) data to finish off your draft research... and that's where come in! Find below 11 players who could provide excellent value towards the end of your draft. And even if you've already drafted, you could still sign a couple of these players from the free agent pool!
Check out our 21/22 Draft Kit for all the pre-season information you would ever need. Draft Rankings, Team Previews, Strategy, Draft 101. We've got it all!!!
A Starting 11 of Sleepers
My self-imposed rule here is that all players featured must have an ADP of 150 or over. Therefore, you should be able to pick up these players between Rounds 13 to 16 of your Fantasy EPL Draft!
Aaron Ramsdale | Goalkeeper | Arsenal | ADP 158
Arsenal's GK had himself quite a purple patch midseason last year, but sort of fell off near the end. He battled through a minor injury, but will go into the campaign fit and first choice. Arsenal have a very solid start to the season fixture wise, which Ramsdale & the Arsenal defense should utilize to gain a few clean sheets early. Based on current ADP figures, Ramsdale is the 10th GK off the board. But I think he has a shot to be one of the top 3-4 keepers this season. You can probably get him just after you see a "goalie run" start in your drafts. But if you are confident and really want him, look to pounce in Rounds 12-13.
Harry Maguire | Defender | Manchester United | ADP 151
Maguire had a horror show of a season last year. He had a points per start of 5.4 and was at fault for more goals than he helped prevent. He will looking to put last year behind him, and he has it in his locker to offer DEF2 value. If you can get him in Rounds 12-15, he could be a steal. He offers a threat from set plays and should have a decent floor against lower table teams, with his clean sheet numbers hopefully increasing as well. Erik Ten Hag will be looking to improve defensive structure regardless of new signings. I still think Maguire is a mainstay in this XI and could start every game. A lot of managers will still have PTSD from last season's United performances and will definitely have Maguire on their Do Not Draft list, which means he should fall.
Joel Veltman | Defender | Brighton | ADP 165
Veltman is a good player in general, and should see plenty of starts in the Brighton back line. He managed a solid 33 starts last season, but only 1 goal and 1 assist. If those numbers improve even slightly, he will be a very solid DEF3 you can get close in the very late stages of the draft. Brighton have a decent start to the season form a defensive perspective. You should be llooking to capitalize on their good start by drafting Veltman and trading him out early on a high. He usually has a decent floor as he accumulates defensive stats across the board, although he also picks up the odd negative score. I wouldn't put all my eggs in the he will be a DEF1 or even DEF2 basket. But he is someone who could potentially get 10+ PPM in the first 5-7 gameweeks, which makes him worthy of a late round punt.
John Stones | Defender | Manchester City | ADP 163
Stones is where we enter the punt territory. While Pep tended to partner one of Laporte or Stones with Dias, it seemed like Laporte was favoured across the season. However, Pep is a big fan of Stones, and there is every chance he reclaims a starting spot at the expense of Laporte. Stones managed only 12 EPL starts total last year and 1 goal. He got some minutes at both CB and RB, and recorded a solid 12 points per start, showing DEF1 upside when he starts. Punting on him in rounds 13-15 is a must in my opinion. City look to only be improving their squad and if he starts to steal some serious minutes from Laporte, he could be one of those late round fliers that helps you push for a league title.
Kenny Tete | Defender | Fulham | ADP 171
Kenny Tete is back in the EPL, and should offer some sneaky defender value this year. Fulham don't have the best defensive schedule to start the year, which will put a lot of managers off of him. And many will forget how good he was last time out, meaning you can probably wait until round 16 (!!) to draft him. In his previous spell in the EPL, Tete managed 18 starts, 8 of which were double digit outings....not too shabby for a Fulham defender. Expect Tete to see solid minutes at least to start the season. Fulham should sign another RB to compete with Tete, but I am sure Tete will get every chance to prove he deserves a role in the XI.
Callum Hudson-Odoi | Midfielder | Chelsea | ADP 172
Hudson-Odoi....apparently the next big thing in world football, and has been for quite awhile now. Although he is 21 and still has time, he has yet to live up to the lofty expectations. While the main reason I included him is the hope that he gets a loan to another EPL team EPL, don't be surprised to see him steal minutes all over the pitch this season if he stays at Chelsea. He is worth a punt near round 15-16, but will go much earlier if rumours start floating out about a loan. Depending on Chelsea's business on the defensive end, there's no reason why he may not get some serious minutes at RWB, especially if Reece is required at RCB. With 5 subs, Tuchel will definitely give Hudson-Odoi some minutes to prove he deserves to be a part of the squad, if he stays. It is worth punting and holding onto Odoi for at least the first 4-6 games of the season to see what happens with him. He usually is a decent fantasy scorer, and offers tremendous upside with 11 points per start from his cameos last season. He is one of those "draft for upside" type players that could turn out to be quite valuable.
Miguel Almiron | Midfielder | Newcastle | ADP 330
Almiron, what a great debut campaign he had....then, well, disappeared into the shadows. Howe is seemingly a fan of the Paraguayan and will look to get the best out of him. He should see some starts in the first few games of the new season ahead of injury prone Fraser, or any potentially any new signing. If he happens to hit the ground running, don't be surprised to see him get 25-30 starts. Personally, I think Almiron is a talented player, and I'm willing to gamble fantasy wise given he has the skill and work ethic. He only managed 5.9 points per start last season but had a much better latter half of the season, like the rest of the squad, under Howe. His finishing leaves much to be desired, with 1 goal in 19 starts. But a full pre season under a manager that has faith him, along with a good few opening games, and Newcastle's attacking triumvirate could be Wilson, Saint-Max, and Almiron.
Nathan Redmond | Midfielder | Southampton | ADP 150
The once fantasy darling, "Saint Nate", has really fallen off a cliff. He only managed 20 starts this past season due to poor form, rotation, and injuries. There is no guarantee he heads into the new campaign as a starter, which is why this is a punt. Last season he only managed....1 goal despite his 8.9 points per start. He does still have MID3 upside if he locks down a role - 9 pps is nothing to sneeze at. But there is every chance the Saints buy a new winger to contend for that starting spot. I like Redmond as a round 14-16 punt, but his ADP suggests you may need to reach slightly earlier to draft him. His name recognition is still there. Even if he manages to score more than 1 goal and get 25 starts, he will offer great value for such a late pick.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | Midfielder | Liverpool | ADP 317
Oxlade-Chamberlain apparently has 1 foot out the door despite the lack of interest in him. He clearly is far down the pecking order in the Liverpool team, and with youngsters Elliott and Jones set to see more action, you would expect for him to look elsewhere to continue his career. This punt is solely based on him getting a move to another EPL club. At Liverpool, he is not even worth rostering. If somehow he manages to get a move to a midtable club like Southampton, where he started, he could see 25+ starts and be a solid MID2/3 week in, week out option. Similar situation to perpetual sleepers like Ross Barkley (whose ADP is too low to qualify), the Ox offers name value, which can help you get value in any subsequent trade. Based on his ADP, you can probably get him in round 15, unless loan rumours start to escalate, in which case he might go as high as round 10 until that move is confirmed.
Mathias Jensen | Midfielder | Brentford | ADP 379
Jensen is a fan favourite at Brentford, and will be looking to stake his claim for a consistent starting XI role. If Eriksen does not return, and it's not looking like he will, he could get a crack at some set pieces. He also offers a solid floor with 7.2 ghost points per start. A player who will be forgotten by almost every manager not reading this article, he is worth using a round 15-16 pick on. He has the upside and potential to be an every week MID3, with MID2 upside if he gets set pieces. Even without Eriksen, I expect Brentford to have a decent season, and fans will be excited to see what Jensen can really do in the EPL. It is worth noting that he struggled with fitness last year, which may be a big reason why he only had 19 starts. He still managed 31 appearances but only made it to 90 minutes 8 times. If his starts hit the 28-30 range, he will certainly be worth this pick.
Rodrigo | Forward | Leeds | ADP 154
Raphinha leaving the club is a blessing in disguise for Rodrigo. Dan James has proved he still has some work to do to be a consistent player, and Bamford is coming off almost an entire season without football. Rodrigo is one of the few good forwards you can get so late in the draft. There is a clear lack of depth in that position this season. He offered 7.3 points per start and 6 goals in his 27 starts last season. Could this be the season when we finally see him reach his full potential? I fully believe so, which is why he is featured as the lone forward in this article. He has the upside of a set and forget FWD2, and could offer tremendous trade value even if you are looking to move him on, if he hits the ground running. Leeds open the season vs. Wolves and Southampton, both of which struggled last season, and if Rodrigo is in the XI, I am more than happy to roll him out and see how he performs.
Honourable Mention:
- Ryan Fredericks (BOU) | ADP 182: A player who has historically offered good fantasy value now looking to be a consistent starting for newcomers Bournemouth
- Kyle Walker-Peters (SOU) | ADP 278: A player who has shown DEF1 upside will be looking to help the Saints improve their defensive consistency. One to watch early in the season.
- Dele Alli (EVE) | ADP 318: Can he somehow still salvage his career? Still at the young age of 26, so plenty of time to do something.
Check out The Draft Society's 21/22 Draft Kit for all the draft prep you would ever need! Draft Rankings, Team Previews, Strategy, Draft 101, and so much more!!
For all the latest from The Draft Genie, follow @draftgenie on Twitter!
And for more in-depth and exclusive resources, become a member of The Inner Circle.
Comments