Gameweek 10 Sleepers XI: Draft EPL

Our Gameweek 10 Sleepers XI article provides Draft managers with a lineup of Fantasy EPL hidden gems. Our starting eleven of Draft Premier League differential picks will help you find a golden ticket to a big score this weekend! These hints and tips will give you a better chance of picking up an all-important victory, as any one of these under-the-radar picks could make the difference in a head-to-head game!

We'll be focusing on players that will bring us not only attacking returns or clean sheets, but also those players that score Ghost Points in the sophisticated and statistics based Fantrax Scoring System!

Fantasy EPL Gameweek 10 Sleepers XI

For this article, we use the percentage rostered calculation from Fantrax and Sleeper. Our only rule is that each player we highlight is rostered in 60% of leagues or fewer at the time of writing. Therefore, there's a good chance some of these players will be free agents in your Draft league! As always, we'll take form, fixtures, projected points, and a healthy dose of intuition into account to make our selections.

Gameweek 9 wasn't so bad in the end. We managed a solid score of 85 FPts with some positives and negatives. So let's start with the good bits, even though there's really only 2 standout performances. Only 2 of our picks managed to score above 10 FPts, Raul Jimenez scored 13 FPts, which included an assist, and Brenden Aaronson dished out a whopping 22.5 FPts, which included his first goal of the season. Now for the underwhelming bits. In goal, Senne Lammens scored 5 FPts after conceding 2 goals. In defence, two players conceded a goal each with Danny Ballard surprisingly scoring only 6.75 FPts and Malick Thiaw getting 8.75 FPts. The defenders who conceded 2 goals each were Hugo Bueno, who scored 8.25 FPts and Diogo Dalot who got 4.25 FPts. Our final defender, Gabriel Gudmundsson, only managed to play 43 minutes with 5.5 FPts to his name, as he was subbed off due to injury. In our midfield, Yasin Ayari was also subbed early around the 59th minute, only getting 4.5 FPts, whereas Florentino nearly played the full match and got 5 FPts for his efforts. Finally, our last player was Marc Guiu, who got 1.5 FPts in 75 minutes against Sunderland. You'd think going 5 defenders would have paid off given how this season is going, but maybe things are changing. So we might opt for a different strategy in Gameweek 10. Keep reading to find out!

The Sleepers XI table below includes a full team of Starters, as well as 5 Reserves - high-upside players with some question marks around whether they'll start in Gameweek 10. So, keep an eye out when lineups are announced and pick them up if you see them starting, especially if you need to fill a spot on your roster. Read below for the rationale behind each of the Starter selections.

Martin Dubravka (G, Burnley)

You must think I am mental for suggesting a goalkeeper against the best team in the league, but the Gunners haven't been exactly blowing teams out the water recently. Despite having thumped Leeds by 5 goals earlier in the season, Arteta's men have only scored 7 goals in their last 5 league games. It's clear that they're a defence-first team and Gyokeres hasn't been very clinical himself. I'm not saying Dubravka is going to fluke a clean sheet by any means, but he could very well rack up tonnes of saves. The Slovakian shot-stopper has already faced the most shots on target (55) this season. Regardless of this slightly concerning stat, Dubravka still sits 3rd for total FPts scored of all goalkeepers, and is averaging just over 9 PPS making the most saves (38) along the way. He really should be a set-and-forget for any roster this season.

Christhian Mosquera (D, Arsenal)

If you ever get the rare opportunity to roster an Arsenal defender this season, you should grab it with both hands immediately. Given the slight doubt over the availability of Saliba for their trip to Turf Moor, Arteta will probably want to rest the Frenchman for their midweek Champions League clash against Slavia Praha. Mosquera would be the obvious replacement, given he subbed on for Saliba during their Gameweek 9 clash against Crystal Palace, where he scored 6.25 ghost points in 45 minutes. Mosquera has only started twice this season, scoring 3.25 ghosts in 45 minutes against Newcastle and getting 12 FPts, with a clean sheet, against Nottingham Forest. Although Burnley have scored 5 goals in their home games so far, 4 of those actually came against the other promoted teams. So this should be an easy clean sheet for Arsenal, a defence that has only conceded 3 goals all season.

Jan-Paul van Hecke (D, Brighton)

After a slow start to the season, van Hecke has suddenly emerged as a great DEF-3/4 option. In the first 5 gameweeks of the season, van Hecke was averaging 3.25 PPS. However, over the last 4 matches, the Dutch defender has been averaging just under 12 PPS. In fact, van Hecke's ghost point production has increased over the two periods from 5.85 gPPS to just under 11.5 gPPS. Brighton have yet to keep a clean sheet this season but that might not matter when they host Leeds this weekend. Leeds have won 8 points at home and have only earned 3 on the road, having lost 3 of their 4 away games. They've only scored 3 goals away from Elland Road, all coming in a single game against Wolves. So there's a good chance that the Seagulls keep their first clean sheet of the season, and if they do so, van Hecke could be in for a monster score.

Kristoffer Ajer (D, Brentford) 

Another defender who has recently emerged as a viable DEF-3/4 option is Norway's Ajer. The Bees defender only recently broke into the starting XI, having started their last 3 games and playing the full 90 minutes. Since then, Ajer has tied with Kayode as the best ghosting Brentford outfielder, averaging 8.8 gPPS. His 12.4 PPS also ranks him 2nd amongst all his teammates. But what really stands out about Ajer, is his 19.3 FPts ceiling! This is probably because of his potential for assists via the newly emerging trend of long throws as a source of goals. Ajer has been an obvious target for these set piece plays, and he's already benefitted by getting an attacking return against Liverpool in their last game. Although their next fixture is a tough one against Crystal Palace, the Bees have been one of the most in form teams in the league, having won 3 of their last 4 games and only conceding 4 goals. Even if they were to concede a couple of goals to the highest xG team in the league, Ajer's ghost point production still warrants a start.

Santiago Bueno (D, Wolves)

Wolves are having their worst start to a season in their history with 0 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses. Yet there have still been some positives for us Fantrax managers. Many of us would have had our eyes fixated on their wingback/fullback Hugo Bueno, but there's actually a 2nd Bueno that we should also be focussing on. Santiago, with no relation to Hugo, has actually been one of the best scoring Wolves outfielders. The Uruguayan defender has been averaging 11.5 PPS, which puts him at the top amongst the wolf pack. Although Wolves have conceded the 2nd most goals (19) this season, Santiago Bueno's 10.1 gPPS is good enough to roll him out as a DEF-4. He's even shown his ability to get attacking returns with 1 goal and an assist (penalty drawn) this season. The bookies might be backing Fulham for this fixture but the Cottagers have lost their last 4 games and are possibly without a striker this weekend, as Jimenez is a massive doubt. Can Wolves finally get their first win and a rare clean sheet?

Joelinton (M, Newcastle) 

According to our Fixture Difficulty Tracker, Newcastle midfielders have the 2nd best rated fixture of all teams this weekend. That shouldn't really shock you as they visit 19th place West Ham Utd. The Hammers have had a horrific start to their campaign and things have not improved despite changing their manager. That being said, Joelinton himself hasn't had the best of starts either. The Brazilian has yet to register an attacking return and was averaging just over 2.5 PPS in his first 4 starts. Things have improved though. Over his last 3 starts, Joelinton has averaged 8.5 PPS, and that difference may well be due to the opposition he has faced in both stretches of games. Hence why we think he's a great MID-3/4 option for Gameweek 10. This is purely a fixture play, so you can easily drop him after this gameweek!

Marshall Munetsi (M, Wolves)

During my last waiver run, I managed to pick up Munetsi for a few FAB and he instantly repaid the faith with a 16.25 FPts haul vs Burnley, which included his first goal for the season. It was a tough start to the season for Munetsi having gotten 5 FPts vs Man City, 3.75 FPts vs Bournemouth and then being pushed to the bench after his 11 FPts (including an assist) against Everton. However the Wolves MID has started their last 4 matches in a row and has been averaging 12 PPS. Wolves will be buoyed by their last couple of matches having narrowly lost to Burnley in Gameweek 9 and then to Chelsea during the EFL cup in midweek. Also, as mentioned earlier in this article, Fulham themselves are on a terrible run of form, so Wolves must be licking their lips at the opportunity to kickstart their season with a first possible win. If they do manage to cause an upset, expect Munetsi to play a key role.

Mats Wieffer (M, Brighton)

One of the fantasy darlings from the back-end of last season, has finally remerged this season. Wieffer has continued his out-of-position role this season as the Seagulls' right-back. During those starts, he's been averaging 8.3 PPS and 7.9 gPPS. The only attacking return he has gotten, was an assist off-the-bench to help Brighton get a win over Chelsea. Regardless of the lack of attacking returns, that should not put you off from starting the Dutch midfielder as your MID-4/5. The good thing about being classified as a midfielder and playing in defence, is the lack of negative points for all the goals they've conceded while racking up the defensive contributions. Wieffer already has the 2nd most tackles won (12), 3rd most clearances (22) and is tied 3rd for most aerials won (10) of all his teammates. A handy replacement if one of your studs is benched.

Igor Jesus (F, Nottingham Forest)

Nottingham Forest have had a very turbulent season so far. The Tricky Trees are already on their 3rd manager for the season, and we've not even gotten past a third of the season! Up next they face one of the most in-form teams, Manchester United. The Red Devils are 2nd for xG of all clubs, but their defence is still very shaky having only kept 1 clean sheet while conceding 14 goals. Forest are already flirting with relegation, and to make matters worse, Chris Wood, their top scorer from last season, is out injured at the moment. So Dyche and his team will most likely have to call upon Igor Jesus to get the goals. The Brazilian started his first league game of the season last weekend, but only lasted 45 minutes. On the plus side, he managed to score 5.5 FPts! Believe it or not, Jesus is actually their top goal scorer (5) across all competitions. So surely it's only a matter of time until he breaks his duck in the Premier League. He's definitely a punt worth taking!

Noah Okafor (F, Leeds)

If Leeds are to have any chance of staying up this season, they will need the likes of Okafor to stay fit and firing for majority of their campaign. The ex-AC Milan forward is currently tied with Rodon for the most goals scored (2) for The Whites. Okafor also leads his teammates in successful dribbles (12), despite only having played 6 of their 9 games. As most new players to the league, Okafor is still adjusting to the pace of the league and is carefully being managed by Farke by being subbed early, with his most recent appearance only lasting 45 minutes. Gnonto and James have only just returned from injuries themselves, so we're expecting Okafor to get the nod again. The Swiss FWD is on hot form with 3 attacking returns in his last 4 starts, and should be able to continue this against Brighton, a team who have not kept any clean sheets this season.

Wilson Isidor (F, Sunderland) 

If you're struggling for a starting FWD like most managers are this season, then Isidor could be your solution. The Frenchman already has 4 goals for the season and one of the main reasons we're suggesting him against visitors Everton, is because 3 of his 4 goals have come at home. The biggest concern with Isidor though is his ghost points. At 2.3 gPPS, you're probably better off starting a random defender, but if you need some upside and are chasing your matchup going into the final day of the gameweek, then Isidor is your best bet. The Toffees might have had a bright start to their season, but over the last 6 games, they've been the 17th best team in the league, having only won once and conceded 9 goals. Sunderland are flying in the league and currently sit 4th, with no signs of slowing down. Can Le Bris and his men cause yet another upset?

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