We look to the waiver wire and free agent pool each week to highlight some under-the-radar players who could be a short-term or even long-term solution for your Fantrax EPL fantasy teams. Our Sleepers XI provides fantasy managers with a full squad of differential picks, and some high upside options to plug in if they are in the starting lineup. Don't sleep on these underappreciated gems as you put together your roster for Gameweek 32!
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 32 Sleepers XI
For this article, we use the % rostered from Fantrax. Our only rule is that each player we highlight is required to be rostered in 60% of leagues or less at the time of writing. Therefore there's a good chance some of these players will be free agents in your Fantrax Draft League! As always, we'll take form, fixtures, projected points, and a healthy dose of intuition into account to make our selections. Additionally, I've included the rostership percentage from the "Big 3" -- the twenty 12-team divisions that comprise the ultra-competitive DraftPL Community League and International Genie League, as well as the eight equally competitive 10-team divisions in the Discord Super League -- to provide some additional context for who is likely to be available and where you might want to follow the wisdom of the crowd.
Gameweek 32 ended up being a bigger challenge for predicting starters than I even imagined, with six of the eleven selections either coming on as a substitute or being left out entirely. The lack of players in action from the start naturally meant a sub-par score for the week. Despite Lewis Hall's (16.25) best efforts, the squad only managed to add 45.75 points to the season total, which now stands at 2168.75. That moves the weekly average back down to the 70-point mark.
Unfortunately, the upcoming gameweek could prove to be much of the same in terms of predictability, with extremely limited downtime between fixtures. The more flexible you're able to be with your roster at this stage, the better. Keep an eye out for team news for hints as to who will get the nod, but be prepared for some surprise rotation to come into play.
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 or not they'll start in Gameweek 32. Keep an eye out when lineups drop and pick them up if you see them starting and need to fill a spot on your roster. Read on below for the rationale behind each of the Starter selections.
Mark Flekken (G, Brentford @ Aston Villa)
It was always going to be a challenge to live up to the legendary fantasy season David Raya had for Brentford last season, so there was perhaps a bit of misplaced optimism around Flekken coming in to be the Arsenal-bound Spaniard's replacement. A slow start to the season extended through the first half of the campaign, but since February the Dutch goalkeeper has been in much better form for the Bees. Fantasy managers have been able to reap the benefits of some truly massive scores during this period as well; Flekken has come up with scores of 27.25, 25.25, 18.5 and 17.75 across his last ten Premier League matches. Two of those scores came against Man City, a team that creates a lot of attacking chances. Traveling to face a Villa side that has been in excellent form at home this season should provide plenty of opportunities to rack up more saves.
Lorenz Assignon (D, Burnley @ Everton)
Nearly all of the attention on Burnley defenders this season has been placed on Dara O'Shea (with good reason), but Assignon is going nearly completely under the radar and could be worth a look as well -- especially if O'Shea is unavailable in your league. The French fullback was the unfortunate recipient of a red card in the first half of the GW30 match against Chelsea, which put a dent in his ghost point per start average (currently 7.4), but prior to that match his gPPS output was 8.25. For reference, O'Shea puts up 8.9 gPPS. The Irish CB is clearly the better option, but Assignon isn't that far off in terms of his potential scores. I expect him to be restored to the starting lineup for the trip to Goodison Park, and while a clean sheet feels unlikely (Burnley have yet to keep one since Assignon joined in February), his ability to join the attack and provide key passes could result in a significantly better score than his projection.
Marc Cucurella (D, Chelsea @ Sheffield United)
With Levi Colwill sidelined through injury and Ben Chilwell dealing with a mix of injury and illness, Cucurella should be well positioned to make another start at left back for Chelsea against the Blades. The former Brighton defender hasn't hit the same heights for the Blues as he did as a Seagull, but he's shown his versatility in terms of contributing to various scoring categories over this most recent run in the side. He provided an assist in the 4-3 thriller against United midweek and offered 5 key passes in the previous match against Burnley. Prior to that, he made 5 successful tackles against Newcastle. The potential is there for a big score if he can combine his attacking and defensive contributions.
Milos Kerkez (D, Bournemouth @ Luton)
Despite my suggestion to the contrary, Dango Ouattara was called upon at left back in the midweek win over Crystal Palace, with Kerkez taking a place on the bench. The Hungarian fullback made a strong cameo as a substitute, however, coming through with 6.25 points in 26 minutes. I expect the youngster to be restored to the starting lineup against the Hatters this weekend. When he has started, Kerkez has generally scored pretty well. Luton are a much tougher prospect at Kenilworth Road than they are on the road, so a clean sheet may be hard to come by for the Cherries, but the openness at the other end of the pitch could afford Kerkez some opportunities to offset any negative points from goals conceded with some attacking contributions.
Edson Alvarez (M, West Ham @ Wolves)
After serving a two-match ban for yellow card accumulation, Alvarez is set to make his return to Premier League action for the Hammers this weekend. The Mexican has been hugely influential at the base of the West Ham midfield; so much so that his return will likely relegate the once ever-present James Ward-Prowse to the bench. As a holding midfielder, he usually falls into the 5-8 point category, though he has come through with a couple double-digit scores in recent weeks. I am anticipating a back-and-forth contest against Wolves and expect Alvarez to be heavily involved in disrupting any build-up play through the middle of the pitch, as well as potentially kick-starting counter attacks for West Ham's impressive attacking unit.
Joe Willock (M, Newcastle @ Fulham)
Elliot Anderson was handed a rare start against Everton midweek, but despite playing well I wouldn't be surprised to see him make way for Willock to return to the starting lineup against the Cottagers. It's not a guarantee that the former Arsenal midfielder will get the nod from Eddie Howe, but with Newcastle already contending with a slew of injuries it would be a risk to ask Anderson to play another match on such a tight turnaround given his own recent return from the treatment room. Willock, a player once famous for his streaky boom-or-bust nature, has been surprisingly consistent this season, scoring between 6 and 10 points in each of his starts.
Tahith Chong (M, Luton v. Bournemouth)
I rarely advocate investing in players who are heavily dependent on goals, assists and/or clean sheets (GACS) for their points, but Chong has made a case for his inclusion despite his poor ghost point production. The attacking midfielder has contributed a goal or assist in five of his last seven starts for the Hatters. He was given a breather midweek against Arsenal, but should come back into Rob Edwards' starting lineup against the Cherries. Bournemouth have been one of the most accommodating sides for opposition midfielders to play on their travels, conceding more than 11 points on average away from the Vitality Stadium. If you're looking for a player who could offer some attacking upside, Chong could be a good option this week.
Tyler Adams (M, Bournemouth @ Luton)
After spending the entire season on the sidelines, Adams finally made his debut for Bournemouth with a brief substitute appearances against Luton in March. The American built up his match fitness with his national side over the international break and earned his first start for Andoni Iraola in the 2-1 win over Everton in GW30, racking up an impressive 11 points. Given his injury history, he was understandably an unused substitute for the match against Palace midweek. Despite not currently being predicted to start, I think there's a pretty strong possibility the former Leeds midfielder's defensive skill set could be something his manager is looking for on the road. If he is restored to the starting lineup, I expect him to have plenty to do to keep Ross Barkley at bay.
David Datro Fofana (F, Burnley @ Everton)
Since making his first start for the Clarets back on February 10, Fofana has played nearly every minute he's been eligible to for Vincent Kompany's side. The Chelsea loanee missed out against his parent club in GW30, but was recalled immediately for the midweek draw against Wolves. The striker had an off day by his recent standards, delivering a lowly 3 points over the 90 minutes. Hopefully the time off didn't disrupt what had been a very good run of form in March. Everton have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven Premier League matches, while Burnley have not been shut out in their last four, so the odds are good for Burnley to score in this one, and Fofana has been one of their most dangerous attacking players since his arrival.
Michail Antonio (F, West Ham @ Wolves)
After spending the middle third of the campaign sidelined through injury, it wasn't clear whether David Moyes would turn back to Antonio as a starter, or if he'd usher in the end of the Jamaican's time as a first-team player for the Hammers. With Bowen, Kudus and Paqueta performing extremely well in the attack, it wouldn't have been a surprise if Antonio transitioned into an impact sub role for the rest of the season. However, he's broken back into the team and delivered two goals in his last three starts. Three games in the space of a week may be a bridge too far, however (especially given the fact he played the full 90 against Spurs midweek), so be prepared with a backup option in case Antonio is dropped to the bench. If he does get the nod as a starter, I like his chances for causing trouble against Wolves.
Oliver McBurnie (F, Sheffield United v. Chelsea)
Another player who has spent too much time sidelined with injuries this season, McBurnie finally looks like he's rounding into full fitness for the home stretch. The Scottish striker was imperious against Fulham in GW30, providing a goal and assist and having a further goal called back. He was given a rest against Liverpool, but should come back into the starting lineup against Chelsea. Given the Blues' defensive struggles this season, there's no reason not to give McBurnie an opportunity to rack up some points for your team this weekend. When he starts, he scores well. Just be aware that this is the penultimate fixture of the gameweek, so you may not have many replacement options if he finds himself as a substitute again.
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