Gameweek 8 Sleepers XI: Draft EPL

Our Gameweek 8 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 8 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.

After another excruciatingly long International Break, it's time to look back at Gameweek 7 and see how the lads performed. Let's start with the standout performers who got double digit scores. In net, Mamardashvili got 10.75 FPts versus Chelsea, despite conceding two goals. In defence, we had 2 standout players with Hugo Bueno scoring 14.5 FPts in 76 minutes, earning a clean sheet before his teammates lost theirs, whilst Malick Thiaw also kept a clean sheet, but put up a massive 19.5 FPts. In midfield, Jhon Arias got bang-on 10 FPts, with no attacking returns, which is music to any Fantrax manager's ears. In our frontline, Okafor got 13.5 FPts in 78 minutes thanks to the lone goal that Leeds scored, but he also picked up a yellow card! Now for the ugly bits. Let's start with the FWDs and go backwards. There was so much expectation about Adama Traore starting up front, given the lack of strikers at Marco Silva's disposal, but he ended up coming off the bench getting 1.5 FPts in 3 minutes from 2 CoS, shocking stuff really. In midfield, Both Yeremy Pino (6.75 FPts plus a yellow card) and Yasin Ayari (5.75 FPts) got no attacking returns, still the plus is that they basically played the full game in their respective fixtures. If only we could say the same about Emi Buendia. Despite the Argentine's heroics in GW6, he came off the bench yet again and scored -1.5 FPts, with a caution, in 21 minutes of play. Finally, our last 2 players were defenders. Both Ferdi Kadioglu (3 FPts, 1 goal conceded) and Quilindschy Hartman (9.5 FPts, 2 goals conceded) played 90 minutes each, with only the latter getting an assist. All in all, 93.25 FPts isn't too shabby of a score. Maybe with 11 starters we could have crossed the 100 FPts mark, so stay tuned as we take another crack at it in Gameweek 8.

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 8. 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.

Senne Lammens (G, Man Utd)

Manchester United look like they finally found an answer to their everlasting goalkeeping woes in Lammens. Given the situation, the irony of Senne's surname is not lost on me. The 6'4" Belgian shot-stopper got his debut in Gameweek 7 and easily passed the eye test for many viewers. He scored 15.25 FPts against a fairly goal shy Sunderland team, who have only scored 2 goals in their last 4 games. So it wasn't a surprise that his score included a clean sheet. Although the Red Devils visit Anfield in Gameweek 8, and are highly unlikely to keep a clean sheet, we're expecting loads of save points. Liverpool still look a bit out of sorts up front and their talisman Salah is being massively criticised for his subpar attacking displays so far. So if there's any chance of a rare shut out by Man Utd at Anfield, expect a monster score from Lammens.

Danny Ballard (D, Sunderland)

The minute Alderete got injured during the IB, the first name on everyones minds was Big Dan Ballard. This should not catch you off-guard as Ballard is currently sitting 4th in PPS (18.4) in his 2 starts. The Northern Irish DEF is the only Sunderland player to have a double-digit gPPS score (10.4) this season, and seems to be an absolute stud of a pick. In fact, his 17.6 gPP90 puts him at the top of the list of all players. The proof is in the pudding considering his score in Gameweek 7, when he came off the bench and easily outscored his teammates with 12 FPts in 52 minutes. If Alderete is truly rested this weekend, Ballard is a no-brainer pick and is easily a DEF-1. The Black Cats' honeymoon period of fixtures is almost over, but it seems like that doesn't matter to an asset like Ballard. He also has massive goal threat from set pieces!

Joe Rodon (D, Leeds)

The midfield duo of Stach and Longstaff have been constantly stealing the Leeds' spotlight this season. However Joe Rodon has gone under the radar a bit. He's still the 3rd highest scoring asset for The Whites, scoring just under 10 PPS. In Gameweek 8, Leeds visit their fellow promoted rivals Burnley, in what you could call a classic 6-point affair. So we're expecting both teams to try and get the full three points but they both seem to be a bit light in attack at the moment, and more so Leeds. This could potentially be one-way traffic which screams defensive contributions from their Welsh centreback. Rodon has shown that he has goal threat this season, having hit the post against Spurs in Gameweek 7 and scoring during the IB against Belgium as well. Even if he concedes a goal or 2, Rodon's 8.1 gPPS still warrants playing him as a DEF-4. He is probably going to be getting you more points than some of the FWD assets that managers have been crying about this season.

Ladislav Krejci (D, Wolves) 

After his slow start to life under Vitor Pereira, Krejci has only recently popped up on our radar. Despite being on loan, it appears as though the Czech DEF has now cemented his place in the Wolves starting XI, be it either in midfield or as a CBs. This versatility is probably one of the reasons he has displaced the likes of Agbadou. His first 2 scores of 1.75 (yellow card, 1 goal conceded) and 12 FPts (1 goal scored, 3 goals conceded) felt like Fool's Gold, but he then proceeded to score 7.5 and 9.75 ghosts in his other 2 games. So given his opponents are Sunderland this weekend, who as mentioned earlier seem to be struggling up front, he could be in line for a possible clean sheet. The big talking point about Krejci though, is his eye for goal. He scored 34 goals in 109 appearances for Sparta Prague and has had a shot on target in each of his last 3 games. If you need a DEF-4/5 this gameweek, look no further.

Max Kilman (D, West Ham)

Mavropanos stole all the attention in Gameweek 7, after the Greek DEF put up 7 FPts against Arsenal, whilst Kilman only managed a meagre 2.5 FPts. But what if I told you that Kilman actually has the most ghost points (8.0 gPPS) of all West Ham defenders so far this season? Since Nuno took over from Graham Potter, the same thought crossed the minds of all fantasy managers, the West Ham defence could be a source of points again. The other concern about Mavropanos is in the past we've seen him have very inconsistent performances and drop in and out the starting XI. Kilman also feels like a safer pick as the English CB actually used to play under Nuno during their time together at Wolves. The Hammers now go on a decent run of fixtures and so having at least one of their defensive options as your DEF-3/4 seems sensible. Time for that new manager bounce to kick in.

Sven Botman (D, Newcastle) 

Since Schar's concussion and the injuries to fullbacks Livramento and Hall, Newcastle have had to rely on the combination of Thiaw and Botman as their new CB pairing, with Burn moving out wide. All of this reshuffling would usually be a cause for concern, but the Magpies seemed unperturbed by it, having still kept 2 clean sheets in their last 3 games. Thiaw is probably the Newcastle asset that has caught the eye of managers during their waiver runs, considering his monster score of 19.5 FPts in Gameweek 7. I wouldn't worry too much on missing out on him as Botman is still a great coverage pick. The Dutchman has been averaging 13.2 PPS, which is very similar to his German compatriot. Newcastle currently boast an xGC of under 5, which is the lowest in the league and they also have the most clean sheets (5) this season. The fixture run for Newcastle looks very tasty till the November International Break, so grab one of their defenders while you can.

Alejandro Garnacho (M, Chelsea)

It seems as though Chelsea have suffered the most with injuries in recent weeks and that's not been helped by the IB. There are massive doubts over attackers such as Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez, and so they might have to rely on one of their new boys, Garnacho. The ex-Red Devil hasn't had the best of fantasy starts on paper, but he definitely passed the eye-test against Liverpool in Gameweek 7, where he even hit the post with an attempt from just outside the box. He probably won't be a regular starter week-in week-out, but this seems like the opportune moment to punt on him, as the Blues visit Ange's Nottingham Forest. Ange has yet to win a game with his new club and the Tricky Trees have conceded 15 goals in 7 games (0 clean sheets). So if you need a MID-3/4 with pure upside, go with Garnacho.

Brenden Aaronson (M, Leeds)

Gnonto, Dan James and now Okafor all seem to be touch-and-go for this weekend's 6-pointer clash against Burnley at Turf Moor. Despite the points in the league table, Leeds have actually played well so far this season. Although a rejuvenated-DCL has yet to hit proper goal scoring form, the attacking signs do look promising after a spirited display in Gameweek 7 against Spurs. So far, Burnley have conceded the 2nd most goals (15) and Dubravka has faced the most shots on target (44), so if anyone is likely to score in this fixture, it's probably Leeds. Aaronson is definitely not the most reliable asset in the world, particularly considering his 4.8 gPPS, but the American MID has managed to get assists in back-to-back games now. He has also attempted the most shots (7), tied with Longstaff, over the past 3 games for Leeds. Maybe he's due a goal. He's a decent gamble as a MID-4/5.

Carlos Alcaraz (M, Everton)

It's crazy that when KDH was suspended for their fixture against Crystal Palace, Moyes didn't go with the obvious replacement in Alcaraz. During his loan spell in the 2024/25 campaign, Alcaraz ended up 2nd in terms of PPS (13.3) for Everton, only behind Dwight McNeil. Even the Everton fans have started to voice their displeasure with KDH's inconsistent displays during this season, not to mention the fact that he has already racked up 5 yellow cards in 6 games. It came as no surprise that Everton eventually got a foothold in the game against the Eagles, when Dibling was substituted for the Argentinian MID. In 45 minutes, Alcaraz quickly racked up 7 FPts. This included 1 KP, 2 shots (1 on target), 2 tackles won and 1 successful dribble. Grealish is ineligible to play this weekend against Man City, due to parent club restrictions, so a spot in the attacking midfield needs to be filled. It's not the easiest fixture, but Alcaraz could still be a decent MID-4 punt for your roster.

Crysencio Summerville (M, West Ham)

According to our Fixture Difficulty Tracker, West Ham midfielders have the 2nd best fixture this weekend which makes Summerville an enticing option for the Monday night fixture against Brentford. Thanks to the IB, the Hammers have lost Fullkrug to injury (yet again), whilst Callum Wilson looks very much past his prime. This could mean that they push Bowen to the No. 9 spot, meaning there's an opportunity for Summerville to keep his spot. It's hard to judge any attacking asset's output away to Arsenal, one of the best defences in the league, so we'll excuse him for his lone fantasy point in Gameweek 7. The score we should be focussing on is from Gameweek 6 against Everton, where he won the MOTM award and put up 9.25 ghost points. In that game, Summerville attempted 3 shots (1 on target), 3 CoS, 1 KP, 1 ACNC and some defensive contributions, all in the space of 76 minutes. If he can replicate that over the next few matches, he could be an absolute steal and make a mockery of a MID-3/4 position in your roster.

Lyle Foster (F, Burnley) 

The man, the myth, the legend: Lyle Foster. If you know me, it should be fairly obvious I was going to talk about Lyle this season (probably more than once). FWDs are extremely rare to find these days, hence why he's the lone stiker in our Sleepers XI this week. Despite the -1.5 against Aston Villa, who are actually decent defensively, his scores haven't been that bad considering he's averaging more points per game than the likes of Cunha, Rutter, Watkins and Beto. If you're ever to start a Burnley FWD, not named Jaidon Anthony, then versus Leeds is probably the fixture to take that punt. There's also a chance that Lyle has penalties. With a goal and an assist to his name already, he's not the worst backup option incase one of your FWD studs gets benched post-IB.

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