Our Gameweek 18 Chaps Choices article provides Fantrax managers with a Fantasy EPL Sleepers XI. Our starting eleven of 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 one of our Fantasy EPL sleeper picks could easily 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” on the sophisticated and statistics based Togga scoring model!
*For this article, we use the ownership statistics from Fantrax. Our only rule is that each player we highlight is required to have ownership of 60% or below at the time of writing. This way there’s a good chance these players will be free agents in your Fantrax Draft League!
Fantasy EPL Gameweek 18 Sleepers XI
**60% ownership or below**
GK: Vincente Guaita
Team: Crystal Palace
Opponent: Newcastle (Away)
Ownership: 56%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 12.5 PPG
Prospects: We backed Guaita last week, and he brought home an impressive 18.75 points, courtesy of making nine saves against Brighton!!! The Crystal Palace shot-stopper is quickly becoming the Fantrax goalkeeper to own, and he’s rising up our Saves Made Minus Goals Conceded Rankings! Guaita is performing very well and has a good Christmas fixture schedule coming up. This weekend The Eagles face a trip to Newcastle, and although a clean sheet is not likely, a double-digit score for Guaita is. The Spaniard is a great addition to our Gameweek 18 Sleepers XI!
Alternative Choice: Two goalkeepers that are also performing well in our Saves Made Minus Goals Conceded Rankings are Martin Dubravka (58% ownership) and Aaron Ramsdale (33% ownership). Both of these Chaps are good options this weekend, as they host Crystal Palace and Burnley respectively.
GW18 Points Scored: 2.25
DEF: Jack Stacey
Team: Bournemouth
Opponent: Burnley (Home)
Ownership: 1%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 8.75 PPG
Prospects: Jack Stacey makes his debut in our Sleepers XI for Gameweek 18, after his huge score of 17.5 last time around. The young right back will be given a chance to impress again this weekend, as Bournemouth host Burnley. The injury-hit Cherries surprised Chelsea last weekend, coming away from Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 victory. This weekend we’re backing Stacey to score well once again, as he attacks very well down the right-hand side of the pitch. If you’re in a deep league, then take a look at Stacey. He’s going to be a free agent in most Fantrax Draft Leagues!
Alternative Choice: If you’re looking for a more established Fantasy EPL name, then Simon Francis (1% ownership) offers a decent alternative to Stacey. The veteran defender scored 14 points in Gameweek 17 and was highlighted in our Waiver Wire article earlier in the week.
GW18 Points Scored: 2.75
DEF: Martin Montoya
Team: Brighton
Opponent: Sheffield United (Home)
Ownership: 19%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 4.56 PPG
Prospects: Montoya returned to the Brighton side in Gameweek 17, and gained a great score of 11 points without a clean sheet. The Spaniard got forward well from his right wing-back position, as he gained one key pass, two shots on target, and four successful dribbles!! Pretty great stats for a defender! If Montoya is a free agent in your Draft League, we would highly recommend picking him up for this weekend’s game against Sheffield United. This is likely to be a low-scoring affair, and Montoya should have plenty of opportunities to exploit his opposite number Stevens.
Alternative Choice: A good alternative, and fellow marauding right-back, is Guilbert (43% ownership) of Aston Villa. The Villains face fellow relegation candidates Southampton this weekend, and we’re backing The Frenchman to attack down the right, and score well.
GW18 Points Scored: 3
DEF: Federico Fernandez
Team: Newcastle
Opponent: Crystal Palace (Home)
Ownership: 35%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 8.75 PPG
Prospects: Fernandez has been on great form recently, and although he disappointed us last week, we’re backing him once again as Newcastle host Crystal Palace. The Eagles are likely to play the ball long to Benteke throughout their Gameweek 18 encounter, which means that Fernandez will have ample opportunities to win aerial duels against the big Belgian striker. Newcastle also have a decent chance of gaining a clean sheet, which means Fernandez is a great pick for our Gameweek 18 Sleepers XI. Sign him right now if he’s a free agent in your Fantasy EPL Draft League!
Alternative Choice: If Fernandez is already taken in your Fantasy EPL league, then take a look at James Tomkins (19% ownership). The Crystal Palace defender gained a huge 19 points in Gameweek 17 and is likely to score well for aerials this weekend as he comes up against Andy Carroll.
GW18 Points Scored: 8.25
DEF: Leighton Baines
Team: Everton
Opponent: Manchester United (Home)
Ownership: 1%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 5 PPG
Prospects: The return of a Togga scoring Fantasy EPL legend!! Leighton Baines looks set for a run in the Everton side over Christmas, after Lucas Digne suffered an injury in Gameweek 17. This weekend The Toffees face Arsenal, and we couldn’t resist the chance to feature Baines in our Sleepers XI. The veteran left-back scored a respectable 9 points after replacing Digne against Manchester United last weekend, and we would expect more of the same this weekend. Baines was another player highlighted in @draftgenie’s Waiver Wire article this week, and we too would highly recommend bringing him into your Fantasy EPL squad!
Alternative Choice: If Baines doesn’t take your fancy, then perhaps teammate Sidibe (31% ownership) does. The Frenchman missed out in Gameweek 17 through illness, but we would expect him to be reinstated into the starting eleven this weekend. If a fellow Fantrax manager dropped Sidibe last weekend, we would recommend picking him up now that Everton is much improved without Silva at the helm.
GW18 Points Scored: 0
MID: Gabriel Martinelli
Team: Arsenal
Opponent: Everton (Away)
Ownership: 37%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 6.2 PPG
Prospects: We did have Southampton winger Moussa Djenepo in this slot, but he’s now been ruled out with injury. Therefore, we’re opting for an equally unpredictable player. Young Arsenal midfielder Martinelli has played the full 90 minutes in each of the last two games, but considering how poor Arsenal has been, he’s quite a risky pick. It’s unknown as to whether Martinelli will continue in the side, as they look to appoint a permanent replacement for Unai Emery. If he does start against Everton, he’s worth adding to your team once the lineups have been announced!
Alternative Choice: A potentially decent alternative here is Everton man Bernard (36% ownership). The Brazilian looks set to start once again this weekend, and although he scores notoriously poorly on Togga Scoring, he’s worth a punt against a poor Arsenal backline!
GW18 Points Scored: 4.5
MID: Davy Propper
Team: Brighton
Opponent: Sheffield United (Home)
Ownership: 41%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 7 PPG
Prospects: We’re backing Propper in our consistent scoring midfielder slot, although he hasn’t been terribly consistent in Fantasy EPL in recent weeks! The Dutch midfielder has averaged 7 PPG, but we would have expected this to be slightly higher. Propper is a very talented footballer, and we’d love to see him post a high score this weekend against Sheffield United. We’re predicting Brighton to control the game, and hopefully for Propper to gain points for key passes and successful dribbles, as well as for the odd defensive statistic.
Alternative Choice: A good alternative here is Ashley Westwood (38% ownership), who returned to the Burnley side last weekend and posted a great score of 12.5 points. We’re backing the midfielder to put on a good display against injury-hit Bournemouth this weekend.
GW18 Points Scored: 2.5
MID: Fred
Team: Manchester United
Opponent: Watford (Away)
Ownership: 28%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 7.9 PPG
Prospects: Fred is a player that has been slowly improving over the course of the season, and is now looking like the player Manchester United thought they spent £53 million on last summer! The Brazilian international is playing really well at the moment alongside Scott McTominay, and he was one of the main reasons the Red Devils beat their Manchester rivals a couple of weeks ago. In terms of Fantrax points, Fred has also been ticking along quite nicely. Over the past four games, he has averaged 9.13 points, which is pretty good for a player who has gained zero attacking returns. Fred is performing surprisingly well for key passes and successful dribbles, and we would recommend taking a punt on his ahead of the Gameweek 18 match against struggling Watford.
GW18 Points Scored: 13.5
FWD: Christian Benteke
Team: Crystal Palace
Opponent: Newcastle (Away)
Ownership: 10%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 3.62 PPG
Prospects: Benteke was a surprise starter in Gameweek 17 after Crystal Palace’s injury problems continue to mount. With Townsend now out with a “long term injury,” it looks as though Hodgson has no choice but to start Benteke over the Christmas period. The big Belgian striker tallied 14 aerials, along with one key pass and three shots on target, during the 1-1 draw with Brighton. If those stats are anything to go by, Benteke is going to be a gem for the upcoming weeks. The beauty of the Togga scoring system on Fantrax is that players like Benteke can score a good amount of points without the need for goals or assists (and let’s face it, goals or assists are unlikely to be gained by Benteke!!). In Gameweek 18 The Eagles face Newcastle, and signing Benteke is perhaps the best piece of advice from this Sleepers XI article.
Oh, and you need to drop Townsend if you own him. He’s been scoring very poorly and is now out injured. The old favorite is not worth keeping hold of during his injury.
Alternative Choice: A similar player at the other end of the field who’s also worth a look, is Andy Carroll (15% ownership). The big striker has tallied 29 aerials in 220 minutes of football in recent weeks, which shows how much point potential he has if he can stay fit!
GW18 Points Scored: 14
FWD: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Team: Everton
Opponent: Arsenal (Home)
Ownership: 47%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 9.9 PPG
Prospects: Calvert-Lewin has played the full 90 minutes in each of the last two games, and scored two goals in Gameweek 16. The young striker looks to be the preferred option under Duncan Ferguson, and is likely to start once again this weekend. Everton face struggling Arsenal, and Calvert-Lewin will have plenty of chances for attacking returns! Perhaps Calvert-Lewin is now modeling his game on that of his interim-manager; he’s won 19 aerials over the last two games, which has provided a great backbone for his points scoring!
Alternative Choice: Two under the radar forwards that have been scoring very good ghost points in recent weeks are Shane Long (7% ownership) and Ismaila Sarr (22% ownership). Both of these Chaps are worth bringing into your side if you’re playing in a deep Fantrax league!
GW18 Points Scored: 5.5
FWD: David McGoldrick
Team: Sheffield United
Opponent: Brighton (Away)
Ownership: 27%
Average Points Last 5 Games: 9.6 PPG
Prospects: We’ve featured McGoldrick in our two most recent Hot or Cold Player Rankings, and rightfully so. The veteran Irish forward is an essential cog in the well-oiled Sheffield United machine. McGoldrick can be trusted for a decent score pretty much every week, as his points floor is around the six to eight points mark. Add in a few key passes, shots on target, or aerials, and McGoldrick will usually score in double figures. The Irishman bagged an assist in Gameweek 17, and we’re backing him to have another good outing against Brighton this weekend. McGoldrick is a great forward to have in your squad to place alongside two more illustrious/explosive forwards. Sign him up if you still can!
Alternative Choice: If McGoldrick is taken in your Draft League, then his opposition forward Neal Maupay (55% ownership) could be a good alternative. The Frenchman has scored three goals in three games, although he doesn’t tend to score that well for peripheral points.
GW18 Points Scored: 4
Gameweek 18 Sleepers XI:
Team Points – Gameweek 18: 58.25
Team Average Score – Gameweek 18: 5.3 points per player
Average Ownership – Gameweek 18: 27% Fantrax ownership
Please be aware that Liverpool’s fixture against West Ham has been postponed due to The Reds’ participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. Drop any streamers you own from these two sides!!
Previous Sleepers XI Editions: Gameweek 10 | Gameweek 11 | Gameweek 12 | Gameweek 13 | Gameweek 14 | Gameweek 15 | Gameweek 16 | Gameweek 17 |
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