Our Gameweek 38 Sleepers XI article provides Fantrax 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 one of our 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 in the sophisticated and statistics based Fantrax Scoring System!
Fantasy EPL Gameweek 38 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 "Community List" -- the twenty 12-team divisions that comprise the ultra-competitive DraftPL Community League and International Genie 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.
As always, let's take a quick look back at Gameweek 37: My lone double gamer in Victor Lindelof (17.75) was also unfortunately the only player to return a double-digit score, though I have to lament Wolves' incredibly late concession to Everton that wiped out the potential clean sheet for hunch pick Toti (5.75). The squad managed a sub-par 70.75 points for the week, bringing the overall score to 3079.25 and dropping the weekly average a touch to 85.5 points. I'll need this week's team to deliver 65.75 points or more to keep the season average above 85 points.
Much like the first weekend of a new Premier League campaign, the final day of the season is typically one of the most difficult to predict. Most teams have little to nothing to play for at this stage and their managers can choose to give some youngsters the chance to show their potential, or perhaps give some farewell send-offs to some veterans. Maybe even both. Thankfully, all the matches this week kick off at the same time, so there should be plenty of options available to pivot to in the event that some of the players you thought would start being handed a rest.
I'm not 100% confident of starts for any of the following players, with the possible exception of the goalkeeper, but if they do get the call from the start hopefully they can help you accomplish whatever goal you're hoping to achieve as this season draws to a close. Thank you all for reading this season; I hope the picks have come in handy more often than not.
GK: Neto
Team: Bournemouth
Opponent: Everton (away)
Rostered: 21% (Fantrax) / 76% (Community)
Points Last Gameweek: 6
Prospects: It may seem a bit counterintuitive to pick a player from a team with nothing left to play for when they're facing a team that is desperate for a result to survive the drop, but that's exactly why I've decided Neto is a great pick this week. Everton will be throwing everything they have at the Cherries, which should mean an abundance of shots, particularly if Bournemouth can keep them at bay for a decent chunk of the match. The longer the game remains within reach, the more likely it is that the keeper will face low-quality shots. I do think Everton will score, but hopefully not (for Neto's sake) to the same level they did when they dismantled Brighton's backline to the tune of 5-1 earlier in the month. I think the Brazilian will make enough saves to be a safe pick with very high upside potential this week.
DEF: Michael Keane
Team: Everton
Opponent: Bournemouth (home)
Rostered: 19% / 38%
Points Last Gameweek: 12.75
Projected GW38 Points: 12.5
Prospects: Just when it looked like the fantasy revival for Michael Keane had fizzled out as quickly as it arrived, we were given a lifeline last week with an injury to Nathan Patterson. Keane, who had somewhat mysteriously been supplanted by Yerry Mina in the Toffees' starting lineup, stepped in to play alongside the Colombian and provided him with the assist to his last-gasp equalizer against Wolves. The former Burnley center back should keep his place barring a very rare start for Mason Holgate. When he's started recently, Keane has been the primary ghost point scorer among the Everton defenders due to his aerial prowess. Expect him to be active in both boxes, particularly if they haven't put the game to bed.
DEF: Kieran Tierney
Team: Arsenal
Opponent: Wolves (home)
Rostered: 44% / 33%
Points Last Gameweek: 3
Projected GW38 Points: 7.3
Prospects: While Arsenal aren't the same team they were a few months ago, they should still have more than enough quality to get a result against a Wolves side that has struggled all season to score goals. Kieran Tierney was a surprise omission in GW37, with Mikel Arteta opting to play Thomas Partey in an unfamiliar role in defense. It would be kind to say that tactic didn't work out as well as the manager planned, and I'd be shocked to see the Ghanaian reprise his role at right back on Sunday. With Jakub Kiwior more comfortable at center back as well, we should see Tierney given a chance from the start. The Scot has had a difficult season in North London, but can redeem himself with a strong performance.
DEF: Kostas Tsimikas
Team: Liverpool
Opponent: Southampton (away)
Rostered: 20% / 19%
Points Last Gameweek: 3
Projected GW38 Points: 11.6
Prospects: While Kostas Tsimikas is a Sleepers XI mainstay, it's almost always as a member of the reserves. He offers huge upside potential whenever he plays, but it's never a certainty. Many managers expected there to be a bit more rotation between the Greek Scouser and Andrew Robertson this season, but Robbo has been nearly ever-present. Jurgen Klopp shared in his press conference that he's planning to ring the changes for the dead rubber match against Southampton and Tsimikas could be one of the beneficiaries.
DEF: Joel Ward
Team: Crystal Palace
Opponent: Nottingham Forest (home)
Rostered: 22% / 85%
Points Last Gameweek: 12.75
Projected GW38 Points: 7.4
Prospects: Following a one-week hiatus, I'm calling yet again on Joel Ward. The Palace defender has completely reinvented himself as a fantasy asset since the beginning of April, and I think he'll continue to deliver the goods in the final match against Nottingham Forest. The veteran defender even managed to score a goal in GW37, something he hadn't managed in the Premier League since the 2019-20 season. He's on a can't-miss streak. If your league mates have overlooked him, snap him up, sit back and enjoy the points.
MID: Abdoulaye Doucoure
Team: Everton
Opponent: Bournemouth (home)
Rostered: 30% / 100%
Points Last Gameweek: 4
Projected GW38 Points: 10.8
Prospects: He's had a couple down weeks, but I'm backing Abdoulaye Doucoure to get back to his best this weekend. Bournemouth has been the best opponent for midfielders to face this season, allowing a staggering 11.6 points per game on average. Doucoure will most likely be deployed in an advanced role to support Demarai Gray, which bodes well for his potential to contribute to a goal or two. The midfielder has provided four goals and two assists since early March.
MID: Pablo Fornals
Team: West Ham
Opponent: Leicester City (away)
Rostered: 38% / 23%
Points Last Gameweek: 9
Projected GW38 Points: 7.8
Prospects: It's been a couple years since Pablo Fornals dropped a legendary 41-point performance on the final day of the season (one of my all-time best streams). While he hasn't come close to that high water mark in the two seasons since, hope springs eternal that lightning can strike twice. The Spaniard earned a rare start in GW37 after spending most of the season as a bench option for David Moyes, and he managed a respectable 9 points. With the Europa Conference League final the clear priority for the Hammers boss, I think we could see some of the second-stringers like Fornals get another start in the Prem. Even if he manages a quarter of that heroic performance, that's still a great score for a player the majority of managers can still add to their lineup.
MID: Lewis Hall
Team: Chelsea
Opponent: Newcastle (home)
Rostered: 11% / 66%
Points Last Gameweek: 16
Projected GW38 Points: 8.5
Prospects: We have a new ghost point god on our hands in Lewis Hall. The Chelsea left back had an absolutely incredible DGW, putting up 30 points despite having the Manchester clubs as his opponents (and losing twice). He arguably could have another dozen or so points if his teammates could have put away the chances he created. Part of the youngster's appeal from a fantasy perspective is that he's listed as a midfielder, helping to avoid the negative points that come with conceding, but he's also a chance creation machine. I can't see Frank Lampard taking any risks with Ben Chilwell even if he is fit enough to make the squad, so Hall should get one more opportunity to make his case for staying with the Chelsea team long-term. Hopefully this is just the beginning of his development into a top-tier fantasy asset for years to come.
MID: James Milner
Team: Liverpool
Opponent: Southampton (away)
Rostered: 2% / 0%
Points Last Gameweek: 3
Projected GW38 Points: 8.1
Prospects: One player who likely doesn't have years ahead of him in his playing career is James Milner. The journeyman midfielder is set to play his final match for Liverpool this weekend before making a move over the summer to Brighton, or perhaps back to where it all began with Leeds. Klopp can afford to play up the sentimentality with his selections this week, so I think we'll see at least a couple of the soon-to-depart stars like Milner and Firmino get significant play time. Milner is one of those players you want to stream whenever he is starting, particularly if Mo Salah gets rested and he assumes the role of penalty taker.
FWD: Taiwo Awoniyi
Team: Nottingham Forest
Opponent: Crystal Palace (away)
Rostered: 38% / 66%
Points Last Gameweek: 9
Projected GW38 Points: 5.7
Prospects: There are so few forward options under the 60% roster mark that feel like safe starters that I'm going against my better judgment and banking on another attacking return for Taiwo Awoniyi. The striker is in red-hot form for Forest, having scored 5 goals in his last three Premier League outings, but he does nothing else. In two of the past three weeks, he's managed to score fewer points than the value of the goals he scored (9 points with a goal last week; 21.5 from two goals in GW35). His best outing of the three saw him add a whole two ghost points on top of his brace to make it to 24 points in GW36. If you subscribe to the theory that strikers thrive on confidence, Awoniyi should be a prime candidate to score a hat-trick this week, as he's in the best form of the season. But be forewarned that Awoniyi is not Erling Haaland, so scoring at the rate of more than a goal per game isn't sustainable.
FWD: Dango Ouattara
Team: Bournemouth
Opponent: Everton (away)
Rostered: 38% / 90%
Points Last Gameweek: 5
Projected GW38 Points: 9.6
Prospects: As I mentioned previously, Everton will be desperate to secure their survival on Sunday. This could see them push additional numbers forward and become susceptible to counterattacks. If that's the case, someone like Dango Ouattara is well-equipped to capitalize. Ouattara has loads of pace and panache at his disposal, which is a good thing since he hasn't proven to be as much of a goal threat as was expected (just the one goal for the Cherries so far, surprisingly). He can ghost with the best of them, though. I'd happily give him a chance even though he and his teammates don't have anything to play for.
The Reserves
If you're playing on Fantrax with Live Lineup Changes, you should keep an eye on starting lineups for the following high-upside players who have some question marks around their starting status this week. If any of these guys do get a start for their team, snap them up and plug them into your starting eleven!
Matt Targett, Defender, Newcastle. Opponent: Chelsea
Fabio Vieira, Midfielder, Arsenal. Opponent: Wolves
Cole Palmer, Midfielder, Man City. Opponent: Brentford
Kelechi Iheanacho, Forward, Leicester City. Opponent: West Ham
Reiss Nelson, Forward, Arsenal. Opponent: Wolves
Article image courtesy of craiyon.com
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