Our Gameweek 1 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 1 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.
The first week of the 24/25 Premier League season is finally here and, unless you're in one of the very few leagues that drafts on opening day, you've already got your roster(s) set. If you're like me, you might have taken a few punts on players in your draft that can deliver bigger scores than some of the more reliable starters. In the event that one or more of those guys doesn't start this week and you need to look elsewhere, you're in luck.
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 1. 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)
Flekken came in last season to replace Raya, who had an absolute barnstormer of a season the year prior, but the Dutch shot stopper failed to to live up to the standards set by the Spaniard. He showed glimpses of his potential, including a 29.5 pointer in a 3-1 loss to City, but the point scoring wasn't consistent enough. This season, Brentford will be hoping that the injury curse that hit them last season avoids them and they are able to be more solid at the back. Changing GK cleansheet scoring to 6 from 8 means that saves and other ghost points count for much more, so GKs facing shots will have a comparative edge. Flekken could well turn out to be a season long hold.
Harry Maguire (D, Man Utd)
As with all 3 of this week's defender picks, we are leaning into the 1-week pickup angle here with Slabhead. His Fantasy point scoring ability has never been questioned, propped up by aerials and clearances, he is the archetypal DraftPL Default Scoring Centre Back. His spot however is looking increasingly questionable, with United hoarding centre backs like there is no tomorrow. Yoro out and de Ligt barely through the doors at Carrington, Mags will have a few weeks (at least 1) in the starting lineup.
Kostas Tsimikas (D, Liverpool)
Possibly even shorter term addition, than Mags is Tsimi, who has been playing all pre-season as the "first choice" LB for Slot with Robbo back late from the EUROs and nursing a knock. Last week was the Scotsman's first foray into pre-season training and 60' in a friendly. There is a chance Robbo does start GW1, but my guess is Tsimi gets this one and is then relegated to his usual bench role (trade him to the Robbo manager on Sunday after his 30 pointer).
Oleksandr Zinchenko (D, Arsenal)
To round out our trio of 1-week-wonders, the Ukrainian will be hoping to put in a performance and stake a claim for the LB spot in GW1. Calafiori, Timber, and Kiwi are all waiting in the wings so it won't be an easy task, but remember when we all thought last season that the Pole took his spot with a plethora of great performances while Zinny was injured only for the former City man to come straight back in? Arteta definitely likes him and his tactical flexibility stepping up into midfield. His long term value will be determined by how Arteta will tweak the system and what he plans to do with his wide backs as the 3 vying for the spot offer different tactical possibilities. Timber barely back in training, Cala not necessarily up to speed, I expect Zinny to start this weekend.
Alex Scott (M, Bournemouth)
The youngster was signed last season from the Championship with great hopes. Injuries and limited minutes hid his potential from us last season, but he will be hoping to establish himself in the first team. Capable of ghosting steadily, it is rare to find a high upside attacking midfielder available on the free agent market. Managers will be hoping he keeps his spot long term.
Danilo (M, Nottingham Forest)
We are firmly into steady DM territory here, but the Brazilian is one of the best of his kind. His forward forays have led to decent stats, the highlight of which is s run of 8 games at the end of last season in which he only had one instance where he didn't have a key pass and he even got 2 attacking returns in that run. Exciting? Hell no. Best of the crap available? Probably.
Justin Kluivert (M, Bournemouth)
"Nomen est omen" goes the saying. Young Justin has big shoes to fill. He had an ok first season in the EPL but competition is fierce for spots at BOU and he is nowhere near nailed. Even when he started last season, he rarely made it to the end, so this recommendation definitely comes with a "caution" tag. His potential penalty taker duty makes him a high upside pickup.
Ryan Gravenberch (M, Liverpool)
Another off-season gone, another one without Liverpool signing a dedicated number 6. Now more than ever, with Arne Slot's dynamic double pivot system to be implemented, their need for a ball-playing DM is more prevalent than ever. We will go into GW1 without a clear picture of how the mid 3 will line up. In comes perennial prospect, Ryan Gravenberch. The Dutch midfielder has struggled to nail down a starting spot last season, but with no new signings on the horizon, it might turn out that Liverpool had the answer in their team all along.
Adama Traore (F, Fulham)
We are all chasing that one amazing Adama season. Forever. With Willian gone, there aren't many choices to fill in on the left flank. He probably still can't convert and is maybe a tactical liability, but if he can hold down a starting spot, do we care? He is an absolute Draft Fantasy scoring cheat code. Pick him up and thank us later.
Ilman N'Diaye (F, Everton)
He was the absolute talisman for Sheffield United as they got promoted 2 seasons ago and after a very underwhelming spell in France, he is back in the Prem. He will stake a claim to set pieces in addition to being the central hub of the attack. Let's hope Dyche manages to find the spot to best utilise his talents. It’s worth mentioning that he didn’t start much in preseason and he may be worked in slowly, meaning this week 1 gamble also comes with caution tape.
Michail Antonio (F, West Ham)
Yes, Nic Fullkrug is sure to be number 9 up front for the Hammers for the season. However, the German came in late and after a long Euros campaign, so he might not be risked GW1. Antonio is fit (shocked, I know) and ready to step in. He is usually matchup proof, when given a chance, so if you need forward help, he might well be the one to help you get to a W in the first GW.
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