Top 10 sleepers - Fantasy Premier League 2015-16

Fantasy Sleepers

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Even if you’re new to fantasy soccer, you can probably, uh, "Hazard" a guess at some of the top performers in the league. Take a quick look at the top performers in the Premier League last season -- Alexis Sanchez , Eden Hazard , David Silva , Harry Kane -- and you can make a pretty good start.

For every big name, though, there’s a Kieran Trippier lurking. Last year, the then-Burnley man went unselected in many leagues, only to promptly blow up over the course of the season. Now with Tottenham, Trippier is a fantasy stalwart, projected as one of the highest-rated defenders in the league.

Finding the right sleeper can separate a middling side from a championship. Here, in no particular order, we give you the top 10 (and even add two extra) players we think have a sleeper quality to them -- whether they are on the verge of breaking out, a forgotten star returning from an injury, or a role player in a new situation that will allow them to shine.

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Matt Ritchie (F), Bournemouth

Sleepers are normally associated with your last selections, but watching highlights of Ritchie may have you considering an earlier selection on the Bournemouth winger. Primarily playing on the right, Ritchie has pace and is set to play a key role for one of new arrivals in the EPL. He is nailed on for direct and indirect free kicks, adding to his fantasy value as a midfielder. Last year, he scored 12 times and had 16 assists in the Championship, and his lack of Premier League experience means he may be a point of difference.

Yohan Cabaye (M), Crystal Palace

As a Newcastle player, Cabaye’s scintillating form saw him rocket from relative obscurity to a starting role in France’s national team set up, then, eventually, a big money transfer to Paris Saint Germain. After an iffy spell in and out of the first 11, Cabaye is back in the Premier League and certain to have a key role for Crystal Palace, a club managed by his Newcastle mentor Alan Pardew . Cabaye is a skilled passer likely to rack up assists, completions and a surprising number of tackles for what many consider a finesse player. In Palace’s midfield, he’ll work with a group of attackers that exceeded expectations last year and play with pace -- the sort of thing a midfielder known for his intelligent through balls will be happy to find.

Theo Walcott (F), Arsenal

If you follow English football, Walcott is a familiar name. His pace and mercurial bursts have been a fixture in the Premier League with Arsenal for the better part of a decade. Walcott has been a productive fantasy performer but something of an enigma -- on the brink of elite status only to suffer a setback. Last year, Walcott lost much of the season to recovery from a knee injury, but it’s how he finished that lands him on our list: Walcott logged critical minutes for Arsenal as a central striker and responded with a hat trick against WBA on the final Premier League game of the season and a crucial opening goal for Arsenal in their F.A. Cup triumph over Aston Villa. If Walcott is fit and back in form, there are few players that boast his mix of speed, passing and potential for goals.

Jay Rodriguez (F), Southhampton

Southampton’s slick, fast-paced offense is built for players like Rodriguez. How do we know? Two years ago, the England forward earned a national team callup, had big clubs sniffing around, and generally wreaked havoc on the Premier League. A knee injury cost him nearly all of last season, but Rodriguez figures to slot back into a key role in Ronald Koeman ’s side now that he is healthy. When fit, Rodriguez racks up stats in all of the major offensive categories, and he will likely have something to prove, as the past two summers have seen many of Rodriguez’s high profile teammates sold to bigger clubs.

Bojan (F), Stoke City

Before an injury ended his season, Barcelona-bred Bojan was putting together a monster fantasy season at Stoke. Even accounting for a slow start, where Stoke’s manager Mark Hughes was slow to integrate him, Bojan was performing strongly before a knee injury ended his season after just 16 Premier League appearances. Elite forwards are hard enough to come by -- and Bojan has already proved that, when healthy, he can be a fantasy force.

Marco Van Ginkel (M), Stoke City (on loan from Cheslea)

Where other players on this list have shown flickers of real fantasy production, this pick is more of a hunch. Chelsea snapped Van Ginkel up two seasons ago when he was considered one of the brightest midfield talents in the Dutch Eervidise. Things haven’t gone to  plan for him: A knee injury killed his first season, then he had an indifferent loan campaign with Serie A side Milan. But a loan move to Stoke -- a mid-table side with attacking talent and a newly refined playing style -- should suit Van Ginkel. At his best, he is a box-to-box midfielder who presses forward, makes key passes, and racks up tackles. If he can put his injuries behind him, a regular run at Stoke should suit him and his owners.

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Valon Behrami (M), Watford

A player nicknamed the Swiss Army Knife seems destined to have good fantasy value. Behrami arrives at Premier League newboys Watford after several seasons abroad. But the Swiss midfielder has years of Premier League experience with West Ham, is a regular performer with the Swiss national team, and figures to play an important role in Watford’s effort to stay up. Behrami’s versatility makes him a potentially valuable pickup. He tackles well, completes passes, and gets involved in various facets of the game.

Gerard Deulofeu (M), Everton

As a loanee from Barcelona, Deulofeu had a productive stint as something of a super sub for Everton two seasons ago. A bit older and now on a permanent deal, the Spaniard figures to have a more important role for the Toffees. Deulofeu enjoys a strong relationship with Everton’s Spanish manager, Roberto Martinez . He will take up a role somewhere in Everton’s front three, slipping balls to target man Romelu Lukaku , and providing natural width -- and crosses. What’s tantalizing about Deulofeu is the sense that he hasn’t yet scratched the surface on his tremendous potential. Settled in England, with a manager he trusts, there’s potential for a tremendous fantasy return.

Jores Okore (D), Aston Villa

Aston Villa were hardly known for their defense last year. But the emergence of Danish defender Okore was a rare bright spot. Okore appeared 23 times for Aston Villa -- a little more than half of their Premier League games -- but was their most consistent defensive performer. If you project a more regular role for him in Villa’s defense -- and we are -- he could provide good value.

Robert Huth (D), Leicester

Journeyman German defender Huth is not so much poised for a breakout as a return to form. The former Chelsea, Middlesborough and Stoke City defender didn’t have much of a season, having lost his place at Stoke, until he took a loan move to Leicester. His arrival coincided with a remarkable escape from relegation. Now fully fit and having completed a permanent transfer to Leicester, Huth should have a productive season ahead.

Georginio Wijnaldum (M), Newcastle

Counting on a foreign import in the Premier League can be risky. For every Sanchez, there is an Angel di Maria who frustrates and confounds. There’s reason, though, to invest in Newcastle’s big summer signing Wijnaldum. An attacking midfielder, Wijnaldum likes to press forward, and as the key player and captain on PSV, they won the Dutch championship. Newcastle has a new manager, Steve McLaren , who has coached in Holland and will be aware of Wijnaldum’s talents. At Newcastle, he’s likely to serve as the creative fulcrum. While the team struggled, nearly slipping into a relegation fight last year, McClaren offers stability, and the core of a team that challenged for the Champions League just a few season ago is mostly intact.

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