Friday 9 December 2016 09:37, UK
Which Premier League players are failing to get the recognition they deserve? The Sky Sports Fantasy Football stats have thrown up some interesting names....
Ryan Fraser rewarded just 0.19 per cent of managers to have selected his services with a 18-point haul in Bournemouth's 4-3 comeback victory over Liverpool, but the winger is not the only one who seems to have gone under the radar.
David de Gea, John Stones and Dimitri Payet have individually been selected more than the entire XI below put together but plenty of unsung heroes have been racking up the points without costing big.
Read on for some tips - and tell us who you think's been an underrated star so far this term by tweeting @SkyFootball or leaving a comment below...
GOALKEEPER
Lee Grant (Stoke)
£5.3m, 46 points so far this season, selected in 0.41 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Stoke fans will be more than aware of their side's upturn of form since Grant was handed his chance, with a solitary defeat in the nine games he has started after a worrying opening to the season. The 33-year-old has conceded just five goals during that run but fantasy bosses are proving slow to catch, despite him climbing above De Gea, Petr Cech and Claudio Bravo in the list of highest scoring goalkeepers.
DEFENDERS
Bruno Martins Indi (Stoke)
£7.5m, 34 points, selected in 0.11 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Mark Hughes' deadline-day signing will also claim credit for his side's upturn in form, having started their last 11, although they conceded eight goals in his first two appearances. But fantasy bosses considering securing his services will want to check on his fitness as the Potters wait on news regarding a suspected fractured cheekbone.
David Luiz (Chelsea)
£9.9m, 42 points, selected in 0.83 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Another player to have made a huge impact at his new club against expectations is Luiz, who has helped Chelsea keep six clean sheets from his 10 starts. More significantly it has seen them climb to the top of the Premier League table but the Brazilian remains near the bottom of the charts in terms of most selected defenders, with a place in less than one per cent of sides.
Antonio Barragan (Middlesbrough)
£6.5m, 40 points, selected in 0.8 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Former Liverpool defender Barragan is impressing during his second spell in the Premier League, after Middlesbrough signed him from Valencia in the summer. The Spaniard has profited from three clean sheets in his last six outings for Aitor Karanka's side, and has recorded bonus points for his tackling stats on four occasions.
Oriol Romeu (Southampton)
£7.4m, 61 points, selected in 1.09 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
The 25-year-old has been a revelation for Southampton this season, making light of the departure of Victor Wanyama. While he offers little in terms of goal threat, he has benefited hugely from the bonus system, racking up additional points for completed passes on five occasions and for tackles on no less than eight. And the former Chelsea man has more points than the man he replaced, with Wanyama picking up just 53 despite scoring on his home debut for Tottenham.
Gaston Ramirez (Middlesbrough)
£7.5m, 56 points, selected in 1.13 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
After a difficult spell in the top flight with Southampton, Ramirez returned to the Premier League with Middlesbrough and has rewarded the small amount of managers who had faith in him. The Uruguayan's 13-point haul against Hull City on Monday catapulted him alongside Pedro and Adam Lallana in the rankings, despite costing significantly less.
Junior Stanislas (Bournemouth)
£8.1m, 56 points, selected in 0.26 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Like Ramirez, Stanislas sits handsomely with 56 points even though he has only featured from the start nine times. The majority of those were racked up in the Cherries' 6-1 thumping of Hull, when the 27-year-old contributed two goals and set up another couple.
Matt Phillips (West Brom)
£7.6m, 66 points, selected in 0.64 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Festive trips to Chelsea, Arsenal and Southampton may force managers to look elsewhere, but West Brom's Phillips has been one of the unsung heroes of the season. The former QPR winger has outscored Christian Eriksen, Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet, and with three goals and three assists in his last four appearances, it is no surprise the Baggies sit seventh.
Nacer Chadli (West Brom)
£8.5m, 50 points, selected in 0.79 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Another Baggies' midfielder that has failed to catch the eye of Fantasy managers is Chadli. A lay-off during pre-season forced him to delay his debut until week five against Bournemouth, but he soon showed his worth, scoring a brace and assisting two more a week later against West Ham. His return to fitness should see a queue of Fantasy bosses looking to secure his services.
Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace)
£11.2m, 63 points, selected in 1.74 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Alan Pardew's headline summer capture is one of the most expensive strikers to sign, and after a tough year at Liverpool, it is easy to see why only 1.74 per cent of managers have persisted with Benteke. His production is finally starting to pay off though, and three goals in his last two games has lifted him into the top 10 scoring forwards for the campaign with 63.
Callum Wilson (Bournemouth)
£10.2m, 60 points, selected in 1.95 per cent of Sky Sports Fantasy Football teams
Bournemouth fans were longing for the return of Wilson at the start of the season, and the striker has not disappointed. Almost two per cent of managers have now secured his signature with that figure likely to rise. After outscoring Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge to date, could England boss Gareth Southgate also be interested?
