How to spot under the radar FPL players

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Premium players from the top performing Premier League clubs will generally serve us well as fantasy assets, but unfortunately we can’t have a full team of them. Spotting under the radar assets can provide fantasy managers with an advantage over their rivals, with underlying OPTA data being a key tool to identify them.

Unfortunately under the radar assets who deliver don’t tend to stay under the radar for long, with that differential quickly becoming a key player in many fantasy squads. Identifying them before the flurry of points is a challenge, so looking at the underlying numbers over the previous four gameweeks tends to be useful for spotting them.

Expected goals (xG) is a key metric for identifying those key assets who are about to go on a hot-streak, particularly when it exceeds the number of goals scored in that period: Danny Welbeck (£6.5m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£6.0m) stand out here examining the final four gameweeks of 2021/22.

For goalscorers, shots on target (OT) and big chances (BC) are also good indicators of player form which is about to translate to fantasy points.

While I prefer using underlying player data and form to make fantasy decisions, looking at overall team performance in conjunction with promising upcoming fixtures can also be key to identifying under-the-radar assets. Shots and big chances are useful metrics for identifying attacks to target, while shots on target and big chances conceded can highlight the beginning of potential defensive form. 

Thinking outside the box, there are other instances where under the radar assets can come to the fore.

Player injuries can pave the way for another asset on a team to see an increase in minutes, or take a more significant role in set-pieces. Tweaks in formation or a change in manager can also see players utilised in different positions and potentially player higher up the pitch which could boost their fantasy points potential.

This is where watching more matches and highlights can help give a crucial fantasy advantage!