Fantasy Football Sleepers: Top 11 Players You Must Have to Gain the Advantage

Raise your hand if you were left confused, frustrated and angry that you couldn't make last minute changes heading into Gameweek 1.

Fantasy Premier League has issued a 752 word apology, but here are the 66 words you need to read:

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No points will be deducted for any transfers you make up to the Gameweek 2 deadline (11:30 BST on Saturday 20th August 2011). If you have already made transfers and had points deducted, these will be restored to your overall total by midnight on Tuesday 16th August 2011. If you have already opted to play your wildcard, this too will be restored at the same time.

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What this means is that we have one last chance to make knee jerk changes we think will be wholesome to our fantasy season.

You might be thinking what's a sleeper? A sleeper is an American term to denote a fantasy player who is a minority pick that will have a breakout season.

What will separate the winners from the losers are the ones who can pick these sleepers before everyone else to gain that advantage.   

11. Chelsea: Henrique Hilário

• Position: Goalkeeper 
• Price: £4.5 million
• Selected by 1.7 percent of fantasy managers  

Perfect opportunity if you're using the dual cheap goalkeeper strategy because what's one of the drawbacks?

They're not playing for a top team, therefore, they're less likely to register clean sheets.

With Petr Čech out for a month after injuring his medial ligaments in training, in means either Henrique Hilário or Ross Turnbull will deputise in goal. 

Common sense would dictate you to say Turnbull but given Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas' decision to select José Bosingwa over Branislav Ivanović last week, compatriot Hilário comes into the picture. 

Chelsea's next three games are against West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City and Sunderland: show me the points!     

10. Arsenal: Carl Jenkinson

• Position: Defender
• Price: £5.5 million
• Selected by 0.0 percent of fantasy managers *645 teams have him

Selecting Carl Jenkinson is essentially playing Russian roulette, you're banking on Arsenal's shambolic defence to somehow keep two clean sheets against Liverpool and Manchester United.

As bad as Arsenal's defence have looked, they've kept two clean sheets in a row. 

Kieran Gibbs will be out for two weeks with a hamstring injury, Armand Traoré had a terrible time with Juventus last season and Jenkinson played against Udinese. 

Though he struggled against Mauricio Isla, the youngster did try which was good to see. 

If Arsenal does get two clean sheets and you start Jenkinson in the next two games, chances are no one in your league has, thereby giving you a 12 point advantage.  

9. Stoke City: Matthew Upson

• Position: Defender
• Price: £4.5 million
• Selected by 1.2 percent of fantasy managers

Matthew Upson made his debut last night against Thun in the Europa League and Stoke City kept a clean sheet.

We all know how Stoke plays, defend strong and hoof the ball up.

Upson can warm your benches or you can take the risk in starting him, which only becomes a liability when Stoke doesn't come out and play, like their 7-0 last season to Chelsea.  

Upson or Jonathan Woodgate?

Given Woodgate's chronic injuries, Upson would be a safer bet. 

8. Manchester United: Chris Smalling

• Position: Defender
• Price: £5.5 million
• Selected by 8.9 percent of fantasy managers

Nemanja Vidić will be out for five weeks with a calf injury, Rafael will be out for 10 weeks with a dislocated shoulder—hello Chris Smalling.

Smalling's only competitor at right back would be Fábio, but right now, Smalling is more developed, stronger, more sound and just a better player.

Plus, even if Smalling doesn't play at right back, he'll play at center back. 

The only negative of selecting Smalling is that Manchester United has a tough fixtures list coming up: Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in the next eight games. 

7. Arsenal: Theo Walcott

• Position: Midfielder
• Price: £9.0 million
• Selected by 2.6 percent of fantasy managers

I know you're thinking no way, just hear me out. 

Cesc Fàbregas left because he longed for Barcelona. Samir Nasri is set to leave because he wants to win trophies whilst earning more money. 

What does Theo Walcott want? 

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"The boss (Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger) has always promised me that I will get a chance to play through the middle and it's now been six years since I joined the club."

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Bear in mind, Walcott is a natural forward and a makeshift winger, rather then the other way around.

Surely Wenger will live up to his promise, otherwise risking the chance of alienating Walcott.  

6. Everton: Tim Cahill

• Position: Midfielder
• Price: £9.0 million
• Selected by 5.0 percent of fantasy managers

Tim Cahill has been playing as a forward for Australia, a position Everton manager David Moyes experimented with in two games last season.

The next four games against Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic will give Cahill ample goal scoring practice. 

Then, trade him out because Everton plays Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.   

5. West Bromwich Albion: Somen Tchoyi

• Position: Midfielder
• Price: £5.5 million
• Selected by 0.8 percent of fantasy managers

Somen Tchoyi is an interesting prospect. 

The safe options would be to pick his teammates Chris Brunt or Peter Odemwingie.

Though Tchoyi's power is very impressive, and like Christopher Samba, he's thrown up forward sometimes. 

Unlike Samba, Tchoyi knows his way around the box, as Newcastle United found out last season. 

Hardly a risk at his price, but worth the gamble if you're playing a cheap/mid priced midfield.   

4. Sunderland: Stéphane Sessègnon

• Position: Midfielder
• Price: £6.5 million
• Selected by 1.6 percent of fantasy managers

As I predicted, and assuming Sunderland doesn't change their tactics overnight, Stéphane Sessègnon will continue to play as a withdrawn forward. 

This is fantasy gold because he's listed as a midfielder, he's cheap, hardly anyone has him and he's one of the most exceptionally gifted players from a technical perspective in the league.

He was a joy to watch in Ligue 1.  

3. Manchester City: Samir Nasri

• Position: Midfielder
• Price: £9.5 million
• Selected by 2.4 percent of fantasy managers

Still an Arsenal player, but not for long.

That being said, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger may even play Samir Nasri as a pragmatic decision against Liverpool on the weekend, but don't bet on it. 

With the abundance of world class players at Manchester City, Nasri could turn out to be a fantasy goldmine. 

2. Aston Villa: Gabriel Agbonlahor

• Position: Forward
• Price: £6.5 million
• Selected by 3.4 percent of fantasy managers

The three pronged attack of Darren Bent, Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor looks good on paper and theoretically should mean goals.

Aston Villa has an extraordinarily easy start, with only Manchester City a real quandary in the first 13 games. 

1. Manchester City: Edin Džeko

• Position: Forward 
• Price: £8.5 million
• Selected by 6.8 percent of fantasy managers

I've been surprised with fantasy managers, given 20.9 percent made the right decision to select José Enrique, yet why isn't everyone picking Edin Džeko? 

One rationale is Džeko may not start. 

I counter that with Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has had a tendency to play with a target man.

At Lazio, it was Bernardo Corradi. At Inter Milan, it was Zlatan Ibrahimović and at Manchester City, naturally, it will be Džeko.

You'd think with Sergio Agüero playing behind him, with David Silva orchestrating play, with Yaya Touré bombing forward, with Gaël Clichy making overlapping runs and a Eastlands bound Samir Nasri—Džeko is bound to score goals in bucketfuls.

Please read Arsenal 1-0 Udinese UCL ratings