Youri Tielemans and Ryan Gravenberch leading Dream Team for bonus points this season

DREAM TEAM managers should keep abreast of which players are earning the most bonus points throughout the season.

Goal involvements and clean sheets remain the game’s primary currencies but every point counts come the end of the season.

We understand not every gaffer wants to spend time studying the Stats Centre and so allow us to present the top bonus point collectors after 13 Gameweeks of the campaign.

MOST BONUS POINTS EARNED THIS SEASON:

• 30 pts – Youri Tielemans (£3.9m)
• 30 pts – Ryan Gravenberch (£3.8m)
• 29 pts – James Maddison (£4.7m)
• 24 pts – Savinho (£4.1m)
• 22 pts – Bruno Guimaraes (£4.3m)
• 22 pts – Dwight McNeil (£3.8m)
• 22 pts – Iliman Ndiaye (£3.8m)
• 19 pts – Eberechi Eze (£5m)
• 19 pts – Kyle Walker-Peters (£3m)
• 18 pts – Anthony Gordon (£4.3m)
• 18 pts – Pedro Porro (£4.7m)
• 18 pts – Declan Rice (£4.2m)

Aston Villa’s No8 is actually a viable option for the upcoming Gameweek.

Unai Emery’s side are set to take on 20th-placed Southampton this weekend before travelling to RB Leipzig on Tuesday but it’s a good time to play the Bundesliga outfit as they’ve lost five of the last seven games in all competitions.

Tielemans earned the maximum of five bonus points in his most recent outing as part of an eight-point haul against Brentford.

The Belgium international ranks highly in his position for accurate crosses, interceptions, blocks and fouls won – his pass completion rate of 86% is handy too.

As for Gravenberch, he’s been a revelation since Arne Slot took charge at Anfield.

The Dutchman has made 41 interceptions this season, eight more than anyone else and 13 more than the next-best midfielder.

His ability to pick off loose balls, drive through the middle third and retain possession has been a key feature in Liverpool’s strong start to the campaign – his impressive bonus point tally reflects this.

However, Gravenberch is yet to score this season and has contributed just one assist.

He’s doing a great job for his team but his penchant for bonus points is not quite enough to justify his selection in a truly competitive Dream Team XI.

Whereas Maddison ticks plenty of boxes as a player who also registers lots of shots on target and big chances created.

Tottenham’s No10 has ten goal contributions to his name but his bonus point collection mean he’s currently above the likes of Alejandro Garnacho (£4.3m) and Luis Diaz (£4.2m) in the overall rankings, despite the Manchester United and Liverpool wingers having been involved in more goals (12 each).

Not that many gaffers have much faith in Spurs at present.

Guimaraes is an interesting inclusion as he possesses an almost freakish ability to win free-kicks.

Newcastle’s combative midfielder has won 60 fouls this season when only one other player (the aforementioned Maddison) has registered more than 35!

Walker-Peters leads the way among defenders but his useful habit of picking up bonus points is completely negated by Southampton’s defensive concerns.

Porro has been undermined by Spurs’ frailties too – he’s contributed to just three clean sheets – but his overall total of 102 points puts him sixth among assets in his position.

Without a healthy return of bonus points the Spaniard would be far less appealing.

Dream Team bosses shouldn’t centre their strategy on bonus points but it would be a mistake to disregard them entirely – they soon add up.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk