WHERE Dream Team is concerned, we love to celebrate lowly-selected players who are able to match the big boys point-for-point.
Unfortunately, it’s also our duty to highlight popular assets who aren’t pulling their weight.
These are the five most-popular players with fewer than 25 points at this stage…
Oleksandr Zinchenko (£3.6m)
- 20.5% ownership
- 17 points
A common theme here will be injuries which will explain a lack of points but not why so many Dream Team gaffers have stood by the players in question.
The Ukraine international was a smart selection prior to Game Week 1 and he instantly justified his popularity with a 15-point haul in his first outing.
However, Zinchenko has missed seven fixtures since then and has found points hard to come by when fit and involved.
Both Kieran Tierney (£3.5m) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (£2.8m) have fulfilled left-back duties for Arsenal in recent weeks and with the Gunners having taken a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League, the former Man City man may have to wait his turn even when he does regain full fitness.
Zinchenko will probably have an important role to play later in the campaign but Dream Team bosses can’t afford to carry him right now.
Dejan Kulusevski (£3.5m)
- 10% ownership
- 22 points
Another asset hindered by injury troubles but one who will possibly return this week as Tottenham take on Man United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old midfielder has been an excellent Dream Team asset when available since his move to north London.
He’s registered one goal and three assists in 503 minutes of Premier League action so far this season, following up on the 13 goal involvements he achieved in just half a campaign in 2021/22.
With Richarlison (£3.8m) now sidelined, there should be plenty of minutes for Kulusevski going forward, assuming his body holds up.
Kyle Walker (£3.8m)
- 7.6% ownership
- 10 points
It’s important to note here that the Manchester City defender’s returns were desperately lacking even before he underwent surgery on his groin.
Walker is averaging just 1.4 points-per-game this season compared to Joao Cancelo’s (£7.8m) 6.1 – that shows the value added by full-backs who offer plenty going forward.
The England international is just the eighth-best player in his position among Man City players!
Every Dream Team manager should make use of several Etihad residents throughout the course of the season but make sure you’re selecting the right ones.
David de Gea (£2.8m)
- 6.7% ownership
- 23 points
Ten goalkeepers have amassed more points than Manchester United’s No1 at this stage.
In fairness, the outlook has brightened somewhat for De Gea in the last two Game Weeks with clean sheets against Omonia Nicosia and Newcastle but it wasn’t that long ago he incurred minus five points at the hands of Man City.
Dream Team bosses backing the Spaniard would do well to consider a switch to Kepa Arrizabalaga now the latter is Chelsea’s first-choice keeper – the Blues have won five games in a row this month.
Christian Eriksen (£2.6m)
- 6.6% ownership
- 11 points
We finish with another of Erik ten Hag’s troops.
The Danish playmaker was a massively popular pick prior to Game Week 1 after a prosperous return to Dream Team in Brentford colours last season.
Eriksen has provided three assists for the Red Devils this term but he’s yet to score, mostly because he’s been deployed in a deeper midfield role than perhaps suits him.
The 30-year-old has blanked in eight of his 12 appearances so far – he simply doesn’t warrant being more popular than James Maddison (£5.3m) and Mason Mount (£4.6m).
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
