Every season has its headline-grabbers: your Haalands, your Salahs, your Sakas…but real fantasy football legends know the true gold lies in the players who grind week in, week out without hogging the spotlight. At Statr, where key passes, tackles, and full frontal footballing goodness matter just as much as goals and assists, we’ve pulled together our ultimate Underrated XI plus a well-stocked bench based purely on the unsung heroes who powered fantasy teams and club seasons alike. Grab your boots, this is a team packed with hidden talent ready to shock the world… or at least dominate your mini-league.

Goalkeeper: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)

When you think top shot-stoppers, your mind probably jumps to Allison or Raya but Dean Henderson quietly put together a season full of sensational saves and commanding performances currently only behind Matz Sels and David Raya in the Golden Glove running with 10 clean sheets so far this season, he has been quietly going about his business and picking up points. Despite Palace’s ups and downs, Henderson was rock steady, racking up saves, clean sheets, and save points in our StatrDraft model ranking 5th in our Goalkeepers so far this season. Meanwhile, Kepa, resurrected at Bournemouth, patiently waits on our bench because in the world of underrated keepers, there’s always room for redemption. Also it lets us talk about this moment….

Defence: Robinson, Tarkowski, Collins, Porro

Left Back – Antonee Robinson (Fulham):
Robinson is Fulham’s engine on the flank, combining lung-busting overlaps with disciplined defending. He wasn’t just clearing lines; he was driving Fulham forward, racking up points for interceptions and key passes. A proper modern full-back, minus the Netflix docuseries. This writer has been waxing lyrical about Robinson for a many a years and seeing the Fulham left back 9th in the overall tackles completed list and joint third with Bakayo Saka for Premier league assists feels like a moment to say “I told you so”. FYI, he is also 3rd in the overall defenders list using our Opta scoring model, which you can find out more about but you’ll have to join the waiting list to Play the Statr Way!

Centre Backs – James Tarkowski (Everton) and Nathan Collins (Brentford):
Tarkowski — Mr. Reliable.  5th overall in our scoring model and he’s been high up that list for a few years now. The ultimate defender’s defender. While Everton struggled for goals, Tarkowski quietly hoovered up points from blocks, clearances, and tackles. Next to him, Brentford’s Nathan Collins, the Irish titan (yes that’s how I am describing him) showed why big clubs once drooled over him. Composed, brave, and sneakily good with his feet and he is a top 10 defender according to the Statr scoring model with Tarkoswki and Virgil the only out and out centre backs ahead of him this season.

Right Back – Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur):
Porro didn’t just defend; he launched Spurs attacks like a rogue cannon. In a season where Spurs have taken the term Spursy into overdrive, Porro has been a very bright spark in an awful awful team. 6th overall over in Statrland with assists, defensive contributions, and a never-say-die engine, Porro was a secret fantasy football weapon, all while looking very fashionable doing it.

Bench Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (the human tackle machine) and Josko Gvardiol (City’s Croatian smooth operator) are ready to come off the bench and lock things down if needed. Jan Paul Van Hecke was an outside bet here too.

Midfield: Iwobi, Tielemans, Damsgaard

Alex Iwobi (Fulham):
Third highest-scoring midfielder on the StatrDraft model. Read that again. Behind only Cole Palmer and Bruno Fernandes, yes Read that again, again. While casuals were chasing shiny names, Iwobi was collecting points for smart passes, tackles, and crucial involvement. A true stat-head’s dream pick. The Swiss army knife midfielder, he can and has played in an 8, 10 and off the wings, becoming Marco Silva’s go to man. No matter the position, his game involvement hasn’t dropped all season. The out and out under-rated player of the season in our books.

Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa):
Tielemans isn’t flashy but he runs the show quietly, dictating tempo and chalking up passes like a human metronome. Villa’s midfield heartbeat, and if you know, you know. It’s been this way since his time at Leicester and only injury has slowed him down over the past few years.

Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford):
Everyone loves a Brentford player, they just buy well, and Damsgaard’s steady rise back to form gave Brentford a creative pulse. Key passes, smart movement,  Damsgaard ticked all the right (and nerdy) fantasy football boxes. 1oth overall using our Data model just behind Jarrod Bowen and Enzo Fernandes, good company for the Brentford midfield maestro.

Bench Midfielders: Jacob Murphy (Newcastle’s utility knife) and Morgan “I still start even though you signed Asensio and Rashford” Rogers(Villa’s surprise package) offer pace, energy, and a sprinkle of goals from the bench.

Attack: Wissa, Sarr, Elanga

Yoane Wissa (Brentford):
Overshadowed by Toney in the past? Overshadowed by Mbeumo now? Absolutely. But Wissa quietly bagged goals, linked play, and pulled defenders apart. A no-nonsense forward, made for StatrDraft’s “actions over hype” scoring.

Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace):
Everyone drools over Eze and Mateta but Sarr kept Palace ticking with his direct running and goal threat. Overshadowed? Maybe. Undervalued? Definitely. His numbers on StatrDraft tell the real story.

Antony Elanga (Nottingham Forest):
Speed, chaos, and pure fantasy football chaos factor. Elanga has been apart of the spark Forest desperately needed in tough games, and fantasy managers who gambled on him often got rewarded with bonus points galore.

Bench Attackers: Brennan Johnson (Spurs’ super-sub) and João Pedro (Brighton’s technical magician) complete our lethal backup options.

Final Whistle

This squad might not dominate newspaper headlines, but on StatrDraft? They were pure gold. They tackled, intercepted, and playmaked their way to the top of the underrated charts showing that in the world of fantasy football, it’s not always the flashiest players who win you titles… sometimes it’s the grinders.
Own the Draft. Own the League. Play the Statr Way.

Jon Harrison , May 2025