Ibrahima Konate and other top defenders selected by fewer than 10% of Dream Team gaffers

DREAM TEAM managers should always be aware of potential differential options, players who appear in relatively few teams.

These individuals are often the difference-makers as their returns are more likely to impact Mini League standings and overall rank than the popular superstars.

With Manchester City on a losing streak and several other high-profile defenders out injured, many gaffers will want to refresh their back line ahead of Gameweek 13.

Here we’ve simply identified the defenders with the most points who currently feature in fewer than 10% of teams.

Takes no prisonersGetty

Daniel Munoz

• £3.4m
• 1.5% ownership
• 68 pts

The Crystal Palace wing-back has made a whopping 55 tackles already this season.

Only Noussair Mazraoui (£4.1m) has registered more but he’s only ahead of Munoz because he’s had additional European fixtures to pad out his schedule.

Plus, Rico Lewis (£3.4m) is the only defender with more assists than the Colombia international at this stage.

The Eagles are struggling this term with just eight points from their first 12 league outings but scoring goals is their primary problem – they’ve conceded the same number of goals as Manchester City.

Lewis Hall

• £3.8m
• 2% ownership
• 72 pts

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Rising up the ranks[/caption]

The fact the Newcastle left-back was just capped by England is a good indicator of his recent form.

Only six defenders have earned more points from their last three outings – Hall even mustered a respectable five points on Monday night despite the Magpies’ 2-0 defeat to West Ham.

The ex-Chelsea youngster also ranks joint-fourth for bonus points among assets in his position.

A meeting with Liverpool aside, Newcastle’s fixtures appear rather favourable from now until Boxing Day.

Destiny Udogie

• £3.5m
• 5.6% ownership
• 75 pts

Unfairly overlooked?Getty

Pedro Porro (£4.4m) is clearly the optimum Tottenham defender but the Spaniard’s counterpart on the left is considerably more affordable and ranks 11th among players in his position.

Udogie hasn’t provided the same attacking threat as last season but only the aforementioned Mazraoui and Munoz have made more tackles (among defenders).

Ange Postecoglou’s side are frustratingly inconsistent, as typified by their 4-0 win over Man City in the wake of a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich.

But Spurs have got plenty of potential and Udogie deserves more recognition in the world of Dream Team.

Diogo Dalot

• £4m
• 9.3% ownership
• 89 pts

Ticking boxes

Manchester United’s No20 has been a decent Dream Team asset for a while now.

He was one of the more reliable performers under Erik ten Hag’s watch and while that doesn’t say much, he ticks a few useful boxes.

Dalot ranks fourth among defenders for big chances created, fifth for tackles, and sixth for clean sheets.

The Portugal international was deployed as a wing-back in Ruben Amorim’s first game as the Red Devils’ head coach and if he continues in the role his backers may enjoy an increase in attacking returns.

Ibrahima Konate

• £4.8m
• 8.9% ownership
• 90 pts

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Imperious[/caption]

It’s easy to understand why over 91% of gaffers are overlooking the Frenchman right now.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m) and Virgil van Dijk (£5.5m) are the only defenders to have brought up a century of points at the time of writing while left-backs Andy Robertson (£4.1m) and Kostas Tsimikas (£3.2m) have offered a more affordable route into the top flight’s best defence.

Konate lands in the middle in terms of points and price and has been consequently underutilised.

The physically imposing 25-year-old is now just one point behind fourth-placed Josko Gvardiol (£4.6m) in the rankings.

Arne Slot’s side are due to face Man City and Newcastle in Gameweek 13 but they’ve got a relatively favourable run from Gameweek 14 until the new year.

Selecting two or even three Liverpool defenders for that spell could be a profitable strategy.

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