Sleeper – Younes Kaboul

It was a season to forget for Younes Kaboul last time round after injuries sidelined the centre-half for all but one of Tottenham’s league fixtures. Having featured in the first XI on 33 occasions under Harry Redknapp in 2011/12, the Frenchman looked to have finally established himself as a White Hart Lane regular but after sustaining a knee injury in Andre Villas-Boas’ first match in charge of the north London outfit, he failed to appear again:

Initially expected to be absent for just four months, Kaboul’s rehabilitation was a somewhat protracted affair and allowed Michael Dawson the chance to forge a partnership with Jan Vertonghen in the heart of the Tottenham back-four. Eventually returning in April, the Frenchman was handed a series of reserve team outings in order to build up his match-fitness but broke down once again, with a thigh strain suffered against Man United in the middle of the month.

With the likes of Steven Caulker and William Gallas also offering centre-half alternatives, Villas-Boas took no more risks with Kaboul’s fitness for the run-in – the Frenchman didn’t feature in the first-team squad again as Spurs’ bid for a Champions League spot was ultimately denied on the final day of the campaign by bitter rivals Arsenal.

The Prospects

A fully-fit Kaboul may well be an intriguing prospect for Fantasy managers next time round. With five centre-halves at his disposal last summer, Villas-Boas was prepared to sell Dawson to QPR until the Frenchman’s knee injury and while the Spurs boss has since acknowledged such a move would have been a mistake, it remains to be seen whether the former Nottingham Forest man can keep his place ahead of Kaboul in Villas-Boas’ plans.

Assessing the options for 2013/14, Villas-Boas has already allowed Gallas to leave after deciding against renewing his contract. While Caulker started 17 league games last term, it’s noticeable that he featured only seven times in the final 19 Gameweeks, as he fell behind Dawson in the pecking order. The latter, on the other hand, started 20 of the club’s final 21 fixtures but bearing in mind that Spurs registered just five clean sheets over that period, Kaboul’s installation alongside Vertonghen would afford a little more mobility in the heart of defence and improve their prospects of keeping out opponents.

Certainly, a drop in price looks on the cards across the Fantasy games next time round for Kaboul. Having started the previous campaign at 5.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), there’d be no surprise to see him slip to 5.0 – Dawson’s 2012/13 starting cost – and, while the likes of Kyle Walker and Vertonghen offer greater security of game time, their premium prices may well deter Fantasy managers as we look to balance our opening budgets.

While Kaboul may not quite rival Vertonghen for goal threat, the Frenchman arguably offers more in the opponents box that Dawson and, if he can establish a run of starts, Fantasy managers will anticipate some return to compliment any clean sheets that come his way. Granted, with eight shut-outs over 2012/13, Spurs were hardly the most reliable investment when it came to defensive returns but as Villas-Boas looks to tweak his first-team options for his second season in charge, Kaboul could prove a real value option should he manage to steer clear of the Tottenham treatment room.