5 Players Whose EPL Draft Prospects Have Worsened in 26/27

In the EPL Draft Fantasy Football game, it's a sad day when we're on the brink of a new season and several previously solid fantasy assets have lost their luster. This happens far more than we'd care to admit and for many different reasons. The continuation of the five-subs rule, crowded and complicated dressing rooms, dips in player performances, and new transfers can all lead to fewer minutes and fewer opportunities for many key players. In this article, we'll discuss 5 Players whose EPL Draft prospects have worsened before the 26/27 season. Click here for details on how you can access our both our 26/27 Draft Kit and our Pricing Plans.

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5 Players Whose EPL Draft Prospects Have Worsened as Real-Life Realities Set In

The Premier League is flush with cash these days. We've seen financial injections from American billionaires, hedge fund managers, sovereign wealth funds, and something called a Public Investment Fund. There's no getting around the fact that the Premier League has been allowed to become a pay-to-play league. This, of course, leads to some mind-blowing transfer fees. But a trend we've seen more recently is teams paying exorbitant fees to sign elite talent merely to add depth to their overall squad or to provide motivation to their starters. We must be cognizant of these situations as fantasy managers, as once-great fantasy assets make moves to congested squads and likely see a sharp drop in EPL playtime. But, this can also be an unfortunate side-effect of European competitions and poor player form. Below, we'll discuss players who fall into all of these categories.

NOTE: This article is designed as a pulse-check at the release of the Draft Kit in early July. Circumstances around these players could change, in which case check our rankings. This article will not be updated every time a new rumour drops surrounding these players.

Cody Gakpo

Despite the fact that Arne Slot would surely marry off his own daughter to Cody Gakpo, Liverpool fans were less than enthused with the Dutchman last season... both Dutchmen, actually. For whatever ungodly reason, Slot blatantly refused to drop Gakpo from his squad, even after his form dipped to all-time lows. Memes were created featuring compilations of Cody's patented cut-inside-and-shoot-directly-into-a-defender move. Eventually, with Ekitike's injury woes, Gakpo was needed as a stop-gap replacement at the number 9 position until Isak had fully recovered. He fared no better there. In fact, he was worse. (See the below chart that maps out his shot distribution and the xG created from each spot.) But what caught the attention of fans and Draft managers alike was the unlikely fill-in at the now-vacant left wing: Rio Ngumoha.