Our Fantasy EPL 22/23 Draft Kit promises to be the most comprehensive set of pre-season Draft Premier League articles ever produced! A key component of our Draft Kit will be the Team Preview articles which analyze key assets to sit alongside our all-important Draft Rankings. This article delves into the Best Fantrax Fantasy EPL Players from Arsenal, as we take a deep dive into the prospects of their three best assets! Click here for details on how you can access our 22/23 Draft Kit.
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Arsenal Best Fantasy Players
As noted above, these are the Best Arsenal Players for the Fantrax Fantasy EPL platform. We analyze the Gunners' top three prospects ahead of the new season, with a recommended draft pick for each player.
Bukayo Saka
Position: Midfielder
21/22 Points: 443 (3rd best midfielder)
21/22 Points Per Start: 12.2 (36 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 12.4 (33 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 11-16 (12 Team League: Late Round 1/Early Round 2)
Overview: Nailed on and Arsenal's biggest attacking threat. Given his age, will continue to get better. But will he burn out & regress? Will a better supporting cast help (more attacking returns) or hurt (less reliance=fewer pts)?
Robbed of the Young Player of the Year Award, Bukayo Saka had a banner season. The 20-year-old posted 11 goals & 7 assists in 21/22. Fantasy-wise, he was Arsenal's highest scorer (443 total points & over a dozen points per start) and the 8th most prolific in the entire league. He was on some set pieces (usually right sided corner kicks) and most attacks seemed to flow through him on the right side. His ghost point average of nearly 8 pts per start helped sustain him when the returns dried up. Importantly, Saka was the first name on the teamsheet, only failing to start 2 EPL games all season.
Can he keep this up? Saka & Arsenal benefitted from a lack of Europe last season but will now revert back to the Europa League Thursday-Sunday slog. This can drain even the fittest squads. He has largely avoided injury but more games -- and the fact that he has played non-stop with both Arsenal & England the past few years -- could slow him down. Hopefully he'll be spared in the early rounds and only start after the group stage. He was the focal point and will remain a key part of the attack but may have to spread the set pieces/points around with the additions of Gabriel Jesus & a potential winger (e.g., Raphinha). The flip side is that a more prolific attack should lead to more goals and assists. Either way, Saka is the closest you can get to a guaranteed top 20 fantasy scorer in this Arsenal squad and warrants an early second round pick.
Gabriel Jesus
Position: Forward
21/22 Points: 322 (12th best forward)
21/22 Points Per Start: 14.9 (21 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 12.7 (28 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 14-18 (12 Team League: Early Round 2)
Overview: Quite the scorer when he started for City but can he be a consistent asset in a worse team? It's likely worth an early 2nd round pick to find out.
Have the Gunners finally found their post-Aubameyang savior with the acquisition of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City? The lack of a lethal CF arguably cost Arsenal a top 4 spot last season and this was unsurprisingly top of the to do list in the transfer window. A proven Premier League goal-scorer with whom Arteta is very well acquainted from his time at Manchester City, the transfer makes a lot of sense on paper.
Jesus should hit the ground running given his familiarity with the manager and the system. Last season, he bagged 8 goals and 8 assists in just 21 starts, racking up a mouthwatering 15 points per start. His ghost points (9.4 per start) are tasty for a FWD. Is this just a testament to how many opportunities the City juggernaut creates or can Jesus still produce in a less target-rich environment? And can he stay fit with an increased workload? Can he hack it as a #9? His time at City doesn't give us many clues, as he largely played on the wing (struggling in his few cameos slotting in for Aguero at CF) and has never started more than 22 games in a season. My guess is that his PPS will take a hit but that he can still be a solid FWD1 in North London. Odegaard & company should be able to provide Jesus with ample service. He provides nice upside in a seemingly FWD-sparse draft if you accept him as your lord and savior in the 3rd round.
Martin Odegaard
Position: Midfielder
21/22 Points: 335.5 (14th best midfielder)
21/22 Points Per Start: 10.2 (32 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 10.4 (33 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 30-36 (12 Team League: Mid-Late Round 3)
Overview: He is becoming one of the best creative outlets in the EPL. But sometimes his graft doesn't translate into points. His upside, especially with a viable striker to feed, puts him in 3rd round territory for the adventurous.
This time last summer, the magical Norwegian, Martin Odegaard, was still the subject of negotiations between Arsenal & Real Madrid after coming off a somewhat successful loan. Thankfully the deal was done, albeit late, and he showed flashes of brilliance this past season. He started 32 games and dropped 4 assists & 7 goals in the process. While he was largely steady fantasy-wise, Odegaard did have some big games where he went close to or over 20 pts (e.g.. v bottomfeeders Man Utd, Norwich, & Watford). Oddly enough, for a creative midfielder on some set pieces, his ghost points are actually on the lower end of the spectrum: he only mustered just over 7 ghosties per start.
His 2021/2022 performance comes with some caveats. He and Arsenal started very poorly and were bereft of a class striker all season. With Jesus at the wheel and other weapons to turn his luscious passes into assists, Odegaard is primed to take the next step up as a MID1. And if Arteta can sort out the set piece duties in the preseason - last season saw no less than 5 players (Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Saka, Cedric, & Odegaard) regularly share set pieces - and assign the lion's share of them to the Norwegian, he'll be lights out. Mid to late 3rd Round seems about right; anytime after that and he's a steal.
Honorable Mention(s):
Gabriel Martinelli is a fan favorite for his fearless dribbling and incredible work-rate. He also can score some fantasy points - he averaged nearly a dozen pts per start last season. I fear for his playing time if/when Arsenal acquire another winger; if they do not, however, he'll cook. Youri Tielemans, if Arsenal end up signing him, also has fantasy upside. Depending on his set piece role, he could be decent value after Round 5.
More Best Fantasy Players: Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Leeds | Leicester | Liverpool | Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Nottm Forest | Southampton | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
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