EPL Wonderkids to Draft Late

There are a few things more satisfying in Fantasy EPL than a late-round draft pick paying off or you being the first of any manager in your league to recognize and pick up a rising star. I'm here to give you some insight into who some of those players might be this season, and even some you may want to draft! For more incredible analysis and draft help check out our 23/24 Draft Kit and our Pricing Plans.

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EPL Wonderkids: Potential Young Breakout Stars & Deep Sleepers to Draft

Some of these guys are amidst pre-season hype. Others you may have only heard mentioned if you are yourself or follow any hardcore fans of a particular mentioned club. They're all U-21 players who we think could make a real impact this season. Some you may want to draft, others you may want to add to your watchlist and be ready to jump on as quickly as you can. Let the record show that I had 90% of this article drafted before the Athletic dropped this excellent, similar (but not Fantrax fantasy-tailored) piece. My evidence is mentioning four of them previously at the bottom of transfers part 1 within potential relevant loan returnees.

Destiny Udogie | TOT | DEF | 20 years old | ADP 115

Udogie is an attacking full-back who has a real chance to get serious minutes for Ange's Spurs this year. He has excellent goal involvement numbers, is a high-volume dribbler, and a decent volume defender. Opportunity is the big question, but competition is scarce: Reguilon, a former Spurs outcast, is more likely to leave the club than get consistent starts and Ben Davies is an ageing CB/FB hybrid who's far from an attacking option. Tactically, whether Spurs can start both Porro and Udogie is the next big question. Ange loves high possession, high volume attacking which suits Udogie, but tends to invert one (or both) of his full-backs and play 3-2-5 (or 2-3-5) in possession. Spurs need new, better, faster CBs (and maybe a more defensive DM than Bissouma) to be able to withstand having two such attacking full-backs when they lose the ball. Signing Micky van de Ven should help. Not many high-upside defenders are available late in drafts but Udogie fits the bill and I'm comfortable taking him in the 8th round or later.

Simon Adingra | BHA | FWD | 21 years old | ADP 283

A Mitoma-esque winger with a Mitoma-esque path to the Brighton first team. Adingra had a successful loan spell in Belgium last season and is a prolific dribbler, a direct, goal-involved RDZ-style winger, and has shone brightly in pre-season, like a true EPL Wonderkid. But he is joining a potent attack with lots of competition for places. Mitoma, March, and Enciso are likely ahead in the winger pecking order, plus Buonanotte perhaps as well. However, Europe beckons for Brighton and one or two attacker injuries (March may already miss the first game) and Adingra is primed for a breakout, just like Mitoma last season. Impress your league mates and take a last-round punt or snag him off waivers as soon as he has a cameo off the bench. He could be a serious gem in the second half of the season.

Malo Gusto | CHE | DEF | 20 years old | ADP 240

Gusto's success will be largely conditional on a Reece James injury as the right-back's backup and that's not so far-fetched, is it? An excellent ball carrier and great progressive passer, Gusto has a knack for getting assists. He is also very capable in defense and makes a high volume of tackles and interceptions. Chelsea full-backs tend to lend themselves to many fantasy points and Poch has encouraged his to bomb forward often in pre-season. Think of Gusto as a Tsimikas who's more likely to see serious minutes because his Robertson equivalent is far more injury-prone. I like drafting him as a Reece handcuff or late-round punt and stash to see if Reece can last a couple of weeks. Like Udogie, a rare high-upside defender with a conceivable path to starts you can get very cheap.

Matheus Franca | CRY | FWD/MID | 19 years old | ADP N/A

ASM 2.0 anyone? Franca is a Brazillian super prolific dribbler (98th percentile in next 8 leagues) and flexible attacker who can play in all four of the attacking spots. There's supposedly a Ballon D'Or clause in his contract; Palace have likely unearthed a serious gem here. Franca fills the stats sheet with key passes, dribbles, and defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, and blocks). There's plenty of opportunity to break into the XI with Zaha gone, Olise hurt and maybe gone, and Ayew the only winger who got serious time last year among an array of young, unproven options (Ahamada, Rak-Sakyi, Ebiowei). Palace fans are hyped on Franca and you should be too. He's not yet announced, so he may start the season slowly to bed in, but once he plays you're going to want to bring him in right away. If he gets time in pre-season over the next week or Olise leaves, he should be a great late-round draft pick. Otherwise, as soon as he starts, you're going to want to pick him up immediately and enjoy your entertaining reward.

Jarrad Branthwaite | EVE | DEF | 21 years old | ADP 1127

Branthwaite returns to Everton after a successful loan at PSV last year. He's a left-footed, 6'5 CB who plays for England U-21s and his hhistorical numbers indicate that he should be a high-volume aerial dueler in a Dyche system. He's also a good distributor out the back but is a fairly low-volume (barring aerials) defender. Competition for starts at Everton is scarce; Coady and Mina are gone; and Keane is likely the only senior CB ahead of him in the current pecking order, but is mistake-prone and has been benched by Dyche before. Godfrey and Holgate are more likely to leave or play full-back than start over Branthwaite. He likely won't be at Tarkowski (or Keane) fantasy levels if he starts but he still has the makeup and likely opportunity to be a solid high-floor defensive Fantrax asset. If you're gambling on Keane in drafts or want a high-potential defender streamer with a favourable opening schedule, Jarrad could be your guy.

Elliot Anderson | NEW | MID | 21 years old | ADP 303

A pre-season darling, Anderson has been amongst the highest returners (goals plus assists) of any Premier League player. He is a central midfielder who has a knack for getting amongst the goals, is great technically, and is well-liked by Howe. Anderson is playing too well right now to not be in Howe's plans but there's loads of competition in the midfield spots (Bruno G., Tonali, Joelinton, Willock, Longstaff). UCL involvement and/or worse injury luck for Newcastle this season could help though. Stream him when he starts and perhaps he'll get a lucky run of games and a purple patch at some point this season. If he keeps up his pre-season streak, it could be sooner rather than later. "You want players to not change your opinion, but force their way into your eyesight. Elliot has certainly done that.” - Howe on Anderson

Divin Mubama | WHU | FWD | 18 years old | ADP 1088

Another pre-season darling, Mubama has shown up many of his senior teammates: 3 goals in 4 games in pre-season and an impressed staff. "He’s been really impressive for the first couple of weeks of pre-season, so it’s really important he keeps it going." and “Listen, it’s a simple equation that, if you play well, then you’re looking to get to the top of the pecking order and you’ll be in. Whether you’re 18 or 28, it doesn’t really matter. " Mubama has tougher senior competition than most on this list and having a traditional manager in Moyes, who may be fighting for his job soon, makes this a hard sell, but Scamacca and Antonio supposedly want to leave; Ings has never lit the world on fire for the Hammers, and the club refuses/is unable to buy any players. A home-grown striker on a hot streak could finally give West Ham fans (and fantasy managers) something to cheer about.

Honourable Mentions:

Loan/transfer dependent: Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Cole Palmer, Oscar Bobb, James McAtee

Others: Amad Traore, Conor Bradley, Ian Maatsen, Carney Chukwuemeke, Tino Livramento

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All references to scoring are based on Fantrax Default Scoring.