Fantasy EPL Draft Position Strategy 22/23

Does it matter where you draft in Fantasy EPL? Draft position isn’t everything; you can find value in any spot, but it does dictate which players you can get and where. It also influences which strategy you should employ in the draft. Thankfully, Ryan & Genie are here to help you through it. Click here for details on how you can access our 22/23 Draft Kit.

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Draft Position Strategy

General Strategy

One can draft a championship-winning side from any draft position. But where you draft dictates where you can get your targets and will certainly impact your strategy. Some leagues allow you to pick which position you have in the draft. If you do have that choice, the best way to look at it is either by tier or player - where is the last position in which you think you can get your targeted player/one of the top tier players? If you think there are six top tier players, the sixth spot is probably the best spot, as you are guaranteed to get one of those elite players and get a better 2nd round pick than the earlier spots. This is tricky and will change from draft to draft as it really depends on the player talent available in any given season.

Ryan's Top Draft Positions

My main league gives you the choice to pick your draft position based on where you finished in the league table. Last season, I had first choice and I chose 4th pick. I determined that there was a fall off in talent after pick 4. In this year’s draft, I think there is a dip after 5 (and a very slight drop-off after 3), with a lot of variance after that. So, that’s why I like either picks 1-5 (preferably 3) or any after 9.

Picks 1-5 get you an elite player (i.e. one of Son, KDB, Salah, Kane, TAA). Pick 3 gets you one of the top 3 and a slightly more favorable 2nd rounder. After pick 5, it's somewhat of a minefield, although there is still value to be had. Cancelo, Haaland, & Bruno crop up in this region of the draft. Picks 9-12 allow you to take advantage of anyone dropping but also give you the possibility of snagging two top 15 players (e.g., Saka & Robertson) in quick succession.

Genie’s Top Draft Positions

My top choice of draft positions are 3, 4, and 1. Simply put, you can guarantee yourself a consistently elite player, and if you want to slightly reach for the likes of, say, Bruno or Haaland at pick 3/4, it isn't that much of a stretch, considering what both are capable of. Getting one of these picks almost ensures you get your favourite "elite" player. Heading into round 2-3, from what I have seen, the level of M/F/D talent is pretty close in Round 2, but in Round 3 there looks to be a bit of a drop off after the 4th/5th spot, meaning you can get one of the last players in the tier before a significant drop in Round 3.

Being at the back end of the draft isn't all bad, but unless you take a punt on Maddison or Nunez entering the top 5, you won't roster a player that is consistently contending for the top fantasy scorer of the GW. Also, I'd reiterate my opinion above that the talent in Round 2 (unless someone seriously slips) is similar. You aren't getting a significantly better player in Round 2 over the manager who is at pick 3 overall.

Ryan & Genie’s Consensus Top 12 Picks

Those are some general tips about the best position, but who you should pick at these positions? Here is Ryan & Genie's consensus (both don't entirely agree but can live with this list) on how the First Round should go.

1: Salah

2: Son

3: KDB

4: Kane

5: TAA

6: Bruno

7: Cancelo

8: Haaland

9: Diaz

10: Maddison

11: Saka

12: Nunez

Pick by Pick Analysis

Draft Position 1 (Ryan) - Mohamed Salah

Ah, yes, the coveted #1 spot. We could make an argument for any of the top 3 here but the Egyptian king edges it out. Salah had one of the best first halves of a season in Fantasy EPL history, posting an absurd 16 goals and 10 assists by January 3rd. This nets out to just under 400 fantasy points & a PPG of nearly 20. Of course, the African Cup of Nations and a subsequent dip in fantasy output after the excruciating loss to teammate Sadio Mane's Senegal put a damper on the season. This drop-off in the 2nd half of the season relegated Salah to 2nd overall in points at the end of the season (barely). But he won't have a midseason tournament to worry about this time around. Unlike most of his first round peers, he'll be relaxing whilst everyone else is putting in the hard yards at the World Cup in Qatar. If he can regain that early season 2021 form, he'll reward those eschewing the other top players and taking him with this top pick.

Draft Position 2 (Genie) - Heung Min Son

Son finished the season as the number 1 fantasy scorer, and there's no reason he can't repeat this feat. Tied for the golden boot with no penalty goals, and a monopoly on all crossing set pieces only helps his floor. He averaged 9 ghost points per start. Adding in a similar (or even slightly fewer attacking returns) would still easily make him a top 3 player in contention for #1. Son has turned into a different beast under Conte. For some reason, he was left off the PFA team of the season for the likes of Mane and Ronaldo, who surely didn't deserve that recognition. This may add fuel to the fire. Son is out here to prove he is the best of the best; expect a big season from the Spurs man.

Draft Position 3 (Ryan) - Kevin De Bruyne

Again, any one of Salah, Son, or KDB are in contention for the top spot. But one of them will inevitably slip to the lucky manager with the 3rd pick. That's just math. In this instance, you get Fantasy EPL legend KDB at #3, which could seem like a steal come the the end of the season. He finished this past campaign top in points per start with a ridiculous 19. But it was really a tale of two halves, just like Salah but in reverse. He had a very slow start, languishing at 30 in total points at the beginning of January. But then he turned it on and finished like a champ-- he was 3rd in points after January 3rd, delivering some monster scores, including two gameweek-winning 44 point outings. Which KDB will show up this season? Can he put in these performances consistently over the course of the season?

The only thing standing in his way is lack of starts/potential injuries. KDB is no spring chicken; he recently turned 31. He has only started 23 and 25 games the past two seasons, respectively. Unlike Salah, he has an important World Cup campaign with Belgium in the middle of the season, which will further tire out those aging legs. Despite all this, there is an argument that he can be even more explosive this season as he has finally been given a proper number 9 in Haaland. City also have kind fixtures at the beginning of the season. You can never go wrong with KDB but whether he ends up top scorer will solely hinge on number of starts - medium risk, absurdly high reward.

Draft Position 4 (Genie) - Harry Kane

For me, Harry Kane could go as early as pick 1. It is tough to separate him Son, De Bruyne, and Salah, so getting him at pick 4 offers some great value. Every season Kane will have a chance at the golden boot, and this season should be no different. Rumours of Spurs buying an extra attacker will allow Kane to get more rest in the easier UCL, FA, and Carabao Cup games as well. The only fear is Kane being run into the ground as usual by Southgate at the World Cup. To me, this is a small fear. Conte has made Kane look fitter than ever, and even helped change his and the rest of team's diet. If Kane manages 33-37 starts this year, he has every chance of becoming the Golden Boot winner and the #1 overall fantasy scorer.

Draft Position 5 (Ryan) - Trent Alexander-Arnold

The 5th spot is the last of the elite. Some folks are skittish about taking a defender in the first round, but that is just silly. If none of the others have fallen, this puts you squarely in Trent Alexander-Arnold territory, which historically is not a bad place to be. He has finished as a top 5 scorer in 2 of the past 3 seasons, with the exception being the 2020/2021 campaign in which Liverpool struggled without defensive talisman Virgil Van Dijk. This past season, he registered over 16 points per start (just below Son) &11 ghost points per start. He rarely gets injured, has ghost points for days, and Liverpool rack up clean sheets. In short, Trent is almost guaranteed to be a top 10 scorer. And now he'll have the towering presence of Darwin Nunez to fire crosses to in the box. You can't really go wrong with him here, and even better if you can get him later in the round.

Draft Position 6 (Genie) - Bruno Fernandes

Bruno....what a tough player to rank this season. Always has a 30+ point outing in his locker...but as we saw last season he can hit really poor patches of form that makes him about as worthless as Fred. While I do think that he slowly gets back to his best under Ten Hag, this is one to monitor in preseason as we get more of an idea about his role in this new setup. If it seems he still commands set pieces and is the go-to creative player like he was under Ole, he could even warrant a top 3 overall pick. Again, this all depends on signings and pre-season. There are rumours that Bruno could play "deeper", and that is a worry. He should still get his fair share of corners and free kicks, offering him a decent floor. I do believe he will offer MID1 value this year and is still seriously worth a top 6 pick despite all these concerns.

Draft Position 7 (Ryan) - Joao Cancelo

Joao Cancelo rivals Trent Alexander Arnold as the most elite defender in the game. Previously, the only knock was that he was still subject to the whims of Pep roulette. No longer. He went from 27 starts in the 2020/2021 season to 36 starts this last campaign, making himself a critical part of the Pep system. And there is no reason to think he'll be less important in 2022/2023. Cancelo ended up 4th in total points, just behind Trent, with a mouthwatering 14 points per start and 10+ ghost points per start. Just like Trent, he's durable, ghosts out of his mind, is always a threat to nick an attacking return, and his team is a cleansheet machine. And also like Trent, he also has a shiny new #9 to whip balls into in the form of Norwegian giant Erling Haaland. Barring injuries or a temporary bout of insanity from Pep, Cancelo is likely the last "sure thing" in the draft at this spot.

Draft Position 8 (Genie) - Erling Haaland

City's new "shiny toy" is here for you to draft. Haaland so far is the biggest name to enter the EPL this summer, and is joining the defending EPL champions. He will only add more attacking threat to this already incredible team, and with Jesus and Sterling on the way out he may face even less rotation than initially thought. Haaland is still young and doesn't have the best injury record, which is why I don't think he warrants a top 3 pick. Also, Pep will be absolutely desperate for Champions League this year, so expect him to give some of his stars breathers in the EPL as we get close to the later stages in the tournament. When Haaland starts, he can seriously offer 1-1 value, with potential to singlehandedly win you a gameweek. I'm open to drafting Haaland as high as pick 4, if you believe he can replicate his incredible Bundesliga form... but be warned of past disappointment from EPL newcomers in their debut season like Sancho, Kai, or Werner. The upside is there, though, and Pep does have a clear role for his new striker and he also may take over PK duties. He may be the last elite forward available here.

Draft Position 9 (Ryan) - Luis Diaz

We're now fully in uncertainty territory in the 9th spot. The top 8 is probably fixed, depending on the order. This is where there will likely be some variance. Enter Luis Diaz. The dynamic Colombian came over to Blighty in the January transfer window and "hitting the ground running" doesn't really cover it. He got his first starting nod in early February and didn't look back. Klopp showed some immediate trust in him, placing him on the left wing and moving Mane more centrally. In this role, Diaz averaged over 13 points per start (9 ghosties per start) and delivered 4 goals & 3 assists in just 11 starts. Beginner's luck and benefiting from opposition defense's focusing on Salah & Mane or will he go from strength to strength? Will the arrival of new boy Nunez mean less starts for Diaz or will rotation only hit Jota up front? Whether Diaz is worth a first round pick hinges on the answer to these questions. While there is some uncertainty with Diaz, he's likely the best punt in this tricky spot.

Draft Position 10 (Genie) - James Maddison

Maddison had a horrible start to the season, similar to Kane, but managed an outstanding 17.3 PPS from GW13 until season's end. Leicester have no Europe this year....and for some reason it seems Southgate doesn't rate Maddison too highly. This means his sole focus will be on getting Leicester back into the European places in the EPL. When Maddison is at his best he can easily outscore the likes of Bruno and KDB. The issue is he lacks some consistency, which is why we decided he is worth the 10th pick. I think the highest I would reach for Maddison is pick 8 if you absolutely wanted to secure a MID1. Maddison should still continue to take his fair share of set-pieces, and is pretty good at them, which only helps his floor. If Leicester manage to sneak into the top 6, expect Maddison to repay all those who took him in round 1.

Draft Position 11 (Ryan) - Bukayo Saka

Even more uncertainty reigns closer to the end of the round. Top players are coming off the board; however, you can still nick a top 5-10 player here. Given the way the rest of the first round has shaped up, Arsenal star boy Bukayo Saka should still be available here. He finished this past campaign as the 8th top highest scorer, with over a dozen points per start and 8 ghosties per start. He was nailed on, getting 36 starts, and was on some set pieces (although it's clearly not his forte). The Gunners consistently relied upon the youngster's attacking output. The arrival of Jesus should help ease the burden and even more signings would further improve the attack. But will these new signings/attacking upgrades actually hinder rather than boost his fantasy prospects? "Jack Grealish Syndrome" -- yes, I made that up based on past heartbreak/experience with Grealish leaving Villa for City -- dictates that when everything flows through you, even in a worse team, you score more fantasy points. Only time will tell. Regardless, Saka, as a nailed on attacking threat in a good team, should be worth the punt here.

Draft Position 12 (Genie) - Darwin Nunez

This was a tough one. A lot of players could warrant this spot, such as Saint-Maximin, Robertson, and even Eriksen. In the end, I decided to go with Liverpool's new boy. Nunez will look to be Liverpool's new striker. For Benfica last season he managed 26 goals in 28 appearances, although it is unlikely he will replicate that feat in a much better league. However, even if he just manages to score 17 goals and add in some assists, he will be a very good 12th pick. With Mane leaving, it leaves Salah, Nunez, Jota, Diaz, and Firmino for three spots. Expect rotation, but I think the first choice front three will be Diaz, Nunez, & Salah, with Jota getting minutes across all three spots, especially with 5 subs introduced. Firmino should still play a role but I don't expect him to cause serious rotation worries for Nunez or anyone else. The upside of Nunez alone makes him worth a first round pick, and he won't last much longer if you let him slip and hope he gets back to you in round 3.