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 highlights Fantrax Fantasy EPL Sleepers from Brighton, as we highlight three potential hidden gems for the new season! Click here for details on how you can access our 22/23 Draft Kit.
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Brighton Sleepers
As noted above, these are potential Fantrax Sleepers from Brighton. These Fantasy EPL players are likely to be drafted in the later rounds. Read below for three under the radar players who could provide excellent value in your pre-season draft.
I shall warn you that there are no true sleepers on Brighton. Instead, there are players who have played previously for the Seagulls and had mild purple patches that we're hoping will pop up again. Or, there are players who will likely be heavily rotated and we're just hoping that they won't be. So, in that spirit... let us trudge forth.
Alexis Mac Allister
Position: Midfielder
21/22 Points: 221 (49th best midfielder)
21/22 Points Per Start: 8.0 (22 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 7.6 (22 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 110 or later (12 Team League: Round 10 or later)
Overview: One of the purple patch players mentioned above. He's had runs of form and maddening droughts. It's in his locker to score 10+, but can he do so with any consistency?
"Nailed on" is not a term often attributed to Brighton midfielders. For proof, just peruse my Brighton Best Players article and read the blurb on Pascal Gross. Surprisingly, though, Mac Allister ("Mac Attack" to his friends) started 22 matches, played in 33, and averaged 63 minutes per match last season. One thing that you'll get in this late-round lottery ticket is minutes on the pitch. Returns, though... that may be another story. He did underperform both his xA and xG, so you could hope for a return to the mean. However, his 2 assists on the season is only 0.13 less than his xA. What does this tell us? Unfortunately, he's just not putting himself into situations where he's dangerous. And this is not what you're hoping for from an attacking mid, which is where he played most often.
Is there a silver lining? Sort of. First of all, you'll be able to get him late in drafts. He has the ability to bag you double-digit points, which he did 8 times last season. And for now, he's starting. Just know that he's going to frustrate you and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with dropping a player who scores 10+ every four or five gameweeks, because trying to predict those games will drive you mad. One decent indicator will be whether Pascal Gross is also starting; if Gross is on the pitch he has set piece duty instead of Mac (while set pieces make up 20+% of his points). Finally, definitely do not reach for Mac Attack earlier in the draft, because (as we've just covered) if that's what his friends call him... fantasy managers should really just leave it at "Mac".
Moises Caicedo
Position: Midfielder
21/22 Points: 61.5 (133rd best midfielder)
21/22 Points Per Start: 7.7 (8 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 7.6 (20 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 157 or later (12 Team League: Round 14 or later)
Overview: Looked at as one for the future, the then 19-year-old arrived last January only to start the final 8 matches of the season and thoroughly impress both fans and manager alike.
Moises Caicedo is an exciting young talent who has already demonstrated that he's got what it takes to compete at a Premier League level. His WAR (wins above replacement) puts him on par with guys like Semedo, Lucas Moura, and Said Benrahma. As you can see above, Caicedo's PPS of 7.7 is also nothing to thumb your nose at. And he passes the eye-test. It's impossible to watch this young gun and not see the potential he's got flowing through his veins. If we could be assured that he'd start 30+ matches, I would be recommending you take him 4 rounds earlier... maybe more. But ay, there's the rub.
Caicedo may be an electric young prospect, but he also finds himself smack in the middle of a team with a plethora of midfielders and a manager who loves to rotate. For a player early in his career, this means chances on the pitch, which the Ecuadorian will relish. For fantasy managers, it spells inconsistency. So keep an eye on this one. There's every chance that Potter continues where he left off at the tail end of 21/22, which would make Caicedo a true sleeper. But as always, we would caution against believing anyone who claims to have figured out what Graham Potter will do. They may also have a bridge to sell you with an "amazing view".
Deniz Undav
Position: Forward
21/22 Points: n/a (transfer from USG)
21/22 Points Per Start: n/a (36 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 9.1 (12 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 121 or later (12 Team League: Round 11 or later)
Overview: Enjoyed a banner year in Belgium with Union SG, scoring 25 goals and assisting 11. Brighton appear poised to give him a chance to prove himself. Will he be the answer to their goal-scoring woes?
Let's all be very honest with ourselves for a moment. The Neal Maupay experiment needs to officially come to an end, right? And while sometimes bleedingly obvious things like this that anyone with functioning retinas can pick up on, managers can be slow to make the same realizations. Potter, however, seems to understand that Maupay's just not it. In fact, the Frenchman was benched for the last month and a half of the campaign after scoring a paltry 8 goals with 2 assists in 28 appearances prior. While Maupay plodded along in the Prem, Brighton's January signing, Undav (who was immediately loaned back to Union SG), scored 25 goals with 11 assists in 33 appearances in the JPL. Many will immediately argue that goals are not comparable across leagues and the competition is certainly higher in the Premier League. Not to mention Danny Welbeck is likely first in line for the role. This is why you're reading about Undav in the sleepers article and not the Brighton Best Players article. His minutes and starts are very unpredictable right now, but if he scores a couple he could certainly get an extended run in the XI.
Let's look at some of his stats converted to Fantrax Default Scoring, thanks to our old friend DraftLad from his stellar 22/23 Incomers Stats & Callouts spreadsheet (which you should absolutely check out if you haven't yet). Fantasy-wise, Undav would have been good for 525 points, averaging 16.4 per 90 minutes (with ghost points accounting for 7.5 points per 90). No, these can't serve as a direct comparison. But they're encouraging. Brighton need a goal scorer, and I tend to think that Potter will give Undav at least enough of a run out to be sure he's not the answer to their problems. I mean, look at how many chances Maupay got.
Honorable Mention(s):
Joel Veltman: You should be able to get him late (Round 9 or later) and he'll be absolutely nailed on. He has the ability to score ghost points galore and, more importantly, will rarely dip down into the negatives. He's an incredibly valuable 4th or 5th defender.
More Fantasy Sleepers: Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Leeds | Leicester | Liverpool | Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Nottm Forest | Southampton | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
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