First Round Rundown: How Should You Approach your Draft Position/the First Round of the 24/25 Fantrax EPL Draft?

The First Round of the Draft is crucial to your fortunes this season. This pick should be your standout player for the rest of season and, if chosen correctly, can be your ticket to the title. Does it matter in which spot you draft? Should you pick a FWD, MID, or DEF? Who exactly should you target? Thankfully, Ryan & Genie are here to help you through these tough decisions. Find more in-depth analysis in our 24/25 Draft Kit.

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First Round Rundown

Which Draft Slot is Best?

General Strategy

It's possible to 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 can get tricky, however, and will change from draft to draft, as it really depends on the player talent available in any given season. Nailing your top two picks is essential. Our analysis below is essential reading for helping you not only choose which draft pick you want but also how to approach the first few rounds.

Ryan's Top Draft Positions

In general, there is usually a falloff in talent in the first round, so it can be prudent to take the last pick prior to that dip in productivity so that you can get an elite first rounder but also position yourself for a better second round pick. In this year’s draft, I think there is a dip after 5 or 6, with a lot of variance after that. So the safe pick would be pick 6. However, I also like 9 or 10.

Picks 1-6 get you an elite player (i.e. one of Saka, Palmer, Bruno, Haaland, Foden, or Salah) in round 1. Pick 2 gets you Bruno or Saka - the best two players in the game. After pick 6, it's somewhat of a minefield, although there is still value to be had. Players with elite potential like Odegaard and Son crop up in this region of the draft. Picks 9 or 10 allow you to take advantage of anyone dropping, but also give you the possibility of snagging two top players in quick succession.

Genie’s Top Draft Positions

After looking at initial rankings and the very early mocks, my top 3 draft positions would be Pick 10, Pick 9, and Pick 2 in that order. These are legit opposite ends of the draft board but each have their reasons. The dropoff in talent this year is real and fast. Getting as many picks in the top 17ish is going to go a long way. The talent at the end of round 1 as well in KDB, Eze, Odegaard, and Son is all talent that has top 5 overall player potential. That coupled with a significantly better second round pick is why picks 9 and 10 are my top choices.

Pick 2 gives you a slightly better chance at a better 2nd round pick and you get one of Saka or Bruno. Saka and Bruno are interchangeable for me and pick 2 guarantees you one of them. Despite there being a chance one of these players fall to picks 3-5, I think there is a strong drop off after these two. The likes of Palmer, Foden etc.. can all be top 3 players or have the potential to be in the same boat as players like Eze and Trent. This reasoning is why you should go towards the end of the draft unless you want to guarantee yourself one of Bruno or Saka.

Positional Balance in the First 3 Rounds

General Strategy

Getting the right balance of positions is crucial in the first three rounds. There are drop-offs in tiers that will happen throughout the draft and you don't want to be stuck with choosing between Elanga and DCL for your FWD1. In the first three rounds you should roster AT LEAST 1 forward and 1 midfielder. If you want to draft one of Trent, Trippier, or maybe Porro, then that is totally okay as long as going into round 4 you have 1 player per position. Avoiding either a midfielder or forward in the first 3 rounds could leave you in a tight spot come the 4th. You will either be looking at a forward who could be very hit or miss/rely on ghost points more than attacking returns - forwards such as Cunha, Gakpo, and Johnson. While all three could have a great season, you do not want to risk them having a poor season with them as your FWD1. The same can be said with midfielders in the 4th/5th rounds. You will be looking at players such as: Doku, Garnacho, and Martinelli. Assets that could suffer from rotation or purple patches of poor form. Having these assets as a MID1 causes a huge positional imbalance in your team. Ideally you want your FWD1 and MID1 to have shown they can produce those results last season, or have been reliable for the best few seasons. Having your top player in each position being a near lock in the starting XI is also a huge benefit later down the road.

Should You Take a FWD, MID, or Trent in Round 1?

General Strategy

Below we will outline how we believe the first round will go, but you really have three first round options - take a forward, midfielder, or Trent. There are arguments to all but a lot will fall on draft position. For example, if you have picks 1 or 2, it would be foolish to take a forward, passing on Saka, Palmer, Bruno, or Foden. If you were set on taking a forward like Salah in the first, then the logical choice is to trade down in the draft to ensure you also get a better 2nd round pick for this value drop off. My best answer here is to take the BEST available player. You can start to focus on your positional tactics that I discussed above in the 2nd round, but reaching for Odegaard at pick 5 just to take a midfielder is a poor move when it comes to value. In the first round, you need to take the best player available. Of course, everyone will have a different idea of who that is, and while our blurbs below can help you lean to a certain asset, in the end your decision has to be who you think will have the best season of the remaining assets. So toss positional factors out the window in round 1 and focus on drafting the player that will offer you the best possible combinations of starts and points per start.

The Cons to Overloading on Midfielders Early

General Strategy

Overloading on midfielders early is a common strategy with many believing in a midfield drop-off. While this is true, there will be solid midfielders available in the mid to late rounds, and available to stream. When it comes to forwards, though, by round 8ish you are seriously punting on forwards. The lack of guaranteed starting forwards is very low at this point, and you are scrapeing the barrel. Don't forget you can start 3 forwards in Fantrax, and now only need to start just 2 midfielders. Forwards have the most upside usually, so being able to draft 3 forwards in the first 7 rounds could give you a very strong attack. If you pair that up with 2-3 midfielders and 1-2 defenders, then you are in very good shape. If you decide to draft midfielders your first 4 rounds, you will seriously regret it in the 5th - 7th rounds when you see what kind of forwards you are left with. Looking at Semenyo as your FWD1 is not going to put you in a good starting position to win a league title. While he is a great asset, he is more in the FWD2-3 mold with ghost points being his forte and some rotation on the cards. The key takeaway - make sure to grab midfielders but don't forget about the top forwards and defenders, you will find plenty of useable and upside midfielders in rounds 8-11 to draft into your roster.

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 on how the First Round should go (both don't entirely agree on every pick but can live with it). It is not written in stone that you need to take this asset if you have a certain draft pick, but our job is to help you see the pros and cons of each of these first round players to help you decide whether it was worth grabbing them or pivoting to one of the others on this list.

1. Saka

2. Bruno

3. Palmer

4. Foden

5. Haaland

6. Salah

7. Watkins

8. Son

9. Eze

10. De Bruyne

11. Odegaard

12. Trent

Pick by Pick Analysis

Draft Position 1 (Ryan) - Bukayo Saka (MID)

This season, the debate over top spot shouldn't be much of a debate at all: it's Bukayo Saka. He was the top scoring player in 23/24, he posted over 16 points per start (PPS), he doesn't get injured, and his team should only get better. Everything runs through Saka and the right hand side of one of the most prolific teams in the league and he can do everything. He ghosts well (10+ GPPS) and he delivers attacking returns (25 G/A). He is also reliable - he hasn't started less than 30 games since becoming a regular at Arsenal, starting 35, 38, & 38 games, respectively, over the past 3 campaigns. As we have pointed out repeatedly, the Gunners got over their relative attacking woes and balled out in the second half of 24/25 with Kai Havertz up top. They should go from strength to strength and Saka has a great chance of finishing with back to back fantasy scoring titles. This is a no brainer.

Draft Position 2 (Genie) - Bruno Fernandes (MID)

Bruno is one of the few set and forget top 3 picks every season. One of the most consistent elite assets we have seen in Fantrax and very little question marks ahead of the upcoming season. With Ten Hag back, we know Bruno will continue to be the go to guy for United with every play involving him. He will be on penalties and most set-plays as well. With a 15.7 PPS from last season, and 35 starts to his name (his least!!) in his United career shows his reliability. If United improve in the attack, which they should, there isn't any reason he cannot be the top fantasy asset this year. I do expect United to buy a new midfielder to partner Bruno, and either a winger or forward to provide competition or even win a starting role over the lacklustre forward line United have been rolling out. There are only 4 elite midfielders in my eyes this year, so being able to draft one of those 4 is a huge starting advantage for your fantasy team. With question marks over the next 2 players...to be discussed, Bruno is one of the safest elite assets out there.

Draft Position 3 (Ryan) - Cole Palmer (MID)

This guy won so many managers league titles in 23/24. He was a revelation, finishing as the second best fantasy scorer despite only starting 29 games. He became the Chelsea talisman and finished with a mouthwatering 19.5 PPS, 10 GPPS, and 33 G/A. If he could keep this form up for an entire season, he'd be the clear consensus top pick. But he does come with some caveats. First, he relied on an inordinate amount of penalties - Chelsea won 9 penalties in his 29 starts, roughly a penalty every 3 games. This is likely unsustainable and fewer penalty goals would, of course, dent his fantasy numbers. Second, Chelsea has yet another new manager and it's too early to tell if Palmer can replicate his hero-ball under Maresca. He would do well under any manager but it's fine margins when we're talking about this early of a draft pick. Despite these potential hurdles, he's the play here.

Draft Position 4 (Genie) - Phil Foden (MID)

Foden was the Premier League Player of the Season in 23/24, and there is no reason to think he will slow down. Foden was a focal point in City's attack scoring 19 goals with 8 assists his best season to date. Fantasy wise he averaged 15.8 points per start in his 33 starts, the most he has ever made for City. With Foden there was never a question of the talent it was always about the minutes. Well, it seems Pep has full trust in his starboy, and could we even see Foden break the 20 goal mark? Foden will have a good chance of starting 30+ games again this season even with a healthier KDB to start the year. There are some minor questions over if Foden can produce the same attacking output in potentially a different role with KDB more consistently in the side, but I have no doubt he can.

Draft Position 5 (Genie) - Erling Haaland (FWD)

I am not the biggest fan of Haaland, but Ryan is even less so. Haaland is going to be a set and forget top 5 pick as long he is in the EPL. He is the odds on favourite to win the golden boot each year and this should be no different. Last year he stepped down a bit, scoring ONLY 27 goals as opposed to the 37 in the previous year. He did start 4 less games (29 starts), but also went through patches of poor form. Haaland is a very talented player and probably the most likely to score 30+ goals again this year. You can do a lot worse than the future golden boot winner as your first pick.

Draft Position 6 (Ryan) - Mohamed Salah (FWD)

This is where it starts to get a little dicey. Normally, Salah is a safe pick here in the first round. But the times are a changing. Is father time catching up with him? The Egyptian King finally started to show a few tiny cracks in the armor last season, only starting 28 games. He still posted elite PPS numbers (16+) and there was the African Cup of Nations to contend with mid-season. With some rest this summer, perhaps he can get back to staying fit and firing. But with a new manager and persistent transfer rumors to Saudi Arabia, he is a slight risk here. Given his track record and the other options available, though, he's the most high upside pick at 6.

Draft Position 7 (Ryan) - Ollie Watkins (FWD)

The uncertainty peaks here at 7. The absolutely elite are likely gone and it's a relative guessing game as to who has the best chance of getting into that stratosphere this season. Up steps Ollie Watkins. In terms of total fantasy points, the Villa striker was indeed elite in 23/24. He was the fifth best scorer and the top striker. But his 13.5 PPS was below his peers at the top and is the result of a lot of boom and bust games, which isn't that atypical for a striker who largely relies on attacking returns. The pros are that he does not get injured (he averages 37 starts a season), he will remain the focal point of attack, and he is coming off a 33 G/A season in this Emery system. He could also take over penalties from the departing Douglas Luiz. The cons are that Villa will now have to contend with Champions League and they have lost a key player in Luiz. All things considered, he is a relatively safe pick here amid the uncertainty.

Draft Position 8 (Genie) - Heung Min Son (FWD)

I am actually a bigger fan of Son than most this year. I think last year may the worst we see from him and he still was a top 10 player with 13.6 PPS. He managed 17 goals and 10 assists, and as Spurs improve he can only get better. Son is a very direct player and on his day can win you a gameweek. A lot of these players here can do that, but when Son is in form he has long patches of that. Son is crucial to Ange's setup and regardless of him playing LW or ST he will have a similar output as discussed in our Spurs flashback. With there being a lack of true goal scorers in the 2nd round Son would be a good late first rounder.

Draft Position 9 (Ryan) - Eberechi Eze (MID)

At the time of writing, Michael Olise has left Crystal Palace but Eberechi Eze remains. If this changes, this analysis and recommendation would go up in smoke. But Palace Eze has a case to be made for a late first round pick. He is a top fantasy scorer (his 16.5 PPS was 7th best in 23/24), Oliver Glasner had them looking like world beaters in the second half of the season, and with Olise gone he could step in and take over set pieces. This could catapult him to elite status. However, he does have injury issues (he only started 24 games last season), the rest of the league could figure out Glasner ball, and while Olise's departure could help Eze, it could also hinder it as their explosive link up play will evaporate. This is the exciting but risky venture at 9.

Draft Position 10 (Genie) - Kevin De Bruyne (MID)

KDB and me have a love hate relationship. This year I am high on him. He is arguably the best attacking midfielder in the world on his day. KDB's biggest issue is minutes. If you told me he would get 28+ starts he would be a top 5 pick easily for me. His injury record last year, and Pep potentially not risking him in back to back games during busy periods is what puts him lower on the list. His WAR and of course ceiling will be off the charts again, because when he starts he makes stuff happens as shown with his 17.2 PPS in 15 starts last year. KDB is the perfect player to draft between picks 9-12 just for his upside alone.

Draft Position 11 (Ryan) - Martin Odegaard (MID)

It doesn't get much more dependable than Odegaard. The Arsenal midfield maestro starts nearly every game and he has yet to serve up sub-13 PPS in the past two seasons. His goals, as predicted, did take a dip in 23/24, from 15 to 8, but he still delivered the goods. He also benefitted, like nearly every other Gunner, from the late season renaissance, posting 15+ PPS in the final 9 games of the campaign. He is largely immune from rotation and could improve upon these numbers if Arsenal are humming the entirety of 24/25, not just the second half. While not as flashy as some other choices, he is a solid pick that you will unlikely regret here at the end of the first round.

Draft Position 12 (Genie) - Trent Alexander-Arnold (DEF)

Trent was discussed in our drafting defenders article. In the new scoring he produced over 13 PPS last season in what was considered a poor year for Trent. With a new manager coming in and Trent fresh from playing very little in the Euros there is no reason he can't get closer to the 14 PPS mark. With that in mind he would be an absolute steal at Pick 12, and should be in the conversation for picks 4-7 instead. The only reason he is at 12 is because of his defensive classification.

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