Genie Style Fantrax Draft Tips and Tricks 24/25

Genie is back with some new tips and tricks for ways to get an edge in your league. As we approach draft season, this article will give you some different Fantrax EPL Draft strategies. The goal of this article isn't to completely change the way you think when it comes to draft day, but instead give you some different ways to approach your overall Fantrax strategy and approach to building your Fantasy EPL roster throughout the draft! Click here for details on how you can access our 24/25 Draft Kit.

Check out our 24/25 Draft Kit for all the pre-season information you could ever need. We've got a Live Draft Aide, Draft Rankings, Team Previews, Cheat Sheets, Strategy Articles, Draft 101. Dominate your draft!

Genie Style Fantrax Draft Tips and Tricks

Our very own Genie back once again, this time with his personal tips and tricks for Fantrax Draft Season!

"Shiny New Toy" Syndrome

A Fantrax manager's Kryptonite. Every manager gets blinded by that expensive new signing especially when they join a team in contention for Europe. These players usually have some appealing stats from an "easier" league and seem like they will instantly become a 90 minute, 38 game type player. This is rarely, if ever, the case. Extreme caution is needed with the big name signings more so than your "mid-round" ones. The big name ones will usually require a first or second round pick and more often than not end up as fails. In recent years the likes of: Nkunku, Havertz (Chelsea), Werner, Pulisic, Sterling, Sancho, and Jesus come to mind. Maybe just avoid drafting Chelsea signings at all by the looks of it. In all seriousness these players all came in after very good if not excellent seasons into a team where they would have an important role and all they needed to do is be 75% of the player they were last season to be worth that pick. Well with these examples especially I'm not sure we even got 15% of those previous players. It seems it is quite the adjustment for those players coming from the Bundesliga (not named Haaland), to find their feet in the EPL. That is not to say they can't perform, but history is truly against these players. I myself have been burned by drafting some of these assets early and can say it hurt my season, especially the first 10 gameweeks when I was expecting Sancho for example to be my top asset.

My rule of thumb is to avoid drafting a new signing in the first 2 rounds, yes it may be tempting but more often than not this player will have a shaky start to the season and you can probably trade them in for cheaper than draft day value. The risk vs. reward trade-off is what you really need to weigh here. I cannot really see a new signing, especially from another league, being worth a first round pick over the tried and tested Mohammed Salah. You are passing on a player who has proven he will be a top 10 scorer even in a poor year, for a player who has never step foot in the EPL, and is entering a team with an undefined role. All this uncertainty is why it is worth passing on a "shiny new toy" in the first 2-3 rounds.

The "Injured" Bunch - Who is Worth it?

Every year, I see the same trend in drafts. A once-superstar or even above-average asset struggled with injuries the season before or even suffered a season ending injury, and managers are excited to draft him based on his previous value from years prior. You never truly know how long a player will be hampered by an injury, especially major ones like ACL tears, and or other long-term surgery injuries. It could take some players years to find their feet again, and they are of course more susceptible to other injuries once they start playing consistently again. On the other hand, you could see some players come back with a strong pre season and then be an absolute steal in the draft.

There will be injured players from last season that I myself will even be tempted into drafting, but you have to weigh the risk vs. reward. Players such as March and Mitoma are ones that will be on everyone's radar especially with the departure of Gross. But both assets missing a hefty amount of time (March especially) are these assets worth the risk.

Here are a few players who sustained significant injuries this season, and my thoughts on whether they are worth drafting, or should be avoided.

Solly March (BHA, M)

March started off last season like a rocket only to suffer a season ending injury near the end of October. He only managed 7 starts but had a PPS of 13.5. He scored above 15 in 3 of those 7 starts as well. March underwent multiple surgeries last season with an aim for being fit for preseason this summer. There haven't been many updates on him in recent weeks as well so we don't know if he is on target for this return. It is worth noting this is March's longest injury in his career, with his only other significant injuries coming in the 20/21 season and the 19/20 seasons. He missed 146 days and 47 days respectively with those 2 injuries.

Managers will be hoping that March will be an integral part of Brighton if/when he is fit. Gross is departing to Germany, and March should take a heavier creative and set-piece role regardless of new signings. Of course there is a big question mark over how the new manager will lineup his squad and the tactical shifts Fabian Hurzeler will make to have Brighton play his way. No one is really a guaranteed starter right now so there are already questions over March's role. The big issue for me with March is the draft capital he could require. There will be some managers who see him in preseason training and may gamble with as high as a 2nd round pick, especially those who rostered him in his hot start. To me March is worth a gamble given the ceiling he has on two conditions. First, there is some evidence he will get good minutes in preseason to regain his fitness and try and get some form. Second, you draft him no earlier than the 5th round. Yes, I know that means you may miss out on him, but he is still a very big risk of having minutes managed, or suffering another injury given his time off. If March is say your MID3 the risk is significantly less, and you really only have upside there because if he can get into double digit PPS you will have yourself a star.

Verdict: Draft in the 5th round or later, if you see him ready to get preseason minutes, otherwise avoid.

Christopher Nkunku (CHE, F)

Nkunku was supposed to be the guy for Chelsea last season, but suffered a serious knee injury in preseason. He missed the majority of the season, getting his first minutes December 24, but also suffering multiple injuries after that. Nkunku showed glimpses of his potential for Chelsea, but just could never stay fit to put together a run of games. That is the worry with Nkunku, yes he recovered from his knee injury, but after that he kept suffering minor injuries causing him to miss matches in bunches. Nkunku has had 2 other significant injuries to in his career back in the 22/23 season with a knee injury, and a torn muscle in the same season. It does not bode well that Nkunku's worst injuries are to his knees, and over the last 2 seasons.

Nkunku did end the season being fit, although just having a bench role to be cautious with him. It really is hard to predict if Nkunku will stay fit enough to be everything Chelsea fans would have hoped for, but also will need to prove he is reliable enough to be a consistent starter. A combination of poor fitness, and not hitting the ground running will probably cause new manager Enzo to look elsewhere and use Nkunku as a rotational piece. I would be shocked to see Nkunku get more than 28 starts this season given his history, but the big question is what kind of value will he have in those starts?

Verdict: Nkunku is a very risky pick, and should not be your FWD1. In a perfect world you take a gamble on him in the 6th-7th round as a FWD2/3, but if you want him you may have to reach in the 5th. Using a pick in the first 3 rounds on Nkunku is a risk I am not willing to take given the depth at Chelsea and his injury history.

Reece James and Ben Chilwell (CHE, D)

The Chelsea wing-back duo that seemingly can never stay fit. Both Chilwell and James are worth mentioning in the same segment given they both suffer from the same problem: being fit enough to be something more than a streamer. Last season Chilwell managed 9 starts and James 5. Not very promising numbers from supposed "DEF1" type assets. In the last few seasons neither of these defenders have proven they can stay fit to be worth a top end draft pick. Now going into next season, James will be suspended the first few games giving Gusto a chance to make a serious claim for the RB/RWB role, and Chilwell ended the season as second fiddle. the LB department has a ton of depth and both these players could see themselves as role players that Enzo will hope to just keep fit. Neither James or Chilwell are worthy of DEF1 status this season, but I do have more hope for Reece than I do Chilwell.

Verdict: Reece could be worth a gamble in the 6th-7th round especially if you can pair him with Gusto. Chilwell is an avoid at all costs for me.

Destiny Udogie (TOT, D)

Udogie will probably be the Spurs LB for years to come barring a transfer out or a severe change in heart from the club. He had a season ending quad injury missing the last month of the season. He required surgery, but still should be ready for preseason. It is already reported that he is back in some sort of training that remains to be seen if it's just gym work or on the field. Udogie had only a 5.7 PPS last season making him really nothing better than a streamer. He was very dependent on a return or getting a clean sheet in a similar vein to teammate Van de Ven. Udogie didn't seem to be too injury prone last season, but of course there is always a risk of a setback post surgery. There are better defenders to look at drafting regardless of Udogie's injury including teammates Porro and Romero if you want to go down the Spurs route.

Verdict: If Udogie is available as a DEF3 after Round 10 he could be worth a punt with the GAO Fantrax scoring changing to not deduct points for the first goal conceded. Regardless, he will need to improve his ghost point output and stay fit to be a worthwhile option.

Pedro Neto (WOL, F)

It's a shame Neto features on this list back to back years. Neto only managed 18 starts this season, and hasn't managed over 20 since the 2020-21 season. He has shown he just cannot be trusted to stay fit. When fit he is always one who can deliver FWD1 value as showcased with his 7 of 18 starts being above 15 points. Again the issue here is can Neto stay fit to be worth spending a draft pick on. I would expect Neto to command a pretty high draft pick, definitely one before the 7th round given his explosiveness, but how can you trust a player who hasn't started 20 games in the last 3 seasons. The forward pool in the early rounds of the draft should have a decent amount of options with players that are more reliable. If you can somehow get value on Neto as a FWD3 then and only then is he worth a gamble. I hope Neto's injury woes are behind him, but his record is really against him.

Verdict: Neto should not be your FWD1 or FWD2. He will most likely go in the first 4 rounds making him a do not draft for me. Round 5 he could be worth a punt depending on the pool left, but if there is a more secure forward like Rodrigo Muniz I would look that way.

Avoid "Defensive" Midfielders

Before I continue with this topic, I want to say Declan Rice and Rodri are excluded from this category despite their "defensive" midfield roles. These two defensive midfielders are also a key part of the attack, and on top of that have a very reliable floor. That floor with the added upside of goals and assists, especially with Rice being on some set-pieces, makes both very valuable MID2 level assets. Bruno G. is worth a mention given his very good season last year, especially the end of season run he had. Tonali will be back in the mix so I would really advise caution with Bruno G. and let him be someone else's problem. Your typical CDM otherwise will come in the form of the likes of Caicedo, Onana, Norgaard etc...

This pool of defensive midfielders are worth swerving in the draft. Why waste a draft pick on a player with such a low ceiling? Wasting a round 9-12 pick on them, as a result, doesn't make sense. Sure, every now and again someone like Longstaff will pop up with a surprise 20 point outing followed up by a few more respectable scores, but recent history has shown us these are more "purple patches" than anything. These types of midfielders are the ones you stream in desperation hoping for 6 points or if you are struggling to field 2 midfielders in the default scoring.

Those later round picks are much better off being used to draft a player with upside, a player who has had a great preseason, or of course filling out the rest of your defender slots with good opening fixture players. While having a set and forget 6-8 point player will usually do you well in the long run, the fact is these players are so readily available, you should gamble on someone becoming a 10-11 ppm player in the long run. Players such as: Palmer (!!!), Doughty, Brennan Johnson, Hudson-Odoi, and Garnacho were all usually drafted in the double digit rounds in last season's drafts. These players all showed to be set and forget players once they found their footing, and provided significant more upside than someone like Soucek or Casemiro usually commanding similar draft capital. While some of those assets you punt on could turn out to be flops every year there will be those closer to the Doughty level that can help you win leagues. Finding another Palmer will be a tough ask though.

Promoted Assets - Take a Risk

This is always a conundrum for Fantrax managers. Promoted assets can have incredible stats from the Championship but fail miserably to replicate them in the EPL the next season. Managers wonder not only how early to draft promoted assets, but whether they should draft them at all or just wait until a few weeks in and see who hits the ground running in similar fashion to Doughty and Barkley of last year.

My advice is to aim to roll the dice on 1-2 promoted assets AFTER round 7. Yes, that means maybe you miss out on whoever the new "big ticket" promoted player may be, but you also take away the risk of wasting a valuable draft pick on a player who might seriously not be ready for the EPL, or worse lose their "go to guy" role in the team. Promoted players can sometimes offer sneaky value in the late rounds where most managers will turn to the tried and tested assets of the year prior. By promoted players I don't specifically just mean those who competed in the Championship last year, but also any new signings made by the three promoted teams: Leicester City, Southampton, and Ipswich Town. Sometimes promoted teams, full of adrenaline, can really hit the ground running the first few weeks, but the tough part is deciding on which player to gamble. The one word of caution is especially with their defenders, while the new scoring is friendlier to defenders, we saw last season that promoted teams will concede in bunches and consistently let in goals.

Usually, I like to look to any promoted wingers and attacking mids that will fall to the later rounds. Obviously looking at just the starters, and ones that have logged good minutes with no new signings ready to displace them. While you can get players who end up getting more dispossessions than anything I always find it is worth the risk. An uptick in competition can spur certainly players to go up another level. Ryan Giles was one I was high on last year given his presence in preseason and the fact he would dominate set-pieces. Unfortunately, it just took a few games for Edwards to realize a Left back should also know how to defend, and that Giles couldn't cut it in the EPL. On the other hand, believing in the Barkley revival won me a few league titles, can Adam Lallana follow in a similar vein this year? Probably not, but maybe Ricardo Pereira can.

Patience with these players should be very thin. A few weeks to prove their worth then either drop or hold depending on their form. Although this is a tougher argument to make this season given how many managers dropped Alfie Doughty in the first few weeks. Usually if a player was a key and integral part of their team last year you should be slightly more patient with them, and by slightly i mean an extra 1-2 gameweeks at the absolute most. There should be plethora of decent promoted player pickups over the first few gameweeks, but I like to throw a dart to try and get ahead of the curve.

Defenders Should Be Left Until Late

This is a topic I know all too much about. Rarely will you see me draft a defender before round 7-8, unless of course you witnessed me foolishly draft a Chelsea wingback in recent season. More often than not though I tend to pass on defenders and fill up my attacking slots first. If I can enter round 7 with 2-3 forwards and 3-4 midfielders that I am happy with then I may look to punt on a defender if there are any upside ones available. While I know I will miss out on Tier 1 and most likely Tier 2 defenders I am okay to take a gamble on the wingbacks and busy center backs in the later rounds. This season the removal of the first GAO for defenders makes some of those "mid table" defenders even better options to draft. The likes of Andersen and Dan Burn come to mind this year on defenders that could be available after round 6/7 and could provide solid enough value to make up for missing out on a premium defender. This is a strategy that hasn't really failed me yet, sure I may face a random 40 pointer from Alexander-Arnold, but having more flexibility for streaming defenders will allow me to punt and find the next Antonee Robinson. I can stream more based off schedule and form instead of being stuck "starting my studs" because I took a United defender round 5 but United are deciding to have their yearly "play like a relegation team" patch. If you are set on taking a Tier 1/2 defender then my advice is take 1 then leave the defenders alone until round 9/10 where you will look for a DEF2. As mentioned above the change in scoring for the removal of the -2 for the first GAO will make defending streamers a lot easier. Streaming those mediocre center backs where you hope for a clean sheet will be somewhat better streams now. Varane and Van de Ven come to mind here. Basically, streaming defenders will be easier than streaming upside attackers this year.

Don't Be Left Thin at Forward

Goals will win you games. Usually forwards are involved in the most goals, so don't be left without a top end forward or only 1 good forward. Sometimes the draft will fall to you in a way you can't pass up on value in midfielders/defenders in the earlier rounds, but those are rare cases. Based off my early mock experience this season you want to ensure you have AT LEAST 1 forward by the end of round 3. After that there seems to be a dropoff in the upside of forwards available and you could be sifting through looking at Brennan Johnson as your FWD1. Usually I will look to get 1 forward and 1 midfielder in the first two rounds, and then ensure I have 1 more forward by the end of round 5. That allows me to enter round 6 with 1 elite forward and one high upside FWD2 type asset. Let's say you have Pick 5 you could probably take Salah in round 1, pair him with Bowen/Gibbs-White in round 2 then go back to the forwards and grab Toney or Kai Havertz in round 3. You are off to a great start here with 1 strong midfielder but 2 forwards who could combine for 60 points on their day. From there you can go for other midfielders or even a third forward if you see some value falling in the next few rounds. You do not want to be left scrambling between Elanga and DCL as your FWD1, and having to pair them with an absolute hail-mary in Adam Armstrong as your FWD2.

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