Should You Take a FWD, MID, or DEF in the 1st Round of Your Fantasy EPL Draft?

The clock ticks and you're up to draft your 1st round pick. Who do you take? Should you take a FWD, MID, or DEF? Which position is most valuable this early? Read below for insight on Fantasy EPL positional strategies to employ in the 1st Round of your Premier League Draft! For more incredible analysis and insight for the upcoming draft season take a look at our 23/24 Draft Kit and our Pricing Plans.

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Should You Take a FWD, MID, or DEF in the 1st Round of Your Fantasy EPL Draft?

Does it matter what position (FWD, MID, or DEF) you take with your 1st draft pick? In short, no. It isn't essential that you take any particular position. However, you could argue that one position is more valuable than another depending on the circumstances/draft. How you pick in Round 1 also sets up the rest of your draft and how you arrange the rest of your roster. Just like where you pick (draft position), it sets the tone of your draft and determines where you’ll need to invest later. Genie & Ryan are here to talk you through it; they lay out their views on why you should or shouldn't spend your valuable draft capital on a particular position.

Forward (FWD)

Genie

I usually find myself thinking that forwards are lacking in depth, and this season doesn't seem to be any different. The only benefit is that you only have to start 1 forward every week, but where is the upside with that? I do think, especially if you are in the first few picks of the draft, you should aim for a forward. In the first half of the draft you could get one of: Kane, Salah, or Haaland. If you are after pick 5 you will be looking at the likes of: Rashford, Son, or Jesus. All in all I think these are the 6 forwards worthy of selection in the first round. Of course in a 12 team league only about half of the managers will end up with forwards in round 1. There is always a common misconception about "reaching" in the first round. I don't think that applies this season; any of these forwards can be a top 10 player and it would surprise no one. They provide the upside of being involved in attacking returns week in and out, but also offer a decent floor.

My limit would be to not reach for another forward such as Watkins or Isak (draft a player before you should due to positional if you miss out on one of these 6 players. While I really think taking a forward round 1 is the way to go this season, don't give up another more valuable week to week player just to get that selection. The biggest benefit to getting a forward in round 1 will be the flexibility for the next few rounds. Instead of being almost forced to take a forward or two in rounds 2-4, you can freely choose the player that offers you the best value, or the one you believe will do the best.

Ryan

This might be one of the rare drafts in which the talent is fairly spread out positionally. Having said that, there are some markers to lay down. It is always nice to get your set and forget elite FWD1 in the first round. And in this draft, top mids really start running out after the 3rd round. And there are only a few top tier DEFs and a big gap after they go. Previously we had "forward frenzy" and "midfield madness" - fears in which forwards and midfielders were in short supply and so you must draft them early and often. But this draft really holds to the maxim of best available.

So regarding forwards, there are 3 elite ones (Haaland, Kane, Salah) that will go in the top 5. After that, I wouldn't reach for another forward until the end of the round/early 2nd round (Son, Jesus, etc). If you do have a top 5 pick, you can get one of these guys and be open to best available next round, having secured your set and forget FWD1. If not, you can compensate in the early/mid 2nd round. In short, get the elites if you can, but don't feel pressured to reach for a FWD in the 1st round outside of that.

Midfielder (MID)

Genie

Taking a mid in round 1 shouldn't be looked past, but if you do I strongly recommend having a strategy for the next few rounds, and not over reaching. Bruno is a top 3 player this season in my opinion, and if he falls to you anywhere after pick 3 I think he is a must draft. Let's say, Kane, Salah and Haaland go 1-3, Bruno is the must draft from here. Apart from Bruno I think the likes of Saka, Grealish, Odegaard, and even my sleeper elite pick Kulusevski are first round candidates. Although I think Kulu can fall as late as the third, so no need to reach here. Any of Saka, Grealish, and Odegaard could rival Bruno for the mid1 spot. While, I don't think they will surpass him, I think they could come close enough to give them top 10 player value. All of these mids except Bruno should fall to you between picks 6-12. There will be that tough decision in the back half of the first round, when you are potentially choosing between say Son and Grealish. Both could have similar production this year, but the way to go is choosing the player you believe in, and then selecting the position you didn't choose in round 2.

In Fantrax you can start 5 midfielders each week, so getting an elite, top 10 potential asset, as your set and forget MID1 is a great starting point if you plan to start the maximum midfielders each week. Again, I can't stress this enough to have some sort of a positional plan going into your draft!

Ryan

Both Genie and I have a midfielder as our top rated draft pick - Bruno. And there are likely 5 or more mids that may be taken in the first. KDB has injury and age issues but still dropped the best PPS figures in the league last season. And Saka, Grealish, Maddison, Odegaard & Martinelli all could crack the first round. The right MID can be just as explosive as a top FWD - KDB & Saka can rival any GW that Salah can put up on his day. As I mention above, there is somewhat of a dearth of high quality midfielders after Round 3 so snagging one here does prevent you from having to reach later in the draft.

Defender (DEF)

Genie

Taking a defender in round 1 is really a huge risk. You are banking on a combination of clean sheets and attacking returns to make this pick worth it. Despite the likes of Trent and Trippier being ghost point kings, they will need those extra boosts to make up for the weeks they lose points due to goals conceded, and especially the weeks they concede multiple goals. Over the course of the season I think the strongest argument for taking a defender round 1 is safe, consistent production. While Trent didn't really pick it up until later in the season, Liverpool are moving strong in the market and should be in for a bounce back season. Trippier basically has a set piece monopoly and some aerial monsters to aim at with every kick; he truly embraces "cross and inshallah". These are the only 2 defenders that should even be considered in round 1. I would only take one of these two players if you can get them at value. With Trent that would be pick 6 or later, and while others will disagree, Trippier shouldn't be taken before pick 10. I'm sure both will have monster weeks, especially on double gameweeks. These two defenders are not a rotation risk, so only through injury or suspension should they really be missing a game - the true definition of set and forget!

Ryan

I know that Genie is fairly averse to taking a DEF in Round 1 - and those who took TAA or Cancelo 1st Round of the prior draft surely have PTSD - but I am not. And there is indeed an extremely limited number of elite DEFs whereas there are more MIDs and FWDs of that ilk available. Kieran Trippier & Trent Alexander Arnold warrant selection in Round 1. The former finished 3rd overall in scoring in 22/23 and TAA was a house on fire at the end of the season after a tactical shift to more of a midfield role. This gets you a rare commodity - a DEF that can drop 20+ point games - and frees you up to grab a MID or a FWD next round.

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