Southampton 23/24 Fantasy Flashback
- Draft Genie
- Jul 14, 2024
- 6 min read
Before we look ahead to this season's prospects, let's first digest [Team Name's] takeaways from the previous season in our 23/24 Fantasy Flashback series. In this year's 24/25 Draft Kit, we are featuring both a Fantasy Flashback and a Fantasy Forecast for every single Premier League team. The flashbacks will be available on Draft Kit launch day, while the forecasts will drop closer to draft day. Check the 24/25 Draft Kit main page often, as it's updated constantly!
In addition to reviewing top Draft PL fantasy contributors, Southampton's Fantasy Flashback will highlight a breakout player and a fantasy flop, analyze the impact of any injuries suffered by Southampton players, and review the team's performance as a whole. Then, be sure to check out the Southampton 24/25 Fantasy Forecast to find out whether last season was a fluke or if we predict more of the same.
Check out our 24/25 Draft Kit for all the pre-season information you could ever need: Draft Rankings, Team Previews, Mock Drafts, Strategy, Draft 101. We've got it all!
Southampton 23/24 Fantasy Flashback
Quick Links:
23/24 Southampton Player Performance
Let's review how Southampton players fared in 23/24, with an emphasis on their Draft Premier League fantasy assets. We'll also discuss any pertinent info regarding rotation, managerial tactics, and injuries below. What can we learn from their performance in the last campaign?
For the Saints we lack any fantasy data as they will be a newly promoted team, but that doesn't mean we can't look at some key performers and their output in the Championship. The top performer here is clearly Adam Armstrong. He managed 21 goals and 14 assists across his 46 games, while also averaging 1.3 key passes per game. Based on his profile Armstrong seems very goal dependent with little peripheral stats to go along with his returns. The question remains if he can continue this strong return when he jumps up to the EPL yet again.
Will Smallbone, Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong, and Kyle Walker-Peters also had solid seasons. Unfortunately, this Armstrong won't be returning next season, and there are big question marks as to whether Che Adams will as he is being heavily linked to Wolves. Smallbone had his best ever season with 9 attacking returns on top of averaging 1.3 key passes per game, 1.2 tackles won and 0.7 interceptions per game. For a reference in the playoff final vs. Leeds Smallbone got himself 7 ghost points from 2 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, and 1 Tackle Won, on top of getting the assist for the game's only goal. Smallbone could be a MID4-5 type asset if he is able to prove himself in the EPL. Walker-Peters managed to nick 6 returns this season on top of averaging 1 Key Pass per game, 1.8 Dribbles per game, 1.8 Tackles Won per game, and 1.1 Interceptions per game. As such, he isn't a terribly exciting asset but could make for a high upside streamer vs. weaker teams, especially if the Saints start to find some rhythm. Just 2 seasons ago, Walker-Peters did prove to be nothing more than that - a streamer.
As we can see, there are no real exciting top assets from the Saints coming into this season (bar any new signings). But there could be a few sneaky sleepers. For those we will wait for the fantasy forecast, but it is worth keeping an eye on if David Brooks will return to the Saints next season. The Welshman is a tricky player that has shown he can be a good EPL asset. Make him the "big fish in a small pond" - pulling all the strings for this team - and he could be fantasy gold. Ryan Fraser is another ex-Bournemouth asset that looks to have re-signed with Southampton for the upcoming season. He only managed 13 starts in 39 appearances scoring 6 goals, so it remains to be seen if he can lock down a starting XI role next season. A lot of that will depend on incoming signings, but if he does manage to start can he turn back the years to his fantasy god-like days?
It is also worth mentioning Jan Bednerak, who has proven to be a decent defensive stream in previous EPL seasons. The highlight there is him winning a total of 70 aerials last season (63% of his duels). He does have a solid aerial record, but Saints have to be a decent defensive team to make him worth the draft, which is highly unlikely.
23/24 Breakout Player
Adam Armstrong
Position: Forward
23/24 Highlights: 21 Goals and 13 Assists
Armstrong was the obvious choice here, coming off an incredible season for the Saints. But it makes you wonder if the Championship is his level. His last time in the EPL was nothing special. While he may start the season as Saints' top striker, I would expect them to dip into the market for a competitor for Armstrong. His ghost points also leave a lot to be desired with his best "counting stat" being his 1.3 Key Passes per game. In the playoff final he managed 2 shots on target and 2 dispossessions to go with his goal. If this doesn't scream goal dependent, I don't know what does. It will be hard recommending a goal dependent striker on a newly promoted team that has never been an offensive powerhouse in the EPL. Despite Southampton scoring 87 goals across their 46 games, we have seen the EPL is a big jump up. Armstrong will look to help Saints replicate that form in the EPL, but I truly believe if Armstrong wants to get close to that 15 goal mark, he will need to start off the season very hot.
23/24 Fantasy Flop
Joe Aribo
Position: Midfielder
23/24 Highlights: 4 Goals and 1 Assist in 35 games
It was so hard to just pick 1 flop. Aside from a small handful of players, none of these players seem like useful fantasy assets even at a Championship level. Aribo is the one that stands out to me, having rostered him back in the 22/23 season. He clearly took his game down a level when Saints were relegated. Aribo will probably be nothing more than a bit part player, if even that, next season. Last campaign he managed just 4 goals and 1 assist in his 35 appearances (16 starts). Across his appearances, his only stat of note was his 1.3 Tackles Won per game. To give you an example of his very poor ghost performance, in the playoff final where he registered 90 minutes he only managed - 1 Key Pass, 1 Dribble, and 1 Aerial, while recording 1 Dispossession and receiving a Yellow Card for a score of 1. This doesn't bode well for the Saints midfielder. There is every chance Saints look to bring in a new midfielder elsewhere, but Aribo's fantasy performance in the Championship leaves a lot to be desired.
Injury Impact
The Saints faced sporadic injuries throughout their campaign with players such as Downes, Stuart Armstrong, Sulemana, and Stephens missing some games throughout the season. All of these players have roles among the Saints squad whether it be in the XI, or getting significant minutes off the bench. While there weren't any major injuries to their heavy hitters this season, the Saints definitely could have benefited from these players staying fit for a larger portion of the season. In a compact Championship schedule it would have helped to rotate in fresh legs, or give star players some breathers. The Saints will look to continue a decent injury record next season, while hoping their depth pieces can continue to stay healthy.
Southampton Overall Team Performance
The Saints won their playoff final, but finished 4th in regular season standings in the EFL Championship. They managed to score 87 goals while conceding 63, which is the worst of any of the top 5 teams. Most of their games were very close affairs, and they were heavily reliant on the goals of Armstrong and Adams this season with no other player getting more than 6 goals. It will be tough to score that many goals in the EPL, especially if Saints are reliant on just 1-2 players. They will definitely need to add some more attacking options over the summer. Southampton jumping right back up showed they are just a bit too good for the Championship, but the question we are all wondering is if they are good enough for the EPL. We will tackle that question in a bit more detail in the Fantasy Forecast.
More 23/24 Fantasy Flashbacks: Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Ipswich Town | Leicester City | Liverpool | Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Nottingham Forest | Southampton | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
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, plus so much more. Dominate your draft!
Have you heard about our revolutionary Draft Fantasy Football app? We call it The Fantasy Toolkit. Expand to read more!
Each gameweek, The Fantasy Toolkit will bring you:
Recommended waiver adds & drops
Optimal lineup suggestions
Matchup projections vs your opponent
Trade calculator
Fixture Difficulty Tracker (for each position on the pitch)
Gameweek Transaction Data from the "Big 3" community leagues
ROS & Playoff Planning Tool
Team Power Rankings for every team in your league
ABD EVEN MORE TO COME!
All in one customized and personalised package
It's included in our Ultimate Pass and Season Pass plans and will give you a massive leg up on your league-mates. Check out a full demonstration video HERE for more info!
Comments