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FANTASY EPL DRAFT STRATEGY:

WINNING ON THE FANTASY PITCH
JULY 28, 2020 BY THE FANTASY FOOTBALL CHAPS   |  THEFFCHAPS

FantraxHQ is the official content sponsor of Fantrax.com, the hottest Fantasy Site of 2018 and 2019.
Our Fantasy EPL Draft Strategy Guide looks into key tactics to consider when

undertaking your all-important EPL Fantasy Draft!  We give you hints and tips

on which types of Premier League players you need to prioritize in the early

rounds of your draft, as well as which players you should be drafting in the

later rounds.

This is essential reading for any Fantrax Draft Manager!  Look out for our

upcoming Draft Rankings for the new season, which will really help you out
with your preparation.  It’s time to talk EPL Draft Strategy for now though!

EPL Draft Strategy Guide

Now then, this is why we’re here.  The Draft.  The endless hours, days, or

possibly even weeks of preparation comes down to an hour or so of your life. 

Mess this up, and you’re in for a season of pain… come out of the draft with a

half-decent team, and the next nine months of your life will be far more

pleasurable.  You’re reading our EPL Draft Strategy Guide, so you’re off to a

good start in any case!

Drafting Tactics

There are lots of different approaches for EPL draft strategy, but to be honest,

a lot of drafting comes down to personal preference.  However, it is imperative

that you go into the draft with a strategy for which positions you want to fill at

which points of the draft.  Having a plan, no matter how loose it is, will help

you immensely during the draft.  Your specific strategy will come down to

personal preference.  Hopefully the information below will help you consider

when is best to draft certain types of players though!

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Perhaps the most important thing to remember though is that the draft will

not go according to plan.  You need to be adaptable throughout.  Look at

your specific situation as the draft is unfolding.  You need to weigh up if you

think your fellow managers will draft players that you want to draft.  For

example, if you think you can go another round before drafting Matt Ritchie or

Wilfried Ndidi, then take James Tarkowski or Aaron Wan-Bissaka as a banker

defender; then snap up the mid-range midfielder the next round.  Always keep

an eye on which positions your fellow managers are yet to draft.  Looking at

things in this way will hopefully reduce the stress involved in the process!

Decide on an EPL draft strategy that suits your preferences prior to the draft,

and have a good idea of the players you want to bring in at certain times.

Make sure you’re adaptable throughout the draft though – the pressure is

almost certainly going to get to you!

 
Drafting Basics

New to drafting on Fantrax?  Here’s a quick lowdown of what you need to

know:

 A Fantrax draft is 16 rounds long, meaning you will pick 16 players in

total
 The draft follows a “snake” format – it goes in numerical order and then

reverses to make the draft order fair. If you draft in first position, you

have to wait until all other managers have picked their first-round player,

as well as their second-round player, before you get to pick again.  You

will then pick first in round three, and last in round four.
 You only need to draft one goalkeeper, so adding extra outfield players

is recommended

Our recommended squad consists of:

 1 Goalkeeper

 4 or 5 Defenders

 6 or 7 Midfielders

 4 or 5 Forwards

Best Position to Draft?

Perhaps the most important part of a draft, apart from selecting your players,

is picking which position you would like to draft in!  Generally speaking, a

snake draft works out pretty fair no matter where you draft in the order. 

However, managers will have a preference on where they draft in the order. 

There are also certain “sweet spots” in the order that may be favorable.

Let’s break it down a little further (this is all hypothetical/probable):

 Draft in the first few picks in the order and you’ll get an elite player in the

first round.  Followed by a very good or good player by the time the

second round comes round to you

 Pick in the middle rounds of the order and you’ll get either an elite

player or a very good player in the first round.  Followed by a very good

player in the second round

 Draft in the final picks of the order, and you’ll get a very good player in

the 1st round.  Followed by a very good player in the 2nd round

Looking at this breakdown of the kind of players you could draft in the first

couple of rounds, things look fairly even.  This is all down to personal

preference too.  Some managers may be desperate to get their hands on De

Bruyne, and will therefore gladly draft first so that they can get him.  They will

then have to deal with the fact that their second-round pick won’t be as good
as if they drafted in the middle rounds.  On the other hand, some managers

may prefer to draft later on in the order and guarantee themselves two very

good players in the first two rounds.  This all depends on the manager.
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Draft “Sweet Spots”

We mentioned above that there are certain Sweet Spots of where to draft. 

The thinking here is that you can draft in the middle-ish of the draft order and

pick up an elite player in the first round.  You also have a good chance of

picking up a very good player by the time the second round picks come back

round to you.  Therefore, the Sweet Spot will enable you to gain the best

combination of first and second-round picks.

12 Person League: The Sweet Spot is probably pick four in the order; you’ll

be guaranteed one of the elite players in this spot, and should hopefully be

able to pick up a very good player in the second round. Drafting fourth would

guarantee you one of De Bruyne, Fernandes, Salah, or Mane.  Hopefully by

the time you chose your second pick you can get hold of someone like Traore,

Rashford, or Martial.  If you personally rank Sterling or Alexander-Arnold for

example the same as Salah or Mane, then drafting in fifth or sixth position
would mean you still get one of these players, and a better chance of drafting

a very good player in the second round.

8 Person League: The Sweet Spot here is also pick four in the order, as you’ll

be guaranteed one of the best four players in the league, and will likely be

able to pick a very good player in the second round. Obviously, if you’re happy
with taking Sterling or Alexander-Arnold in the first round, then drafting fifth or

sixth in the order could also be advantageous to you.  You’ll then be able to

bring in a very good player in the second round.  This is less important in an 8

person league though, as there will be a better spread of players available.

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Our upcoming Top 200 Draft Rankings will enable you to test out these

theories before your draft.  Use this to gauge who you will be able to draft in
the first few rounds of the draft, based on the size of your league.  For

example, if you draft 1st in an eight-person league, you will get the first, 16th,

and 17th best players.  If you draft fifth in a 12-man league, you will get the

fifth, 20th, and 29th best players.  Play around and see what caliber of players

you would be able to draft in the first few rounds; depending on your league

size, and position in the draft!

 
Other Strategies

Lots of people talk about these “Sweet Spots” in the draft order, or weighing

up how late in the first round order you could draft and still be able to pick one

of your favorite elite players.  Another drafting strategy that we’re seeing more

and more of, is choosing to draft either at the start or end of a snake draft

order.  This was you have two picks in a row, and can plan your picks and

strategy a lot better.  If you have two picks in a row, then you’re not constantly

watching who other managers pick, and hoping that the player you want will

come back around for your next pick.  If you have two picks in a row, you can

happily choose two players you like, and then re-evaluate your next picks

when the order snakes back around to you.

Also, if your waiver wire order at the start of the season is set to be the

reverse of the draft order, then the manager drafting in the final slot will get

the benefit of having those two picks in a row, and also the benefit of being

top of the waiver wire order.  This is especially important this season, as the

transfer window is open for nearly a month after the season starts.  Therefore,

being top of the waiver order will be a HUGE advantage.  So, if your waiver

processing order at the start of the season is the reverse of the draft

order, we would recommend taking last spot in a snake draft order! 

Fantasy EPL Quick Draft Tips

On Fantrax, the player positions closer to real-life are actually followed.  Using

Opta data and statistics, players such as Mohamed Salah and Raheem

Sterling are rightfully classified as forwards.  This means that attacking

midfielders and wingers are classified as forwards.  The result of this is that

there are a lot of top-quality forwards to go around in a draft on Fantrax.  The

midfielders pool can feel fairly limited, however.

This needs to be factored into your EPL draft strategy!!  Drafting a top-quality
midfielder during the early rounds is recommended.  A passing midfielder who

scores goals is the ideal Fantrax midfielder!

Due to the intelligent nature of the scoring system, there is usually a good

spread of points across the positions.  Defenders such as Lucas Digne or

Ricardo Pereira can easily outscore the best attacking players due to

statistically playing well.  An elite midfielder or forward, followed by a very

good midfielder or forward, followed by one of the best defenders, is a good

Draft Strategy!

Examples of good combinations from the first few rounds:

 De Bruyne, Martial, Digne

 Mane, Pulisic, Robertson

 
Drafting three players who will average around 12-14 points per game in the

first three rounds should put you in a good position!

EPL Draft Strategy By Position

⚽️Drafting Forwards ⚽️

As we’ve pointed out above, Fantrax rightfully classifies attacking midfielders

and wingers as forwards using Opta statistics.  This makes sense based on

players’ average positions during matches!  This means that there are a huge

amount of forwards to chose from.  19 forwards averaged over 10 points per

game last season!

Despite the fact that there is a bigger pool of forwards, as well as a bigger

spread of points in Fantrax leagues, you should still be targeting an elite

forward in the 1st round of your draft (unless you can get hold of De Bruyne or

Bruno).  The likes of Salah, Mane, Son, Sterling, Rashford, Jimenez, and

Mahrez should be the top targets.  Grab yourself an elite forward if you can. 

It’s so much more fun when your best player gains points for actually scoring

goals!!

We think its personal preference when you pick up the rest of your forwards. 

There are a lot of them to go around, but if you have the chance to pick up two
good or great forwards in the opening few rounds, then you should take that

opportunity!  Our upcoming Fantasy EPL Draft Rankings will help you

decide which forwards are best to draft when.

🎯 Drafting Midfielders 🎯

As we mentioned, there are a limited number of top quality midfielders, as

wingers are actually classified as forwards on Fantrax!  From the pool of

midfielders, you’re looking for players that gain a fair amount of attacking

returns, but those who will also gain good points for key passes or successful

crosses.  A passing midfielder who scores goals is the ideal Fantrax

midfielder!

We would recommend picking up a top-quality, goal-scoring forward in the

first round, and then looking towards picking up a midfield beast in the second

round.  De Bruyne and Bruno should be considered first-round picks, and

potentially the two best players in Fantrax.  If you have the chance to draft

them in the first round, then certainly take it!  Otherwise, try and pick up a

midfielder such as Grealish, Ward-Prowse, Pulisic or Buendia (if he returns to

the EPL) in the second round.

You should draft a very good or good midfielder in the opening three rounds. 

Due to the limited number of top-quality midfield options, you need to bring in

a midfielder early doors.  Otherwise, you run the risk of having a poor midfield
selection further along in the draft.  The rest of your midfield comes down to

personal preference of when to pick them up.  You could judge when to pick

up certain players based on how the other managers have been drafting. 

Know your fellow managers!

You should be streaming a couple of midfield spots throughout the season. 

Therefore, make sure you take a gamble or two towards the end of the draft. 

If the midfielder doesn’t work out, just drop them and pick up someone else
after the first few weeks of the season!

🛡 Drafting Defenders 🛡

Now when to start drafting defenders… that’s the big question for Fantasy

EPL!  Last season there were huge defender hauls, with the likes of

Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Robertson, Doherty, Digne and Pereira taking

leagues by storm!!  We would recommend picking up one of the elite

defenders in the third round if you’re able to.  Pereira or Digne are going to be

worth it, based on their average scores around 12 points per game last

season.  They could even be drafted in the second round in larger leagues! 

Don’t be afraid to go early on a defender on Fantrax.  Especially a wing-back

who will be fixture-proof due to key passes or successful crosses!

The key point here is that defenders offer a lot more value across the board in

the sophisticated Fantrax Scoring.  Due to the fact that it’s not just attacking
returns and clean sheets that impact the scoring system, defenders can easily

rack up points for aerials, interceptions or clearances.  Try and spread your

defender picks across your draft, mixing between all of the positions as you

undertake your draft.  It’s worth leaving one or two of your defender picks until

later on in the draft though.  There will be surprise players that you’ll want to

pick up throughout the season.  The Sheffield United defence springs to mind

from last season; all of their defenders scored incredibly well last season, and
would have been undrafted in most leagues (apart from maybe Stevens).

You need to be streaming your defenders throughout the season, so taking a

punt of two towards the end of the draft will be worth it.  If it doesn’t work out,

you can easily drop them and move on during the season.

🤚 Drafting Goalkeepers ✋

Drafting your goalkeeper in a Fantrax league is a pretty simple task;

goalkeepers score notoriously poorly on this scoring system.

Leave drafting your goalkeeper until late on in the draft!  Potentially take

Alisson or Pope in round 12 or 13, but for anyone else you’re best off just

leaving your goalkeeper pick until the final round.  Fantrax Leagues only

require one goalkeeper to be in your squad.  Therefore there will always been

starting goalkeepers in the free agent pool!  Streaming goalkeepers is very

common, as they will have very little impact on your squad in the grand

scheme of things.

Don’t waste a high draft pick on your goalkeeper!

Top Drafting Tips

 It’s imperative you go into the draft with a strategy for which positions

you want to fill at which points

 Make sure you’re adaptable throughout the draft though – the pressure

is almost certainly going to get to you!   The draft will not go to plan!!!

 Look at your specific situation as the draft is unfolding.  You need to

weigh up if you think your fellow managers will draft the players that you

want to
 Do as many Mock Drafts as you can – this is the best drafting

preparation possible
 Read our Fantasy EPL Draft Rankings!

The only place to play Draft Premier League is Fantrax, and here are six

reasons why. Move your Fantasy EPL league to Fantrax now!

Follow The Fantasy Football Chaps on Twitter @TheFFChaps for all the

latest!
 Fantrax is one of the fastest growing fantasy sites of 2019. With multi-team

trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click

methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up

now for a free year at Fantrax.com.

FILED UNDER: FANTASY EPLTAGGED WITH: EPL DRAFT GUIDES

About The Fantasy Football Chaps

The Fantasy Football Chaps specialize in Fantasy EPL. They have been playing the draft format
of the game for many years, and are our resident soccer experts! The English duo are obsessed
with everything English Premier League after falling in love with soccer as children growing up
in the 90s. Icons such as Shearer, Beckham, Zola, and Bergkamp introduced them to the
game… current stars such as Salah, De Bruyne, Traore and Buendia are keeping the obsession
going! The Chaps joined Fantrax HQ in June 2019, taking over as EPL Content Leads. They will
bring weekly articles and one-off special features looking into all aspects Fantasy EPL! Find The
Chaps on Twitter @TheFFChaps for all the latest.

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