My Pick
Raul Jimenez – The Wolves hitman is definitely a first round pick nowadays. Jimenez was the 5th highest scoring player overall last season, despite the fact that Nuno Esporito Santo basically offered him no rest during a gruelling 13 month campaign.
The fact that Wolves now have no European football to contend with only improves the Mexican’s value so I was very pleased to get him at pick 11. I feel getting an elite forward in early on in the draft is crucial this year as the drop off between the elite and the rest is sizeable. As you can see, eight out of the opening 12 players drafted are forwards.
Round Summary
A pretty standard first round here, just another slightly different order from what we’ve previously seen. If you follow me on Twitter you’ll have seen that I’m debating taking Salah over Fernandes with my 2nd pick overall. Therefore, I was delighted to see Tottiandor pick Mane and go on to draft very, very well.
Salah himself dropped to 5th here which was a big surprise while the only other pick to raise eyebrows for me here was seeing Maddison go at 7th overall. After an ordinary campaign last season, you should be able to wait until the 2nd round to pick up Maddison this season. Having said that, I see why you’d want to get an elite midfielder early on and Maddison is currently 3rd in my midfielder rankings.
My Pick
Jack Grealish – After securing my elite forward, I was after an elite midfielder and went for Grealish. I was very pleased to see Andres go for Adama here, not because he doesn’t belong here (13th pick is great value), but because I didn’t fancy the Wolves double up. Pulisic was the other option here but his injury record really worries me.
Much of Grealish’s value depends on who (if anyone) he signs for. Staying at Aston Villa would be best for fantasy managers as it’s unlikely he would nail down a starting spot at Manchester United or Tottenham.
Round Summary
James Ward Prowse is the name that sticks out here. I’m seeing JWP go in round three in mock drafts which is difficult to watch so round two seems a stretch. However, he outscored Maddison and Harry Kane last season so he has to be considered as a very good asset.
The tail end of the round saw Fantrax heroes ASM and Willian taken. ASM seems to be going in the middle of the 2nd round most of the time which is hardly a surprise. I am, however, surprised to see Willian go this early as we’re unsure where he fits into the Arsenal setup at this time. His value shoots up if Lacazette or Aubameyang depart.
As previously mentioned, Adama Troare is great value here while snatching goal getters Kane and Vardy in round 2 is also very good business.
My Pick
Matt Doherty – I really don’t love it but this is 100% the right pick at this stage. It’s very, very rare that I pick a defender before round seven so I was reluctant to do so but Doherty is a Fantrax beast, coming in at 14th highest scorer overall last season.
I was curious to see whether securing an elite defender early (ish) would release me to pick more freely in later rounds…
Round Summary
Paul Pogba could be great value at pick 33. The arrival of Bruno Fernandes has harmed his value a little but a fit, healthy and interested Pogba surely finishes higher than 33rd overall. With the shortage of top midfielders at this stage, you’d jump at the change to take Pogba. I wouldn’t go as far as taking him in the first 15/16 picks but if I can get him at the tail end of round 2 after grabbing a premium forward, I probably would. Richarlison going one pick before him is also interesting as I’d expect him to be taken in round two.
Bobby Firmino falling to round three is sad to see on a personal level but is also probably the reality this season, but I still think Totti has got good value for him here. Hakim Ziyech is proving to be a headache for drafters but before this one I’ve seen him taken at 18 and 19 twice each over four mock drafts. Going at 29 is the latest I’ve seen so I suppose that makes him good value there. Mason Greenwood has probably gone too early here though.
My Pick
Jarrod Bowen – I’m a huge fan of Jarrod Bowen and his reclassification as a midfielder excited me. The way he picks up points through dribbles and interceptions reminds me of how Nathan Redmond used to be. Add in the fact that he takes charge of some set pieces and provides a serious goal threat and Bowen could be a serious asset this season. I was more then happy to take him in round four.
Round Summary
Two more drafter headaches in Matheus Pereira and Phil Foden left the board here. The fact is, we just don’t know what either of them will do this season. Pereira is unproven in the Premier League and those that draft him will be hoping he is more of a Buendia than a Knockaert coming out of the Championship. If he is on the Buendia end of the spectrum then pick 40 will be a steal. It’s worst noting that the manager in question had already secured Werner, Pulisic and Pogba so could definitely afford to take the gamble on Pereira at this stage.
If you’re going for Foden, I’d also recommend trying to get Bernardo Silva too if possible. I can see both players sharing game time fairly evenly this season.
Dele Alli has crept in here too. There’s been very little said about Dele in the lead up to the season so he could also be a steal at this stage if he does have a comeback year. He will be desperate to re-ignite his career in the lead up to the Euros next summer.
My Pick
Sebastian Haller – This is the point where it shows how crucial it is to get that elite forward in early and also makes me question the decision to go for someone like Mitrovic or Calvert Lewin over Doherty in round three.
Haller himself is a great Fantrax asset when he plays but he hasn’t played for a long time. Michail Antonio was in the form of his life when filling in for the injured Haller and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him continue there at the start of next season. This is the first pick I’m unsure about so far.
Round Summary
Am I missing something with Felipe Anderson? He was essentially droppable at the en of last season but I’m seeing him drafted around the fifth or sixth round fairly regularly in mock drafts so far. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him leave West Ham this summer.
In terms of value, I LOVE Mitrovic here. This has the potential to be the pick of the draft so far as Mitrovic is the focal point of his team and has also proved he has what it takes to score goals at the top level. There’s no way the Serb doesn’t outperform 49th spot this season.
I also love Tarkowski here who has been massively underrated in this draft after finishing 19th overall in Fantrax last season.
My Pick
Mason Mount – Frank Lampard’s star pupil is undoubtedly a fantastic footballer but one that isn’t always rewarded for his performance’s in Fantrax scoring. The start of the season saw Mount score extremely well through goals, assists, shots on target and key passes, helping him to put up numbers akin to that of a MID1.
What’s changed? A slightly deeper role hasn’t helped Mount but in all honesty, his attacking movement and dominance of set pieces as well as the fact that his manager very rarely rotates him means he still holds very good value. If you can get him at this stage I feel you’d be doing well.
Round Summary
This is a strong round at first glance. If you’ve got your solid starters in place, round six is the place to start taking a high upside risk and the likes of Reece James, Steven Bergwijn and Mateusz Klich are exactly that. Well worth the pick at this stage.
Tomas Soucek and John McGinn in round six is also about right and could even prove to be excellent value by the end of the season. Before his injury, McGinn was putting up MID1 numbers and would probably have gone in round three had he kept that up. His post-restart form will see him fall in a lot of drafts here so could be a steal at round six.
My Pick
Leandro Trossard – Here’s my high upside risk. I was impressed with Leandro Trossard at the tail end of last season (particularly against Liverpool) and having had the first full season to settle in could turn into one of Brighton’s key players this time around.
If you can get Trossard in as your 4th midfielder then you will be well set. Graham Potter’s rotation will, however, be the cause of frustration once again so don’t get into a position where you are relying on Trossard to start every week.
Round Summary
Diogo Jota’s name sticks out to me here. His transition from midfielder to forward has clearly seen his value take a hit, as well as his lack of form towards the end of the season. I expect him to rotate quite frequently with Daniel Podence this season but Jota should still see plenty of action, making him a potential steal at round seven if he can re-discover some of the hot form he showed pre-lockdown.
Another decent pick here is Oli McBurnie, who has started to put up Christian Benteke type numbers through aerials won and key passes. The difference here is that McBurnie seems to know where the goal is too. He’s one to keep an eye on this summer, as is Johann Berg Gudmundsson who is an absolute steal at round eight if he can keep himself fit. That’s one massive if, though.
Another strong round! Though I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lacazette leave Arsenal this summer.
My Pick
Christian Benteke – …speaking of Benteke. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Belgian giant in Togga scoring fantasy football. Big Ben heads the ball a lot which means he doesn’t rely on goals at all. Which is a good job really.
Benteke is ideal if you can get him in as your FWD3. He’s currently out injured but looks to be one of Roy Hodgson’s favourites and is actually one of Crystal Palace’s most important players despite the lack of goals.
Round Summary
This round is a bit of an odd one. As we reach the half way stage there’s quite a few “meh” picks but most of them do serve a purpose of providing depth at certain positions. I love the Miguel Almiron pick here, especially if he keeps his more central position at Newcastle which has seen his fantasy value increase dramatically for me.
Almiron’s team mate Matt Ritchie is pretty decent in round eight too while Chris Wood is another one who is a perfect FWD3.
The name that sticks out most for me here is Naby Keita, who if he replicates the late season form and stay fit should massively outperform his pick at 94. Like Gudmundsson, it’s quite a big if.
My Pick
Daniel Podence – I was tempted to see how far Daniel Podence would fall but after watching the way he ended the last campaign I couldn’t resist him at round nine. If he consistently replicates the output of the last month, he should go much higher than the 107th pick but he will be battling it out with Diogo Jota for minutes for the majority of the campaign. As good as they both are individually, it’s probably not worth looking at trading to handcuff this position.
Round Summary
This is the round that saw the solid scorers picked in order to firm up the rosters and this is exactly where they should go. Ashley Westwood, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice and John Fleck all went here and that’s exactly where they should be going. You could make a case for Fleck being the best of the bunch here if you consider his mid-season purple patch.
The name that sticks out for me here is Romain Saiss who has seen his value skyrocket thanks to his well deserved position change ahead of this season. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes in drafts and how his scoring will compare to that of team mate Willy Boly who will go in rounds 5/6 in most leagues. Round nine seems fair value but there’s scope for Saiss to be taking a few rounds earlier and most definitely a few rounds later.
My Pick
Chris Basham – Probably the definition of a solid but boring pick at this stage. I thought it was about time I picked a defender that I’d feel comfortable in starting in 30 out of 38 games. Expecting Sheffield United to replicate their defensive success without Dean Henderson between the sticks may be unreasonable but grabbing Basham (last season’s 11th highest scoring defender) at pick 110 felt like good value.
Incidentally, my finger hovered over Kieran Tierney for a while who went three picks later,
Round Summary
This round turned into a bit of a defender-fest with seven of the 12 picks being defensive ones here. Ruben Vinagre could be the pick of the bunch here if Wolves don’t sign a ready made replacement for the injured Jonny at LWB.
Adam Lallana catches the eye here but I have him firmly in the “punt” category so would only really want to take him from round 12 onwards personally.
However, the real headline makers here were those that picked up goalkeepers. Round 10 is far, far too early to do that (in fact, I didn’t even draft one). Nick Pope should be the first one off the board but you should be able to wait until round 13 (at least) to be doing this. I have no idea why Ederson is in the conversation at this stage.
My Pick
Pascal Gross – My first pick that resembles a potentially high upside punt. Pascal Gross was a genuine 4th round pick under Chris Hughton but the Graham Potter rotation has completely killed his value. When Gross starts, start him, but those starts are becoming more and more scarce as it appears he doesn’t fit into Potter’s style. I already had Grealish, Bowen, Mount and Trossard in my midfield so felt comfortable in picking Gross up here but there’s certainly better value to be found in this section of the draft.
Round Summary
Tammy Abraham stands out here! The truth is, none of us really know what this season will hold for Chelsea’s top goalscorer of last season following the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. The fact Abraham last his spot to Olivier Giroud after the restart last season is even more concerning. You feel he must have some part to play for Chelsea after an impressive campaign but the best thing for Tammy’s value would be a transfer back to Aston Villa in a permanent deal this time. Don’t bet against that happening! If you can get Tammy at this stage and try and entice Werner’s owner into a trade to secure that handcuff, that’d be a very smart play.
Feran Torres is another interesting one here. I’ll be staying clear of him personally as I don’t see him earning many minutes but if you do have the spare roster space he’s worth holding in order to avoid the last minute scramble on the free agents pile when he does get given a start.
My Pick
Che Adams – This is a punt I really like at pick 134! Four goals in six games following the restart suggests Che Adams is finally finding his feet in the Premier League. He looks to be fairly goal dependant but will be an ideal option at FWD3/4 if he can nail down a starting spot up front with Danny Ings.
Round Summary
Jonny Evans is the surprise value pick for me in this round after finishing 17th amongst defenders last season despite Leicester’s horrendous end to the campaign. I like Ryan Bertrand here too who began to pick up plenty of counting stats in the second half of last season.
I’d be surprised if Patrick Bamford leads the line for Leeds for the whole campaign but at least it wasn’t a goalkeeper picked. Schmeichel, Lloris and Patricio. Why?
My Pick
Anthony Knockaert – Those will Togga previous will shudder at the sound of the name Anthony Knockaert. The Frenchman came up with a lot of promise with Brighton a few years back after dominating the Championship, which meant he went as high as round five in a lot of Togga leagues. To cut a long story short, he wasn’t great.
Now back with Fulham, Knockaert doesn’t come with the same pressure but has a couple of top flight campaigns under his belt and may be a key part of Fulham’s potential survival bid. At this stage, he’s well worth a punt as a midfielder to start in favourable matchups.
Round Summary
I love Tariq Lamptey’s value here! Brighton certainly aren’t the worst defensively and judging by the way he was flying down the left wing at the tail end of last season, Lamptey should help himself to plenty of assists this time round. Snapping him up at pick 150 is very good going.
Joelinton can’t be much worse this time around so picking him up here in the hope that his second campaign is better definitely isn’t a bad idea. He didn’t look too bad following the restart in all fairness.
Manuel Lanzini is another intriguing one. I draft Lanzini last season and enjoyed watching him dazzle in the first few gameweeks, even managing to trade him away to get in Troy Deeney and Christian Eriksen (let’s not talk about him though). The way Lanzini’s campaign tailed off was, however, extraordinary and he will do well to displace the likes of Rice and Soucek from the Hammers XI. Undoubtedly a supremely talented footballer on his day.
My Pick
Ross Barkley – Just a punt really. It’s hard to see him getting an awful lot of playing time at Chelsea this season. If he randomly gets a move away (maybe back to Everton?) then it’ll be a completely different conversation surrounding Barkley who needs a good campaign to have any chance of breaking into the England squad for the Euros.
Round Summary
Keep a close eye on the enigmatic Moussa Djenepo. The young Southampton winger showed sparks of brilliance last season, most notably the solo winner against Sheffiel United, but injuries and suspensions meant we saw less of Djenepo than we should have done. This could be the breakthrough year for him. If it is, round 14 is extraordinary value.
Trezeguet’s season ending means he probably deserves better than round 14 but consistency is his big issue. It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see someone like Said Benrahma being brought in to take his place this summer.
My Pick
Shkodran Mustafi – If he keeps his place in the Arsenal lineup and returns from injury sooner rather than later then Mustafi represents superb value in round 15! The guy is a Togga scoring beast thanks to his aggressive defending style and it appears that Mikel Arteta has brought in some defensive nous that the Gunners have lacked since Arsene Wenger departed.
Round Summary
We’re really wading through the dregs at this stage. This section will become much easier once transfers happen and some more talent filters down from higher rounds. Ricardo Pereira’s injury should mean James Justin starts the season in the lineup so he represents good value.
The destination of Harry Wilson will go a long way in determining his value this season. I’d love to see him end up somewhere like Leeds United. If he gets himself a transfer he should go much sooner than Round 15.
My Pick
Frederic Guilbert – I really like Guilbert as a fantasy option but in all honesty, I was going to pick Andros Townsend. I left him to see if my old favourite would remain un-drafted but my good friend Tottiandor took him with the penultimate pick of the draft.
Round Summary
Andros Townsend. How the mighty have fallen. If Wilfred Zaha does depart then surely Townsend’s stock rises again but even when he played last season he isn’t the Togga beast that he was. Jan Bednarek represents excellent final round value while Divock Origi’s stock will also raise with a transfer away from Anfield. Aston Villa is a rumoured destination for the Belgian.
Fantasy Football 92 