Our Fantasy EPL 22/23 Draft Kit promises to be the most comprehensive set of pre-season Draft Premier League articles ever produced! A key component of our Draft Kit will be the Team Preview articles which analyze key assets to sit alongside our all-important Draft Rankings. This article delves into the Best Fantrax Fantasy EPL Players from Brentford, as we take a deep dive into the prospects of their three best assets! Click here for details on how you can access our 22/23 Draft Kit.
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Brentford Best Fantasy Players
As noted above, these are the Best Brentford Players for the Fantrax Fantasy EPL platform. We analyze the Bees' top three prospects ahead of the new season, with a recommended draft pick for each player.
Ivan Toney
Position: Forward
21/22 Points: 388.5 (5th best forward)
21/22 Points Per Start: 12.0 (32 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 11.6 (34 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 25-36 (12 Team League: Round 3)
Overview: After an impressive campaign in 21/22, Toney will remain the focal point for the Bees in their second season. He’ll need to continue to be a model of consistency if Thomas Frank’s side are to stay in the top division.
As I mentioned in my end-of-season recap, Brentford’s talismanic striker Ivan Toney far surpassed any expectations placed on him for his inaugural season in the Premier League, finishing as the 16th overall fantasy scorer. In addition to his team-leading 12 goals, Toney was at or near the top of a plethora of his side’s scoring categories, including assists (2nd), key passes (1st), shots on target (1st) and aerials won (1st). The man can fill a stat sheet, and not just with goal involvements. Toney was only 36% reliant on goals and assists, putting up a positionally strong 8.2 ghost points per start (Sadio Mane, who finished just above him among forwards, delivered 7.3 gPPS).
To address the elephant in the room, the departure of Christian Eriksen will be a painful one for Brentford in their sophomore season. But it’s worth reflecting on the fact that Toney was the 6th highest scoring forward in the Premier League before the Dane’s arrival, and the 8th highest scoring after. While his points per start numbers were slightly higher at 12.2 for the second half of the season, it’s safe to say Toney is still going to be a top-tier forward without Eriksen’s support.
If Thomas Frank doesn’t bring in another creative central midfielder or set piece specialist, I do have some fears that Brentford will regress from the lofty 13th place finish they were able to manage in their first season in the Premier League. But Toney’s all-around game should keep him in the top 10 for forwards this year.
Ethan Pinnock
Position: Defender
21/22 Points: 290.5 (11th best defender)
21/22 Points Per Start: 9.1 (30 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 8.8 (34 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 64-72 (12 Team League: Mid-late Round 6)
Overview: A highly impressive debut season landed him among the elite defenders, particularly for ghost point production. Even if Brentford suffer from a bit of second season syndrome, Pinnock has proven he can deliver the goods regardless of results.
While banking on them isn’t a viable strategy, clean sheets are a critical component to a defender’s fantasy output. The importance of the additional 8 points gained as a result of not conceding a goal can’t be overstated. So, the fact that Ethan Pinnock came just short of finishing his first season in the Premier League as a top-10 defender when 43 defenders earned more clean sheets than his 7 is pretty remarkable. Add in the fact that he missed the final 5 games of the season with a hamstring injury and you start to see the makings of a fantasy legend.
The Brentford center back announced his arrival in the Premier League in style, with a 24.5 point monster against Arsenal in their 2-0 victory in the opening fixture. While he never surpassed that feat, Pinnock was no stranger to double digit returns, posting 10+ points on 13 occasions. Perhaps even more impressively, despite being on the losing side of 16 League matches, he only dropped one negative score. Herein lies Pinnock’s primary strength: ghost points. His staggering 10.2 ghost points per start put him in the top 10 for ghosties, and behind only Kostas Tsimikas, James Tarkowski, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James and Lucas Digne among defenders. Elite company to keep in a debut season.
As discussed, I do expect a bit of a wobble from Brentford without a marquee signing, but Pinnock has proven he’s fixture-proof. If the Bees do manage to come through with a couple additional clean sheets, he could even improve on his top 50 overall score from last season.
Editor's Note - 7/22: Pinnock has reportedly picked up a knee injury in training that could sideline him for multiple weeks. Keep an eye out for an expected return date and factor that into where you take the defender if you decide to draft him.
David Raya
Position: Goalkeeper
21/22 Points: 209.25 (16th best Goalkeeper)
21/22 Points Per Start: 8.7 (24 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 8.2 (30 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 145-158 (12 Team League: Round 13)
Overview: Goalkeepers aren’t usually high on the recommended list for drafting, but Raya plays a critical role in Brentford’s ability to keep clean sheets and has higher scoring potential than many of his teammates. He should compete for a spot in the top 5 overall goalkeepers if he stays fit for the whole season.
One player who could help bring about those extra clean sheets is first-choice goalkeeper David Raya. The Spanish shot-stopper played a critical role in the Bees’ success in the 21/22 season, averaging 3.25 saves per game across his 24 appearances and earning a clean sheet every third match. Raya suffered a nasty injury to the posterior cruciate ligament of his knee in the closing moments of the October 24 defeat to Leicester City, and he didn’t return to action until January 22.
Back-up keeper Alvaro Fernandez didn’t fare so well in Raya’s absence, recording only one clean sheet and otherwise finding his side on the losing end of 9 of his 13 matches between the posts. Thomas Frank has brought in a more suitable deputy in Thomas Strakosha, who will push Raya for the number 1 role this season (and could be the future first choice if Raya doesn’t extend his contract, which is set to expire in 2024). Even with the added competition, Raya should build upon his number of starts next season and, after Alisson and Hugo Lloris, could rival the likes of Jose Sa and Nick Pope for goalkeepers worth drafting before the final round.
One final fun fact: Raya didn't record a single negative score in the 21/22 season.
Honorable Mention
While Christian Norgaard isn’t going to single-handedly win you your matchup in a given week, he is a reliable starter in an otherwise unsettled Brentford midfield. The defensive-minded Dane finished just outside the top 50 overall last season, just behind more highly sought after players like Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans. Norgaard has a lower ceiling, but is a solid MID 4 (Round 8+) to invest in if you’ve gambled on upside with your earlier picks at the position.
More Best Fantasy Players: Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brighton | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Leeds | Leicester | Liverpool | Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Nottm Forest | Southampton | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
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