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 Everton, 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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Everton Best Fantasy Players
As noted above, these are the Best Everton Players for the Fantrax Fantasy EPL platform. We analyze the Toffees' top three prospects ahead of the new season, with a recommended draft pick for each player.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Position: Forward
21/22 Points: 152.5 (46th best forward)
21/22 Points Per Start: 9.5 (15 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 9.6 (32 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 42-48 (12 Team League: Mid-Late Round 4)
Overview: An injury-riddled season delivered major disappointment to fantasy managers who expected DCL to build on the striker’s top 15 finish in 20/21. But the underlying numbers and a return to form in the closing stages suggest DCL may be a top-tier asset once again in 22/23.
Following a brilliant 20/21 campaign that saw him score 16 goals in 32 starts for Everton, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was a prime FWD 1 target in drafts heading into last season. Fantasy managers who drafted the forward would have felt justified in their early-round pick in August, as he averaged 20 points per game on the back of three consecutive goal scoring appearances to begin the season. But fortunes took a cruel turn in that third game, with DCL fracturing a toe. The injury would keep him out through the end of the calendar year, a span of 14 league matches.
The 25 year-old managed to put together a brief spell of uninspiring performances on his return to the side before additional injuries plagued his game time yet again. Calvert-Lewin finally looked back to his best just as the season came to a close, bookending his campaign with another run of three matches with an attacking return (2G, 1A this time). Despite only managing 17 appearances across a start-and-stop season, DCL was expected to score around 7 goals (6.8xG), which is only a slight regression on a per game basis (15.4xG from 33 appearances) from the previous season when he finished 14th overall with more than 400 fantasy points.
Everton struggled mightily without their talismanic striker last season, and will be happy to have him back with a full pre-season regimen under his belt. The sale of Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur removes the primary source of competition facing DCL, so he’ll be expected to return to starting the vast majority of games as long as he’s fit. The injury concerns from last season should play into your thoughts somewhat as you determine where you’d feel comfortable targeting Calvert-Lewin, but he hasn't been a particularly injury-prone player prior to last season. If his end-of-season form is any indication, he has put the worst of his injuries behind him and will look to re-establish himself as one of the Premier League’s best attacking talents this year.
James Tarkowski
Position: Defender
21/22 Points: 324.25 (7th best defender)
21/22 Points Per Start: 9.3 (35 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 8.1 (33 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 49-60 (12 Team League: Round 5)
Overview: A fantasy darling during his time at Burnley, Tarkowski makes his Premier League return at the heart of an uninspiring Everton backline. Will he continue to be an elite defensive asset on Merseyside? A different playing style may mean a shift in his fantasy output, but Tarks should still be a consideration as a DEF1 if you miss out on the elite assets in the first 4 rounds.
Everton’s struggles last season weren’t all down to their troubles at the top of the pitch. They were poor defensively as well, conceding 66 goals (5th worst in the League) across the tenures of Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard. Despite finishing two places below Everton and being relegated to the Championship, Burnley conceded just 53 goals in the 21/22 season. So, while the Toffees have raided a relegated team for their main recruit so far this summer, James Tarkowski, they look set to significantly strengthen their defensive resolve as a result.
The former Claret has put up elite-level fantasy stats for the past few seasons, including for Burnley in last year’s relegation battle when he finished 35th overall. The center back, typically deployed on the left side of a two-man CB pairing, has historically earned the lion’s share of the ghost points over his partner on the right. This is a common pattern for 4-at-the-back teams, with one of the two center backs tending to be more relied upon for aerial duels and clearances and the other more often tasked with man-to-man marking that results in more interceptions, but fewer of the other counting stats. Ethan Pinnock and Dan Burn are good examples of the more aerially dominant CBs like Tarkowski, and their impressive ghost point levels reflect this.
Frank Lampard is hardly known for his defensive prowess, and is already dealing with a bit of a depth crisis in other areas of the pitch, so he could begin the season with a three-at-the-back system. This would be an unfamiliar role for Tarkowski, and he may not line up as the deepest lying of the three, which could cut down on his opportunities to dominate as much aerially as he did under Sean Dyche. That said, he’ll be a mainstay in the Merseyside club’s defensive unit, so while he may see somewhat of a dip in his fantasy output, he should still be challenging for a top 50 overall spot come the end of the season.
Anthony Gordon
Position: Midfielder
21/22 Points: 254 (21st best forward)
21/22 Points Per Start: 9.4 (25 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 9.7 (33 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 49-60 (12 Team League: Round 5)
Overview: A mini-breakout in the second half of the season as the favorite child of Frank Lampard, Gordon looks set to push on with a full season as the focal point of the Everton attacking setup. If he retains set piece duty and can build on his number of starts, as expected, he should deliver MID2 value for your team.
Despite having a negative total score after the opening two months of the season, Anthony Gordon finished the 21/22 campaign inside the top 80 overall. Gordon eventually worked his way into the first-team conversation under Benitez following the injury to DCL, but it wasn’t until Frank Lampard took the reins that the 21-year-old began capitalizing on his potential. From his first appearance under Lampard on February 8 through the end of the season, Gordon was the 31st overall scorer in Fantrax Default Scoring, ahead of Dwight McNeil, Bruno Guimaraes and even Christian Eriksen (though, to be fair to the Dane, he didn’t play in as many games).
Lampard’s affection for the young forward’s skillset and work-rate has garnered comparisons to the manager’s relationship with Mason Mount at Chelsea. While Gordon isn’t yet at the same level as the England international, he is a couple years younger and will have a full season as a primary creative force for the Toffees. Don’t expect Gordon to jump into the top 20 by any means, but I do think this season could be a true breakout year for the youngster, especially if the supporting cast around him stays fit.
Honorable Mention(s):
Prior to Frank Lampard’s appointment and the introduction of Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray was in the conversation for Everton’s player of the season. He was eventually relegated to a substitute as Calvert-Lewin worked his way back to fitness at the end of the season and shunted Richarlison into the left wing role. But with the Brazilian departing for North London, Gray could see a turnaround in fortunes this season. While a good chunk of his points in the first half of the campaign came from set pieces, he’ll likely fall behind Gordon in the pecking order under Lampard. Still, given the lack of depth in the wide areas, Gray should have every chance to re-establish himself in the starting lineup and return to the first-half of the season form that saw him deliver 12 double-digit scores in 18 appearances.
Editor's Note - 7/28: With the news that the Toffees look set to bring Dwight McNeil in from Burnley, Gray will likely return to his role as an impact substitute for Lampard in most games. Despite a lack of goal involvements, McNeil was a very strong fantasy performer last season and would be a good replacement for Gray in your drafts if he's available. If not, he's a strong waiver target as soon as he's in the system.
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