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 Leeds United, 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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Leeds United Best Fantasy Players
As noted above, these are the Best Leeds Players for the Fantrax Fantasy EPL platform. We analyze the Whites' top three prospects ahead of the new season, with a recommended draft pick for each player.
Jack Harrison
Position: Midfielder
21/22 Points: 295.5 (17th best midfielder)
21/22 Points Per Start: 9.5 (30 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 9.6 (30 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 49-60 (12 Team League: Round 5)
Overview: A player who frequently blows hot and cold, Harrison could be primed for more consistent opportunities for both game time and attacking contributions as Jesse Marsch rebuilds his attack.
Leeds suffered from the dreaded “second season syndrome” in 21/22, following up their incredible 9th place finish in 20/21 with a narrow escape from relegation in 17th spot. Marcelo Bielsa’s unorthodox tactical approach may have caught Premier League managers off guard in Leeds’ first top-flight campaign since the early 2000s, but by the Argentine’s sophomore season he had been found out.
A string of unfortunate injuries to key players often meant he didn’t have the personnel to make positive tactical shifts, but it didn’t keep him from trying. The gaffer often looked to right the ship in matches where his team fell behind early, and wasn’t afraid of a half-time substitution. Jack Harrison was frequently first on the chopping block last season, failing to complete 75+ minutes on 9 of his 24 starts while Bielsa was in charge.
When Jesse Marsch took over managerial duties at Elland Road in March, he was quick to reinstate Harrison to the starting lineup, and also less prone to chop and change. Harrison played the full 90 minutes in 8 of the last 9 Premier League matches under the American, with the outlier being a substitute appearance in the 3-0 loss to Chelsea just three days after he completed a full match against Arsenal.
Admittedly, Harrison is a boom-or-bust player when it comes to fantasy output. His high overall score for the season comprises a balance of match-winning returns (high scores: 39.5, 23, 21, 20) and crushing disappointments (3, 1.5, 1.5, -0.5 in 90-minute appearances). But things are looking more promising heading into next season. The departure of Raphinha—along with a long-term injury to Stuart Dallas—has Harrison in pole position to take set pieces, which could see him rack up more points in the form of key passes, accurate crosses and, potentially, assists.
Additionally, the recent arrival of Luis Sinisterra—who has played almost exclusively as a left winger—plays into Marsch’s attacking system, which relies on inverted wingers cutting into the box. As a left-footed player, Harrison will most likely switch to the right wing and be encouraged to get into scoring positions more frequently (read: more points from shots on target/goals). The Whites should improve upon their dismal performance last season, and Harrison looks set to play a key role.
Patrick Bamford
Position: Forward
21/22 Points: 57 (70th best forward)
21/22 Points Per Start: 7.3 (6 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 9.0 (24 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 64-72 (12 Team League: Mid-Late Round 6)
Overview: A former top 10 overall player, Bamford may as well have not been in the league last season, but he is on the road to recovery. Can he stay fit and rediscover his form? If so, he’ll be a bargain in the middle rounds.
Hopes were high for both Leeds United and their star striker Patrick Bamford heading into 21/22. The forward was the surprise package of the previous season, contributing 17 goals and 7 assists on his way to finishing as a top 10 overall player. He was a stalwart in Marcelo Bielsa’s side, appearing in all 38 matches (37 starts). Around this time last year, Bamford was squarely in the conversation as a second round pick. Unfortunately for Bamford and any manager who drafted him (second round or otherwise), last season was an unmitigated disaster.
The Englishman managed a few decent fantasy performances in August and early September before picking up a serious ankle injury against Newcastle on September 17, which kept him on the sidelines until early December. Bamford looked like he was headed in the right direction, scoring a dramatic late goal on his return from injury...only to fall victim to another injury while celebrating. It was doomed to be that kind of season. Every time Bamford managed to get back to some semblance of fitness, he picked up another injury, the most serious of which was a rupture of the plantar fascia in his foot. He even made it back into contention to play on the final day of the season, but missed out because he tested positive for COVID. Not his year.
Bamford’s injury woes aren’t completely behind him—he’s already had his minutes managed in pre-season—but if he can get back to full fitness, his quality in front of goal is difficult to ignore. Don’t expect him to start every game, but given the other options currently available to Jesse Marsch up top, you can bank on him starting the vast majority of matches he’s fit for (unless they manage to sign another proper forward). If you plan to draft Bamford, make sure you pick up a reliable starter as your forward 1 to offset any potential injury setback and hope you end up with something like the 20/21 version, and not the 21/22 model.
Liam Cooper
Position: Defender
21/22 Points: 178.5 (48th best defender)
21/22 Points Per Start: 8.8 (20 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 8.8 (28 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 85-96 (12 Team League: Round 8)
Overview: One of the most reliable defenders when he starts, Cooper is a ghost point king. He has the ability to be a top-tier defender with consistent minutes. But how many minutes will he manage?
Another crucial injury absentee for Leeds (with Kalvin Phillips completing the triumvirate), club captain Liam Cooper only managed to start in about half of his team’s Premier League matches in the 21/22 season. Cooper picked up a hamstring injury in the 2-2 draw against Brentford on December 5 (the same match where Bamford hurt himself celebrating his equalizer) and remained on the sidelines until the end of Marcelo Bielsa’s reign in charge of the club. I don’t want to draw too much of a parallel there, but Cooper’s influence in the heart of the defense can’t be overstated. Of the 20 matches he started, Leeds only lost on 6 occasions. They lost 12 of 18 when he wasn’t in the starting lineup.
Cooper’s not only a boon for his Premier League team, but also for fantasy managers. His 9.7 ghost points per start (primarily from aerial duels) places him inside the top 15 players in the league for gPPS and typically ensures a positive fantasy score even when he’s on the losing side. Case in point: Cooper put up 10.25 and 14 points in the two matches Leeds played against Southampton last season. Southampton won the first 1-0 and the second was a 1-1 draw (Cooper wasn’t involved in the goal). When his team keeps a clean sheet, you can bank on double digit points and potentially a 20-pointer. If Cooper can increase the number of matches he’s fit for, even by a small margin, he’ll be well worth his draft day value.
More Best Fantasy Players: Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Leicester | Liverpool | Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Nottm Forest | Southampton | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
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