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 Manchester City, 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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Manchester City Best Fantasy Players
As noted above, these are the Best Manchester City Players for the Fantrax Fantasy EPL platform. We analyze the Cityzens' top three prospects ahead of the new season, with a recommended draft pick for each player.
Kevin De Bruyne
Position: Midfielder
21/22 Points: 497 (#1 midfielder)
21/22 Points Per Start: 18.9 (25 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 19.8 (28 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 1-5 (12 Team League: Round 1 )
Overview: Kevin De Bruyne is set for another year as the best midfielder in fantasy. He managed to do this last year despite only starting 25 games, now he has a true #9 to feed as well. He will be feasting all year. Last season De Bruyne racked up 15 goals and 8 assists, and I expect those assist numbers to rise. He also did this on 87 key passes, which is an average of 3.48 key passes per game!! De Bruyne is one of the best in the world, and will be a key in Pep's system. The midfielder does have his fitness issues, but if he can manage more than 27 starts he should contend to be the #1 overall player this season. His upside is probably the best of any first round asset given he gets set-pieces, and is the key playmaker in a team that scores goals for fun. He is worth consideration at the #1 overall pick even being a midfielder just due to the fact he can single handedly win you a week. Imagine coming up against De Bruyne when he faces the likes of Bournemouth...a scary thought. The likes of Sterling and Jesus and even Torres, were not the best finishers, the massive upgrade to Haaland can turn those assist numbers from 8 to 20 easily, with multiple assists against lower table teams.
City players always face an added risk of rotation given "Pep roulette", and as the season goes on De Bruyne's minutes (if healthy) will depend on how far they get in the Champions League, a trophy Pep is desperate for. I expect KDB to get a few rests during that time. De Bruyne will also be in the World Cup this year, which is a worry given the reliance on him by Belgium, and how deep that team can go in the tournament. I do see this being a smaller issue with the addition of the 5 sub rule. I doubt De Bruyne makes it to 90 unless Pep absolutely needs him to. Expect a lot of substitutions around the 70' mark, but he can still crack 20 points easily in less than that! Be warned if you choose to pass on De Bruyne this year, City haven't had a true number 9 since the loss of Aguero, and he could seriously make managers regret passing on him. From a points per start perspective I expect KDB to be the #1 player there.
Erling Haaland
Position: Forward
21/22 Points: N/A
21/22 Points Per Start: N/A
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 17.3 (28 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 3 - 8 (12 Team League: Round 1)
Overview: City's "shiny new toy" is here, and he is taking over the #9 jersey and that role. Haaland comes in with a huge reputation to uphold. One of the stars in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League, Pep will be hoping he hits the ground running. Last season Haaland scored 22 goals and 8 assists in 24 league appearances (21 starts). He also managed 3 goals in 3 Champions League outings. This is an incredible record, where managers are looking at over 1 attacking return per game! Assuming the classic "EPL tax", Haaland should still come close to averaging 1 return a game. Haaland should get monopoly on penalties, given City's issues to find a first choice taker. As well he will be the focal point for every attacker to find. Pep has said he will move away from the false 9 system, which makes Haaland all that more key. Imagine a finisher of his quality having the likes of De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Cancelo etc... feeding him week in and week out. With this, I do think he will contend for the Golden Boot this season, and have games where he can crack 30+ points.
The worry is Haaland's fitness. Last season he missed 16 total games through injury, and the EPL is definitely a step up from the Bundesliga. If you told me Haaland would start 33 games right now, I would put him as a top 2 player easily, it is the lack of assurance with his fitness that bumps him down a bit. His injuries seem to be mainly muscular, and the hope is that Pep will have his team addressing this during the full pre-season he has with his new club to ensure he has the fitness and strength to play every game needed. He has #1 overall player upside being in this City lineup, and is worth a consideration at any point in the first round.
Joao Cancelo
Position: Defender
21/22 Points: 505.75 (2nd best defender)
21/22 Points Per Start: 14 (36 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 13.5 (33 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 11-20 (12 Team League: Round 1-2 )
Overview: Cancelo is the third City player that could be taken in the first round. Last year he finished as a top 6 overall player starting almost every game. I have Cancelo at 16 overall in my rankings, and I explain that further in Genie's Corner part 2. He should still finish as a top 3 defender, and has the upside of a top 5 player any game he starts. My worries come from him playing more of a wingback role instead of the inverted wingback that he was playing allowing him to cut inside. Without a false 9, he will be asked to cross more from the flanks, than cut in and shoot and add that "final pass". He should still have a very strong points per start, but it is worth noting and monitoring in pre-season. Regardless he is a very talented player that full the stat sheet, and if you want the upside of a City player at the end of round 1, taking him or Foden are your best bets.
Cancelo has the added upside of cleansheets from a team that can defend. The addition of Kalvin Phillips and potentially Cucurella should help their defensive stats a bit more. Stones, Laporte, and Dias have proven they are among the best in the league, and offer the cover needed to allow Cancelo to get as forward as he does. With the addition of the 5 sub rule, Cancelo is one of the few City players that should be pretty safe in going closer to 90 minutes, and one of the fewer "elite" players that won't be hooked early consistently.
Honorable Mention(s):
Phil Foden is one for the future, and a player of a ton of talents. I expect him to play a large role in the City attack this year and exceed the 24 starts he got last season. With Jesus, and Sterling gone, I expect Foden to be the first choice left-wing and will thrive with Haaland playing as his #9. Taking Foden in the early 2nd round is a good place to aim for player of his upside.
More Best Fantasy Players: Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Leeds | Leicester | Liverpool | Man United | Newcastle | Nottm Forest | Southampton | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
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