Welcome to The Draft Society’s team-by-team previews, a vital part of the 23/24 Draft Kit! These articles will provide a one-stop-shop for all the important Fantasy EPL themes from a Fantrax perspective. With players to watch, players to avoid, points projections and early season fixtures analysis, we've got it all covered. Our Draft Premier League Team Previews will help set you up to dominate your draft! Now, let's get right into our analysis of Sean Dyche's Everton team and their 23/24 fantasy prospects.
Check back often! Our team previews will be updated throughout the summer as any new transfer, injury, or rotation developments come to light.
Check out our 23/24 Draft Kit for all the pre-season information you could ever need. We've got a Live Draft Aide, Draft Rankings, Team Previews, Cheat Sheets, Strategy Articles, Draft 101, plus so much more!
Everton Team Preview 23/24
Check out our in-depth look at Everton's prospects for the new EPL season below. This information will form a key component to your draft prep and set you up to dominate your draft! Time to check out what the legendary Sean Dyche can do at Everton.
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Fantasy Flashback
Let's review how Everton players fared in 22/23, with an emphasis on their Draft Premier League fantasy assets. But, we'll also discuss any pertinent info regarding managerial tactics, formation, injuries, etc. What can we learn from their performance in the last campaign?
Note: The following table is interactive. Desktop users can apply the Filter, Group, and Sort buttons to arrange the data to their preferences. Mobile users can tap on a player card to view all data points. The table can be reset to its default state by refreshing the page.
Last season, it was McNeil that was the standout player. Despite only getting a resurgence later in the season under Dyche, he managed an incredible 11.9 PPS and really helped Everton stay up. Meanwhile, the likes of Iwobi and Tarkowski offered great value week in and out and were some of Everton's best performers. Doucoure and Keane did a job whenever they were in the XI, but Doucoure had an injury-riddled season. Gray was a tough one, he was used in multiple roles and rotated in and out of the side, especially under Dyche, and really struggled to find consistent form. Outside of these assets, the rest were streamers.
Overall Team Performance
Everton can consider themselves lucky to be in the EPL this season and will need to do a whole lot better to stay up again. They only managed to score 34 goals, and faced another campaign with Calvert-Lewin spending most of the season on the sidelines. They tried different combinations at striker, even giving Gray a go there, but just didn't have a clinical finisher to score goals. The defence was nothing to write home about either, conceding 57 goals. If it wasn't for performances from Pickford and Tarkowski, I fear what that number could have really been. Everton will need to change a lot about their system and personnel if they are to do anything in the Premier League this year.
Fantasy Forecast
Past is prelude, as they say. So, turning to the 23/24 season, we've got Everton player projections, 3 key players to keep an eye on, 3 players we're staying away from, 3 question marks surrounding the club at this moment, and an analysis of the Toffees' early-season fixtures.
23/24 Player Projections
Below, you'll find our season projections for Everton fantasy assets. Our projections are created using a number of contributing factors such as past performance, fixture difficulty ratings, anticipated minutes played, and more. PPS (Points Per Start) and ProjTotFPts (Projected Total Points) refer to Fantrax Default Scoring.
It's no surprise that last year's hero McNeil is predicted to be Everton's best asset, followed closely by Tarkowski. Keane will offer incredible value when he starts, but there are active rumours that Dyche is looking to replace him as soon as possible. Iwobi and Doucoure should offer consistent floor options as MID3s, but it remains to be seen if they will have similar roles to last season. New signing Danjuma will surely steal minutes from Gray and could be the surprise value pick of the bunch. With a projected 8.6 PPS, he could offer a nice combination of upside and floor for fantasy. His direct play and dribbling ability will be an asset that Everton need to change up their attack. I think the biggest question here is will Calvert-Lewin actually get 19 starts? I'm not sure, but if he does, we all know what he can do with his penchant for aerials. He might be worth a punt in the later rounds for someone with potential FWD2 upside. As a whole, there are some Everton assets to be excited about heading into the 23/24 EPL season.
3 Players to Watch
We've highlighted 3 players (and some honorable mentions) from Everton that we're keeping an eye on. Some players mentioned below may be sleepers. Some may be up-and-coming youngsters. Some may be vying for a spot in the XI. Whatever the case, we'll tell you why we're watching these 3 in EPL Draft Fantasy this year.
Dwight McNeil
Position: Midfielder
22/23 Points: 354.5
22/23 Points Per Start: 11.9 (28 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 20-25th (mid- to late Round 2 in a 12 team league)
Analysis: Since Dyche took over, Dwight McNeil was the 4th highest-scoring player (2nd midfielder) in the EPL. The arrival of his former gaffer spurred him on to greatness. At times, he was a top 5 midfielder even without scoring a goal. He is the ghost point hero we all need in our fantasy teams. His ghost point floor is made up of many tiles. He has a quasi-monopoly on left-sided sets, he was joint top for most successful dribbles in the league post-Dyche, 10th overall in the same period for accurate crosses and he was 8th overall for key passes, surpassing Odegaard and KDB in the final 18. He achieved these numbers in the final 18 games of the season in a team that for 11 matches, could not start its main central attacker, DCL. Imagine what he could do with a full pre-season (manager+team) and a fit and firing striker. He could be value as early as the middle of the 2nd round.
Arnaut Danjuma
Position: Forward
22/23 Points: 21 (N/A)
22/23 Points Per Start: 0.5 (1 start)
Recommended Draft Pick: 90-100 (9th round in a 12 team league)
Analysis: Danjuma was rumoured to have been extremely close to signing for Everton on loan during the January window, only for him to end up at Spurs for a very unsuccessful spell. He ended up scoring one goal and only starting one game, whilst playing under 3 managers. Disregarding some of the fan anger towards him for the previously mentioned history with Everton, this is a great signing for the Toffees. Danjuma can play in any of the front 4 positions, as a central striker, as a number 10, or on either wing. Early analysis suggests that he will take up either the right wing or the number 10 position in Sean Dyche's hybrid 4-4-1-1 (4-2-3-1 in attack) allowing Iwobi to occupy his preferred RW spot and pushing Doucure to a more deep-lying position, which he also prefers. It is worth mentioning that he is an able deputy for an often injured DCL if it comes to that. His profile from the 21/22 season (the last he fully played) resembles that of last season's Marcus Rashford. He is good at pressing and dribbling, and takes a decent amount of shots, which should all help Dyche get a tune out of the dysfunctional Everton offence of the last few years. Obviously, having a healthy DCL for more than a 5 game stretch would help immensely Danjuma's production, allowing him to play in his favorite number 10 spot.
Jarrad Branthwaite
Position: Defender
22/23 Points: unavailable
22/23 Points Per Start: unavailable
Recommended Draft Pick: Do not draft; pick up after he gets a role in the starting XI
Analysis: The young Englishman could be the reason why Everton are not actively scouring the market for a CB after they lost Mina to free agency and clearly don't trust Keane. It has been reported that one of the first things Dyche did after getting appointed in the winter, was to get in touch with Branthwaite and assure him that he has a spot on the Everton team for 23/24. He did well to do that, as the Englishman had forced his way into the PSV team by that time, finishing the season with 21 starts to his name (with 2 goals and 1 assist). The situation here seems eerily similar to the one at Burnley in Dyche's last season. A classic Dyche player (Keane/Mee) gets ousted by a younger, more tactically adept player (Branthwaite/Collins). Keane will have his days in the sun, and we know he is a beast whenever he plays, but the future is definitely Branthwaite's.
Honorable Mention:
James Tarkowski is possibly the most set-and-forget defender around and has been for years. Dyche having a pre-season with the Everton defence should improve them across the board, so I expect Tarks to deliver his usual solid performances throughout the season.
His fellow aerial master, Keane, should provide great value whenever he starts and therefore qualifies as one to watch. But I expect rotation and eventual loss of first-team opportunities to plague him thourghout the season, which is why he only made this list.
3 Players to Avoid
It's not all sunshine and rainbows at Goodison Park. At least, not as far as Draft Fantasy Football is concerned. Below, we will also highlight 3 fantasy assets that we're not so thrilled about. These are the 3 Everton players you might want to avoid come draft day.
Vitaiii Mykolenko
Position: Defender
22/23 Points: 158
22/23 Points Per Start: 5.3 (30 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: Do not draft
Analysis: Mykolenko was the starting left back for most of the year for Everton. That is about the only good thing one can mention about him. He had only 5 double-digit returns in 30 starts (obviously all coming in games where Everton kept a clean sheet). For a full-back, he is surprisingly reserved in attack, only creating 19 chances and 10 shots all season. As much as I expect Everton's defence to improve, the lack of any attacking output will always make Mykolenko a must avoid for me.
Amadou Onana
Position: Midfielder
22/23 Points: 197.5 (120th overall)
22/23 Points Per Start: 6.3 (29 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: Do not draft
Analysis: Onana may be an exciting young defensive midfielder in real life, but he really doesn't do nearly enough to warrant drafting. For all intents and purposes, think Jack Cork of Burnley fame. Dyche's 4-4-2 or its variations rely heavily on a deep-lying number 6, and Onana is just that. Although he has decent interception, aerial and tackle numbers, they are only enough for a ghost points per 90 of 6 and a floor of 2.3. With no chance of him stepping into a more attacking role, the non-existent upside has me recommending staying away. (I would rather Nathan Redmond).
Nathan Patterson
Position: Defender
22/23 Points: 47.5
22/23 Points Per Start: 3.1 (14 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: Do not draft
Analysis: I did not think I could be less excited about a player than Mykolenko and it turns out I did not have to look much further than his opposite number, starting right-back-elect, Nathan Patterson. Everything I wrote about Mykolenko is also true about Patterson - no forward momentum, no upside, and not even a good defender. He was a darling of the fantasy realm for one brief moment when he got back-to-back double-digit scores in 2 clean-sheet-aided performances. Do not let that fool you. He followed that up by failing to reach 5 points for the next 9 games, posting negative scores in 4 of them. If he is somehow stuck in your head as a decent option, delete that thought ASAP.
Honorable Mention(s):
Idrissa Gueye (Gana) was a force of nature in his first spell at Everton, and he was a semi-decent fantasy option too. After his spell at PSG, he returned to the Merseyside, but his performances have been mediocre at best, highlighted by a league high 3 mistakes that led to goals.
The introduction of Danjuma to the starting lineup will most certainly spell the end of Doucoure in an advanced playmaker role. This will undoubtedly benefit the team in real life but will plummet his fantasy prospects to a spot where I would hesitate drafting him at all.
3 Question Marks
Not everything is crystal clear and predictable at Everton. These are 3 questions surrounding the Toffees that we’re grappling with this preseason. We’ll try to note whether or not (and how much) these questions are affecting our perceptions of Everton's fantasy assets.
Will DCL ever be healthy? - This is the big question, isn't it? DCL has been on an upward trajectory ever since breaking into the Everton first team both in real life and for fantasy purposes. For the last 18 months, though, he has been either injured or about to be injured and out of form. This off-season, he has sought out an expert in Germany and followed a rigorous rehab schedule set out by said expert to finally put his injuries behind him. He has joined up with the team in their pre-season training camp and is able to join in training sessions too. There is every possibility that he will be ready and the first name on the team sheet GW1. His current ADP is 101 and he is 83rd in our consensus ranks. You would be a fool not to pick him at around the 9th round. Worst-case scenario, you drop him after GW2 if/when he is injured again. Best case scenario, you get a starting forward, who is absolutely perfect for a Sean Dyche system and in contrast to his former forwards, can actually put the ball in the net.
Is Keane only a fantasy darling or is he actually good? - As discussed in the players-to-watch segment, I expect Keane to lose his spot soon after the season starts (possibly even during the off-season). When it really mattered last season, Dyche opted not to start him in the most clutch matches at the end of the season. He even started a 3 CB set for the final gameweek and even that did not include him. He will continue to be a backup as I expect Everton to either sign a new CB or go with Branthwaite.
Can Everton avoid the relegation scrap? - Everton have a much better squad than Burnley under Dyche ever did, and although they are currently in an FFP pickle, their spending power dwarfs that of Burnley. Dyche will have to work his magic, but with a few well-thought-out signings and a healthy DCL, I expect them to flirt a bit with the bottom spaces, but ultimately avoid the scrap of the last 2 years.
Early-Season Fixture Difficulty
The way that teams come out the gate has big implications in EPL Draft. A red hot start creates red hot trade targets. A dismal start means plummeting player values and losses for your fantasy team. Check out our thoughts on Everton's early-season fixtures and our analysis of the fantasy implications they will have.
Everton don't have the easiest start to the season. The likes of Fulham, Villa, and Wolves all were significantly better than Everton the previous season. The likes of Fulham and Villa, especially, have the attacking potential to ruin some clean sheets, and even put the defenders/Pickford into the negatives. Sheffield United is the only really appealing fixture within the first five, and then Arsenal fixture should force you to bench anyone not named McNeil.
In terms of drafting for early fixtures, I would avoid giving their defenders a "bump up" in your draft rankings and probably pass on all them not named Tarkowski, who is the only real serious season-long hold. I think because of how poor Everton are, as a team, these early fixtures should slightly hurt the rankings of even some of their more elite assets in McNeil, Doucoure, and Iwobi. I don't expect Everton to get off to a hot start this season, but if we see them starting to click the first few gameweeks, then a change of tune could make some of their streamers good pickups for the Wolves and Sheffield games. Be cautious about stacking Everton; the best route is to wait and see their performance vs. Fulham and even Villa.
23/24 Everton Predicted Lineup
The following lineup represents our prediction for the most likely line-up for the long-term for Everton in the upcoming season. We can't account for injuries or new transfers, but this should provide a reasonable guide for who will be the preferred starters for the majority of Premier League matches this season.
The only question mark here is the one discussed above re Keane. We believe that Branthwaite will eventually make that spot his, but Keane will get plenty of starts, especially early in the season. The first few weeks will be tough for Everton as they will be missing Danjuma, DCL and McNeil, potentially Tarkowski too.
More Team Previews: Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton | Burnley | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Luton | Liverpool | Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Nottingham Forest | Sheffield United | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
Check out our 23/24 Draft Kit for all the pre-season information you could ever need. We've got a Live Draft Aide, Draft Rankings, Team Previews, Cheat Sheets, Strategy Articles, Draft 101, plus so much more. Dominate your draft!
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