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! Next up are Premier League returners, Sheffield United. Let's check in on their fantasy prospects for 23/24.
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!
Sheffield United Team Preview 23/24
Check out our in-depth look at Sheffield United'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!
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Fantasy Flashback
Let's review how Sheffield United 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 stats in the table below were taken from DraftLad's excellent Fantrax 23/24 EPL Incomers Stats spreadsheet, in which he converts the stats from other leagues into Fantrax points.
Sheffield United's automatic promotion was a bit of a surprise to many, even around the club. Although they only lost 2 influential players since they were last in the EPL (Gibbs-White and Ramsdale) and the core of the team remained largely the same, they faced financial trouble, a brief transfer ban, and continual transfer speculation surrounding their best players going into the season.
In most games, Heckingbottom (yes he is the same guy who was appointed as interim manager when Wilder was sacked in their relegation season) deployed a 3-5-2 system with one of the forwards usually dropping back to play the number 10/second striker role (Ndiaye). The CB triplet consisted of Egan, Ahmedhodzic and Robinson, with Basham helping out. The wingbacks were usually fantasy flash in the pan/darling George Baldock and a split of Jayden Bogle, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Max Lowe. The midfield duo of Sander Berge and Ollie Norwood were unbreakable in the middle of the park complemented by the most attacking part of the trident who was either of the Man City loanees Tommy Doyle or James Mcatee, with Ndiaye up top partnered by McBurnie. As for fantasy performances, as expected from a promoted team, there here were a lot of points to go around. 19 clean sheets in 46 helped all the defenders perform admirably, while 13 and 14 goals for McB and Ndiaye respectively meant that they were also propped up by great GACS numbers. Ndiaye while taking the Sheffield United golden boot home also got the most assists in the entire league with 11 completing a coveted double/double. He was truly a class above in the Championship.
Overall Team Performance
Heckingbottom employed a fairly straightforward, invite pressure, hit teams on the counter philosophy, which was reliant on the Premier League hardened defensive unit and quick wing-backs and attackers. They were second in the league for xG (71.8) and third for xGA (44.3) scoring 73 (with 0 penalties converted all season) and only conceding 39. They took the most shots on target (221) which suggests, that while primarily deadly on the counter-attack, they were comfortable playing on the front foot too, peppering oppositions goalkeepers with a plethora of shots. They won the most tackles in the league (528) and topped the league in attacking third tackles (107) too suggesting a successful high press.
Fantasy Forecast
Past is prelude, as they say. So, turning to the 23/24 season, we've got Sheffield United 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 Blades' early-season fixtures.
23/24 Player Projections
Below, you'll find our season projections for Sheffield United 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.
The fact that none of the players are projected to get a double-digit PPS should tell you everything to know about our expectations for the fantasy performances of these players. The 2 strikers stand a cut above the rest with 8.5 and 9.0 PPS. There really is not much to see here, the players are expected to score pretty poorly and that is detailed in several different metrics. The new signings are expected to make a large impact in the starting XI in real life or fantasy.
3 Players to Watch
We've highlighted 3 players (and some honorable mentions) from Sheffield United 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.
Ollie McBurnie
Position: Forward
22/23 Points: 340
22/23 Points Per Start: 13.8
Recommended Draft Pick: 100-110 (9th-10 round in a 12-team league)
Analysis: A fantasy darling from when Sheffield United graced the EPL with their presence, Ollie McBurnie does one thing very well: win aerials. He is also a decent goalscorer, scoring 13 last term and a respectable 6 in 24 starts in his first Premier League season. But I am not suggesting you pick him up for his goalscoring prowess. He will provide ghost point value where there usually isn't any, offering a rare floor for a forward on a poor team. His ADP is currently sitting at 139 and the forwards around his spot are; Welbeck, Scamacca and Antonio, none of whom are expected to start for their teams regularly, let alone score many ghost points. If you have a need a forward and are looking to get one in the later rounds, McBurnie might be the best one available as he brings similar upside, but much better ghost point ability than players ranked/taken around him. His opportunity, aka expected starts, is somewhat questionable, but none of Brewster, Taylor, or Jebbison managed to unseat him last season, and they only brought in an unpolished 20 year old, Benie Traore from the Swedish top tier for less than 5 million.
Ilman Ndiaye
Position: Midfielder
22/23 Points: 502
22/23 Points Per Start: 12.2
Recommended Draft Pick: 80/85 (7th - 8th round in a 12-team league)
Analysis: Ndiaye is rated slightly above his strike partner by Draft Society analysts, mainly due to the stellar season last term and lack of any competition for his spot in the starting lineup. Ndiaye is truly the main man in this Blades team and their prize asset who they're attempting to hold on to. He offers a fantastic attacking threat for Sheffield United as he possesses a fantastic work ethic, willingness to chase down every ball and constantly making off-the-ball movements to provide an outlet in attack. He's excellent on the ball, frequently demonstrating great strength, balance, and agility. Even if his goal contributions go down significantly in the Prem (which they very likely will), his dribbling and pressing abilities should cater to a solid ghost point floor in harder matchups. The risk in drafting Ndiaye is his contract situation, and possibility of leaving the league. Read on below to see more detail there.
Anel Ahmedhodzic
Position: Defender
22/23 Points: 385.8
22/23 Points Per Start: 12.1
Recommended Draft Pick: 130-140 (12th-13th round in a 12-team league)
Analysis: Usually when we have a defender in the player to watch section of our articles, it turns out he is an aerial beast. Surprise! Anel Ahmedhodzic, while decent in the air, is not an aerial monster. What he is, is an extremely progressive and aggressive attacker. He is an extremely high-volume tackler and interceptor, which makes up for his relative lack of aerial excellence. Moreover, he finished in the 99th percentile for defenders for goals, assists, and shots suggesting he steps up from the defensive line to join the attack a lot. In good matchups, Anel should be useful, and Sheffield happen to start the season with 3 of 4 favorable defensive matchups so we like hm for a late round, early season planning pick with room for upside if Sheff-U can manage to be stingy defensively more than expected.
Honorable Mention(s):
Jack Robinson was in the 97th percentile in aerials won last season with 4.4 per 90 in the Championship, but last time he was in the Prem (20/21) he averaged a meekly 6.2 PPS and if the Blades ever sign another CB he's likely first to exit the lineup. Besides that, not many new signings have been made as the club looks to steady the ship financially after a near collapse last season and the ones who came in are unheralded youngsters. That said, the signings were made (as detailed by the manager) almost purely by assessing skills and attributes, so there is some potential for them to end up being decent streamers. Perhaps look for a last minute loan signing of an attacking midfielder (like McAtee from City who averaged 12.2 PP90 for the Blades last season).
3 Players to Avoid
It's not all sunshine and rainbows at Bramall Lane. 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 Sheffield United players you might want to avoid come draft day.
Oliver Norwood
Position: Midfielder
22/23 Points: 465.5
22/23 Points Per Start: 11.9
Recommended Draft Pick: Do not Draft
Analysis: Everyone gets excited by a set piece taker, I get it, but in a team largely not relying on progressing the ball through the midfield in the final third, there is little else other than what minimal set pieces bring to the table to get excited about. Luckily we have some evidence to back up the fade Norwood is getting. In his last 2 seasons in the EPL, he scored 282 (in 2019-20) and 153 (in 2020-21) points, with 1 goal and 1 assist across 2 seasons. His shots on target tell an even sadder story: 7 across 2 seasons. That should probably be enough to get your excitement levels below zero.
Defenders
Position: Defender
22/23 Points: -
22/23 Points Per Start: -
Recommended Draft Pick: Do not Draft
Analysis: Sheffield United are expected to struggle and are second-favourites for the drop. They will concede a lot of goals and the ghost point abilities of a few of their likely starting defenders will largely be wiped out. The exception to this rule will be an infrequent stream of Jack Robinson, an occasional starter at LCB, who's an aerial king, and the above-mentioned, high-volume, attacking Ahmedhodzic in easy matchups. The wing backs will be of Rico Henry variety but concede more goals, so low ceilings and very low floors.
Ilman Ndiaye (The Downside)
Position: Midfielder
22/23 Points: 502
22/23 Points Per Start: 12.2
Recommended Draft Pick: 80 - 85 (7th - 8th round in a 12-team league)
Analysis: The yang to the yin mentioned above. The issue clouding Ndiaye's 23/24 prospect is his long and protracted love affair and courtship by Olympique de Marseille. Rumoured to have put his house up for sale, the agreement was that close, but trusty Fabrizio has changed his tune lately so much so that the Blades have offered him a vastly improved contract offer in an attempt to tie him down. What they got from the player's camp was uncertainty and stalling (and his dad posting pictures of him as a kid in OM shirts). Traditional wisdom says that after announcing the signings of Aubameyang and Ismaila Sarr, OM have less interest in a forward, but Ndiaye's age and prospects make him a very valuable investment for any club trying to build for the future, and his expiring contract situation make that a discounted-price possibility. Even if Ndiaye doesn't leave in the summer, there is a real possibility of him forcing a move in the winter window, so he might not be a whole season hold anyway. Proceed with caution!
2 Question Marks
Not everything is crystal clear and predictable at Sheffield United. These are 2 questions surrounding the Blades 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 Sheffield United's fantasy assets.
Are the CBs overlapping? (Can they surprise everyone?) - When the Blades were promoted in 2019 the football analysts were all talking about one thing, overlapping CBs. Everyone was excited to see whether this tactical schtick would translate well to the EPL. It turns out it did. Sheffield United stayed up emphatically in 9th. Unfortunately, as it usually happens with such tactical innovations, they were found out in their second season and ended up finishing bottom and getting relegated. Heckingbottom's team has no such tactical trump card to pull from the deck. They are a solid team with Premier League-ready players, but they are unlikely to innovate and surprise.
What happens when Ndiaye eventually leaves? - As it is now evident from this preview, we don't expect much from Sheffield United, neither in real life nor in fantasy. That said, Ndiaye is one of the most exciting players to come up from the Championship this season and he is destined for bigger things. The Blades have already been burned once when they tried to plan for a big money sale as Sander Berge's bags were packed and ready to go at a certain point last summer, only for the transfer to fall through leaving the team hierarchy with an inflated wage bill as they had already secured potential replacement for him. The signings so far have suggested that they are not planning for a big money sale, and if it happens late in the summer it will have them scrambling for replacements. If Ndiaye ends up leaving before the 1st of September, I may even start Man City defenders against them, I would be that confident of a clean sheet.
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 Sheffield United's early-season fixtures and our analysis of the fantasy implications they will have.
Not great, not terrible. The few players that are worth considering should not be bumped high or low based on this schedule. We are giving most of them the benefit of the doubt by even drafting them in mid-to-late rounds. The City game is obviously a non-starter for any of the players, but I would probably be ok starting Ndiaye or McBurnie in all 4 of the other fixtures. Robinson or Ahmedhodzic in the easiest defensive games. Unfortunately, even if they do well, in such a short period of time, they won't be convincing any of your league mates to give up better assets for them.
23/24 Sheffield United Predicted Lineup
The following lineup represents our prediction for the most likely line-up for the long-term for Sheffield United 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 sale of Ndiaye leaves an unfillable hole in the middle of SHU's attack that they do not seem to want to fill with non-youngster replacements. The defence seems set in stone, but any of the recently signed youngsters could feature in attacking positions.
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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