Kyle Walker may have left Tottenham for Manchester City, but his rivalry with Kieran Trippier remains a talking point for Draft Fantasy Football managers.
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They will both be vying for the starting right-back spot for England this summer and given that they play the same position, there will be a lot of debate regarding who will be the better draft pick this season.
Tripper is certainly a more reliable pick when it comes to game time, as he doesn’t have any real competition at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, Danilo has also arrived at Manchester City, which means Walker could be rotated over the course of the season. If you are playing in a large league, it is unlikely that you will be able to draft both.
Therefore, it is worth considering the strengths and weaknesses of both players when it comes to deciding which one is a more reliable option in Draft Fantasy this season.
Defence
Tottenham had the best defence in the Premier League last season and the sale of Walker shouldn’t damage that too much. They conceded the fewest goals (26) and Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping for a similar performance this season.
Trippier is now a guaranteed starter and he has huge clean sheet potential in the game. His main strengths lie with his creativity, but he will also score points for his defensive contributions and that adds an extra layer to his fantasy value.
Last season, Walker benefited from the Tottenham defence as he played a part in a number of clean sheets.
However, that may not be the case at Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side conceded 13 more than Spurs and they will start this season as a less reliable defensive outfit.
The signings of Ederson, Walker, Danilo and Benjamin Mendy are designed to improve their defence, but it will take time to gel. Trippier will start the season as the player with a greater chance of accruing clean sheets.
Creativity
They both finished with the joint-most assists in the Premier League with five, proving that they offer a threat in the final third. Trippier managed to reach that total in a lot less time on the pitch, which suggests that he is a more creative player.
He created 1.84 chances created per ninety minutes, while Walker averaged 1.3. The difference in playing time may have skewed these averages, but there is certainly reason to believe that Trippier offers more in the final third.
The one counter point to that is that Walker will be playing in a Pep Guardiola team. He will be given more license to get forward and the fluidity of the attack could be beneficial to his contribution in the final third.
His attacking value will become clearer after five or six matches have been played, but that will come too late for Draft Fantasy managers. Trippier certainly seems the safer option, as it is known he can score points in the system he will be playing in.
Verdict: Trippier vs Walker
Based on their defensive and attacking value, Trippier appears to be the better option of the two players before a ball has been kicked.
He was excellent towards the end of the season and he will be keen to start the new campaign quickly to prove that he is good enough to be Spurs’ starting right-back.
Tottenham’s defence is more reliable; therefore, he is likely to keep more clean sheets. He will also get assists.
Walker will be rotated more, but he has the potential to take his game to a new level under Guardiola. Trippier is the safe choice, but both could finish in the top ten of defenders.
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