EPL DFS Playbook August 31: Top DraftKings and FanDuel EPL DFS Picks
As with Tuesday’s EPL DFS slate, it will be vitally important to track starting lineups in the hour leading to kickoff Wednesday. While we will of course be looking for low-priced bench players getting a rare start, it could be even more important to find regular starters who could take on an increased role. For instance if Son Heung-Min is out, Richarlison would probably start in his place but Ivan Perisic would be the one to likely take over free kicks and corners. I was surprised by the lack of quality value plays on the slate but that could easily change once we find out which big names will be getting the day off.
EPL Playbook
| Goalkeepers | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Nick Pope | NEW | LIV | 3800 | 9.44 | 7 | 15.50 |
| Newcastle has only allowed one goal per game and Liverpool wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire before they destroyed Bournemouth. Newcastle has the third-most saves this season and Nick Pope should add to his total Wednesday. The question is if he can limit Liverpool's scoring enough to earn positive fantasy points and I'm betting he can. | ||||||
| Hugo Lloris | TOT | WHU | 5300 | 8.18 | 12 | 12.88 |
| I don't really trust either of these teams but West Ham has still scored the fewest goals in the league and only Brighton has allowed fewer goals than Spurs. With four big favorites on the slate it makes sense to chase the cheapest keeper, though Lloris is the only one of the four on the road. | ||||||
| Neto | BOU | WOL | 4300 | 0 | 10 | |
| FanDuel has Neto tabbed at the expected starter and I tend to agree with them. Mark Travers would be playable but I would prefer Neto. I don't necessarily expect a new manager bump but stranger things have happened. This call is mostly about Wolves scoring just two goals through four games and Bournemouth being at home where they took care of business 2-0 against Aston Villa in the first game of the season. Bournemouth probably isn't a good team but I can't judge them harshly for consecutive losses to Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. | ||||||
| Forwards | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Julian Alvarez | MCI | NFO | 5900 | 1.25 | 16 | 0.00 |
| Any attackers who start for Manchester City are playable for fantasy, especially Ilkay Gundgogan if Kevin De Bruyne is out. I'm singling out Alvarez because of his low price and his chance to be a one-for-one replacement for Erling Haaland. I will need to see him perform before I can trust him, but he will be in a lot of my GPP lineups if he starts. | ||||||
| Goncalo Guedes | WOL | BOU | 8000 | 8.99 | 16 | 9.87 |
| Unlike Pedro Neto and Joao Moutinho, I think Guedes is playable on both sites. He is safer on FanDuel thanks to his 2.30 chances created per 90 minutes and if I had to bet any Wolves player to score Wednesday, I think he would be my bet. | ||||||
| Son Heung-Min | TOT | WHU | 8900 | 12.56 | 19 | 16.60 |
| I see no reason to believe he will be held scoreless for much longer, and as soon as he does, he will be priced among the elite of the elite again. I will have a hard time fading him on DraftKings and I like him for FD tournaments as well. | ||||||
| Leon Bailey | AVL | ARS | 5000 | 6.32 | 13 | 5.72 |
| I don't love the matchup but I don't think Arsenal is as good as its record. More importantly, Bailey leads Aston Villa in crosses per 90 minutes and is second to Emiliano Buendia in chances created per 90. I think both are playable on FanDuel but Bailey is the better DK play and he is cheaper on both sites. | ||||||
| Mohamed Salah | LIV | NEW | 9900 | 14.72 | 21 | 24.40 |
| Salah was somehow the only Liverpool player not to score against Bournemouth but there is no reason to expect him to remain scoreless for long. I don't think I would bother with him on DK but if I go cheap at defender and goal keeper then Salah is someone I'm targeting on FD. | ||||||
| Midfielders | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Bernardo Silva | MCI | NFO | 8400 | 12.64 | 18 | 19.27 |
| In two tarts with Jack Grealish out, Silva has two goals, one assist, seven chances created and three crosses. He is safer on FanDuel but I like him on both sites if Grealish is out again. | ||||||
| Dejan Kulusevski | TOT | WHU | 6900 | 12 | 18 | 17.20 |
| Like most of his teammates Kulusevski struggled at Chelsea but has been very good otherwise, averaging 15.4 DK fantasy points in his other three games. I think he is too cheap on DraftKings but he is safer on FanDuel. | ||||||
| Gabriel Martinelli | ARS | AVL | 9200 | 18.52 | 18 | 23.52 |
| Martinelli has been as good or better than Gabriel Jesus in every major offensive category, with the only difference that Jesus has overperformed his xA so far. Martinelli is much safer than Jesus on DraftKings and Martinelli has topped 30 FD fantasy points in three of his four games. This looks like a good matchup and Martinelli should be Arsenal's best fantasy play. | ||||||
| Pedro Neto | WOL | BOU | 7500 | 9.92 | 15 | 8.63 |
| This could change when lineups are released but at the time of this writing, there are not many attractive mid-priced targets on DraftKings. Neto is averaging 6.5 crosses per game and 1.5 chances created per game and I will gladly lock that in and chase upside elsewhere. | ||||||
| Defenders | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Sven Botman | NEW | LIV | 2500 | 2.08 | 8 | 7.20 |
| His averages look bad because he played one minute against Nottingham Forest but he has started every game since then. Liverpool has long been the best matchup for defensive stats and Botman looks like the best value defender on the slate. | ||||||
| Ryan Sessegnon | TOT | WHU | 4300 | 4.86 | 11 | 9.18 |
| Sessegnon had a goal and four crosses in the season-opener but he played 87 total minutes over the next three games, 57 of those coming at Chelsea. If he sends in four more crosses he will likely return value and I like his chances if he starts. | ||||||
| Thilo Kehrer | WHU | TOT | 2700 | 3.46 | 8 | 10.95 |
| I don't love very many defenders for FanDuel so unless you want to chase attacking returns from a top-tier defender, I think you are better off going cheap. Only four teams have allowed more tackles+interceptions than Spurs and Kehrer has five through two games. | ||||||
| Adam Smith | BOU | WOL | 3100 | 2.58 | 9 | 9.25 |
| Smith has seven crosses in four games despite some awful matchups. I don't think he's ever going to do a ton of attacking but I would be happy with a few crosses and a shot or a chance created at his price. | ||||||
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | LIV | NEW | 7600 | 17.5 | 15 | 18.13 |
| This is the cheapest he has been on the young season and the other top defenders have either struggled this season or have bad matchups. I don't love paying up for Alexander-Arnold as one of my two defenders but he could easily slot in at UTIL if I wind up with $8000 left for my last spot. | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Lucas Digne | AVL | ARS | 5800 | 10.14 | 10 | 11.32 |
| I let his price scare me away the last two weeks and all he did was provide double-digit DK fantasy points in both games. Now his price has dropped and I am back on the bandwagon. The matchup isn't good but Aston Villa is going to get some free kicks and generate some attacking chances and Lucas Digne should be prominently involved. | ||||||
EPL Playbook Core Plays
| Draftkings Core Plays | ||
| Top Tier | Son Heung-Min | $8,900 |
| Gabriel Martinelli | $9,200 | |
| Mid Tier | Pedro Neto | $7,500 |
| Dejan Kulusevski | $6,900 | |
| Value Tier | Ryan Sessegnon | $4,300 |
| Adam Smith | $3,100 | |
| Fanduel Core Plays | ||
| Top Tier | Mohamed Salah | $21 |
| Bernardo Silva | $18 | |
| Mid Tier | Goncalo Guedes | $16 |
| Julian Alvarez | $16 | |
| Value Tier | Sven Botman | $8 |
| Leon Bailey | $13 | |
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