Thursday was another strong day for the EPL DFS Playbook, as both FanDuel lineups cashed and my DraftKings GPP lineup finished ninth in the GPP I entered. That followed some big wins on DK on Wednesday, and now we will try to keep the momentum going Saturday with five games in the Premier League.
Both sites are offering a three-game main slate, which is the first time that has happened in a while. We do have two games before that, however, which you can play on FanDuel as part of a five-game slate but, at least as of this writing, are unavailable on DraftKings. With that in mind, our example lineups for both sites will be from the main slate, but we have included players from the early games in the Playbook for the early birds. If you have questions about those early games or anything else for Saturday, hit me up on Twitter or in the FANation chat.
Playbook
| Goalies |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Alisson | LIV | BRN | 6000 | 10.29 | 14 | 15.40 |
| Liverpool are bigger favorites than City and they're at home, and Alisson isn't that much more expensive than Ederson. Burnley is tied for the fourth-fewest goals during the restart. |
| Dean Henderson | SHU | CHE | 4000 | 7.91 | 8 | 12.55 |
| I might be able to talk myself into Nick Pope if Jordan Henderson starts the game on the bench, but even then, I think Henderson is probably the best of the cheap goalkeepers. Only three teams have conceded fewer goals at home than Sheffield, and Chelsea is third in the league in shot attempts from outside the box, which could lead to more saves for Henderson. |
| Martin Dubravka | NEW | WAT | | | 9 | 12.91 |
| Only two teams have scored fewer goals than Watford this season, and only three teams have fewer goals since the restart. Of the 10 goalkeepers going Saturday, only Alisson is averaging more fppg than Dubravka. |
| | | | | | | | |
| Forwards |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Mohamed Salah | LIV | BRN | 10000 | 17.58 | 22 | 26.86 |
| Even the most Vulcan among us can get sucked into buying narratives sometimes, and I'm persuaded by Mo Salah's pursuit of the Golden Boot. He is three off Jamie Vardy's pace, and I would be kind of shocked if he doesn't get at least one against Burnley. Burnley is very good defensively but they are vulnerable against big sides, having conceded 24 goals in six games against Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham. |
| Olivier Giroud | CHE | SHU | 7500 | 7.32 | 18 | 13.05 |
| His game log looks a bit erratic, but if you take away the bench appearances and the game against Manchester City, Giroud has actually been quite consistent. I don't know that I'm paying his price on FD, though that might change if Gabriel Jesus sits. |
| Gabriel Jesus | MCI | BHA | 8300 | 10.83 | 18 | 17.30 |
| Like Giroud, his game look is better than it looks, in part because he wasn't great against Liverpool. It's nice to see him finally starting consistently, though it's a shame it took an injury to Sergio Aguero for that to happen. |
| Jarrod Bowen | WHU | NOR | | | 17 | 16.24 |
| Bowen came back down to earth a bit Wednesday, but I think that had more to do with Burnley's defense than anything he did. This matchup is much more favorable, but we do have other options. Michail Antonio's ceiling is higher if you can afford him, and Sebastien Haller is a great choice if he starts. |
| | | | | | | | |
| Midfielders |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | BHA | 11000 | 22.08 | 22 | 27.46 |
| Much like Bruno Fernandes, Kevin De Bruyne is a must-play for cash. No matter how expensive he gets, he always put up fantasy points. |
| Christian Pulisic | CHE | SHU | 9000 | 12.2 | 17 | 17.55 |
| He is averaging 22.1 FD fantasy points since the restart. I'm surprised his price didn't go up more after he scored his eighth goal of the season Tuesday. |
| Naby Keita | LIV | BRN | 4700 | 6.27 | 10 | 10.45 |
| Keita has started each of the last two games, with six chances created and two assists in those games. He's a solid cash play for both sites if he starts again, but I like him better on FanDuel |
| David Silva | MCI | BHA | 7400 | 11.46 | 16 | 16.95 |
| The two Manchester teams are awfully similar for fantasy. There is the super-expensive midfielder who makes the whole thing run, surrounded by talented attackers who can score just about every time out. And there is only one other player you can trust for cash. Paul Pogba is that player for United, and David Silva is that player for city. Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva may have higher ceilings, but I don't trust him for cash lineups. |
| Sander Berge | SHU | CHE | 3600 | 4.7 | 12 | 7.53 |
| Sander let us down on Wednesday, but his price went back down, and he showed us what he is capable of against Burnley and Tottenham earlier this month. I think he's a GPP-only at this point, but he will allow you to pay up elsewhere in those contests. |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Allan Saint-Maximin | NEW | WAT | | | 15 | 12.55 |
| Only three teams have allowed more goals during the restart than Watford. Saint-Maximin is by far Newcastle's best player, but he isn't priced like it. Miguel Almiron and Dwight Gayle are also in play, though I don't trust them for cash. |
| Onel Hernandez | NOR | WHU | | | 10 | 7.14 |
| Hernandez has five chances created and five fouls drawn over his last three games, and only two of those were starts. West Ham have allowed the third-most goals in the league this season, and Hernandez is much cheaper than Emiliano Buendia, who is the only other Norwich attacker I trust even a little bit. |
| | | | | | | | |
| Defenders |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Oleksandr Zinchenko | MCI | BHA | 4600 | 7.98 | 10 | 11.31 |
| In three starts since the restart, Zinchenko is averaging 13.8 fantasy points on FanDuel and 11.03 fantasy points on DraftKings. |
| Kurt Zouma | CHE | SHU | 2700 | 3.84 | 9 | 11.90 |
| In two starts since the league resumed, Zoumae is averaging 1 shot, 4.5 clearances, and 3 interceptions, and he has a reasonable shot at a clean sheet as well. |
| Cesar Azpilicueta | CHE | SHU | 6100 | 10.19 | 15 | 17.01 |
| Azpilicueta has the floor of Reece James and the ceiling of Marcos Alonso and he isn't that much more expensive than either of them. That being said, I am fine going down to Alonso in a GPP or James for a cash game if you need the extra salary. |
| Andrew Robertson | LIV | BRN | 5400 | 11.86 | 12 | 15.07 |
| He had his best game of the restart Wednesday despite coming off the bench. He could easily have double-digit targets in this game considering Liverpool should have nearly all of the possession. |
Example Lineups
Bolded players are the pivots in the pivot lineups for the players in the same spot in the lineup above it.
| DK Cash |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| F | Olivier Giroud | CHE | SHU | 7.32 | $7,500 |
| F | Gabriel Jesus | MCI | BHA | 10.83 | $8,300 |
| M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | BHA | 22.08 | $11,000 |
| M | Naby Keita | LIV | BUR | 6.27 | $4,700 |
| D | Oleksandr Zinchenko | MCI | BHA | 7.98 | $4,600 |
| D | Kurt Zouma | CHE | SHU | 3.84 | $2,700 |
| GK | Alisson | LIV | BUR | 10.29 | $6,000 |
| Util | Jorginho | CHE | SHU | 7.24 | $5,200 |
| | | | | Total | $50,000 |
| | | | | | |
| DK Pivot Cash |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| F | Olivier Giroud | CHE | SHU | 7.32 | $7,500 |
| F | Gabriel Jesus | MCI | BHA | 10.83 | $8,300 |
| M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | BHA | 22.08 | $11,000 |
| M | Naby Keita | LIV | BUR | 6.27 | $4,700 |
| D | Oleksandr Zinchenko | MCI | BHA | 7.98 | $4,600 |
| D | Kurt Zouma | CHE | SHU | 3.84 | $2,700 |
| GK | Ederson | MCI | BHA | 7.88 | $5,800 |
| Util | Andrew Robertson | LIV | BUR | 11.86 | $5,400 |
| | | | | Total | $50,000 |
| DK GPP |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| F | Olivier Giroud | CHE | SHU | 7.32 | $7,500 |
| F | Bernardo Silva | MCI | BHA | 9.62 | $7,600 |
| M | Sander Berge | SHU | CHE | 4.7 | $3,600 |
| M | Phil Foden | MCI | BHA | 7.02 | $7,700 |
| D | Cesar Azpilicueta | CHE | SHU | 10.19 | $6,100 |
| D | Oleksandr Zinchenko | MCI | BHA | 7.98 | $4,600 |
| GK | Dean Henderson | SHU | CHE | 7.91 | $4,000 |
| Util | Sadio Mane | LIV | BUR | 14.4 | $8,600 |
| | | | | Total | $49,700 |
| | | | | | |
| DK Pivot GPP |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| F | Olivier Giroud | CHE | SHU | 7.32 | $7,500 |
| F | Bernardo Silva | MCI | BHA | 9.62 | $7,600 |
| M | Sander Berge | SHU | CHE | 4.7 | $3,600 |
| M | Phil Foden | MCI | BHA | 7.02 | $7,700 |
| D | Marcos Alonso | CHE | SHU | 12.96 | $5,900 |
| D | Oleksandr Zinchenko | MCI | BHA | 7.98 | $4,600 |
| GK | Ederson | MCI | BHA | 7.88 | $5,800 |
| Util | Trent Alexander-Arnold | LIV | BUR | 17.9 | $7,200 |
| | | | | Total | $49,900 |
| FD Cash |
| Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| F/M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | BHA | 27.46 | $22 |
| F/M | Naby Keita | LIV | BRN | 10.45 | $10 |
| F/M | Christian Pulisic | CHE | SHU | 17.55 | $17 |
| F/M | Gabriel Jesus | MCI | BHA | 17.30 | $18 |
| D | Oleksandr Zinchenko | MCI | BHA | 11.31 | $10 |
| D | Kurt Zouma | CHE | SHU | 11.90 | $9 |
| GK | Alisson | LIV | BRN | 15.40 | $14 |
| | | | | Total | $100 |
| | | | | | |
| FD Pivot Cash |
| Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| F/M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | BHA | 27.46 | $22 |
| F/M | Naby Keita | LIV | BRN | 10.45 | $10 |
| F/M | David Silva | MCI | BHA | 16.95 | $16 |
| F/M | Riyad Mahrez | MCI | BHA | 20.21 | $20 |
| D | Oleksandr Zinchenko | MCI | BHA | 11.31 | $10 |
| D | Kurt Zouma | CHE | SHU | 11.90 | $9 |
| GK | Ederson | MCI | BHA | 12.53 | $13 |
| | | | | Total | $100 |
| FD GPP |
| Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| F/M | Mohamed Salah | LIV | BRN | 26.86 | $22 |
| F/M | Naby Keita | LIV | BRN | 10.45 | $10 |
| F/M | Phil Foden | MCI | BHA | 10.58 | $15 |
| F/M | Willian | CHE | SHU | 18.52 | $21 |
| D | Cesar Azpilicueta | CHE | SHU | 17.01 | $15 |
| D | Kurt Zouma | CHE | SHU | 11.90 | $9 |
| GK | Dean Henderson | SHU | CHE | 12.55 | $8 |
| | | | | Total | $100 |
| | | | | | |
| FD Pivot GPP |
| Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| F/M | Mohamed Salah | LIV | BRN | 26.86 | $22 |
| F/M | Sander Berge | SHU | CHE | 7.53 | $12 |
| F/M | Phil Foden | MCI | BHA | 10.58 | $15 |
| F/M | Willian | CHE | SHU | 18.52 | $21 |
| D | Marcos Alonso | CHE | SHU | 18.89 | $13 |
| D | Kurt Zouma | CHE | SHU | 11.90 | $9 |
| GK | Dean Henderson | SHU | CHE | 12.55 | $8 |
| | | | | Total | $100 |
