DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Sunday EPL Picks

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Sunday EPL Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.

For detailed stats and odds, check out the Fantasy Premier League: Sunday Cheat Sheet, which is available to RotoWire subscribers. Not a member? Join now for as little as $3.99/month.

MATCHES (EDT)

10:00 a.m: Southampton v. Manchester City
10:00 a.m: Newcastle v. Chelsea
10:00 a.m: West Ham v. Everton
10:00 a.m: Crystal Palace v. West Brom
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Arsenal
10:00 a.m: Manchester United v. Watford
10:00 a.m: Liverpool v. Brighton
10:00 a.m: Burnley v. Bournemouth
10:00 a.m: Tottenham v. Leicester City
10:00 a.m: Swansea City v. Stoke City

FORWARDS

Mohamed Salah, LIV v. BHA ($10,800): We don't get 10-game slates very often in daily fantasy soccer, though with most of the important parts of the table already decided, you can make the argument that only two games (maaaaaybe four) matter. Liverpool at home to Brighton is the biggest one, as the Reds need just one point to clinch their Champions League spot for next season (they could also do it by beating Real Madrid in the Champions League final that will be played in two weeks, but which matchup do you think is easier?). Despite having the highest price on the slate, plus a plethora of players to choose from, Salah figures to be heavily owned because of what's at stake for Liverpool and his dominant role in their attack. Despite failing to find the back of the net in his last three games, he comes in with 31 goals this season, three more (it's really four) than Tottenham's Harry Kane ($10,500) for the Golden Boot. He has a share of set pieces and has taken fewer than three shots once in his past six games, scoring four goals on 25 shots and assisting two others over that span. With Champions League qualification on the line while facing off against a side that's already clinched their spot in the Premier League next season, Salah's ceiling is sky high. Given Liverpool's dominant win odds and implied goal total, pairing Salah with teammates Roberto Firmino ($8,000) or Sadio Mane ($8,400) isn't a crazy proposition, especially if you think Liverpool will score a bunch.

Willian, CHE at NEW ($8,600): Chelsea still have a chance to qualify for the Champions League, with a win at Newcastle and a Liverpool loss getting them there. It's unlikely to happen given Liverpool's matchup, but the expectation is that Chelsea go into Sunday's game with every intention of winning to at least give them a chance. Willian has been their most consistent fantasy option this season, as his shared role on set pieces, ability to send in open-play crosses and take shots gives him a solid floor. Additionally, he is significantly less goal dependent than teammate Eden Hazard ($8,500), who has just one goal in his last 10 Premier League appearances (eight starts). Willian will likely share set pieces with Cesc Fabregas ($6,200, midfielder) if he starts, but his open-play upside is much higher.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, ARS at HUD ($8,900): A 10-game slate naturally offers us a fair number of players who could win GPPs, and while you can focus on the teams that theoretically have something to play for, there's no reason to totally rule out the others. Aubameyang has nine goals on 30 shots (18 on goal) and four assists in his 12 Premier League matches, and the matchup against Huddersfield could extend his excellent run of form. We're likely to see plenty of rotation throughout the league, so affording Aubameyang with another high-priced forward shouldn't be a huge issue. There are actually a few goal-dependent players worth considering in tournaments, including teammate Alexandre Lacazette ($7,900), who has scored four goals in his last three starts and bagged one against Huddersfield earlier this season. The Manchester City players are always options, but for some reason I'm more concerned about their playing time than other clubs. As a result, I'm focusing more on guys like Wilfried Zaha ($8,300), who has four goals on 15 shots (eight on goal) and 12 fouls drawn in his last five games, Olivier Giroud ($7,300) and Anthony Martial ($7,100).

MIDFIELDERS

Cesc Fabregas, CHE at NEW ($6,200): I wouldn't pair Fabregas with Willian, so for those looking for some more bang than the Brazilian alongside Salah, Fabregas provides a solid floor from the Chelsea attack. Fabregas has one of the most reliable floors on the slate, which we've seen particularly of late, as he comes in with five shots, 17 crosses and 12 tackles won in his last three games. Chelsea failed to convert on the 10 chances Fabregas created over this recent run, but he's at least getting into situations for picking up assists. For those looking for a lower-owned Chelsea option with more upside, as weird as it sounds, wing-back Marcos Alonso ($6,400) fit the mold.

Granit Xhaka, ARS at HUD ($5,300): Xhaka's floor is lower if Henrikh Mkhitaryan ($7,500) also starts because they're likely to share corners, but the former definitely should be considered if the latter sits out. The game against Huddersfield means nothing for both sides, but with Huddersfield making sure to celebrate their stay in the Premier League, the Gunners could find plenty of fantasy points against a hungover unit.

Lewis Cook, BOU at BUR ($3,000): Spending up on attackers means you'll have to find some cheaper options, and Cook plays the part, especially since he's taken nine corners (resulting in 10 crosses) in the past two games. He's not known for getting involved in the attack much, but he created seven chances in the past three matches, something you won't find from any other players in his price range.

DEFENDERS

Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV v. BHA ($5,600): Alexander-Arnold isn't the most consistent fantasy producer, which makes paying more than any other defender a bit nervy, but with Liverpool such big favorites -- and with excellent clean sheet odds -- it makes sense to pay the price. The Tottenham fullbacks are also worthy of some consideration, though the defender that really catches my eye if he starts is Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy ($5,400), who offers loads of attacking upside, though he just returned from a long-term knee injury. The play isn't without risk, but it could provide plenty of returns.

Leighton Baines, EVE at WHU ($4,400): Playing Baines is always boring and Sunday is no different. With Wayne Rooney ($5,300) and Gylfi Sigurdsson ($6,100) out with injuries, there's a clear path to set pieces for Baines. There's certainly an issue that Everton and West Ham have nothing to play for, but it's tough to find a set-piece taker at this price at any position.

Glen Johnson, STK at SWA ($2,800): No, I'm not really recommending Johnson. Including him is more a reminder that we could see a decent amount of rotation among the 20 teams on the slate, and we should always scroll to the bottom the salary scale to see if any cheap fullbacks emerge after the starting lineups are announced. None of them are likely to have safe floors or even high upsides, but the salary savings could go a long way.

GOALKEEPER

I would love to say there's a specific goalkeeper worth targeting, but on a 10-game slate with so many games that don't really matter, you could theoretically make an argument for any option. If you're playing Salah then you may not want to take Brighton's Mathew Ryan ($3,600), but if you're fading Liverpool then he makes a ton of sense. Build the rest of your lineup and see who fits in the remaining salary, and do your best to avoid ones trying to keep your attackers out of the net.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew M. Laird
Andrew is a former RotoWire contributor. He was the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
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