EPL DFS Playbook August 6: Top DraftKings and FanDuel EPL DFS Picks
The Premier League is back and we begin the season with an extremely interesting DFS slate. Two newly-promoted sides are in action, which should be good news for the mid-table sides facing them. Wolverhampton and Leeds feature two teams already dealing with injuries. I am predicting a low-scoring affair but considering these teams combined for seven goals in their two meetings last season, anything is possible. Tottenham is the big favorite on the slate against Southampton, who many are picking for relegation this season. In the late game, which is only part of the FanDuel slate, Chelsea is big favorites against Everton, who has lost key contributors after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
EPL DFS Top Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Dean Henderson | NFO | NEW | 4000 | 0 | 7 | 14.85 |
| Newcastle has long been one of the worst finishing teams in the Premier League and while that appears to be changing with the return of Callum Wilson and the emergence of Bruno Guimaraes, nobody would be shocked if Henderson racks up a bunch of saves. It wasn't long ago that Henderson was one of the best keepers in the Premier League and I'm willing to take a shot at a return to form at his price. | ||||||
| Jose Sa | WOL | LEE | 4600 | 8.63 | 10 | 12.92 |
| Leeds is not nearly as attacking under manager Jesse Marsch, and they could really struggle to score with Raphinha gone. Sa is probably our best bet for a cheap clean sheet regardless, but I would like him even more if Luis Sinisterra is unable to go. | ||||||
| Emiliano Martinez | AVL | BOU | 5200 | 6.34 | 11 | 10.17 |
| Martinez is probably more likely to get a win than Jose Sa, and he is probably facing a worse offense. If you have a bit more to spend, this is a good place to do it. | ||||||
| Hugo Lloris | TOT | SOU | 5900 | 8.37 | 14 | 13.37 |
| With so many value plays on both sites, it is pretty easy to pay up for Lloris. Tottenham should win easily and while I wouldn't want to count on a clean sheet, he is certainly capable of providing one. | ||||||
| Edouard Mendy | CHE | EVE | 12 | 12.19 | ||
| I think the concerns about Chelsea's defense are overblown, and I have no idea how Everton is going to score with Richarlison gone and Dominic Calvert-Lewin out. We are getting a good price to chase a win and a clean sheet. | ||||||
EPL DFS Top Forwards
Forwards | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Hwang Hee-Chan | WOL | LEE | 5100 | 5.67 | 12 | 8.37 |
| I don't really trust Leeds defensively with Kalvin Phillips gone, and Hwang could be a cheap way into the Wolves attack. He struggled at times last season but he should get another chance with Raul Jimenez out. | ||||||
| Jaidon Anthony | BOU | AVL | 6100 | 0 | 13 | |
| Anthony led Bournemouth in crosses last season and I see no reason to believe this season will be different. Aston Villa was 10th in goals allowed last season and Anthony should be a safe forward play on DK. | ||||||
| Leon Bailey | AVL | BOU | 4900 | 5.33 | 15 | 6.52 |
| I don't usually read a whole lot into preseason reports or performances, but if Bailey's three goals and two assists are an indication that he has put his disappointing 2021/22 season behind him, then he is a great tournament play. | ||||||
| Callum Wilson | NEW | NFO | 7800 | 8.68 | 18 | 14.23 |
| Wilson was basically Newcastle's only source of offense in the first half of the season before he got hurt. Now he has plenty of creativity around him, which should make him even more effective. Bruno is getting talked about more but Wilson might be even more likely to score a goal, considering he should be on penalties. | ||||||
| Brennan Johnson | NFO | NEW | 5800 | 0 | 16 | |
| Johnson led Nottingham Forest in goals and assists last season and he was third in crosses. He is on penalties and corners and while Newcastle appears to have improved its defense in the offseason, only five teams allowed more Premier League goals last season. Johnson looks like a safe, cheap forward with a decent chance at an attacking return as well. | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Harry Kane | TOT | SOU | #### | 14.48 | 21 | 22.36 |
| Kane was really great after Antonio Conte joined in November, and based on that production, I think I prefer him to Son on FanDuel. You can't really go wrong, but I think Kane may be slightly underrated right now. | ||||||
| Philippe Coutinho | AVL | BOU | 6800 | 10.87 | 19 | 15.19 |
| Coutinho looks like a solid spend-up target on FanDuel and an underpriced GPP option on DraftKings. There should be some goals to be had against Bournemouth and Coutinho looks like the best bet to at least get one. | ||||||
EPL DFS Top Midfielders
Midfielders | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Bruno Guimaraes | NEW | NFO | 7900 | 10.06 | 15 | 15.90 |
| It took a little while for Bruno to get up to speed after he joined Newcastle in January, but he was very good at the end of the season, with four goals and eight chances created in the last eight games. He is a GPP play, but I love his price on FanDuel. | ||||||
| Pedro Neto | WOL | LEE | 7400 | 6.67 | 16 | 7.33 |
| Neto started just five games last season after missing 10 months due to a knee injury. In those five starts, he averaged 60 minutes, 3.6 crosses, and 2.0 chances created. Those numbers are just fine for his price but I think he has a chance to be even better following a full offseason. | ||||||
| Mason Mount | CHE | EVE | 20 | 19.99 | ||
| The more things change, the more they stay the same. Mount is the only safe Chelsea attacker, and he is easily affordable in this slate. | ||||||
| Junior Stanislas | BOU | AVL | 4900 | 0 | 7 | |
| Stanislas played just two games last season but he averaged 4.05 crosses per 90 minutes for Bournemouth in 2020-21. If you need a safe option and cannot afford Jaidon Anthony, Stanislas should be a nice alternative. | ||||||
| Morgan Gibbs-White | WOL | LEE | 7100 | 0.17 | 8 | 0.00 |
| Gibbs-White is unproven at this level but Leeds isn't that much better than the teams he had 12 goals and 10 assists against in the Championship last season. If I had to pick someone from Wolverhampton to score Saturday it would probably be him, which makes his price on FanDuel impossible to ignore. | ||||||
| Midfielders | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Dejan Kulusevski | TOT | SOU | 9200 | 11.35 | 17 | 16.68 |
| While I have some long-term concerns about Kulusevski, there seems to be little standing in the way of him starting the season off well. Only three Premier League teams allowed more goals than Southampton last season and Kulusevski had five goals and eight assists in 18 games with Spurs last season. | ||||||
| Jack Harrison | LEE | WOL | 7500 | 10.03 | 13 | 13.19 |
| Leeds is dealing with a ton of injuries and the suspension of Daniel James, leaving Harrison as the only safe fantasy play on this team. Harrison should get the lion's share of the free kicks, though he could share with Rodrigo or one of the newcomers. Harrison is a safe play on DK. | ||||||
| Moussa Djenepo | SOU | TOT | 3000 | 2.44 | 7 | 3.76 |
| The minimum price on DK for a starting wing-back is too good to ignore regardless of the matchup. Djenepo was okay for fantasy last season in his rare chances to start and he should be even better in his new role. | ||||||
| Son Heung-Min | TOT | SOU | #### | 19.13 | 22 | 25.99 |
| Son is the only forward on DK who I would consider safe. He is playable in all formats but his forward-eligibility and prevalence of cheap options make him stand out on DraftKings. | ||||||
EPL DFS Top Defenders
Defenders | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Lucas Digne | AVL | BOU | 5800 | 10.44 | 12 | 15.15 |
| The second half of the season was interrupted by injury but Digne was super consistent for Aston Villa when he was available. Digne had at least 8.4 DK fantasy points in every start for Villa, with assists in three of his last five games. He looks like the safest defender on the slate but he has a nice ceiling in this matchup as well. | ||||||
| Jack Stacey | BOU | AVL | 3400 | 0 | 8 | |
| Stacey led Bournemouth's regular starters in interceptions last season and he should be a cheap source of defensive stats Saturday. | ||||||
| Emerson Royal | TOT | SOU | 6000 | 7.81 | 10 | 12.17 |
| With Ivan Perisic and Matt Doherty both shaping up as game-time decisions, we may get to play their backups at a bit of a discount. I think Royal is safer than Ryan Sessegnon, but I would like them both better if Perisic and Doherty are ruled out altogether, and not simply on the bench to start. | ||||||
| Reece James | CHE | EVE | 15 | 17.23 | ||
| It is difficult to trust any attacking defender on FanDuel based on their scoring, but both Chelsea starting wingbacks will have huge upside. James is probably the safest but I could easily pivot once starting lineups are announced. | ||||||
| Kyle Walker-Peters | SOU | TOT | 3900 | 7.1 | 9 | 11.04 |
| I won't pretend the matchup is great but it's not like we need an attacking return to justify this price. Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl appears to be committed to playing a back three, and Walker-Peters could provide a lot of surplus value in his new role of wing-back. | ||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Armel Bella Kotchap | SOU | TOT | 2500 | 0 | 8 | |
| He is much cheaper than his fellow starters at center-back but I have no reason to believe Bella Kotchap will be significantly worse for fantasy. Tottenham should dominate possession and give Bella Kotchap plenty of opportunities for blocks and clearances. | ||||||
| Sven Botman | NEW | NFO | 3200 | 0 | 11 | |
| He should be a big target for Kieran Trippier on set pieces, and while that is never something we want to count on, he could be an under-the-radar tournament play. | ||||||
| Kieran Trippier | NEW | NFO | 6700 | 12.12 | 14 | 19.67 |
| I really like Matt Doherty, but it seems like an easy decision to pay the extra $200 for Trippier on DraftKings. He averaged 2.4 FPPG more last season than any other defender on the slate, albeit in just six games. He is a great tournament play on both sites but he should be safe on DraftKings. | ||||||
| Draftkings Core Plays | ||
| Top Tier | Son Heung-Min | $11,900 |
| Kieran Trippier | $6,700 | |
| Mid Tier | Pedro Neto | $7,400 |
| Jaidon Anthony | $6,100 | |
| Value Tier | Moussa Djenepo | $3,000 |
| Leon Bailey | $4,900 | |
| Fanduel Core Plays | ||
| Top Tier | Harry Kane | $21 |
| Mason Mount | $20 | |
| Mid Tier | Bruno Guimaraes | $15 |
| Dejan Kulusevski | $17 | |
| Value Tier | Morgan Gibbs-White | $8 |
| Armel Bella Kotchap | $8 | |
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