It took a little while, but the EPL DFS Playbook came through in a big way on Sunday, winning tournaments on both sites. We benefited from, among other things, a lowly-owned Jamie Vardy and his three goals from the penalty spot.
There have been 20 penalties through three game weeks after we had just eight in the first three game weeks last season. If this trend continues, penalty takers will all cost a fortune but for now, they still represent significant value. It is worth noting the Premier League has said it will give the referees more leeway in deciding what constitutes a handball, but since only six of the 20 penalties have come on handballs, I still expect penalty takers to have an advantage.
Goal Keepers |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Nick Pope | BRN | NEW | | | 7 | -1.75 |
Pope had 15 clean sheets last season. Newcastle haven't taken many shots this season, but they should have more possession against Burnley than against most opponents. Karl Darlow is worth considering as well, but I'll gladly take Pope and save the $4. |
Illan Meslier | LEE | MCI | 3800 | 8.28 | 9 | 12.17 |
All of the keepers going Saturday are risky, especially on DraftKings, so we may as well play the cheapest guy. Meslier is fifth in the league in saves through three games, though he will likely concede a few goals to go along with those saves. |
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Forwards |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Callum Wilson | NEW | BRN | | | 18 | 16.20 |
Wilson is on Penalties for Newcastle, at least until Matt Ritchie returns. If anyone is going to score for Newcastle, Wilson will likely be the guy |
Neal Maupay | BHA | EVE | 7700 | 20.74 | 16 | 30.97 |
Maupay has three goals in three games, thanks in part to being on penalties. He does have four chances created and two crosses this season, but he's pretty much a goal or bust for fantasy. That is fine for a GPP, but I would much rather play his teammate Leandro Trossard for cash. |
Chris Wood | BRN | NEW | | | 16 | 16.30 |
Wood scored 0.52 goals per 90 minutes last season. Wood came on as a sub against City on Wednesday, and he is on penalties so long as Ashley Barnes is on the bench. |
Matej Vydra | BRN | NEW | | | 12 | 4.30 |
I dont think Wood is that much more likely than Vydra to score in open play, and Vydra is significantly cheaper. Vydra might get subbed off now that Ashley Barnes is fit, but Wood could always ben the one to come off |
Patrick Bamford | LEE | MCI | 6000 | 16.69 | 17 | 27.73 |
Bamford has scored in each of Leeds's three games this season, and City's defense has looked vulnerable through two games. We don't think he's on penalties, but that is really the only strike against him. Even the matchup isn't as scary as it looked a couple of weeks ago. |
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Midfielders |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Ryan Fraser | NEW | BRN | | | 12 | 3.90 |
With Matt Ritchie out, Fraser only has to compete with Jonjo Shelvey for set pieces. He could have the ball a ton if Allan Saint-Maximin is out again, and he is awfully cheap. |
Riyad Mahrez | MCI | LEE | 9800 | 28.12 | 22 | 36.00 |
Mahrez is pretty close to a must for fantasy whenever he starts. He was the only player who looked dangerous in attack against Leicester last week. Only Harry Kane and Patrick Bamford have fewer minutes per goal scored this season. |
Phil Foden | MCI | LEE | 7500 | 8.97 | 16 | 13.45 |
Foden was terrible last week especially for fantasy, but I am going back to the well for a few reasons. I still believe in the player and his role, and this should be a much better matchup. Even so, it is hard to trust Foden right now. |
Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | LEE | 11100 | 24.16 | 23 | 39.05 |
So much for De Bruyne being a must-start. That being said, I think City will have a much easier time getting de Bruyne the ball in dangerous areas against a Leeds side that have conceded six goals through two games. |
Josh Brownhill | BRN | NEW | | | 8 | 10.15 |
Brownhill is miscast playing out wide, but there is value in that role, especially considering how little Newcastle possess the ball. Brownhill can be lethal from distance, which certainly helps. |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Kalvin Phillips | LEE | MCI | 5500 | 14.05 | 12 | 21.73 |
Phillips has at least 13 DK fantasy points in all three games this season despite only having one assist and one shot on goal. He is averaging 5.3 crosses and 3.0 chances created per game, making him a strong cash play on both sites. |
Richarlison | EVE | BHA | 8900 | 20.82 | 19 | 24.17 |
He has always been a GPP play, but his role on penalties and his chemistry with James Rodriguez make him especially valuable. |
Jonjo Shelvey | NEW | BRN | | | 9 | 8.90 |
Shelvey scored Newcastle's lone goal against Newport County in the Carabao Cup, and he created a bunch of chances as well. I like him even better if Fraser is on the bench, but at this price, he is playable even if Fraser starts. |
James Rodriguez | EVE | BHA | 8300 | 18.1 | 17 | 23.70 |
Rodriguez is forward eligible on DraftKings, where he has scored at least 12.16 fantasy points in all three of his games despite only having one goal and one assist this season. He has six shots and 10 chances created through three games, so I think the returns are coming sooner than later. |
Leandro Trossard | BHA | EVE | 6900 | 14.29 | 15 | 20.63 |
It's nice to get someone who is forward eligible on DraftKings and is averaging 4.3 crosses per game this season. He has at least two chances created in every game as well, and I think he is a nice value on both sites. |
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Defenders |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Jamal Lewis | NEW | BRN | | | 8 | 7.27 |
I would probably prefer Lewis if Saint-Maximin was back, but I think Lewis has demonstrated the ability to get forward no matter who else is on the pitch. |
Charlie Taylor | BRN | NEW | | | 8 | 11.35 |
In those rare games when Burnley actually has a fair amount of possession, Charlie Taylor usually gets forward to send crosses into the box. He'll likely get a few tackles and clearances as well, but the real appeal here is the price. |
Ezgjan Alioski | LEE | MCI | 3900 | 2.47 | 7 | 3.80 |
Alioski is likely to start for Jack Harrison, who is ineligible for this game. Harrison has had a lot of success getting forward on the left, and Alioski is much cheaper than Harrison. Alioski is listed as a defender on DraftKings, which I think only adds to his value. |
Tariq Lamptey | BHA | EVE | 5300 | 9.72 | 13 | 12.93 |
I hope Lamptey is this cheap when Brighton faces a weak defensive team. He has looked great with his new team, and while he's listed as a defender on FanDuel, he's really been more of a midfielder this season for Brighton. He is a great value, though it's difficult to use him for cash on FD. |
Stuart Dallas | LEE | MCI | 4100 | 10.47 | 10 | 16.40 |
Among players in Saturday's slate, only Lucas Digne has scored more fantasy points than Dallas. Leeds's unique defense can lead to their defenders getting high up the pitch on the counter attack, and City looked particularly susceptible to the counter attack last week. |
As always, the lineups below are examples of lineups you can make using the players in the Playbook and are not for plug and play.
DK Cash | | DK GPP |
Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
F | Leandro Trossard | BHA | EVE | 14.29 | $6,900 | | F | Riyad Mahrez | MCI | LEE | 28.12 | $9,800 |
F | Raheem Sterling | MCI | LEE | 10.17 | $9,200 | | F | James Rodriguez | EVE | BHA | 18.1 | $8,300 |
M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | LEE | 24.16 | $11,100 | | M | Tariq Lamptey | BHA | EVE | 9.72 | $5,300 |
M | Kalvin Phillips | LEE | MCI | 14.05 | $5,500 | | M | Phil Foden | MCI | LEE | 8.97 | $7,500 |
D | Ezgjan Alioski | LEE | MCI | 2.47 | $3,900 | | D | Ezgjan Alioski | LEE | MCI | 2.47 | $3,900 |
D | Stuart Dallas | LEE | MCI | 10.47 | $4,100 | | D | Luke Ayling | LEE | MCI | 7.93 | $4,000 |
GK | Illan Meslier | LEE | MCI | 8.28 | $3,800 | | GK | Illan Meslier | LEE | MCI | 8.28 | $3,800 |
Util | Tariq Lamptey | BHA | EVE | 9.72 | $5,300 | | Util | Leandro Trossard | BHA | EVE | 14.29 | $6,900 |
| | | | Total | $49,800 | | | | | | Total | $49,500 |
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DK Pivot Cash | | DK Pivot GPP |
Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
F | | | | | | | F | | | | | |
F | James Rodriguez | EVE | BHA | 18.1 | $8,300 | | F | Dominic Calvert-Lewin | EVE | BHA | 25.27 | $8,100 |
M | | | | | | | M | | | | | |
M | Gylfi Sigurdsson | EVE | BHA | 2.44 | $6,600 | | M | | | | | |
D | | | | | | | D | | | | | |
D | | | | | | | D | Seamus Coleman | EVE | BHA | 8.07 | $4,600 |
GK | | | | | | | GK | | | | | |
Util | | | | | | | Util | | | | | |
| | | | Total | $14,900 | | | | | | Total | $12,700 |
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FD Cash | | FD GPP |
Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | | Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
F/M | Ezgjan Alioski | LEE | MCI | 3.80 | $7 | | F/M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | LEE | 39.05 | $23 |
F/M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | LEE | 39.05 | $23 | | F/M | Riyad Mahrez | MCI | LEE | 36.00 | $22 |
F/M | Riyad Mahrez | MCI | LEE | 36.00 | $22 | | F/M | Patrick Bamford | LEE | MCI | 27.73 | $17 |
F/M | James Rodriguez | EVE | BHA | 23.70 | $17 | | F/M | Jonjo Shelvey | NEW | BRN | 8.90 | $9 |
D | Jamal Lewis | NEW | BRN | 7.27 | $8 | | D | Tariq Lamptey | BHA | EVE | 12.93 | $13 |
D | Lucas Digne | EVE | BHA | 21.40 | $15 | | D | Charlie Taylor | BRN | NEW | 11.35 | $8 |
GK | Nick Pope | BRN | NEW | -1.75 | $7 | | GK | Nick Pope | BRN | NEW | -1.75 | $7 |
| | | | Total | $99 | | | | | | Total | $99 |
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FD Pivot Cash | | FD Pivot GPP |
Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | | Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
F/M | Ryan Fraser | NEW | BRN | 3.90 | $12 | | F/M | | | | | |
F/M | | | | | | | F/M | Raheem Sterling | MCI | LEE | 12.60 | $20 |
F/M | | | | | | | F/M | | | | | |
F/M | | | | | | | F/M | | | | | |
D | | | | | | | D | Lucas Digne | EVE | BHA | 21.40 | $15 |
D | Seamus Coleman | EVE | BHA | 16.33 | $10 | | D | | | | | |
GK | | | | | | | GK | | | | | |
| | | | Total | $22 | | | | | | Total | $35 |