For the second day in a row, we have an extremely interesting EPL DFS slate, even if the slates themselves could not be any different. Four of the top six sides play Sunday, with two of them playing each other. Each game has a very heavy favorite, though you wouldn’t know that based on the way Manchester City’s defenders are priced. Only Liverpool and Tottenham really have good matchups, and both of those teams only have a few players we can trust for fantasy. That’s going to make it even more important than usual to hit our picks around the margins that allow us to pay for the safe studs with good matchups.
Goalkeepers | |||||||
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
Hugo Lloris | TOT | CRY | 5500 | 8.52 | 14 | 13.21 | |
Palace have managed just two goals in the last five games Wilfried Zaha has missed, and they have lost 18 of the 23 games he has missed. Spurs have allowed the third-fewest goals per game and Lloris has nine clean sheets on the season. I think Lloris has the best chance of any keeper on the slate of picking up a win and a clean sheet. | |||||||
Ederson | MCI | MUN | 5300 | 9.18 | 11 | 14.08 | |
This is basically the cheapest we will ever get Ederson. He probably won't get many saves in this matchup, but I love his chances at his 16th clean sheet of the season. United are scoreless in their last six Premier League games against top-six sides, and their last three games in all competitions have ended in scoreless draws. The oddsmakers have Manchester City at exactly the same odds to win as Tottenham and if that is the case, Ederson is too cheap. | |||||||
Alphonse Areola | FUL | LIV | 3700 | 7.03 | 8 | 11.19 | |
Of the three underdogs on the slate, I think Areola has the best matchup by far. Liverpool have allowed two fewer saves than City but have scored nine fewer goals and surrendered five more clean sheets. Fulham have allowed three goals with three clean sheets in their last six Premier League games, including shutouts of West Ham and Everton, who are both ahead of Liverpool in the table. |
Forwards | |||||||
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
Harry Kane | TOT | CRY | 8300 | 18.1 | 22 | 26.90 | |
Not that we need a reason to play Harry Kane, but Crystal Palace have allowed 30 shots from headers in the last six weeks, and Kane has 15 more headed shots than any other teammate. |
Midfielders | |||||||
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
Ademola Lookman | FUL | LIV | 6200 | 11.86 | 16 | 15.84 | |
Liverpool are not a great matchup, but they're not particularly scary, either. They have allowed two more goals than they did all of last season, though they still limit opponents' crosses. Lookman has at least four crosses in eight consecutive games, with at least two chances created in seven straight. He is probably safer on DraftKings, but I think he is playable on both sites at his price. | |||||||
Son Heung-Min | TOT | CRY | 8600 | 16.98 | 19 | 22.50 | |
Son has at least nine DK fantasy points in eight of his last 10 games; the others were against Manchester City and Liverpool. He has been more up-and-down than I would like, especially on FanDuel, but I still think he is a great play considering the matchup. | |||||||
Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | MUN | 9200 | 18.45 | 21 | 22.26 | |
He wasn't great against Arsenal in his first game back from a hamstring injury, but he still created three chances and had three shots. In the two games since then, he has 11 cross, three chances created, an assist, six shots and two shots on goal. I don't love this matchup, but he is still one of the safest options on the entire slate, and his price is reasonable. | |||||||
Andros Townsend | CRY | TOT | 6300 | 10.03 | 13 | 12.15 | |
With Wilfried Zaha in the lineup, Townsend would often rack up crosses and fantasy points despite barely being noticeable when you would watch the games. In Crystal Palace's last three games, Townsend has looked like their best player, and the numbers support it. He has drawn four fouls and created one chance in three consecutive games, with 12 crosses and an assist in that span. So long as Zaha does not start, Townsend should be a solid cash play yet again. | |||||||
Mohamed Salah | LIV | FUL | 8200 | 15.14 | 20 | 23.07 | |
He hasn't scored a goal in three consecutive games, but I think that ends Sunday. It certainly helps that he will be on penalties so long as James Milner is on the bench. Salah always feels like one of the riskiest of the huge EPL stars, but the matchup helps mitigate some of that for this slate. |
Defenders | |||||||
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
Tosin Adarabioyo | FUL | LIV | 2800 | 4.39 | 12 | 14.24 | |
Liverpool have allowed 212 more clearances than any other team this season. Adarabioyo had 11 clearances against Liverpool in December, one of four games he's had with double-digit clearances this season. He is always a cash play on FD, but I'll consider him for GPPs as well. | |||||||
Ola Aina | FUL | LIV | 3300 | 6.76 | 12 | 12.72 | |
Even if you think Liverpool is a scary matchup, Ola Aina is awfully cheap on DK for someone averaging 11.9 fantasy points in his last four starts. Aina has been less consistent on FD but he has two chances created in three of his last four starts, with 3+ clearances in two of those. Kenny Tete may be a bit safer on DK, but Aina is a better value, and I think he will provide fantasy points one way or another. | |||||||
John Stones | MCI | MUN | 3300 | 7.46 | 11 | 13.70 | |
I love City's chances at a clean sheet, and Stones is averaging 15.3 FD fantasy points in his last four games. Stones is at least as safe as the defenders who cost more than him, even if his ceiling isn't quite as high as those other players'. | |||||||
Trent Alexander-Arnold | LIV | FUL | 6400 | 13.74 | 14 | 14.07 | |
I didn't come into the slate intending to play Alexander-Arnold or Andrew Robertson, but the lack of midfield options I trust just kind of led me to it. Alexander-Arnold has at least 12 DK fantasy points in six consecutive games, and it is hard to believe Fulham will end that streak. Robertson is a fine alternative if you need to save some money. | |||||||
Serge Aurier | TOT | CRY | 5500 | 9.25 | 14 | 16.34 | |
He has been Tottenham's third-best fantasy player whenever he is healthy, and this should be another good game for him to get forward and send balls into the box. Sergio Reguillon is playable as well, but Aurier is much safer and not much more expensive. |
Example Lineups
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 | Ademola Lookman | FUL | LIV | 11.86 | $6,200 | F | Harry Kane | TOT | CRY | 18.1 | $8,300 | ||
F | Andros Townsend | CRY | TOT | 10.03 | $6,300 | F | Mohamed Salah | LIV | FUL | 15.14 | $8,200 | ||
M | Son Heung-Min | TOT | CRY | 16.98 | $8,600 | M | Ademola Lookman | FUL | LIV | 11.86 | $6,200 | ||
M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | MU | 18.45 | $9,200 | M | Phil Foden | MCI | MU | 11.77 | $8,400 | ||
D | Trent Alexander-Arnold | LIV | FUL | 13.74 | $6,400 | D | Ola Aina | FUL | LIV | 6.76 | $3,300 | ||
D | Serge Aurier | TOT | CRY | 9.25 | $5,500 | D | Patrick van Aanholt | CRY | TOT | 6.62 | $4,200 | ||
GK | Alphonse Areola | FUL | LIV | 7.03 | $3,700 | GK | Ederson | MCI | MU | 9.18 | $5,300 | ||
Util | Kenny Tete | FUL | LIV | 6.9 | $4,000 | Util | Andrew Robertson | LIV | FUL | 12.41 | $5,800 | ||
Total | $49,900 | Total | $49,700 | ||||||||||
DK Pivot Cash | DK Pivot GPP | ||||||||||||
Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | ||
F | 1 | F | |||||||||||
F | 1 | F | |||||||||||
M | 1 | M | |||||||||||
M | 1 | M | Sadio Mane | LIV | FUL | 13.46 | $7,900 | ||||||
D | 1 | D | |||||||||||
D | Joao Cancelo | MCI | MU | 10.43 | $5,300 | 1 | D | ||||||
GK | 1 | GK | |||||||||||
Util | Patrick van Aanholt | CRY | TOT | 6.62 | $4,200 | 1 | Util | Trent Alexander-Arnold | LIV | FUL | 13.74 | $6,400 | |
Total | $9,500 | Total | $14,300 | ||||||||||
FD Cash | FD GPP | ||||||||||||
Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | ||
F/M | Ademola Lookman | FUL | LIV | 15.84 | $16 | F/M | Son Heung-Min | TOT | CRY | 22.50 | $19 | ||
F/M | Harrison Reed | FUL | LIV | 9.97 | $11 | F/M | Josh Maja | FUL | LIV | 11.35 | $14 | ||
F/M | Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | MUN | 22.26 | $21 | F/M | Phil Foden | MCI | MUN | 15.39 | $16 | ||
F/M | Mohamed Salah | LIV | FUL | 23.07 | $20 | F/M | Sadio Mane | LIV | FUL | 18.76 | $18 | ||
D | Tosin Adarabioyo | FUL | LIV | 14.24 | $12 | D | Ola Aina | FUL | LIV | 12.72 | $12 | ||
D | John Stones | MCI | MUN | 13.70 | $11 | D | Sergio Reguilon | TOT | CRY | 12.83 | $9 | ||
GK | Alphonse Areola | FUL | LIV | 11.19 | $8 | GK | Ederson | MCI | MUN | 14.08 | $11 | ||
Total | $99 | Total | $99 | ||||||||||
FD Pivot Cash | FD Pivot GPP | ||||||||||||
Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | ||
F/M | 1 | F/M | |||||||||||
F/M | 1 | F/M | |||||||||||
F/M | 1 | F/M | |||||||||||
F/M | Son Heung-Min | TOT | CRY | 22.50 | $19 | #REF! | F/M | Mohamed Salah | LIV | FUL | 23.07 | $20 | |
D | 1 | D | |||||||||||
D | Andrew Robertson | LIV | FUL | 13.30 | $13 | 1 | D | ||||||
GK | 1 | GK | Alphonse Areola | FUL | LIV | 11.19 | $8 | ||||||
Total | $32 | Total | $28 |