RADIO
Welcome back, RotoBallers! This is a funny little EPL DFS slate we have here. We have a round of mid-week games to kick off Matchday 20. Normally the mid-week games are all afternoon kickoffs for us here in the States, but this slate actually locks in the morning like a weekend slate would. There are four games total; three early and one late. The EPL - and professional sports in general - are becoming increasingly messy due to lots of positive Covid tests recently. Be aware of possible late postponements of any of these games or some unexpected starters as more and more players get ruled out with Covid. Keep reading this breakdown for my DFS soccer picks on RotoBaller and see how to have success on Tuesday's slate.
The very large majority of my DFS content will be EPL-related, however, there is more soccer than just what is being played in England. If you want to chop it up with myself and other RotoBaller writers about non-EPL leagues or other sports, consider becoming a premium member and joining our ever-growing community of DFS and fantasy sports enthusiasts!
In this article, I will be providing you with my English Premier League daily fantasy soccer lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/28/21 for the slate that locks at 10:00 am ET. Be sure to also check out our other DFS lineup picks for other active sports. You can always find me on Twitter @vdray5 if you have any questions. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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EPL DFS Lineup Picks - Overview
Southampton vs Tottenham
Tottenham (+110) are making a run towards the top four. They have won four of their last five EPL games, and they game they did not win was a 2-2 draw against Liverpool. They sit six points back of fourth but have some games in hand still. Meanwhile, Southampton have been steadily sitting in the middle of the bottom of the table. They're a ways clear of relegation and will likely stay around the same spot on the table for the remainder of the season. Tottenham is the better team, but they have not been that good on the road and Southampton have been decent at home. The goal total over/under is 2.5 in this game.
Crystal Palace vs Norwich
With Newcastle getting a point Monday from Manchester United, Norwich have moved back down to the lowest spot on the table. They travel to London to take on Crystal Palace (-155) who are the second largest favorites on the slate. Everyone knows by now how horrid Norwich's defense has been this season. This is a prime matchup for Palace attackers that we should be taking advantage of on this slate. The goal total over/under is 2.5.
Watford vs West Ham
West Ham (+120) got a nice 3-2 win against Chelsea a few weeks ago, but they have followed that up with some poor results including a draw against Burnley then two straight losses to Arsenal and Southampton. They face Watford on the road Tuesday. Watford have been really bad this year, and they are not in good form either with four consecutive losses. West Ham should have the upper hand in this game. The goal total over/under is 2.5 with the over at -122.
Leicester vs Liverpool
It has been a dismal season for Leicester. Many people thought they could contend for a top four spot this year again, but they're down in 10th place halfway through the season. They just got smoked by Manchester City 6-3 by putting a sub-par lineup out on the field. They're in danger of getting beat just as bad in this game against a high-flying Liverpool (-275) squad. Liverpool are the slate's largest favorite and high-scoring team in the league. They should be treated as such on this slate. The goal total over/under is a slate-high 3.5.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
Keep playing Mo Salah ($22). He's having a wonderful season and has a great matchup in this game against a below average Leicester defense who is weak on Salah's side of the field. He will be crazy chalky on this slate, but if he goes off, you won't want to miss out. Pairing him with another Liverpool attacker like Diogo Jota ($20) is a smart move especially with Leicester just conceding six times to Manchester City on Boxing Day. Jota is in good form and is -110 to score in this game to move his goal streak to three games.
The second group of attackers to discuss on this slate is Crystal Palace. They play a Norwich defense that allows 2.5 goals per game on the road at home where they score 1.67 goals per game (significantly more than their 1.0 goals/game average on the road). This is a sweet matchup for Conor Gallagher ($20) if you can get him while getting some Liverpool exposure. Gallagher is coming into his own this season for Palace. He has the talent and fantasy game to take advantage of this leaky Norwich defense. His ceiling is one of the highest on the slate, but he does struggle at keeping a high floor at times. There are some cheaper Palace attackers to consider on this slate as well including Odsonne Edouard ($17), Christian Benteke ($16), and Jordan Ayew ($14). They are all solid plays at their respective price ranges in a plus matchup. Crystal Palace is one of the teams dealing with a decent-sized Covid outbreak, so make sure to pay attention to their starting lineup. Check my Twitter (@vdray5) for updates Tuesday morning prior to lock.
Both Harry Kane ($19) and Son Heung-Min ($20) are tempting on this slate especially for game-log watchers, however, they have played in four straight games at home. When you dig deeper, you see that they have only scored five away goals as a team in six games. Plus, Southampton's defense at home has been stingy. With other better spots for players in this same price range, I don't see the need to force either of them into your lineup.
The last spot I'll look for some attackers on this slate is with West Ham in a nice matchup against Watford. Watford have conceded 11 goals in their last four league games and have been prone to allowing goals in large chunks this season. Michail Antonio ($19) should be back in the starting lineup on Tuesday after scoring as a substitute over the weekend. He is +180 to score in this game which are the best odds among West Ham players. Said Benrahma ($15) has a nice price tag with his goal upside, and Tomas Soucek ($13) is a strong value play with a good floor.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
Trent Alexander-Arnold ($15) is in great form right now and has a great matchup attacking along Leicester's weak left side. If you have the money, pay up for him. He's essentially a cheap way to get another midfielder.
Emerson Royal ($14) has taken on a little bit of a different role under new management. He is being used more as an attacker, and it should go without saying that that has benefitted his fantasy value. He had a great game on Boxing Day against Palace with 38.4 fantasy points. While this is not an ideal matchup, he's a decent pivot off TAA for $1 less. If you don't play him Tuesday, remember him for upcoming good matchups.
Liverpool force the most combined defensive action out of the eight teams on the slate, so we can target some Leicester defenders Tuesday. The nice thing is that they're dealing with tons of injuries in their backline, so we can get plenty of value here. Luke Thomas ($10) is likely the most reliable out of them as a somewhat regular starter. Jannik Vestergaard ($9) will also be in my player pool no doubt if he starts. Once a monster with defensive peripherals, he can shine in a DFS matchup like this.
Brandon Williams ($9) and Max Aarons ($9) are also in my player pool as some good DEF value. They have a nice matchup against Palace who allow the second most combined defensive action on the slate. Palace also concede the most combined tackles and interceptions in the league which Williams and Aarons both collect at a nice rate.
FanDuel DFS Goalkeepers
Jack Butland ($12) has had two rough games for Palace filling in for Vicente Guaita ($12) who possibly has Covid. Whichever GK starts for Palace in this game will have a nice matchup. Their defense has been good at home, and they're facing Norwich team that has just six goals in nine road games this season. They have a nice shot at a win bonus against a lowly Norwich side and a 48% chance at keeping a clean sheet as well.
Alex McCarthy ($8) might be back in the net for Southampton. He - or Fraser Forster ($8) - are intriguing plays for a nice low price. They're at home Tuesday where their defense has been solid taking on a Tottenham squad that has struggled to score away from home. There is definitely a chance of a dud game here with them, but for the price, they have some decent upside if they challenge Tottenham.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!
