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Welcome back, RotoBallers! The busy holiday soccer schedule is about to wrap up with this being our last full roster slate in the Premier League until Matchday 18 in over a week. This will be a small two-game slate Sunday. I have another full breakdown for you all. Keep reading this breakdown for my DFS soccer picks on RotoBaller and see how to have success on Sunday'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 1/3/21 for the slate that locks at 9:15 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
Newcastle vs Leicester
The early game on Sunday has Leicester (-155) traveling to take on Newcastle. The home side are tumbling down the table right now and had just one win in December against West Brom. Leicester are still in the top four; a place they have been for the majority of the season. Even on the road, they will have the advantage here as the better side who is also in better form. Leicester are also the largest favorites on the slate. The goal total over/under is 2.5.
Chelsea vs Manchester City
In the late game on Sunday, we have a matchup between two traditional top six clubs who are fighting to climb back to the top of the table. Chelsea are in pretty poor form right now as they host Manchester City (+130) at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have just one win and three losses in their last five league games, while City are three wins and no losses in their last five. City should have the leg up in this game as they are playing much better football right now, but Chelsea will be ready to put up a fight. The goal total over/under is 2.5 but has pretty strong odds of going over at -130.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
Jamie Vardy ($22) has -140 anytime scoring odds and a great matchup against a struggling Newcastle team. It has not been Newcastle's defense that has been the main issue lately, but Vardy is coming into this game fresh having just been rested against Palace. He is in a strong spot to push his goal tally this year to 12.
James Maddison ($16) has been in much better form lately and will also be fresh having been rested with Vardy. Maddison is averaging 27.5 fantasy points over his last four games mostly with an increase in chances created recently. He has a strong floor in this game against Newcastle where he should be able to create a good number of chances. He's a good player to pair with Vardy in a Leicester mini stack, but he can also be used alone if you're looking to get some other exposure.
Aside from Vardy and Maddison, the remainder of my attackers will be from the City @ Chelsea game. This game is stackable from top to bottom with two good attacking teams facing leaky defenses, the higher over/under, and two teams that force a lot of defensive action.
Before I dive into Manchester City, it was reported earlier in the week that they will be without five of their players due to COVID-19 exposure. Three of those - Ederson, Jesus, Walker - are confirmed, but the last two are not which makes this section subject to change.
Kevin de Bruyne ($22) is always a solid play. He is matchup-proof and can put up a big game on any team. He has a solid floor especially with the way Chelsea's defense has been recently. Raheem Sterling ($21) is in good form right now and has +130 anytime scoring odds. He has shown a nice floor recently too and would make sense as a pivot off of a chalkier KDB. It looks like Sergio Aguero ($20) might get a start, but that is a tough buy as he likely won't be playing a full game. Ilkay Gundogan ($12) will provide nice value to this game environment as always.
On the Chelsea side, Timo Werner ($19) got a price drop. He is in the middle of eight scoreless EPL games, and will be tough to recommend until he breaks out of his slump. Tammy Abraham ($18) is a better play for $1 less. He has six goals in the league this year and good +160 anytime scoring odds. City's defense has been really good in the league this year, so taking a Chelsea guy like Mason Mount ($16) who can thrive off peripherals in this game is a safer play. N'Golo Kante ($10) is a great value play on this slate. He collects a ton of defensive stats and there should be endless opportunities for him to get those stats in this game. He has shown some ability to create chances lately too which boosts his appeal.
There are no Newcastle attackers currently in my player pool with their inability to get anything going up top recently and a difficult matchup against a stingy Leicester defense.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
James Justin ($14) does not appear that often in my articles, but he will be one of my favorite defenders plays on this slate. He has been creating chances lately with 2.6 per game over his last five games. He is also getting a good number of defensive stats which boosts his floor. Justin - along with the other Leicester defenders - have a good chance at a clean sheet bonus too. Speaking over other Leicester defenders, Timothy Castagne ($8) is one of the better value plays on this slate.
Manchester City force a lot of defensive action from opposing defenders, so I want to target some of Chelsea's backline on this slate. Instead of paying up for Kurt Zouma ($14), I will gladly take the savings and play Thiago Silva ($12) instead who can get similar defensive stats as Zouma. He, and Cesar Azpilicueta ($10), will be busy in this game making them two of my favorite defenders on the slate.
Both DeAndre Yedlin ($8) and Matt Ritchie ($7) are cheap and have been solid lately. They have a decent matchup here and can provide some additional value on this slate.
FanDuel DFS Goalkeepers
Kasper Schmeichel ($14) is the most expensive GK on the slate for a reason. He is the most likely GK to get the win bonus with Leicester as the largest favorite. He is also facing a Newcastle team that cannot score right now. They have just one goal in their last four games, and they got shut out in each of their last three games. Schmeichel is my favorite GK on the slate.
Zack Steffen ($5) is going to be an elite - but chalky - play on Sunday assuming he starts for Ederson ($11) who is in self-isolation. For minimum price, you can get a GK on a favored team who should be able to make a handful of saves. His opponent, Chelsea, are not scoring much right now either. Steffen has a very high ceiling if he can keep Chelsea out of his net on Sunday.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!
