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Welcome back, RotoBallers! Whoever came up with the schedule did not do Leicester any favors as they played the last game of the week on Monday and begin the next matchday Friday. This will be the third single-game slate with Leicester in the last eight days, so everyone should be well-versed in the breakdown of that squad. I will be breaking down that game in full for you here. Keep reading this breakdown for my DFS soccer picks on RotoBaller and see how to have success on Friday's slate.
The very large majority of my DFS content will be EPL or UCL-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! There was some great conversation over the four UCL slates we had this week, and the Premium Slack chat is as full as ever!
In this article, I will be providing you with my English Premier League daily fantasy soccer lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/30/21 for the slate that locks at 3:00 pm 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 Leicester
Leicester (-115) have a nice four point lead in third place on the table right now, but there are some teams hot on their heels chasing a UCL spot. They have three straight wins in England including a 1-0 win over this Southampton team just 2.5 weeks ago. It was a pretty even game with Leicester getting a narrow win. This game will likely be pretty similar, but Leicester will have the edge as the better team. Southampton are also in poor form with three straight losses. Leicester is strong on the road, but I think Southampton are capable of putting up a fight at home. In the past two Leicester single-game slates, I have recommended full Leicester stacks. That won't be the case here, and you can find out why below. The goal total over/under is 2.5.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
While I don't think a full Leicester stack is needed here, I will still be starting my lineup with Leicester attackers. They've been playing well on the road all year and have a good matchup against a Southampton defense that has given up second-most goals in the league so far (1.81/game). Southampton's defense has been better at St. Mary's where they play home games, but Leicester's attack is firing on all cylinders right now with 2.25 goals per game over their last eight games in all competitions.
Kelechi Iheanacho ($15) has been the best PL striker over the last month and a half with nine goals in seven games in that span. He has moved up to the top-priced player on the slate, and his anytime goal odds keep getting better. On Friday, they sit at +135 which is still short of Jamie Vardy's ($14) slate-best -110 anytime scoring odds. I'm inclined to pay the extra dollar and ride Iheanacho's hot hand until further notice.
If you're looking for a second Leicester piece, the move is either James Maddison ($13) or Youri Tielemans ($8) depending on how you want to build the rest of your lineup. If you have the salary, Maddison has both a higher floor and a higher ceiling than Tielemans. However, Tielemans has been in good form consistently over the last 2+ months and is significantly cheaper. I have no problem playing both if you're looking for three Leicester attackers too.
Danny Ings ($13) has been ruled out for this game which will put some extra pressure on Che Adams ($12) and Theo Walcott ($6) to produce. I'll easily take Walcott for half the price especially with decent +375 anytime scoring odds. There aren't any other guys this cheap with that kind of upside on this slate.
James Ward-Prowse ($11) is my favorite Southampton attacker, especially without Ings. He will be heavily relied on in the attacking third. He's cheaper than usual and his floor is still solid with his ability to get all the peripherals with his goal/assist upside.
I'll venture down to Nathan Tella ($4) strictly if his cheap price tag allows me to fit in more of the guys like Iheanacho, Maddison, Tielemans, and JWP.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
Mohammed Salisu ($5) is a good place to start at DEF on this slate. He has been getting tackles, blocks, and interceptions at incredible rates since getting some increased time on the field starting in February. As far as allowing defensive peripherals, Leicester allow these three at an above-average rate, while they do not allow many clearances at all. This is a great matchup for Salisu to continue producing fantasy-wise and he's one of the cheapest starters of Southampton's backline. Kyle Walker-Peters ($5) thrives off tackles, interceptions, and blocks as well. There isn't much - if anything - to differentiate between these two outside of the fact that KWP has been consistently getting good peripherals all season. Salisu is a hotter hand who is just starting to get more time on the field.
A few of the Leicester defenders - particularly their wingbacks - look enticing on the slate, but I am going to be staying away. I don't think their recent attacking upside is sustainable. They are coming off prime home matchups against West Brom and Crystal Palace - who are both very poor in away games. This week, they're playing on the road against a team that will challenge them more. I'd prefer a cheap Southampton defender here and just stick to your horses in Leicester's attack.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!
