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Welcome back, RotoBallers! Like I mentioned earlier in the week, there are a handful of single-game slates this week for us to enjoy. This is a matchup of two of the Big 6 clubs, but it's not super meaningful at the late stage of the season. Either way, 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 Wednesday'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 5/12/21 for the slate that locks at 3:15 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
Chelsea vs Arsenal
Chelsea (-140) has been in awesome form over the last few weeks. They've advanced through to the UEFA Champions League Final at the end of May and have essentially secured themselves in next season's UCL with some recent EPL wins. They have not lost in seven games, and that stretch includes two wins against Manchester City, one against Real Madrid, and one against West Ham. They'll be looking to continue trending in the right direction at home against an Arsenal squad whose season is essentially over. Both teams might throw out some players who don't start often for them to get playing time. The goal total over/under is 2.5.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
Let's start this one off with the fair warning that we have entered the time of the season where it is nearly impossible to predict starting lineups >24 hours before kickoff. Manchester United started two 17-year-olds yesterday, and we'll likely see several teams insert bench/academy players into their squads in the coming weeks.
Thomas Tuchel has rotated the squad continually since he arrived in London and will likely do so again on Wednesday. Plus, Chelsea is still involved in both the Champions League and FA Cup, so they will have more meaningful games than this one against Arsenal.
Both of these teams have been defending pretty well this season - especially lately. I don't think there will be many goals in this game, and Vegas has the over/under at 2.5 with the under at -125. Therefore, I'll take Mason Mount ($12) in my captain spot. He has the ability to create a lot of chances, and he can get good defensive peripherals. Peripherals are going to be fairly important in this game with neither defense allowing many goals, and Mount has the ability to get meaningful peripherals in this game with decent scoring upside at +210.
Kai Havertz ($14) has also come alive for Chelsea lately with three goals in his last three EPL starts. His chances to score in this game are pretty nice at +185. I'll also definitely be looking at Hakim Ziyech ($9) and/or Callum Hudson-Odoi ($7) if either starts in this game. They both have strong upside and are very affordable on this slate.
Arsenal look set for a squad overhaul this summer, and they seem done with certain starters. Bukayo Saka ($7) will likely remain in the starting lineup though. He can do damage against a lot of Premier League teams especially given he'll be one of the main creators out there for Arsenal in this game. I'm also interested in Granit Xhaka ($4) as a minimum-priced starter if he gets into the lineup. He should be able to collect enough peripherals to be worth $4.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
After some poor fantasy performances earlier in spring, Reece James ($7) is back in my player pool after showing us more of his attacking upside recently. Chelsea should control most of the ball in this game, and James continues to show his attacking presence up the flank. He should be able to create some chances in this game and Arsenal allow some decent defensive peripherals which create a good floor/ceiling combination for him.
Cesar Azpilicueta ($10) is still an elite pay-up option. He has attacking upside, great defensive peripherals, and a nice shot at a clean sheet bonus here. He's not a necessary player to prioritize - but if you have the cash - he's a good place to spend.
If you stacked up Chelsea attackers and need an Arsenal defender here, Rob Holding ($7) and Gabriel Magalhaes ($5) are my two favorites.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!
