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Brandon's DraftKings and FanDuel EPL DFS lineup picks for English Premier League Soccer on 8/30/26 (Matchweek Two). His top daily fantasy soccer forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeepers.
Welcome back to "The Kick-Off!" and welcome to the 2026-27 season! The World Cup has come and gone, and the dreadful break from European soccer is over! Plenty of movement in the off-season for several clubs makes this season even more exciting than last year! Will your club reach stardom and win the coveted English Premier League title this season? Let's kick off Matchweek Two.
The top favorite for today is Chelsea FC (-125) vs. Brighton & Hove Albion FC (+310). I will guide you through this three-match slate starting at 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 30.
If you have any questions on today's slate, bankroll management, GPP strategy, cash game strategy, or anything else, don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected], via X @df_solutions, or in our Discord chat rooms.
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EPL DFS Goalies
Bernd Leno - DK $4.5K || FD $9
Opponent - at Sunderland AFC
Bernd Leno did not have the best of performances in his season debut vs Chelsea FC last weekend. The keeper made three saves and conceded three goals in the start. It is always hard to analyze team and player performances after one week. However, Chelsea did look much improved from last season, especially in their offense, making that fixture a ‘harder’ or more ‘challenging’ fixture for Leno and Fulham in general.
Luckily, signs point to Leno having a bounce-back performance here. This is Leno’s ninth season in the English Premier League, or EPL, and his fifth season with Fulham FC. Last season was also his best with Fulham, making 98 saves, conceding 51 goals, and recording nine clean sheets. The Cottagers made more additions during the offseason, including a few key additions to the offense. With the additions and continuous improvement of Leno, expect him to make a run for the top goalie on the slate at the Stadium of Light.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- James Trafford (DK $4.9K || FD $10) vs. Brentford FC
- Bart Verbruggen (DK $4.2K || FD $8) at Chelsea FC
EPL DFS Forwards
Nilson Angulo - DK $6.1K || FD $14
Opponent - vs. Fulham FC
For fantasy managers that do not know of Nilson Angulo, it isn’t going to be long until he is a household name. The striker had his big breakout season last year in the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium for RSC Anderlecht, producing six goals and seven assists in 22 fixtures. He also appeared for all four matches–two starts–with Ecuador in the World Cup, producing one goal, two shots, two chances created, six crosses, seven corners, two tackles, and two interceptions. In his EPL debut and Sunderland AFC debut, Angulo managed one goal, two shots, two crosses, one tackle, and one interception.
As mentioned above, Bernd Leno conceded three goals in his season debut last weekend against Chelsea FC. Sunderland AFC is by no means a comparable club to that of Chelsea FC, but it does provide hope for the Black Cats. Furthermore, in the very small sample size from last week, Fulham FC was in the bottom eight in both Chances Created Against Per 90 and Big Chances Created Against Per 90. At Angulo’s salary and his open-play value and set piece value, he will have several opportunities to produce a ceiling performance here.
"A MOMENT OF ABSOLUTE MAGIC!" 🎙️
Sunderland's Nilson Angulo knew EXACTLY what to do for this free kick equalizer. pic.twitter.com/hhKpTkWoAP— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) August 22, 2026
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Morgan Rogers (DK $8.5K || FD $19) vs. Brighton & Hove Albion FC
- Gonzalo García (DK $8.1K || FD $16) at Sunderland AFC
EPL DFS Midfielders
Oscar Bobb - DK $3K || FD $13
Opponent - at Sunderland AFC
Staying at the Stadium of Light, there is ex-Manchester City prospect, Oscar Bobb. THE slate’s cheat code. Bobb is at the minimum salary for a midfielder and he is being put in one of the best spots for the Cottagers. Bobb slots into the right wing position for Fulham and had an impressive performance in the 3-2 loss to Chelsea. He produced one chance created, three crosses, four corners, three tackles, and one interception.
In Sunderland AFC’s first fixture of the season, they traveled to Portman Road for an eventual 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town FC. Fulham FC on paper have more firepower, even on the road. It will not take much for Bobb to make value either. Considering how many high-salary options that are on the slate, both ‘CASH’ and ‘GPP’ contests, Bobb is considered a ‘LOCK’.
Opening his @premierleague account in style 🤷♂️😮💨 pic.twitter.com/DEtcKenJM8
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 16, 2025
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Pascal Groß (DK $7.3K || FD $17) at Chelsea FC
- Harry Wilson (DK $6.4K || FD $15) at Leeds United
EPL DFS Defenders
Reece James - DK $7.6K || FD $15 ** LISTED AS MID ON FanDuel **
Opponent - vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
Despite the additions to Chelsea FC, Reece James took both corners having full control over set pieces. This is something that will need monitored as the season progresses. It does look as if Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will utilize James like Joshua Kimmich gets utilized for Bayern München of the Bundesliga. He can play at either wingback or a midfield position and has majority control over set pieces.
James is expected to be heavily involved in this fixture too. There is expected to be plenty of back-and-forth. In the 3-2 win against Fulham FC, Reece James produced two shots, one chance created, three crosses, one corner, two interceptions, two clearances, and two blocks. At FanDuel, they reward more defensive players because of their scoring structure, a place where James will become a mainstay in lineups. On a slate where three defenders won’t only be viable but potentially popular, Reece James will garner high ownership making him the optimal play in ‘CHALK’ or ‘CASH’ contests.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Maxim De Cuyper (DK $5.8K || FD $15) at Chelsea FC ** LISTED AS MID ON FanDuel **
- Trai Hume (DK $4.7K || FD $10) vs. Fulham FC
Corner Takers
- Chelsea FC: Reece James
- Brighton & Hove Albion FC: Pascal Groß
- Leeds United: Harry Wilson/Anton Stach
- Brentford FC: Vitaly Janelt/Mathias Jensen
- Sunderland AFC: Granit Xhaka/Nilson Angula
- Fulham FC: Oscar Bobb/Alex Iwobi
Thanks for reading The Kick-Off. Good luck in all of your contests today!
