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Brandon's DraftKings EPL DFS lineup picks for English Premier League Soccer on 12/29/24 (Matchweek 19). His top daily fantasy soccer forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeepers.
Welcome back to “The Kick-Off” and welcome to the 23-24 season! We at Rotoballer are wishing everyone the safest of travels and best of times during the holidays! Boxing Day has come and gone and the aftermath of fixture congestion is upon us. Rotation is certainly in the mix and there are plenty of injuries to go around too. Let’s kick off Matchweek Nineteen!
The top favorite for this week is Manchester City -320 at Leicester City +800. I will guide you through this five-match slate starting at 9:30 A.M. EST.
If you have any questions on today's slate, bankroll management, GPP strategy, Cash game strategy, or anything else, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected], via X @df_solutions, or in our Discord chat rooms.
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EPL DFS Goalies
José Sá - DK $3.7K || FD $8
Opponent - Tottenham Hotspurs
Jose Sa is coming off back-to-back clean sheets where he has made four saves in each fixture, shutting out Leicester City 3-0 on the road and Manchester United 2-0 at home. Over his last five domestic starts, he has recorded 16 saves, nine conceded goals, and two clean sheets.
Wolverhampton is a bottom-five club defensively in the majority of meaningful metrics. Because of this, they are expected to concede plenty of shots to give Sa a chance at a saves floor. Tottenham remains an inconsistent club at both ends of the pitch and is coming off a 1-0 shutout at City Ground too. Even if Sa concedes, as long as he makes enough saves, he will maintain value and more.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Leno (DK $5.2K || FD $11), Ramsdale (DK $3.8K || FD $8)
EPL DFS Forwards
Erling Haaland - DK $11.5K || FD $24
Opponent - Leicester City
Pundits and fans alike are baffled at the ‘fall’ of Manchester City. Especially after their loss at home to rivals Manchester United and a 1-1 draw at home to Everton. However, this is the get-right moment for The Citizens. The Foxes, in Per 90 metrics over the domestic season, is a bottom-three club in all defensive metrics, specifically the worst at Goals Against, Created Chances Against, In-the-Box Shots Against, and In-the-Box Goals Against.
Erling Haaland is a big reason for the massive drop in form from the visitors. Throughout his last five appearances in all competitions, he has one goal, nine shots, three created chances, two tackles, one interception, and four clearances. Despite the ‘lack’ of production from the star striker, he is still on pace to match or beat his performance from last year. Expect Haaland to score a brace with four shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Cunha (DK $7.9K || FD $23), Harrison (DK $5.5K || FD $12)
EPL DFS Midfielders
Phil Foden - DK $8.5K || FD $18
Opponent - Leicester City
Like his teammate above, Phil Foden will see a large share of ownership on this five-match slate. The Citizens are favorited by a large margin, and no other club comes close as a second-best favorite. The attacking midfielder is also expected to slot into the #10 role for the visitors, with teammate and fellow midfielder Kevin De Bruyne starting on the bench. This sets up Foden as the majority owner of set pieces, providing an optimal floor between crosses, corners, and shots assisted.
Throughout his last five fixtures in all competitions, he has one goal, 14 shots, 13 created chances, 24 crosses, 14 corners, two tackles, one interception, and one clearance. As mentioned above, the Foxes are the worst at Created Chances Against, In-the-Box Shots Against, and In-the-Box Goals Against. This sets up Foden for a potential ceiling performance. For under $9K on DraftKings and the potential to be the highest-scoring midfielder makes him a ‘LOCK’, especially in ‘CASH’ contests.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Maddison (DK $9.1K || FD $22), Eze (DK $8.4K || FD $20)
EPL DFS Defenders
Rico Lewis - DK $4K || FD $9
Opponent - Leicester City
The final piece to the Manchester City stack is defender Rico Lewis. In his most recent five matches in all competitions, Lewis has one goal, five shots, one created chance, four tackles, one interception, six clearances, and one block. His peripherals are far from desired, especially considering his talent and usage for the visitors. However, once again, Leicester offers the opportunity to have a big bounce-back performance.
IF Manchester City does run the projected formation where Lewis slots in at left back, he could be the highest-owned player on the slate at any position. This makes him a guaranteed ‘LOCK’ in ‘CASH’ contests and a must-have for tournaments.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Muñoz (DK $5.2K || FD $14), Williams (DK $4.9K || FD $12)
Corner Takers
- Leicester City: Kristiansen/Ayew
- Manchester City: Foden
- Crystal Palace: Eze
- Southampton: Fernandes
- Everton: Harrison/Ndiaye
- Nottingham Forest: Anderson
- Fulham FC: Pereira
- AFC Bournemouth: Christie
- Tottenham Hotspurs: Maddison
- Wolverhampton: Cunha
Thanks for reading The Kick-Off. Good luck in all of your contests today!
