EPL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings And FanDuel (10/31/26) - English Premier League Soccer Matchweek Nine

October 30, 2026

Brandon's DraftKings and FanDuel EPL DFS lineup picks for English Premier League Soccer on 10/31/26 (Matchweek Nine). His top daily fantasy soccer forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeepers.

Welcome back to "The Kick-Off!" and welcome to the 2026-27 season! European play is back with the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, so rotations are inevitable! As always, check lineups before kickoff! There was no European play this midweek. However, European play returns next midweek, and it can still lead to proactive rotations this weekend. This weekend will feature matchups at both Coventry City FC and Hull City FC. Will your club reach stardom and win the coveted English Premier League title this season? Let's kick off Matchweek Nine.

The top favorite for today is Manchester City FC (-150) vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (+340). I will guide you through this five-match slate starting at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 31st.

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.

EPL DFS Goalies

James Trafford - DK $4.1K || FD $10

Opponent - at AFC Bournemouth

Plenty of goalkeeper options are available this weekend, including several ‘value’ goalies. One of the top goalies is James Trafford of Leeds United. In his most recent five appearances, he has made 19 saves, conceded four goals, and recorded two clean sheets. That is just under four saves per match over that time frame.

Trafford and the Peacocks are entering a prime matchup against AFC Bournemouth. The Cherries will not be an easy matchup. However, they will offer plenty of shot volume and save opportunities. Bournemouth rank in the top ten over their last five domestic appearances, excluding splits in both Goals For Per 90 and Shots For Per 90. Meanwhile, Leeds’ stingy defense ranks as the worst in Shots Against Per 90 and top ten in Goals Against Per 90 over the same window. This is a matchup of one in-form offense and one in-form defense. Trafford projects to be one of the highest-scoring goalies on the slate, thanks to the projected save volume.                                                                   

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Caoimhín Kelleher (DK $5.6K || FD $12) vs. Nottingham Forest
• Bart Verbruggen (DK $3.6K || FD $9) at Manchester City FC

EPL DFS Forwards

Mohamed Belloumi - DK $6.3K || FD $21

Opponent - vs. Ipswich Town FC

Mohamed Belloumi has ‘cooled off’ in his past two games after a three-match point streak (three goals, one assist). The attacking midfielder has amassed three goals, one assist, 17 shots, four chances created, 11 crosses, seven corners, 13 tackles, one interception, and four clearances in his most recent five domestic appearances (four starts). Despite not scoring in his last two fixtures, Belloumi is still averaging three shots and three tackles per match.

Luckily, Ipswich Town FC provides a prime matchup. The visitors have arguably the worst defense on the slate over the last five domestic fixtures, giving Hull City FC competition. From a Per 90 Against viewpoint, in the last five fixtures–excluding splits–Ipswich Town ranks in the bottom five in Goals, Chances Created, Big Chances Created, In-the-Box Shots, In-the-Box Goals, and Penalty Area Defense. In what is expected to be a match full of fireworks, Mohamed Belloumi is projected to quickly reach value as the main set-piece taker for the Tigers.                     

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Igor Thiago (DK $6.8K || FD $16) vs. Nottingham Forest
• Taiwo Awoniyi (DK 6.7K || FD $13) vs. Sunderland AFC

EPL DFS Midfielders

Jack Rudoni - DK $7.1K || FD $17

Opponent - vs. Sunderland AFC

Jack Rudoni has taken Coventry City FC by storm. Within his last five fixtures–excluding splits–he has produced two goals, seven shots, eight chances created, 30 crosses, ten corners, five tackles, and six clearances. Rudoni is the Sky Blues' primary set-piece taker and their main catalyst. From a Per 90 Against viewpoint in the last five domestic fixtures for Sunderland AFC–excluding splits–they rank bottom five in every meaningful metric. Notably, they rank dead last in Goals Against Per 90, In-the-Box Goals Against Per 90, and Penalty Area Defense.

Jack Rudoni heading home his FIFTEENTH goal contribution of the season 🫡

🪄 Everything he touches at the minute turns to goals:

⚽️⚽️🅰️🅰️ in his last four 👏

#FantasyEFL | @Coventry_City https://t.co/ONH7Kcntbl

— Fantasy EFL (@FEFLOfficial) March 1, 2025

Rudoni is not a shoot-first player, and he will look to make the breaking pass to set up a goal instead. Given Sunderland’s poor defense and inability to keep clubs out of the penalty area, Rudoni is projected for a big performance this weekend. With plenty of other names to pay up for, the creative midfielder also offers salary relief, without conceding any ceiling. He is also projected to have much lower ownership than a few other midfielders, giving him slate-breaking potential.                                                                                     

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Marcus Tavernier (DK $8.4K || FD $22) vs. Leeds United
• Julio Enciso (DK $5.6K || FD $16) at Hull City FC

EPL DFS Defenders

Trai Hume - DK $5.5K || FD $11

Opponent - at Coventry City FC

Staying at the Coventry Building Society Arena, we have Trai Hume of Sunderland AFC. The wingback has been inconsistent over the last month, to no fault of his own. Sunderland AFC has been rotating a few different options at full-back, with Trai Hume falling down the pecking order. The visitors have been seeking more defensive-minded full-backs and using Hume further up the pitch. Sunderland is expected to do exactly that this weekend.

Trai Hume opens the scoring at Stade Bollaert-Delelis 🎯👏 https://t.co/jYTtqrcT8I

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) August 8, 2026

Hume will play as a winger in the 4-2-3-1 formation this weekend. He will offer defensive upside. However, his offensive capabilities will be front and center in the prime matchup against Coventry City FC. Hume has produced one shot, two chances created, 20 crosses, six corners, four tackles, three interceptions, and 20 clearances over his last five appearances and four starts. The hosts are not a defensive stronghold, but they have improved recently. Despite the improvements, they still rank bottom three in Goals Against Per 90, Chances Created Against Per 90, and In-the-Box Shots Against Per 90. With few defensive options this weekend, Hume offers the perfect balance of offense and defense.                                                                                         

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Lewie Coyle (DK $3.7K || FD $9) vs. Ipswich Town FC
• Milan van Ewijk (DK $3.6K || FD $10) vs. Sunderland AFC

Corner Takers

• AFC Bournemouth: Marcus Tavernier/Justin Kluivert
• Leeds United: Anton Stach
• Brentford FC: Mathias Jensen
• Nottingham Forest: Neco Williams/Morgan Gibbs-White
• Coventry City FC: Jack Rudoni
• Sunderland AFC: Enzo Le Fée/Granit Xhaka
• Hull City FC: Mohamed Belloumi
• Ipswich Town FC: Julio Enciso
• Manchester City FC: Enzo Fernández
• Brighton & Hove Albion: Pascal Groß/Maxim De Cuyper

Thanks for reading The Kick-Off. Good luck in all of your contests today!

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