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Vince's FanDuel EPL DFS lineup picks for English Premier League soccer on 5/1/21. His top daily fantasy soccer forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeepers.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! We are finally past that split gameweek we had during the week that left us with many single-game slates packed together. We did have a single-game slate Friday to get us to the weekend, but now we have a normal Saturday slate here for us. There really is not a race for the title, nor is there much of a relegation battle, but there are some European qualifier spots are still up in the air. Regardless, there is definitely still plenty of DFS to be played before the season ends. I have another full breakdown for you all. Keep reading this breakdown for my DFS soccer picks on RotoBaller and see how to have success on Saturday's slate.
The very large majority of my DFS content will be EPL-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!
In this article, I will be providing you with my English Premier League daily fantasy soccer lineup picks for FanDuel on 5/1/21 for the slate that locks at 10:00 am 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
Brighton vs Leeds
If anyone currently outside of the relegation zone is going to get caught, it would be Brighton (+110), who are a good seven points above Fulham still. They will need to find a way to keep getting good results in order to ensure their safety, but unfortunately for them, they're going up against an in-form Leeds side. Leeds have beaten Manchester City and tied Liverpool and Manchester United in their last three games. Prior to that, they beat Sheffield and Fulham. They travel to take on Brighton - who are coming off one of their worst results of the season; a 1-0 loss to last place Sheffield. Leeds haven't been very good away from home this year, but Brighton have just been bad overall. Leeds manager - Marcelo Bielsa - still has his men playing with tenacity. I think they win this game and Vegas is wrong to have them as underdogs. The goal total over/under is 2.5
Chelsea vs Fulham
Chelsea (-200) are one of those clubs still trying to secure a UCL spot for next year. They are three points up over West Ham - who they just beat 1-0 - for 4th place. Chelsea are the biggest favorites on the slate, and they should control this game against Fulham. This game will be a popular one to target. The goal total over/under is 2.5.
Everton vs Aston Villa
Everton (+105) are by no means out of the race for a top five spot this season. They're three points back of WHU for the Europa League spot, and they have this game in hand. Their form is decent with three draws and a win over Arsenal. They host an Aston Villa side that has been very average over the last few months and has essentially no hope at anything better than a mid-table finish. They have just three league wins since the beginning of February. While it should be a fairly even game, you'd expect Everton to prevail at home given the stakes. The goal total over/under is 2.5.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
I want to target some Chelsea attackers against this Fulham defense that has allowed 2.0 goals per game over their last five games. However, with Chelsea likely to rest some of their normal starters in preparation for next week's Champions League game against Real Madrid, picking the guys to target before lineups are out could be tough. It's not necessary to pay up for whichever striker Tuchel decides to put out there with guys like Mason Mount ($17) and Callum Hudson-Odoi ($13) available for cheaper. Mount has been incredible lately and should be able to dice up Fulham's defense. He has a nice floor as well with the way Fulham allow tackles at the second-highest rate in the league.
I don't love Aston Villa away from home in this game, however, Ollie Watkins ($20) will get into some of my lineups on Saturday. Everton's defense is suspect - even at home where they allow 1.56 goals per game. Watkins has the best anytime scoring odds for Villa at +185, plus he has been getting strong peripherals lately. That will be valuable on this slate where goals might be sparse.
On the opposite end of the pitch, Richarlison ($21) interests me in this game. Aston Villa have not conceded many goals on the road this year (0.88/game), however, they have not been playing well lately. They have just one clean sheet since the start of March and have allowed at least two goals in their last three games. Everton still have a lot to play for here, so I expect them to be pushing for goals. Richarlison - like Watkins - has been getting good peripherals lately and has good +140 anytime scoring odds.
I am very interested in several Brighton attackers on this slate. Attackers facing Leeds have been great all season. Leeds allow 1.94 goals per game on the road and allow 4th most chances and 3rd most shots on goal per game. I'm most interested in Neal Maupay ($17) for this price. He has the best anytime goal odds in this game at +125 and has one of the better floors on the slate in this matchup. Pascal Gross ($14) is easily one of the best cheap-ish plays on the slate. This is an ideal matchup for him in a game that Brighton needs as well.
I'm not a proponent of punting to find attackers on this slate, but if you really want/need the salary, I'm okay with using Pascal Struijk ($8) or even Andre Gomes ($5) for minimum price. Punt at your own risk with these two.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
Ben Godfrey ($8) continues to be one of the better value defenders. He has three straight 18+ point games here and has a strong matchup to make that four straight in this game. Aston Villa allow clearances at the 2nd highest rate in the league. Godfrey has a stable floor with clearances and can put up another high-teens performance with some other defensive peripherals.
Leeds allow a lot of clearances, interceptions, and blocks. Lewis Dunk ($14) should score very well in this matchup, but I much prefer Adam Webster ($6) for a whole $8 less. He has had some decent games recently, and I think his floor here is in the mid-teens.
Marcos Alonso ($13) was a major letdown in his last start against Brighton. He gets a chance to avenge himself in another good matchup against Fulham. His attacking ability on the wing for Chelsea should be apparent in a matchup like this where Chelsea should dominate ball possession. He has one of the highest attacking upsides on the slate, plus Chelsea defenders are the most likely to get a clean sheet bonus. Andreas Christensen ($7) is one of the better value plays on the slate. He's been playing very well and has an above-average matchup.
FanDuel DFS Goalkeepers
Edouard Mendy ($13) is my top-ranked GK on the slate. He looks great for both a win and a clean sheet bonus. That's enough to get me to play him on Saturday. His ceiling is limited since he probably won't see many saves, but I'll take the safety of his bonuses.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!
