FanDuel EPL DFS breakdown: Gameweek 3

FanDuel EPL is back this week with a Saturday main slate that has 10 teams for us to pick from. We have you covered to cash in FanDuel soccer DFS this week.

Last week saw a lot of changes to the lineups on Saturday morning. Liverpool rested 5 players for their Champions League game and it meant some last-minute changes to my picks. Joe Gomez was the pick of those plays and came in at only $4k and had 20 FanDuel points for a nice day.

If you look at the top of last week’s GPPs you will see two players that everyone used. Chicarito had a two goal game against Southampton for 51 FD points. At less than 5% owned he was the play of the day. The other must have player was Wayne Hennessey who had a career game at Liverpool for 37.5 FanDuel points. He had no clean sheet but an incredible 12 saves.

The big winners in the $4 FanDuel GPP all had scores in the 230’s FD points. That means they were almost at 4x value for their budget. That is the benchmark we are trying to hit each week to cash big.

This week the big question is what to do with the Man Utd chalk. The Old Trafford side are highly favored in the bookies highest scoring game. After back-to-back 4 goal performances I expect them to be very chalky on a slate without any of the other top 7 sides.

Make sure to check lineups. Last year the FanDuel EPL contests did not tell you when a player was starting or not. We have a pretty good idea of how teams will lineup on Saturday but teams are often coy with injuries and game plans before the season starts.

I’ll be on Twitter @davidgatesports to chat through lineups on Saturday from 9am EST. Happy to give advice with any surprises on the team sheets.

FanDuel EPL Gameweek 3 – Let’s get it!

FanDuel EPL Goalkeepers

My top keeper pick of the week is Heurelho Gomes (4500). He has a good matchup at home to Brighton who are yet to score in the Premier League. The Brazilian kept a clean sheet last week against Bournemouth even with a makeshift back four. Their defensive injuries is my only red flag but nothing I’ve seen in Brighton’s first two games make me think they are likely to score.

Kasper Schmeichel (5500) is likely to be the busiest keeper of the day. I like Schmeichel in high volume matchups as he is probably the best keeper outside of the top 6. He has the ability to make the tough saves. I have little hopes of a clean sheet with how freely United are scoring but his volume may make up for that.

Huddersfield are yet to concede a goal this year and are at home this week to Southampton. I really like the look of The Terriers this year. Very organized and ready for everything they’ve faced so far. Jonas Lössl (4500) has had two 20+ FanDuel point games making 4 and 5 saves in those two games. That represents a high floor alongside a good shot at a clean sheet.

My sneaky GK play this week is Joe Hart (4000) his game log looks terrible with seven goals conceded and barely a save to note. However he has a good matchup at home to Newcastle who are yet to score in the Premier League this year.

FanDuel EPL Defenders

If I am taking on a little more risk with my forwards and midfielders I want a couple of defenders I can rely on to build a solid base. So far this year that has been Chris Lowe (5500) of Huddersfield. The left back has been a consistent part of both their defense and attack. He has exactly 18.5 FanDuel points in both games and is on course for the same this week against Southampton.

I am targeting the Palace v Swansea game for stacking this week with value to be found in the Eagles attackers. One player I love as a defensive supplement to that stack is Patrick van Aanholt (6000). The Dutch international has two 20+ FanDuel point games without a goal or an assist. He took 7 corners against Huddersfield on the opening day and is always an assist the threat with Benteke on the pitch. I love his usage in the new 352 formation that Palace are using under Frank de Boer.

Ryan Bertrand (5000) is a column regular when looking for upside in the DEF position. This week he faces Huddersfield who have given up 27.5 & 18 FD pts to left backs in their two games. He has good upside this week and his relatively low price gives him a nice floor too.

Keep an eye out for Victor Lindelof (4000) for Manchester United in the late game. They spent £31 million on him this summer and it is a surprise he is not first choice. A poor performance against Real Madrid in the Super Cup got him benched. He will play sooner or later and as only 4k he will go straight into my lineup as a great value play.

FanDuel EPL Midfielders

The first thing you need to do in this slate is work out how you are going to play the Man Utd v Leicester game. It is by far predicted to be the highest scoring game on the slate. United have scored 8 goals in two games and Leicester have 5. The foxes also put 4 past Sheffield United this week in the League Cup. With no other elite attacking teams on the slate this game is likely to be chalk. It will be hard to avoid in Cash games but I am going to go elsewhere in GPP.

Paul Pogba looks way overpriced at 12k. He needs 50 points to make value. Sure he can do that but West Ham and Swansea collapsed in their games. Leicester are a tougher matchup. Mkhitaryan (10500) is also on the high side. Four assist in two games is incredible but not sustainable. Especially as he has not been on set pieces.

The players I like from United are Herrera (6000) & Lingard (6000). They have not started yet this year but Mourinho is likely to start rotating soon and he like both of these players. I love their prices and that they will be low owned. There is also the game theory bump that if they play – and do well – it will be at the expense of chalky plays like Pogba and Mkhitaryan. The big downside is that they are in the late game. You might need to leave budget to pivot to Matic or Albrighton. Matty James and Danny Drinkwater are unlikely to do much.

Elsewhere, Mooy (10000) has rocketed in price after two fantastic weeks. He is not a bad cash play but I don’t like his upside for price in GPP. I much prefer Michail Antonio (8500) who came back from injury with a 24 FD pt game. He now has Chicarito to put away some of those many chances he creates.

My two favorite midfield plays of the day are in the Swansea v Palace game. Tom Carroll (7500) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (8000). Both have had very good starts to the season, even without a goal or assist to their names. They face each other in a matchup that suits them both.

FanDuel EPL Forwards

I will be using Christian Benteke (7500) in all my lineups this week. Swansea let in 4 goals to Manchester United last Saturday and look vulnerable to power and strength. Palace have yet to click with Zaha missing but they faced Huddersfield and Liverpool in their first two games. Those two teams defend in a similar fashion with an emphasis on pressing high up the pitch. Swansea will give Palace a lot more the ball and a lot more time with it.

Let’s talk about Romelu Lukaku (12000). He is the best striker on the slate on the best team on the slate in the game with the most predicted goals and he has the highest odds of scoring. However he needs over two goals to make 4x value and will be CHALK. So I started to look at reasons to fade him. United’s results against Leicester last year? Three wins; 2-1, 4-1 & 3-0. But how did Lukaku do for Everton against Leicester? Only the 4 goals in 3 games. There is not a single reason to fade him apart from game theory.

Chicharito (9500) is a very goal dependent forward. He does not contribute to any other aspect of play so he is a boom or bust pick. I will only be using him in GPP and in a pair with Antonio to maximize GPP upside.

If you are looking for some bargain forwards I would keep an eye for Watford’s Andre Gray (6500) and Newcastle’s Aleksandar Mitrovic (6500) if they are starters.

FanDuel EPL Lineups

Note: these are sample lineups and are not optimized. The only guarantee I can give you is that I will playing them too. I will also have some lines that are not here. Best thing is to take some of these picks and build your own lineup – especially in GPP – as lineup sharing only reduces the amount you can win.

Lineup 1

FWD: Lukaku – Man Utd

FWD: Benteke – Crystal Palace

MID: Loftus-Cheek – Crystal Palace

MlD: Mkhitaryan – Man Utd

MID: Herrera/Lingard – Man Utd

DEF: Lowe – Huddersfield

DEF: Van Aanholt – Crystal Palace

GK: Gomes – Watford

Lineup 2

FWD: Chicarito – West Ham

FWD: Benteke – Crystal Palace

MID: Loftus-Cheek – Crystal Palace

MlD: Carroll – Swansea

MID: Antonio – West Ham

DEF: Lowe – Huddersfield

DEF: Van Aanholt – Crystal Palace

GK: Lossl – Huddersfield

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Best of luck in your FanDuel EPL contests and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all your DFS news and analysis for EPKL, MLB and NFL season!

FanDuel EPL DFS breakdown: Gameweek 3 – Aug 26 2017