FanDuel EPL DFS: Fixtures, Flyers & Fades – Mar 10 2018

Welcome to the Fantasy CPR FanDuel EPL column! We have the Fixtures, Flyers and Fades you need to cash this weekend in soccer DFS.

I hope you read last week’s column because you would have made money! The lineup I gave out cashed in both GPP and cash – the only minor adjustment was pivoting from Joel Matip, who didn’t start, to his replacement Dejan Lovren.

That lineup was good for 211 FanDuel points. Son Heung-Min came good with a goal and an assist  but it was the late goal from Troy Deeney and Jack Butland’s stellar GK performance that really brought home the cash.

I really liked the look of last week’s slate and I wish I could say the same about this week’s! There is a very bland feel to this slate with only Chelsea from the ‘big six’ playing and other DFS target teams such as Watford playing later in the weekend.

Despite its lack of star punch there are still ways to cash and this slate will reward the smart players rather than the risky!

I break down this column into three categories: Fixtures are those you need to build your lineups around. Flyers are the gambles and the punts; cheaper or lesser known players in great positions for a break out game. Fades are those you need to avoid; I think who you choose to fade in soccer DFS is more important than in any other DFS sport.

I’ll be on Twitter @davidgatesports to chat through lineups changes and team sheet surprises from 9:00am ET.

FanDuel EPL DFS: Fixtures

Let’s start with Goalkeeper this week! There are not predicted to be many goals or shots on this slate. No keeper has the ‘high upside’ of a huge mismatch against a dominate attack. The nearest would be Wayne Hennessey (5000) but I don’t trust him or the Chelsea attack to come good. For the same price I can get Nick Pope (5000) who is the safest play in DFS at the position.

I will be mainly be playing cash games this week and only in single entry GPP. The bigger multi-entry tournaments will almost certainly be won by a shark who will put in 70+ entries. Because of that I leaning very conservative with my picks.

There are two players on this slate I often look to provide a safe floor for my lineups: Wilfred Ndidi (8500) and Idrissa Gueye (8500). I am not expecting more than 3x vale from either but I will be happy with that on this low upside slate.

On the line of safer bets I will be going for Marko Arnautovic (9500) as my main striker after two (successful) weeks of fading him. He is one of the few Forwards who can get you auxiliary stats and always carries a goal threat. Burnley are a bad matchup but the tie is at home and they really have to get a result with games running out.

FanDuel EPL DFS: Flyers

So if our ‘Fixture’ picks are going to be safe options, where can we find some upside? After watching both Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton play last weekend I am going to back The Seagulls in their matchup this week.

The in-form pairing of Glenn Murray (9500) and Pascal Gross (8500) are as good for me as any on this slate. I rate them slightly above Jamie Vardy & Riyad Mahrez and level with Alvaro Morata & Eden Hazard. They are who I am backing to find a goal or assist (or both) this week to lift my lineup above the cash line.

I think using those other pairings are fine this week. I would be more interested in either Oliver Giroud (8000) or Pedro (9500) if they start for Chelsea but they are in the late game and that will require some hoping and praying after lineups lock.

If you are using some of the more expensive Chelsea or Leicester players then I would complement them with a solid floor player like Mohamed Diame (6500) or James Ward-Prowse (7000).

Overall I prefer the mid range players over the expensive or the cheap on this slate. One decent ‘value’ play is Aaron Wan-Bissaka (5000) who has started the last two games at right back and got over 23 FanDuel points in both. Yes, please!

FanDuel EPL DFS: Fades

There are low scoring games and then there are looooooooow scoring games. Two matchups on this slate are poised to be goalless or one-goal affairs. Newcastle v Southampton is a recipe for boredom. Neither side has the fire power or confidence to turn on a good showing. Both teams desperately need a win but the fear of losing to a relegation rival will see this game finish as a dud.

I could just write ‘ditto’ for Huddersfield v Swansea. I have slightly more belief there will be action in this game; Huddersfield will not keep a clean sheet for love nor money and Swansea have some nice results recently including wins against West Ham, Arsenal and Burnley. There is still not enough here for me to trust either side in a relegation ‘six-pointer’. But if you lean either way go with Swansea.

My guess is you will see a lot of people go for Manuel Lanzini (9000) this Saturday. He is a player who *can* turn in a 50 point performance and there are very few of those outside of Chelsea on this slate. He has only broken 2.5x value on 5 of his 20 appearances. And has only scored in two games. Burnley are not as good defensively as they were early in the season but they are still decent and defensively minded side. Avoid.

FanDuel EPL: Lineup

Note: this is a sample lineup and are not optimized. The only guarantee I can give you is that I will playing it 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.

MORE FROM FANTASY CPR

• NBA DFS Picks and Pivots – Friday March 9
• NBA DFS Picks and Pivots – Thursday March 8
• FanDuel NHL Blue Line Power Plays: March 7
• NBA DFS Picks and Pivots – Wednesday March 7
• FanDuel NHL Blue Line Power Plays: March 6

Sample Lineup:

FWD: Arnautovic – West Ham

FWD: Murray – Brighton

MID: Gross – Brighton

MlD: Ndidi – Leicester

MID: Gueye – Everton

DEF: Wan-Bissaka – Crystal Palace

DEF: Dawson – West Brom

GK: Pope – Burnley

Next: FanDuel and FantasyDraft NBA Picks and Pivots

Best of luck in your FanDuel EPL contests and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all the latest DFS news and analysis!