SOCCER
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper for EPL 6/24/2020
Bruno Fernandes has produced the goods since joining Manchester United. Who else can we target on this slate?

The Premier League action is coming thick and fast and we finally have games starting at the same time. This is a four-game slate and we will have the benefit of knowing all of the lineups prior to contests locking. Let's look at the odds for these games, courtesy of Soccer odd:

HomeDrawAway
Manchester United -240+350Sheffield United +750
Wolves -185+300Bournemouth +550
Norwich +320+260Everton -115
Newcastle +135+220Aston Villa +210


Forwards to Target

Marcus Rashford ($9,500): Rashford made his recovery during the lockdown period and was able to start the first game against Tottenham on Friday. Despite not playing since January 11th, he still ranks tied for sixth in goals in the Premier League with 14. The matchup with a defensively solid team like Sheffield United may not look like a favorable one for Rashford on paper, but there are a couple of factors that make it better beneath the surface.

The Blades are a poor possession team, controlling the ball for only 45.5% of the game on average, per WhoScored.com. Starting center back John Egan will be suspended for this match and Dean Henderson, who has been a stellar goalkeeper for them all season, is ineligible to play against his parent club. Manchester United also have the rest advantage, having last played Friday while Sheffield United played as recently as Sunday. All of these reasons have lead to Manchester United being the biggest favorite on this slate, and to Marcus Rashford having the best any time goal-scoring odds on the slate.

Richarlison ($7,600): Richarlison is the type of player that will contribute in a number of different ways. To start, his ten goals are nothing to sneeze at when compared to totals for other forwards in the league. He also gets numerous peripheral statistics, with over two shots, one chance created, one cross, and two fouls drawn per 90 minutes, according to Rotowire. The matchup for Richarlison and Everton against Norwich City doesn't get much better in the Premier League.

They have allowed the second-most goals and the second-most shots per game in the league. Norwich sits comfortably at the bottom of the table and didn't impress anyone when they lost 3-0 to Southampton in their first match since the restart. Richarlison has goal-scoring odds of +120 and adds a good floor with the other elements he brings to the table. This puts him in play in all formats.

Miguel Almirón ($6,400): After a rough start to the year, Miguel Almirón has picked it up as of late and has been a valuable fantasy asset. He has seven shot-assists and nine crosses in his last three matches. Those games weren't against any powerhouse teams, coming against Sheffield United, Burnley and Southampton. Luckily for Almirón, the matchup gets even easier. Newcastle will face Aston Villa, the worst defensive team in the league. They have allowed the most goals and shots per game, along with the third most crosses against per game. If there is any team in the league that can help Almirón continue his good form, it's Aston Villa. He is in play for cash games because of the opponent and his ability to score points across the board.

Midfielders to Target

Bruno Fernandes ($11,300): The top of midfield is loaded with good options, but Bruno Fernandes stands out above the rest. He has been on fire since joining Manchester United in January, with three goals and three assists in six Premier League games for the club. He also has inherited set-piece duty, as he took five of six corner kicks for Man United in their last match. Fernandes is also the primary penalty taker, scoring three goals from the spot for United in all competitions. In his six Premier League matches, he has no less than 13.5 DraftKings points. There are other ways to go at the midfield position and save money, but none of the other options offer the same floor/ceiling combination as Bruno Fernandes.

Jack Grealish ($8,500): One of few bright spots for Aston Villa this season has been local hero Jack Grealish. He has been the man to do nearly everything, leading the team in goals, shots, and crosses. He has gotten these crosses by being one of the main set-piece takers for Villa. Something Grealish has done better than anyone else in the Premier League this season is drawing fouls. He has drawn a crazy 5.01 fouls per 90 minutes, including a season-high nine in his last match. The matchup against Newcastle is good for Grealish, as they allow the most crosses per game and are the worst possession team in the league. Grealish has more appeal than other midfielders in the $8,000 range because of his goal-scoring upside. He has seven league goals this season while other midfielders around his price like João Moutinho and Matt Ritchie have only one.

David Brooks ($4,800): Brooks made his first appearance of the season on Saturday, after a long time out with injury. He was productive in his debut as well, recording eight crosses and three shot-assists. He took five corners while he was on the pitch. With Ryan Fraser not playing, Brooks should have a role on set pieces going forward. His Bournemouth team may be an underdog, but he's cheap enough to pay off his salary regardless of a somewhat tough matchup. If Brooks was not in the starting eleven, Junior Stanislas ($3,300) was his replacement off the bench last game and took over his corner kick duty. He would be the replacement in the scenario in which he starts.

With the games coming so soon one after the other, some squad rotation may commence. Some viable punt plays would be Kenny McLean ($3,800), Jesse Lingard ($3,400), or Christian Atsu ($3,300) if they were to make their respective starting lineups.

Defenders to Target

Lucas Digne ($6,400): Digne is one of the standout fantasy defenders in the Premier League. He has the fourth most crosses in the league, regardless of position. Before a tough matchup against Liverpool last game, Digne had gone six straight games with at least seven crosses. While he doesn't have a goal this season, he was able to score four goals last season, including two from direct free kicks. He'll face Norwich, who allow 23 crosses per game, the fourth-most in the league. Norwich are also the lowest-scoring team in the league, giving Digne the chance to get a clean sheet.

Matt Targett ($5,300): Targett is a good option at defender for a little less than Digne. He takes some corner kicks for Aston Villa, giving him some value in the attack against Newcastle, the team allowing the most crosses per game in the league. Targett also racks up points defensively, averaging 1.11 tackles won and 2.41 interceptions per 90 minutes. Targett will be less owned than the more popular Digne, and could have a good game in this spot.

Adam Smith ($3,100): Smith isn't a great play by any stretch, but is a wide player in Bournemouth's 3-4-3 system. He averages over five DraftKings points per game. If he were to hit his five points at his $3,100 price tag, that would basically pay off his salary. He is just a punt play that allows you to play some expensive players at other positions.

Goalkeepers to Target

Jordan Pickford ($5,300): Pickford is a favorite against the last-placed team in the league. He kept a clean sheet last time out against Liverpool, his seventh of the season. This time against Norwich, it's the best matchup a keeper can get in the Premier League. Pickford is the third most expensive projected starting keeper, making him a pretty good value at the position.

Ørjan Nyland ($4,600): Facing tied for the second-lowest scoring team the league, Nyland comes in as a mid-priced keeper. He's worth taking a shot on at the variance filled position that is goalkeeper because it is unlikely that he will blow up in your face against Newcastle. Before their last match, they hadn't scored multiple goals in five games, and only were able to do so when Sheffield United went down to ten men.


Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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