FanDuel Soccer: EPL DFS Under-the-Radar Plays for Saturday 5/8/21

If you have played daily fantasy sports for a while, you know the importance of being contrarian in large-field tournaments. Recognizing which players are going to be popular and finding others who you think have a similar point projection but will be much less popular can really separate yourself from your opponents.

The same goes for DFS EPL. Even though the large-field tournaments aren't quite as large as they are for other sports, there is still value in identifying quality under-the-radar plays.

This article will discuss FanDuel's main Saturday slate, which starts at 10:00 a.m. EST and features three matches.

Matchweek 35 features three big-six sides in Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool and is highlighted by a preview of the upcoming Champions League Final. Liverpool (-350) is the largest favorite on the slate, followed by Manchester City (-110), and Crystal Palace (+145). Sheffield (+195), Chelsea (+310), and Southampton (+900) round out the slate as underdogs.

From an odds perspective, this slate should center on Liverpool, as the defending Premier League champions look to move within four points of a top-four spot. Manchester City and Chelsea are both coming off difficult mid-week fixtures and are in an interesting situation where they may not want to show their full plans ahead of the Champions League final at the end of the month. That said, Chelsea needs the three points more than City and may feel pressure to get a result here with West Ham, Tottenham, and Liverpool all within striking distance of them on the table.

With all that in mind, here are two players to consider on this slate -- especially for tournament formats -- who may fly under the radar.

David McGoldrick, FWD/MID, Sheffield

FanDuel Salary: $18

There haven't been many three-game slates with as much talent at the top end of the salary pool as there is this weekend. With attention split between Liverpool's pursuit of a top-four finish and the clash between Manchester City and Chelsea, the contest between Sheffield and Crystal Palace should go largely overlooked. Additionally, McGoldrick is surrounded by stars with Gabriel Jesus ($19), Sadio Mane ($19), Kai Havertz ($19), Sergio Aguero ($18), Mason Mount ($17), and Phil Foden ($17) all in his salary range.

Among those names, McGoldrick looks out of place, and perhaps he is, but he has demonstrated a high ceiling this season, with four performances of more than 30 FanDuel points, including a 56.2 FanDuel point performance against Manchester United back in December. He is a hit or miss option, to say the least, but he should fly completely under the radar this weekend facing a Crystal Palace side that has lost three straight.

Palace has conceded 13 goals over their last six fixtures, third-worst in the Premier League, and has just one win over their last six home fixtures. Sheffield, of course, has been historically terrible at producing goals this season, averaging 0.52 per match, but did manage a victory over Brighton in their last game against non-big-six opposition. McGoldrick is a long shot, but on a slate full of stars, he's worth consideration for large-field tournaments.

Andrew Robertson, FWD/MID, Liverpool

FanDuel Salary: $14

Robertson's counterpart on the opposite side of Liverpool's backline, Trent Alexander-Arnold ($15), will likely be popular this weekend, but Robertson should be in consideration alongside him. Over his last four fixtures, he has produced FanDuel point totals of 20.7, 16.4, 18.3, and 16.6, a marked improvement from a run of five fixtures with single-digital production.

Liverpool enter this week motivated to keep their chase for the top four alive and fully rested after their match against Manchester United was postponed. The presence of Manchester City and Chelsea on this slate, combined with the general narrative surrounding Liverpool's disappointing season, could lead to some of their starters going overlooked this weekend, despite a pristine matchup against Southampton. With a plethora of stars available, paying up at defender may be a contrarian move, and those who do so will likely pay the extra $1 for TAA over Robertson.

Consider playing one of, or both, TAA and Robertson this weekend, paired with Roberto Firmino ($16), as a way to gain exposure to the largest favorite on the slate while fading Liverpool's two most popular stars.