SOCCER

FanDuel Soccer: EPL DFS Under-the-Radar Plays for Saturday 8/14/21

With Chelsea and Liverpool both in action to start the new season, Aston Villa's Danny Ings could go overlooked. Who else should you hone in on for tournaments on Saturday?

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 separate you 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 six matches.

Matchweek 1
Saturday, August 14th
Brighton at Burnley
Crystal Palace at Chelsea
Southampton at Everton
Wolves at Leicester City
Aston Villa at Watford
Liverpool at Norwich


Matchweek 1 brings a fresh Premier League season full of endless possibilities and several questions waiting to be answered. Can Manchester City repeat? Can Manchester United, Liverpool, or Chelsea return to the top of the mountain? Can Arsenal prove they're a better side than West Ham? Let's find out!

From an odds perspective, Matchweek 1 centers on Chelsea and Liverpool. Chelsea (-410) is the largest favorite on the slate at home against last season's 14th-place finishers, Crystal Palace. Liverpool (-320) are close behind on the road against Norwich, followed by Leicester (-145) and Everton (-105). Aston Villa (+135) and Brighton (+145) round out the slate as slight road favorites in pick'ems. Two defining themes of early matchweeks are the impact of new summer signings and the absence of stars due to injury/recovery following international competitions.

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

James Maddison, FWD/MID, Leicester City

FanDuel Salary: $15

Maddison needs no introduction given his proven track record in the Premier League, but after a slow finish to last campaign, he may go overlooked on Saturday. With both Chelsea and Liverpool listed as heavy favorites, there are plenty of options in the FWD/MID player pool to draw attention away from Maddison.

Maddison finished last season with FanDuel point totals of 2.6, 1.3, and 12.3 in his last three starts and failed to produce a goal or an assist over his last eight contests. He spent much of the summer linked with a transfer move to Arsenal. But such a move has failed to materialize, and he is expected to open the season at the center of Leicester City's midfield. With a salary of only $15, Maddison is simply too cheap for his potential against a Wolves side that closed out last season with three consecutive defeats.

Before a hip injury derailed his campaign in February, Maddison was consistently producing double-digit FanDuel point performances with numerous weeks of 20-plus points. Back at full fitness, all it will take is one such performance for him to be among the most popular options each weekend. Consider taking advantage of the presence of Chelsea and Liverpool on this slate as a chance to roster Maddison at a low salary and lower popularity before he rejoins the Premier League's elites in future slates.

Danny Ings, FWD/MID, Aston Villa

FanDuel Salary: $18

Ings is expected to make his debut for Aston Villa on Saturday following a move from Southampton. Ollie Watkins ($20) is questionable for Saturday with a knee injury, and his absence would ensure a busy first game for Ings at the front of Villa's new-look attack.

At a salary of $18, Ings should go overlooked spearheading an Aston Villa side that is unexciting compared to the prospects of Jamie Vardy ($19) and Mason Mount ($18), who are in the same range of the player pool. Ings is a proven scorer in the Premier League, registering 34 goals combined over his last two seasons with Southampton. He was on fire in April into early May, producing FanDuel point totals of 44.3, 1.3, 29.3, and 41.3 before closing out the season with three consecutive outings of fewer than 3.0 FanDuel points.

With Chelsea and Liverpool both in excellent spots this weekend, Ings should fly under the radar at his high salary. At +100, Ings' odds to score are better than both Timo Werner's (+145) and Sadio Mane's (+105).

Chris Wood, FWD/MID, Burnley

FanDuel Salary: $17

Sticking with the theme of proven scorers on non-big-six sides, Chris Wood finds himself in a similar situation to Ings this weekend, minus the change in team. Wood has notched double-digit goals in each of his four seasons with Burnley for a combined total of 46 goals since 2017. He will open the season against a Brighton side that lost a starting center-back, Ben White, to Arsenal in the transfer window.

Burnley's side remains largely unchanged from last season after a very quiet transfer window. However, their starting XI will have chemistry on their side as they face a Brighton team that finished in 16th last season and is dealing with several injuries.

Wood had an incredible second half of last campaign, producing eight goals and three assists in 11 starts from March 6th to the end of May. That run included four games of 30-plus points, which is the upside needed to do well in large-field tournaments. Wood's odds to score of +190 are far better than Mason Mount's (+310), and Mount is likely to be far more popular and has a higher salary.