EPL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings (1/3/22) - English Premier League Soccer Matchweek 19

Welcome back to “The Kick-Off” and welcome to 2023! This slate will be a tad trickier than some, with a few matchups more or less pickems. However, we do get the other half of Manchester, Manchester United as the heavy favorites, -410 against a struggling Bournemouth side.

Outside of the Red Devils, you will need to get clever and crafty with the rest of your plays in order to ship your first GPP of 2023. I will guide you through this four-match slate starting at 10:00 A.M. EST.

If you have any questions on today's slate, bankroll management, GPP strategy, Cash game strategy, or anything else, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected] or via Twitter @df_solutions or on “SLACK”.

The Kick-Off - EPL Matchweek 19

Vegas Odds for the Day

David de Gea- DK $5.9K || FD $14

Opponent - AFC Bournemouth

Believe it or not, we are going with de Gea in the net. The Red Devils keeper has won 4 of his last 5 matches and he has posted 3 clean sheets in that time frame. To help persuade you, since United acquired both Raphael Varane and Casemiro, when they both play together, United has yet to concede a goal. As of now with the expected starting XI, both Varane and Casemiro are starting tomorrow. Bournemouth is also still missing a key player in Marcus Tavernier, which has hampered Bournemouth’s offense tenfold. With Bournemouth already ranking last in the league in offense and missing a key player, this is the perfect spot for what should be a high-owned de Gea.         

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Sanchez (DK $5.1K || FD $11), Leno (DK $4.6K || FD $9)

Forwards

Anthony Martial-DK $8.1K || FD $19

Opponent - AFC Bournemouth

It remains to be seen if Martial will start a third consecutive match as striker or if Rashford will shift over, instead of playing wing. However, for the time being, we will work with the expected starting XI with Martial. The Frenchman despite getting all of the time he needs is still struggling to score. Over his last five appearances, he has 1 goal, 1 assist, 7 shots, 3 created chances and 1 cross in all competitions. Bournemouth is last in Goals Against Per 90 – 0.18 –, providing Martial the perfect opportunity to bounce back.       

Aleksandar Mitrovic- DK $8.3K || FD $22

Opponent - Leicester City

As I mentioned in our first article after the World Cup, Leicester is a defensive mess and Danny Ward cannot keep a shot out of the net. This is going to prove to be a big problem for them and a massive boost for Mitrovic. The striker is in great form, despite playing at the World Cup and not getting the break a lot of other players did. In his first two matches, post World Cup, he has 1 goal, 1 assist, 9 shots, 2 created chances and 1 cross in all competitions. There is a very good possibility that we get a ceiling performance out of Mitrovic this Tuesday at a very manageable salary.           

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Rashford (DK $9.3K || FD $20), Wilson (DK $7.2K || FD $16)

Midfielders

Bruno Fernandes- DK $8.9K || FD $21

Opponent - AFC Bournemouth

Welcome to your ‘lock’ of the slate. Bruno has always been the key cog for Manchester United since his arrival, amassing 50 goals, 39 assists, 379 shots, 347 created chances and 573 crosses in 135 appearances in all competitions. The numbers speak for themselves. He did take a slight decrease in value when ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo arrived, however, since he has left, Fernandes has taken over penalty kicks again and he has also been getting a few looks on set-pieces once again. Against Bournemouth who concedes the third-most Shots Against Per 90 – 1.45 – and Created Chances Against Per 90 – 1.07 – and the most Crosses Against Per 90 – 2.3 –, there is no better chance for Fernandes to maintain and possibly exceed value here.               

Andreas Pereira- DK $7.1K || FD $15

Opponent - Leicester City

Pereira has one ‘bad’ outing against Southampton and his salary drops more than $1K. We will surely not complain about paying less in a great matchup though. The midfielder aforementioned in the last article has taken a massive step and is showing why he was such a big prospect with Manchester United before they sold him. He has instantly taken over as the midfield maestro for Fulham, controlling both the transition and the attack. He also is the main provider for teammate Mitrovic who has been highlighted above. In Pereira’s last five matches, he has 1 goal, 7 shots, 14 created chances, 37 crosses, 22 corners and 1 tackle in all competitions. Pereira will have every chance to feast on Leciester’s very giving defense in this meeting.           

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Gross (DK $8.2K || FD $16), Perez (DK $5.5K || FD $10)

Defense

Luke Shaw- DK $5.8K || FD $12

Opponent - AFC Bournemouth

We are going to aim for a potential ceiling performance by Shaw here. The wingback has been seeing more and more opportunities under new bench boss Erik ten Hag and he has not disappointed. In Shaw’s first two appearances since returning from the World Cup, he has 1 cross, 2 tackles, 5 interceptions and 3 clearances in all competitions. Shaw has been playing much more defensively since he has been given the chance to crack the starting XI again, however, Bournemouth provides a great opportunity to let Shaw loose where he excels the most. It would be surprising to not find Shaw on the score sheet in this meeting.            

Kenny Tete- DK $5.1K || FD $13

Opponent - Leicester City

You have two options outside of Luke Shaw – aforementioned – on defense for this slate. You can either take Kieran Trippier against Arsenal and hope he can maintain value, or you can play Tete who could put together another ceiling game against Leicester for less salary. We will stick to Tete with the highlight though. The wingback has suddenly overtaken teammate Antonee Robinson as the go-to man for both defense and offense. In Tete’s last five appearances – 4 starts –, he has 2 assists, 4 shots, 6 created chances, 19 crosses, 13 tackles, 6 interceptions and 7 clearances in all competitions. There are not many better options with a great matchup on the slate than this.        

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Trippier (DK $6.8K || FD $15), Estupinan (DK $4.4K || FD $8)

Corner Takers:

Arsenal: Saka/Martinelli/Odegaard

Newcastle: Trippier

Everton: Gray/McNeil

Brighton & Hove Albion: Gross/March

Leicester City: Perez/Tielemans

Fulham: Pereira

Manchester United: Eriksen/Fernandes

AFC Bournemouth: Cook/Anthony

Thanks for reading The Kick-Off! Good luck in all of your contests today!