Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have one final EPL mid-week game Thursday before a full weekend of fixtures (hopefully). It does not seems like either squad is dealing with much of a Covid outbreak, but there are a handful of other injuries to be aware of on this slate. Plus it's that time of the season where we see some bench players getting more time on the field. Keep reading this breakdown for my DFS soccer picks on RotoBaller and see how to have success on Thursday's slate.
The very large majority of my DFS content will be EPL-related, however, there is more soccer than just what is being played in England. If you want to chop it up with myself and other RotoBaller writers about non-EPL leagues or other sports, consider becoming a premium member and joining our ever-growing community of DFS and fantasy sports enthusiasts!
In this article, I will be providing you with my English Premier League daily fantasy soccer lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/30/21 for the slate that locks at 3:15 pm ET. Be sure to also check out our other DFS lineup picks for other active sports. You can always find me on Twitter @vdray5 if you have any questions. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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EPL DFS Lineup Picks - Overview
Manchester United vs Burnley
Manchester United (-275) will try to avenge their ugly 1-1 draw against Newcastle earlier in the week with another nice matchup at home against Burnley. New Manchester manager, Ralf Rangnick, does not seem to be getting the best out of his players right now, and Burnley have a knack for pulling out lots of draws, so this one could be closer than we might think. Still, Manchester United is the far better squad and should control the game if they play well. The goal total over/under is 2.5, 3.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
Cristiano Ronaldo ($15) will be the chalk in the Captain spot on this slate. He has the perfect combination of floor and ceiling for DFS purposes. Burnley allow more goals on the road (1.65) than they do at home (1.14), and Ronaldo is the most likely anytime scorer in this game at -135. He has one of the best floors on the slate as well.
You can get really fun on this slate by taking a Burnley attacker in your Captain spot. It can be difficult to trust Burnley to score away from Turf Moor with only six goals in eight road games. However, it has been equally as difficult to trust Manchester United's defense this year. They have just one clean sheet in their last 13 Premier League games. Maxwel Cornet ($13) might get back into the starting lineup after an injury and Covid kept him on the sideline for a while. He has five goals in his last six starts for Burnley and is +295 to score which are the best odds on Burnley. Chris Wood ($9) is worth a flex spot on this slate which some goal upside for $9. Dwight McNeil ($10) is a nice mid-tier play as well. He has less goal upside than Wood, but consistently produces one of the better floors out of the attackers on this slate.
Fred ($8) is easily one of the best value attackers on the slate. He has a good floor with the different peripherals he can get. Scott McTominay ($5) is a nice value play as well as one of the cheapest expected starters. He is averaging 11.8 fantasy points in his last five games which is pretty strong for a $5 player.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
Raphael Varane ($7) is one of my favorite defenders on the slate. He leads Manchester United in clearances per game at 6.0, and Burnley allow the most clearances per game in the league. A potential clean sheet bonus in this game also makes Varane and other Manchester Untied defenders intriguing.
James Tarkowski ($10) is solid if you have the money. His attacking upside is almost zero, but he gets defensive stats at a better rate than anyone on the slate. Manchester United allow a decent number of interceptions and tackles but hardly any clearances. Tarkowski is still one of the best defenders on the slate if you have the money. Charlie Taylor ($6) is a nice cheaper Burnley defender to consider as well.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!