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Welcome back, RotoBallers! Matchday 22 wraps up with one final game on Thursday that gives us a nice showdown slate before we ramp up again for a full weekend of games. I will be breaking down that game in full for you here. 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 or UCL-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! There was some great conversation over the four UCL slates we had this week, and the Premium Slack chat is as full as ever!
In this article, I will be providing you with my English Premier League daily fantasy soccer lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/4/21 for the slate that locks at 3:00 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
Chelsea (+110) picked up their first win of the Tuchel era over the weekend against Burnley 2-0. They're slight road favorites in this game to a Tottenham side that is in danger of unraveling with losses in their last two games to Liverpool and Brighton. Both teams must realize that they still have a shot at a top four finish this season which makes this game high stakes. The goal total over/under is 2.5.
I realized while writing this article that it was difficult to recommend players will great confidence due to the current status of these two clubs. New Chelsea hire, Thomas Tuchel, is still sorting through the players he was left with at Chelsea and is likely going to keep switching up starting lineups until he feels comfortable. Jose Mourinho is known for fluidity among his starters and making some unexpected changes especially now with Harry Kane out. Checking starting lineups - and formations - is going to be essential for lineup construction on Thursday.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
Tottenham just lost their star striker Harry Kane ($10) for several weeks due to some lower leg injuries. Kane had either scored or assisted on 23 of Tottenham's 34 goals in the league this season. That means he was involved in 67.6% of the squad's goals, and they do not have a great replacement for him. That leaves Son Heung-Min ($15) as Tottenham's best attacker. Considering his poor scoring form and high price-tag, he's not a great play here. Chelsea have yet to concede in their two games under Tuchel, and they've had a strong defense all season with 4th least goals allowed.
Kane will likely be replaced in the lineup by Lucas Moura ($8) - and even at this price point - he cannot be trusted to produce with just one goal in the league this year and inconsistent playing time.
Tuchel is still playing around with Chelsea's personnel trying to figure out combinations he likes the most, so we do not have a great idea of who their starters will be. Mason Mount ($13) should be in there though. He's been creating 3.6 chances per game over his last eight games, and Tuchel just showed him some praise after their last game. In a game that might not be high-scoring and where the best anytime scoring odds belong to Olivier Giroud ($12) at +125, Mount's peripheral-based floor will be valuable.
Callum Hudson-Odoi ($9) continues to play well every time he gets out there for Chelsea. He can be a heck of a winger with proper playing time which he will hopefully receive under Tuchel. He started the first two games under new management and scored 14.9 and 20.3 fantasy points. He's one of the best value attackers on the entire slate. Tammy Abraham ($12) has also been productive in the time he's been given this year and has nice +175 anytime scoring odds.
I don't mind taking Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg ($7) as a value attacker on this slate either. He should be able to rack up a good amount of peripherals in this game environment.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
Chelsea will very likely be without Kurt Zouma ($9) in this game, which should put Antonio Rudiger ($5) into the starting lineup. He's too cheap for this matchup and the defensive stats he collects will make him a great value play.
Thiago Silva ($6) is a slightly better play if you can find the extra $1. Again, the backline Tuchel throws out in this game is pretty unpredictable right now, but these two should be in. Reece James ($7) and/or Ben Chilwell ($8) in the starting lineup can provide some attacking upside and additional exposure to Chelsea's attack in this game.
Tottenham's backline is essentially as fluid as Chelsea's. Serge Aurier ($10) always comes with some good attacking upside and a pretty sturdy floor if you have the salary to get him. Joe Rodon ($5) and Ben Davies ($4) are also both elite value plays if they start.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!
