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Vince's FanDuel EPL DFS lineup picks for English Premier League soccer on 5/8/21. His top daily fantasy soccer forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeepers.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! After Friday's single-game slate, we roll into the weekend with a normal three game main slate on Saturday. Some of these games don't mean as much for certain teams anymore as we near the end of the season, however, there is still plenty of DFS to be won. I have another full breakdown for you all. Keep reading this breakdown for my DFS soccer picks on RotoBaller and see how to have success on Saturday'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 5/8/21 for the slate that locks at 10:00 am 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
Sheffield United vs Crystal Palace
This is not a very relevant game for either of these teams at this point in the season. Crystal Palace (+150) are locked into another average finish, and Sheffield United have already been relegated. Neither team are in good form. Sheffield have lost six of their last seven, and Palace have three straight losses themselves. It will be Palace who should have the upper hand here with the better side, but it will be interesting to see if either team decides to change up their starting lineup. The goal total over/under is only 2.0, but the over is -140.
Manchester City vs Chelsea
What a matchup we have here. It will be a preview of the Champions League Final later this month after both teams advanced passed the semifinals this week. Manchester City (-110) is the favorite at home here as they look to wrap up their EPL title which they can clinch with a win here. The first look at expected lineups says that Manchester City will likely rest many of their starters. That seems like less of the case for Chelsea right now, but no one knows for sure until an hour before the game. Chelsea are still trying to ensure themselves a UCL spot for next year, although things got a lot easier with an all-English UCL Final. The goal total over/under is 2.5 with the under at -145.
Liverpool vs Southampton
The biggest favorites on the slate are Liverpool (-333) at Anfield taking on Southampton. Liverpool should be revitalized now as a fifth spot will be available for an English team to qualify for next season's Champions League with either Chelsea or Manchester City getting the winner's spot. They're just four points off West Ham for that spot with a game in hand, and they have a big opportunity for three points this weekend. Southampton have just three league wins in all of 2021. The goal total over/under is a slate-high 3.0.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
Mo Salah ($23) is the top dog for me on this slate. He gets the best matchup of the slate against a poor Southampton defense that is allowing over two goals per game on the road. This is a must-win for Liverpool, and Salah is in good form with three goals in his last four games. He has -230 anytime scoring odds on a big favorite at home on Saturday, and he should be treated as a primary play.
Sadio Mane ($19) has been better recently, and he broke his long goalless streak two games ago. He has the same prime matchup as Salah of course, and he's playing against his former club if you're into those narratives. Diogo Jota ($17) is also a good play Saturday. He and Mane both have minus goal odds on this slate and get good peripherals. Two Liverpool attackers are not 100% necessary on this slate, but a mini-stack is a good strategy.
In a vacuum, both Christian Benteke ($18) and David McGoldrick ($18) interest me some, however, these price tags are super tough to swallow. Benteke draws a matchup against the league's worst team, and he's been in decent form with three goals since the end of February. McGoldrick will be on the other end of the pitch taking on a Palace defense that has been bad on the road. Price is the most inhibiting factor for these two, but nonetheless, they're good ways to get a low-owned goal and differentiate your lineup from others.
James Ward-Prowse ($15) and Ferran Torres ($16) are my two favorite mid-tier attackers on this slate. Ward-Prowse is a good Southampton attacker to combine with Liverpool studs. He can rack up good defensive stats that Liverpool gives up more than essentially any other team in the league. He also has a lot of heavy lifting to do offensively with Danny Ings out. Torres has been very productive given his inconsistent playing time recently. The matchup with Chelsea is not great, but they are at home and Torres will surely be looking to prove his worth with Sergio Aguero leaving City at the end of the season.
One of Luka Milivojevic ($13) and Eberechi Eze ($12) are two of my favorite low-end guys on this slate. They have an awesome matchup from both a floor and ceiling perspective against Sheffield on Saturday. They both have the ability to create chances and collect enough other defensive stats to be worth the salary on this slate.
Billy Gilmour ($6) is my favorite value attackers on the slate. He draws a nice matchup for peripherals against City and he's shown flashes of attacking ability that can be useful in a game like this where many bench squad guys will be getting full playing time.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
Trent Alexander-Arnold ($15) is firmly atop my list of best defenders to play on this slate. If it's not clear, Liverpool have the best matchup on the slate attacking-wise, and what's better than maximizing your exposure with an attacking defender. TAA is back in form now and worth the $15. From a fantasy perspective, he's often better at home. This is a great matchup to get him. His upside is far above any other defender and better than most FWDs/MIDs in the same price range as well.
I think there are several cheap defenders that make for good value plays on this slate which allows you to prioritize the expensive attacking studs on this slate.
Liverpool give up a ton of defensive peripherals which makes Jack Stephens ($7) an awesome value play on this slate. He's one of the best dollar-per-dollar plays with his price and upside combined.
Jayden Bogle ($6) is another one of my favorite value defenders. Palace give up the most tackles in the league, and Bogle gets over three tackles per game. With a few other defensive stats, he will be well worth $6.
Scott Dann ($6) and Tyrick Mitchell ($7) are both on my list of value guys. Their matchup against Sheffield isn't great, but it's good enough. Plus, they have a shot at a clean sheet bonus Saturday which is huge when players are this cheap.
FanDuel DFS Goalkeepers
Alisson ($14) is a good play on Saturday. Liverpool has been competent at home this year, and they need this game. A win bonus is very likely for Alisson, and he will boost his floor more with a few save points. Southampton have struggled to score on the road this year, and they have only one goal in their last three away games in all competitions. He's a top-notch play on this slate especially with Danny Ings still missing for Southampton.
Edouard Mendy ($8) is a little too cheap for me to not like here. Chelsea's defense has been awesome since Thomas Tuchel took over. Sure, they're facing a high-flying Manchester City attack, but they might not be playing their A squad in this game. Mendy should see plenty of shots which helps his floor. He would break the slate with a bonus or two.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!
