FanDuel Soccer: EPL DFS Helper for 1/15/22

As always, we're covering FanDuel's main slate, and that kicks off at 10 a.m. EST on Saturday. All betting lines come from EPL odds, and they may change after the article is published.

Slate Overview

Southampton (+240) at Wolves (+125)
Over 2.5 Goals: +142 | Most Likely to Score: Jimenez (+135)

Everton (+105) at Norwich (+270)
Over 2.5 Goals: +112 | Most Likely to Score: Calvert-Lewin (+135)

Watford (+250) at Newcastle (+105)
Over 2.5 Goals: -128 | Most Likely to Score: Wood (+105)

Manchester United (+140) at Aston Villa (+190)
Over 2.5 Goals: -116 | Most Likely to Score: Ronaldo (+115)

Positional Breakdown
Forwards/Midfielders

We've got a four-match slate (Leicester-Burnley was postponed), and it's a weird one. No team is better than +105 to win, and no player has anytime goal odds better than +105. That should keep draft percentages pretty spread out, and there are no shortage of routes you can take with roster construction.

I'm not sure I've ever typed this before -- Newcastle are the side I'm going to prioritize.

The Magpies are a co-slate-best +105 to win at home against Watford in what is a massive fixture for both sides. Newcastle are a slate-leading -120 to score at least twice versus a Hornets side that has allowed the most expected goals (xG), per FBRef. These bouts between relegation foes can sometimes be cagey affairs, but this game is a slate-high -128 to go over 2.5 goals.

So while it feels weird to make Newcastle the top team to target, the numbers very much back it up.

New signing Chris Wood ($16; +105) has the slate's best anytime goal odds and is reportedly ready to make his debut. With Callum Wilson out, Wood should slide into the number-nine role and be a central figure if he starts. At his salary, Wood is very easy to like if he's in the lineup, although it remains to be seen if he can hit the ground running with his new side.

Allan Saint-Maximin ($18; +240) has been a key creative piece all season for the Magpies. ASM is a superb ball-carrier and dribbler who can thrive in a soft matchup with Watford. Joelinton ($15; +230) might be Newcastle's striker if Wood isn't ready to start. Joelinton is also a viable play if he's deployed behind Wood in a midfield role. He's been playing well of late, tallying four chances created last time out, and might be on pens sans Wilson.

The other side in a really nice spot is Everton, who are +105 to win at Norwich.

The Toffees have struggled for much of the season, but they've also been a little unlucky. They're 15th in the table in points but 13th by xG differential and now have star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin ($20; +135) back, which should help a lot. DCL can feast against a Canaries side that's been overmatched in their return to the top flight. Norwich have shipped 44 goals in 20 matches and have allowed the second-most xG.

Everton's Richarlison ($18; +165), Demari Gray ($16; +380) and Andros Townsend ($17; +380) are solid options, as well. Townsend gets a boost from Calver-Lewin's return as there is now a good target who can get on the end of Townsend's crosses.

Manchester United are +115 to score at least twice at Villa Park and are +140 to win. Given the Red Devils' status as the lone big-six side on the slate, they'll surely attract attention even in a tough matchup and despite their bad form.

As always, Cristiano Ronaldo ($22; +115) will be popular. He's got a multi-goal ceiling and can break any slate, especially this slate as it's lacking high-upside players. Still, I'll likely fade him. The +115 goal odds aren't that great, and if he doesn't bag a goal, Ronaldo usually doesn't do enough to generate a good fantasy output.

Bruno Fernandes ($20; +200), Edinson Cavani ($18; +175) and Mason Greenwood ($17; +200) are quality alternatives if you crave a piece of United but want to pass on CR7.

You can target Villa, too, with how mundane United have been of late. The Villans are +190 'dogs, but they're plenty capable and are +145 to score two-plus. Danny Ings ($16; +145) has nice goal odds and a decent salary while Emiliano Buendia ($13; +260) is worth checking out. At a lofty salary, Philippe Coutinho ($19; +350) is tough to stomach in what could be his debut for Villa.

Lastly, we shouldn't sleep on Raul Jimenez ($17; +135), whose goal odds necessitate that we give him a long look. The Wolves-Southampton match is an ugly -- and slate-worst -- +142 to go over 2.5 goals. Jimenez can hit, though, as the player with by far the best goal odds in the match.

Added time -- Solomon Rondon ($12; +165) would become a stellar value target if he starts for Everton. ... James Ward-Prowse ($18; +460) handles a ton of set-piece work for the Saints, and he's not going to be in many lineups due to his salary and the difficult matchup at Wolves. ... Norwich's Teemu Pukki ($16; +180) has respectable goal odds at a modest salary. ... Joshua King ($17; +250) has team-best goal odds for Watford and is a sneaky-good play against a beatable Newcastle defense.

Defenders

Newcastle full-backs Matt Ritchie ($11) and Kieran Trippier ($13) should be able to get forward against the Hornets. Ritchie has been a crossing machine for much of the year, and Trippier can send in a good ball, as well. It wouldn't be surprising to see Trippier be on some corners and free kicks.

WhoScored projects Everton to be in a back three with Seamus Coleman ($10) and Vitalii Mykolenko ($5) at wing-back. Whoever starts for the Toffees at either full-back or wing-back is in a plum position against Norwich and will offer attacking upside. If Mykolenko is in there, the salary savings are super handy.

Alex Telles ($13) is also worth a shout. He's scored at least 11.2 FanDuel points in each of his last four starts, including outputs of 22.1 and 21.0 in that span. He'll probably get the nod with Luke Shaw suspended and can make some noise versus a Villa side that has only one clean sheet in their last eight EPL matches.

Added time -- Because Norwich are usually under attack, center-backs Grant Hanley ($12) and Ozan Kabak ($10) offer fine floors. Hanley is putting up 13.8 FanDuel points per game for the campaign. ... Max Aarons ($9) is averaging 10.8 FanDuel points for the year and has a chance to create more than usual with Everton in poor form.

Goalies

The top keeper play is Wolves' Jose Sa ($11), and that's without factoring in salaries, which have him as the third-highest salaried keeper.

Wolves are a slate-best +150 to keep a clean sheet at home against the Saints and are a serviceable +125 to win. Across all competitions, Wolverhampton have recorded seven clean sheets in their last nine outings, with only titans Manchester City and Liverpool getting one past them (and it was just one for both). Sa checks a lot of boxes but will likely be chalky, which is the lone negative with him.

Jordan Pickford ($12) and Martin Dubravka ($12) share the best win odds. Neither play behind a defense that is trustworthy, but it's hard to argue with their matchups.

Pickford is at a Norwich side that has not scored a goal in six straight league matches. The Canaries' fans have resorted to pretending that their side has scored just to have some fun during matches. (Kudos to them. It's hilarious.) Pickford is England's No. 1, and Everton are +164 to blank Norwich. He's a better option than Dubravka, who is just +205 to record a clean sheet.

Added time -- United have generally looked more solid in defense since Ralf Rangnick took over. David De Gea ($11) is only +240 to get a shutout at Villa, but he's a viable tourney play who isn't going to be in many lineups. ... Southampton's Fraser Forster ($8) is +240 to keep a clean sheet versus a Wolves side that plays a lot of low-scoring games. ... Emiliano Martinez ($8) is a bet-on-talent punt who can get a clean sheet if United's meh form continues, although he's just +290 to do so.