FanDuel Soccer: EPL DFS Under-the-Radar Plays for 8/20/22
If you have played daily fantasy sports for a while, you know the importance of being contrarian in large-field tournaments. Recognizing which players are going to be popular and finding others who you think have a similar point projection but will be much less popular can separate you from your opponents.
The same goes for EPL DFS. Even though the large-field tournaments aren't quite as large as they are for other sports, there is still value in identifying quality under-the-radar plays.
This article will discuss FanDuel's main Saturday slate, which starts at 10:00 a.m. EST and features five matches. All betting lines come from EPL odds, and they may change after the article is published.
Slate Overview
Aston Villa (+195) at Crystal Palace (+145)
Over 2.5 Goals: +122 | Most Likely to Score: Edouard and Mateta (+190)
Nottingham Forest (+310) at Everton (-105)
Over 2.5 Goals: +110 | Most Likely to Score: Rondon (+200)
Brentford (+190) at Fulham (+145)
Over 2.5 Goals: -108 | Most Likely to Score: Mitrovic (+115)
Southampton (+300) at Leicester City (-120)
Over 2.5 Goals: -160 | Most Likely to Score: Vardy (-120)
Arsenal (-240) at Bournemouth (+650)
Over 2.5 Goals: -134 | Most Likely to Score: Jesus (+110)
Matchweek 3 features one big-six side, with an undefeated Arsenal in action on the road against Bournemouth.
The Gunners (-240 to win) are the largest favorite on the slate and Leicester's Jamie Vardy ($20) has the best odds to score (-120) of anyone expected to be active on Saturday.
Leicester City (-120 to win) are the second-biggest favorite, followed by Everton (-105 to win) in third. Fulham (+145 to win) and Crystal Palace (+145 to win) round out the slate as slight home favorites.
This weekend's main slate is likely to be a more tightly contested affair than Matchweek 2's when Manchester City entered as massive (-1400 to win) favorites.
Without another big-six side in action, Arsenal, coming off back-to-back wins, will be popular, but their odds to win are a fraction of City's last weekend. The Gunners are enjoying an excellent start to their campaign, but a fade is worth considering as the lack of other elite options may push the draft percentages of their stars higher than their odds to win deserve.
With that in mind, here are three players to consider -- especially for tournament formats -- who may fly under the radar.
Ollie Watkins, FWD/MID, Aston Villa
FanDuel Salary: $17
After an opening weekend loss to Bournemouth, Villa secured their first points of the season last weekend with a win over Everton. On Saturday, they will face a winless Crystal Palace side that opened their season against Arsenal and Liverpool.
Watkins assisted on both goals against Everton, recording 26.3 FanDuel points. Danny Ings ($17) is another option in Villa's attack but could be more popular after scoring his first goal of the season last weekend. After losses to Arsenal and a draw against 10-man Liverpool, Palace are likely better opponents than their record suggests, but Watkins (+250 to score) and Ings (+240) to score are still worth considering.
Watkins' draft percentage should benefit from the number of options in his salary range. Aleksandar Mitrovic ($18), Ivan Toney ($18), Wilfried Zaha ($17), and James Ward-Prowse ($18) should all help to draw attention away from Watkins after their impressive starts to the season.
Eberechi Eze, FWD/MID, Crystal Palace
FanDuel Salary: $14
At first glance, Eze's FanDuel point performances of 6.3 and 10.0 to open the season don't seem impressive, but considering the opposition, they were decent. In a two-goal loss to Arsenal, Eza produced a shot on goal and provided five crosses before providing an assist in last weekend's draw with Liverpool.
Palace's schedule to start the season has been brutal, and they may go overlooked this weekend because of it. Aston Villa has conceded in each of their games so far, and seven consecutive Premier League fixtures dating back to last season. For the first time this season, Palace should have an opportunity to play on the front foot rather than opting for a defensive setup like they did against Liverpool.
Eze's role on set-pieces allows him to benefit from Palace's improved outlook this weekend. He has taken four corners and two free kicks through two games this season and could double those totals on Saturday facing a non-big-six side for the first time this campaign.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid, FWD/MID, Fulham
FanDuel Salary: $15
Fulham and Brentford have both had interesting starts to the season. Fulham backed up their opening weekend draw with Liverpool by squandering a penalty to draw with Wolves, while Brentford tied Leicester City before obliterating Manchester United.
Fulham's draw against Liverpool looks slightly less impressive after Jurgen Klopp's side continued to struggle against Crystal Palace, and Brentford's destruction of Manchester United could be more about the Reds' weaknesses than the Bees' strengths. Time will tell.
With Brentford's win still resonating in the minds of the public, the Bees are likely to be the more popular side when they travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday. On paper, they are road underdogs and could be in for a trap game coming off an emotional win over United, making Fulham an interesting option for GPPs this weekend.
De Cordova-Reid has had a solid start to the season, playing 89 minutes in both games with a combined total of 3 shots, 2 on goal, 6 crosses, 1 chance created, and 20.8 FanDuel points. He had an injury scare last weekend but is reportedly fine and will be available on Saturday. Any interest Fulham does get will likely be centered on Mitrovic, leaving De Cordova-Reid in an excellent position to produce at a low draft percentage.
