DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday EPL Picks

MATCHES (EST)

• 2:30 pm: Chelsea vs. Aston Villa
• 2:30 pm: Leicester City vs. Watford
• 2:30 pm: Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur
• 2:30 pm: Southampton vs. Norwich City
• 2:30 pm: Wolverhampton vs. West Ham United
• 3:15 pm: Liverpool vs. Everton

For detailed stats and odds, check out the DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday EPL Cheat Sheet.

FORWARDS

Willian, CHE vs. AVL ($9,300): There are a plethora of high-ceiling, goal-dependent forwards on the slate, so there are plenty of ways you can go in GPPs. Willian represents the high-priced cash-game option because of his role on set pieces and ability to contribute with other attacking stats. Chelsea are the biggest favorite on the slate with the highest implied goal total, so it's understandable that we'll have to pay up for their main set-piece taker. While he didn't start last weekend, the expectation is that Willian will return to the first XI and take most set pieces, though he could lose some to Callum Hudson-Odoi ($8,500) if he starts, as well as midfielder Mason Mount ($8,200). Paying up for Willian in cash games is certainly viable, but there are a plethora of midfielders worth paying for, so it's tough to use so much salary on the Chelsea winger.

Diogo Jota, WOL vs. WHU ($6,500): Jota represents one of the pay-down forward options, though he's not even that cheap. He has no role on set pieces, and he's playing in the game with the lowest implied goal total, but Jota has provided a solid floor of late thanks to a scattering of shots, crosses, shots assisted and fouls drawn, similar to teammate Adama Traore ($7,300), whose floor may be a bit higher but so is his salary. Raul Jimenez ($8,100) has the GPP upside for Wolves, similar to Michy Batshuayi ($8,400) or Christian Pulisic ($8,900) for Chelsea, so you can pivot pretty easily from a cash lineup if you want to stay with the same teams. And speaking of lower-priced forwards, Everton's Richarlison ($6,000) always has a solid floor, and while the matchup against Liverpool is hardly ideal, the Merseyside derby has been very tight over the past couple years and Richarlison doesn't need a ton of possession to get his fantasy points.

Son Heung-Min, TOT at MUN ($8,800): It's tough to justify Son in a cash-game lineup because of his lack of set pieces and generally low floor, but he also comes in with four goals on 21 shots (nine on target) and five assists on 12 chances created in his last six games in all competitions. Some people try to avoid games with two big teams in it, but this one feels like it has goals on both sides, especially with how Spurs have been playing lately, scoring at least three goals and allowing two in each of Jose Mourinho's three games in charge. Harry Kane ($8,700) is always a consideration when you think about Son, and the Manchester United duo of Marcus Rashford ($7,500) and Anthony Martial ($6,800) are pretty solid too.

MIDFIELDERS

James Maddison, LEI v. WAT ($9,500): Only one player on the slate has scored more fantasy points, including floor points, than Maddison, who has an excellent matchup against a Watford side that just sacked their manager. Maddison is pretty much always a good play, so the only consideration is whether his $9,500 salary is worth it on the slate. Honestly, most cash-game lineup builds are likely to start with Maddison and see what you can do from there, so if you decide to fade the dominant set-piece taker on a big favorite, just know that he's going to be highly owned.

Joao Moutinho, WOL v. WHU ($6,700): Speaking of dominant set-piece takers, Moutinho takes nearly all of Wolves' set pieces and now faces a West Ham side that has the lowest implied goal total on the slate. Southampton's James Ward-Prowse ($7,600) has been better than Moutinho lately and would certainly be the play if they were the same price, but Ward-Prowse is pretty pricey since there aren't cheaper forwards. Tournament players could stay in Ward-Prowse's price range for Jack Grealish ($7,600), even as the biggest underdog, though Dele Alli ($7,700) is probably the smarter play. Moutinho's price range will also make you consider Robert Snodgrass ($6,400), who is actually a bit cheaper and has a big role on set pieces, but you're relying on West Ham attacking more than Wolves.

Kenny McLean, NOR at SOU ($5,700): McLean has been taking Norwich's set pieces lately, though he's not nearly as viable if Emiliano Buendia ($5,600) starts because the latter generally takes free kicks when he's in. The Norwich attack seems to be getting back to its early season success, and McLean has been a big part of that. Paying down for Tanguy Ndombele ($5,000) is a possibility if Spurs keep the same lineup as their last game because he took set pieces, but his attacking upside is fairly limited. And speaking of limited attacking upside potentially with set pieces, Fred ($4,000) is pretty cheap, though his realistic fantasy-point output is fairly low. If anything, Daniel James ($6,500) is the Manchester United midfielder you want, as he produces more than any of the potential set-piece takers like Fred and Andreas Pereira ($5,500). Paying down for corners could become even easier if Harry Winks ($3,200) starts for Spurs, as making value on that salary is obviously much easier.

DEFENDERS

Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV v. EVE ($7,100): Alexander-Arnold is the most expensive defender by $1,300, but he could also realistically be a play at $9,000. He takes a majority of Liverpool's set pieces, is an excellent open-play crosser and they are solid favorites with good clean-sheet odds. Cash builds will likely start with Maddison and Alexander-Arnold, and many fantasy players will surely consider pairing Alexander-Arnold with Lucas Digne ($5,800), who has scored at least 8.3 fantasy points in every start this season. The matchup is obviously brutal, but he remains their best attacking weapon and one of the best floor players in the league.

Jose Holebas, WAT at LEI ($4,800): We get a little bit of a discount for Digne because of his matchup, and we get the same with Holebas, who takes a solid share of Watford's set pieces. The clean sheet is highly unlikely, and you have to wonder just how many set pieces Watford will win, but a sub-$5K price for Holebas is usually pretty solid. It's tough to make the cash-game argument for any of the defenders between Holebas and Digne even though the Chelsea, Leicester City and Tottenham fullbacks are excellent fantasy scorers, but they all come with significant opportunity cost.

Ahmed Elmohamady, AVL at CHE ($3,400): Elmohamady is an attacking fullback who is expected to start in place of the injured Frederic Guilbert ($4,200). The matchup is surely a tough one, but Villa have shown a penchant for attacking even against better teams. Paying down also helps significantly for those who want to pay up elsewhere, and if a Villa fullback doesn't work, the Norwich City fullbacks are cheap, not to mention Kiko Femenia ($3,500).

GOALKEEPER

Kasper Schmeichel, LEI v. WAT ($5,800): Schmeichel has scored at least 7.0 fantasy points in nine consecutive games, including at least 10.0 in four of his last five. Four clean sheets in his last five certainly helped, but Watford surely don't present as a team that should worry Leicester. The real question is whether paying up for Schmeichel is worth it, especially since one conceded goal could ruin everything. If that's enough of a worry for you, there is plenty of salary savings on the slate, with Jordan Pickford ($3,800) away to Liverpool, Tom Heaton ($3,600) away to Chelsea and Ben Foster ($3,700) away to Leicester. Unfortunately, a popular strategy is to pay down for the cheapest home goalkeeper, but on this slate that's $4,900 for David de Gea.