FanDuel Soccer: EPL DFS Helper for 8/26/23

The 2023-24 Premier League season is underway, and we are already in the third week of matches.

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

Slate Overview

Fulham (+1200) at Arsenal (-460)
Over 2.5 Goals: -244 | Most Likely to Score: Eddie Nketiah (+135)

Nottingham Forest (+850) at Manchester United (-350)
Over 2.5 Goals: -200 | Most Likely to Score: Marcus Rashford (-115)

Crystal Palace (+280) at Brentford (+100)
Over 2.5 Goals: +108 | Most Likely to Score: Bryan Mbeumo (+200)

Wolves (+220) at Everton (+130)
Over 2.5 Goals: +109 | Most Likely to Score: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (+190)

West Ham (+500) at Brighton (-195)
Over 2.5 Goals: -200 | Most Likely to Score: Evan Ferguson (+115)

Positional Breakdown
Forwards/Midfielders

This is a five-game slate, with two teams being fairly big home favorites.

We'll start by looking at Arsenal, who have won their first two matches. They haven't faced a really tough matchup yet and don’t here, either.

A few players stand out for the Gunners. Bukayo Saka ($23, +155 any time goal odds) is one of them. In addition to being a threat to score, he's had nine crosses in each of the first two games of the season. It definitely makes him worthy of having the highest salary on the slate, as he possesses the high floor/ceiling combination we look for. It's worth noting, though, that Saka didn't take the Gunners' penalty last weekend -- Martin Odegaard ($22, +175) took it.

Gabriel Martinelli ($19, +145) also takes corners and offers a goal threat, and he could be less popular than Saka is. Saka and Martinelli are the two players I would target most, with Eddie Nketiah ($21, +135) also being somewhat interesting.

After Arsenal, Manchester United have the best odds to win. They haven't been off to the best start, but this is a perfect "get-right" spot for them at home versus Forest. Bruno Fernandes ($22, +180) is averaging 23.2 FanDuel points per game despite not having a goal or an assist yet. He does a bit of everything, and that may include taking a penalty should the opportunity arise.

Marcus Rashford ($20, -115) has the best goal-scoring odds on the slate. He hasn't been able to do much so far this season and is definitely more goal-dependent than Bruno. He does have a lower salary and more potential for multiple goals. If you could stack him and Bruno two together, they would have a lot of upside in tournaments.

Christian Eriksen ($13, +430) is likely to start due to Mason Mount's injury and can definitely produce some of the playmaking stats -- like crosses or chances created -- to provide fantasy value. His goal-scoring odds are not impressive, but he does have +180 odds to get an assist.

Next, we have a team that has been lucrative for fantasy so far this season in Brighton, and they can roll at home against West Ham. They have created the most expected goals (xG) so far this campaign, per FBRef. The tricky part about Brighton is that their production is really spread out.

Solly March ($21, +230), Kaoru Mitoma ($20, +200), Evan Ferguson ($18, +115) and Pascal Gross ($18, +340) are all viable, and playing at least two of them is a great strategy.

Others who could score a goal at a lower salary are Yoane Wissa ($17, +230), Matheus Cunha ($16, +290) and Arnaut Danjuma ($15, +280).

Added time -- Some players who are value options and have at least a share of set pieces are Mathias Jensen ($15, +800), Pablo Sarabia ($14, +410) and James Garner ($14, +1000).

Defenders

Pervis Estupinan ($17) has been excellent so far, scoring more than 30 fantasy points in both games so far this season. We can't expect him to get an assist in every game like he has so far, but he is still a decent option at his elevated salary.

With Luke Shaw out, Aaron Wan-Bissaka ($13) and Diogo Dalot ($14) will likely start at full-back for Manchester United. Both should have chances to get forward versus Forest.

There are some decent lower-salaried options at full-back. Oleksandr Zinchenko ($10) leads that list. He should be back in the starting lineup for Arsenal at left-back and will get involved in the attack.

Ashley Young ($9) is no longer aptly named, but he has been taking some corner kicks for Everton. James Milner ($8) is also long in the tooth but will play as full-back for Brighton and is a handy value piece.

Added time -- If you want to go in the route of playing center-backs who can rack up defensive stats -- such as blocked shots, clearances and tackles -- we have a few options on this slate. My favorites are Scott Mckenna ($10), Calvin Bassey ($9) and Angelo Ogbonna ($8).

Goalies

Andre Onana ($13) and Aaron Ramsdale ($13) carry the top salaries at keeper. Of these two, Ramsdale has better win odds, and his opponents, Nottingham Forest, are -110 to go without a goal, so he's the preferred option.

Mark Flekken ($11) may go overlooked, as he has no name-brand value and plays for Brentford, who don't stand out as a team to target on this slate. The Bees have conceded just 1.7 total xG this season and will face a Crystal Palace team that isn't too scary going forward.

Added time -- Bernd Leno ($6) is an interesting punt option despite being a huge underdog at the Gunners. Arsenal have just 2.0 non-penalty xG over their two matches. Leno has had to make 14 saves in Fulham's two games so far. He'll surely be busy and can rack up save volume in this one. If he can make five saves and allow only two goals or fewer, he's worth playing for just $6.

Looking to build some EPL DFS lineups? Check out FanDuel’s daily fantasy soccer lobby to see all the offerings for today’s slates.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.