DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football – Tips for the EPL Striker & Golden Boot (Week 28)
A lifelong Birmingham City fan, Tom relocated to Germany for five years after graduating from university, where his interest in the Bundesliga developed. He began writing about and betting on German football for FST in 2016. He's also an avid fantasy football player and closely follows the Premier League and European competitions.
DraftKings are daily fantasy sports giants in the US and they’ve now launched in the UK for the new Premier League season!
For those who don’t know how the DraftKings 1-day fantasy format works, find out all you need to know by following the link below:
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Explained
$10,000 Premier League Striker and $10,000 Premier League Golden Boot!
Gameweek 28 of the Premier League is almost upon us and DraftKings have plenty of competitions for those who like a quick return on investment through a 1-day fantasy format.
DraftKings “Premier League Striker” gives you three fixtures to select your eight man fantasy team from, all for an entry fee of just $3 (deposits and withdrawals will be converted at a competitive rate). $3 entry can potentially scoop you a chunk of the $10,000 prize pool, which has a $1,500 top prize!
DraftKings “Premier League Golden Boot” follows exactly the same format, just at a higher buy in. $27 is the entry for that competition, which also has a $10,000 prize pool, but a $2,000 top prize!
We’ve put together the following article to help give you an edge over the rest of the field when deciding who should make the cut in your team. See our lineup and read more below!
Who to Buy
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Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea) – Price: $11,000
Gylfi Sigurdsson is a player who’s presence and orchestration of the offense in the attacking third and from set pieces has earned him a tonne of points under the DraftKings format. Sigurdsson has been outstanding throughout this season from a fantasy perspective and his eight-goal, ten-assist total so far sees him hold an impressive 15.8 FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) average – the highest of any player available this Saturday. Sigurdsson’s consistency in recent weeks is what sets him apart though, returning either a goal or an assist (one time both) in seven of Swansea’s last eight matches. The Swans are much improved under manager Paul Clement, winning four of their last six in the Premier League, and a trip to Hull City, who have kept a clean sheet in just 8% of their home matches, should provide the Icelandic international ample opportunity to continue his strong form.
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Romelu Lukaku (Everton) – Price: $9,700
Romelu Lukaku scored a record-breaking 61st goal in an Everton shirt last weekend, a bittersweet moment as the Toffee’s also left White Hart Lane with no points in a 3-2 defeat against Spurs. Everton and Lukaku have, however, been at their best at home (W8 D4 L1), with the Belgian striker scoring at least one goal in his last four outings at Goodison Park (7 goals total). Everton have a very “winnable” fixture this Saturday against West Brom, who have kept a clean sheet in just 8% of their matches on the road, so we should expect more from the Premier League’s 2nd top scorer here. Other Everton players, such as, Ross Barkley or Seamus Coleman also warrant consideration for the similar reasons.
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Manuel Lanzini (West Ham) – Price: $6,900
Lanzini has adapted well within the West Ham midfield since the departure of Dimitri Payet during the January transfer window. Lanzini’s recent performances have seen him exceed his season averages for crosses and shots taken per match and the Argentinian has scored 12 points or more in five of his last six starts for the Hammers thanks to three goals and two assists. West Ham are another side who have a “winnable” match away to Bournemouth this Saturday, who haven’t won or kept a clean sheet over eight Premier League fixtures in 2017 (D3 L5).
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Joshua King (Bournemouth) – Price: $5,800
As mentioned above, Bournemouth aren’t doing too well at the back in 2017. However, the Cherries haven’t been as bad in front of goal, with Joshua King being a central figure going forward. King converted a penalty in Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw away to Manchester United last weekend – his second goal from the penalty spot in two matches – marking his 8th goal of the season. He’s also taken 16 points or more in four of his last six outings thanks to 5 goals, 16 shots (6 on target), 6 crosses, and 8 fouls drawn.
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Joel Robles (Everton) – Price: $5,500
Though goalkeepers have the lowest potential of all player types to take away high points scores, we feel that Everton’s Joel Robles is worth pushing the boat out for. Robles is the most expensive goalkeeper available this weekend ($5,500), but he also holds one of the higher FPPG averages for a reason. Robles has proven his competence between the sticks when it comes to making saves – goalkeepers earn 2 points per save – and a favourable fixture at home to West Brom this weekend means that he also has the potential to take away both the clean sheet (+5 points) and the extra points for the win (+5 points).
Who to Avoid
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Salomon Rondon (West Brom)
Salomon Rondon’s price hasn’t dropped down to $5,700 from a peak of $7,500 without reason – Rondon is now eleven Premier League matches without a goal. Given that he’s also only assisted once over the same number, Rondon has earned no more than 7 points in nine of the Baggies’ last ten matches. West Brom have an unfavourable fixture away to Everton on Saturday, so it’s hard to justify his $5,700 price tag when other more in-form alternatives, such as, Swansea’s Llorente ($6,000), are available.
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West Brom Defenders
West Brom are, like opponent’s Everton, a side that perform better at home than on the road. West Brom hold a weak defensive record in Premier League away matches – the Baggies have kept a clean sheet in just 8% of them – and against Everton’s strong 2 goals score per match average at Goodison Park, we’d steer away from Tony Pulis’ back four here.
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Bournemouth Defenders
Bournemouth defenders Charlie Daniels, Adam Smith and Simon Francis made a name for themselves with a few solid performances in December. However, the Bournemouth defense has turned to shambles, in part due to defensive injuries, and the Cherries have lost five of their eight Premier League matches in 2017 (D2 L5), conceding an average of 2.6 goals per match over the same number.
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Hull City/Swansea City Defenders
Hull City and Swansea City are also sides that struggle to keep a clean sheet. Hull have registered just one clean sheet at the KCOM Stadium so far this season (8%), while Swansea have failed to keep a clean sheet on the road since their 1-0 win against Burnley on the opening day of the season. Hence, we expect goals at both ends this Saturday. Excluding Swansea’s Martin Olsson ($5,600), who is also involved with a lot of the action going forward, we’d avoid defenders from this match.
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Defensive Midfielders
Defensive midfielders are simply the lowest point earners in DraftKings fantasy. Though their cheaper price tag may be tempting, players whose sole responsibility is to reclaim possession and pass it onwards will earn you very few points. Any winger from a weaker side, such as, Swansea’s Wayne Routledge ($3,700), will often earn more points and be involved with more of the action than some of the better central midfielders, such as, Everton’s Morgan Schneiderlin ($3,500).