DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football – Tips for the EPL Striker & Golden Boot (Week 27)

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

$16,000 Premier League Striker and $18,000 Premier League Golden Boot!

Gameweek 27 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 six 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 $16,000 prize pool, which has a $800 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 has a $18,000 prize pool and a $2,500 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

1. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea) – Price: $9,300

   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, nine-assist season so far sees him hold an impressive 15.5 FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) average – the 2nd highest of any player available this Saturday. Sigurdsson’s consistency in recent weeks is what sets him apart though, netting or assisting a goal in six of Swansea’s last seven matches. Hence, Swansea’s match at home to the “travel sick” Burnley should provide him with ample opportunity to continue his strong form.

2. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) – Price: $5,900

   Leicester’s performance against Liverpool on Monday, their first match after the sacking of coach Claudio Ranieri, was reminiscent of one from last year’s title winning season. Jamie Vardy played a massive role in what was an important game for the foxes, slotting home the opening goal and securing a dominant 3-0 lead later on. Including his goal against Sevilla in the Champions League, he’s scored three in his last two outings for an FPPG average of 21 points. Given Leicester’s newfound fight, a match at home to Hull City is just the sort of fixture the Foxes need to continue their return to form. Hence, for $5,900, Jamie Vardy is a steal.

3. Manolo Gabbiadini (Southampton) – Price: $8,100

   Southampton seem to have found a natural finisher in Manolo Gabbiadini. Gabbiadini scored two (and should have had a hat-trick) in Southampton’s heart-breaking 3-2 defeat in the League Cup final last weekend, but he’s also got another three goals under his belt in his first two outings for the Saints in the Premier League. He looks right at home in England and Southampton should fancy there chances against Watford this Saturday.

4. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) – Price: $9,400

   Liverpool were hugely disappointing overall against Leicester City on Monday, but Coutinho performed well despite the 3-1 defeat. Coutinho is another player who’s presence in the attacking third and from set pieces earns him a tonne of points under the DraftKings format, and his regular contributions soon add up. Over his last three outings, Coutinho has earned a huge 52 points (17.33 FPPG) through one goal, 14 shots (5 of which were on target), 26 crosses, 4 fouls drawn and 1 interception. His goal against Leicester was his first since early November, so alongside the fact that Liverpool tend to perform better at Anfield, another positive performance from the young Brazilian should be on the cards this Saturday.

5. Lee Grant (Stoke City) – Price: $5,400

   Though goalkeepers have the lowest potential of all player types to take away high points scores, we feel that Stoke’s Lee Grant is worth pushing the boat out for. At $5,400, Grant is the most expensive goalkeeper available this weekend, but he also holds one of the higher FPPG averages for a reason. Weaker defensive back-lines means that goalkeepers are forced to make more saves. As goalkeepers earn 2 points per save, these points can soon rack up. Grant has proven his competence between the sticks and a favourable fixture at home to Middlesborough this weekend means that Grant 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

1. Middlesborough Players

   Simply put, Middlesborough are the lowest scoring side in the Premier League (19 goals), an obvious disadvantage for earning points in most forms of fantasy football. Failure to score in five of their last six Premier League away matches has seen Boro take just one point over the same duration (D1 L5), and the Northerners are now 12 consecutive matches without a win on the road (D6 L5). Stoke City have kept clean sheets in almost 40% of their home matches, so we’d still steer clear of Aitor Karanka’s side this weekend.

2. Burnley Players

   Burnley are also in awful form in Premier League away matches. Not only have Burnley taken just two points from their twelve away matches so far (D2 L10), but they’ve also failed to score in six of these (50%). Even when Burnley have hit the back of the net in an away match (6 goals total), it’s never been more than one goal. Except for influential midfielder Robbie Brady, there’s simply not much potential in the Clarets this Saturday against a revitalised Swansea City.

3. Adam Lallana (Liverpool)

   Adam Lallana has undoubtedly had a blinding season so far – seven goals and six assists make him one of the most valuable midfielders of any Premier League side. However, Liverpool have had an awful start to 2017 and Lallana is now seven matches without a goal or assist, earning no more than 9 points in any of these, so there is some cause for concern. He’s not a high risk option at just $6,600, but there are a few more in-form alternatives available in the same price range, such as, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, that reduce his appeal.

4. Salomon Rondon (West Brom)

   Salomon Rondon’s price hasn’t dropped down to $6,300 from a peak of $7,500 without reason – Rondon is now ten Premier League matches without a goal. Given that he’s 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 do have a favourable fixture at home to strugglers Crystal Palace on Saturday, but it’s hard to justify his $6,300 price tag when other more in-form alternatives are available.

5. 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, Lazar Markovic ($4,400) from Hull City, will often earn more points and be involved with more of the action than some of the better central midfielders, such as, Francis Coquelin ($3,400) from Arsenal.