Daily Fantasy Soccer 2015: Complete EPL and MLS DraftKings Primer
A busy weekend of world football looms, and it promises to be bigger than ever for the daily fantasy universe. DraftKings action spans two continents, with contests taking place in both the English Premier League and Major League Soccer.
Since there are DraftKings contests on both Saturday and Sunday in both leagues, we'll give you picks for each day. But with six MLS games and seven EPL games gracing Saturday's slate, we'll focus the brunt of our attention on those.
EPL
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| Forward | Saido Berahino (West Brom) | Newcastle | 8.4 | $7,000 |
| Midfielder | Charlie Adam (Stoke City) | Tottenham | 8.1 | $6,000 |
| Defender | Ryan Bertrand (Southampton) | Leicester City | 8.6 | $4,600 |
| Goalkeeper | Steve Harper (Hull City) | Burnley | 10.5 | $4,800 |
| Forward | Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) | QPR | 9.1 | $7,100 |
| Midfielder | Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea City) | Arsenal | 6.8 | $6,900 |
| Defender | Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) | Swansea City | 4.8 | $4,100 |
| Goalkeeper | Petr Cech (Chelsea) | Liverpool | 11.8 | $5,300 |
F Saido Berahino, West Bromwich Albion: $7,000
A frustrating goal drought has dropped Saido Berahino's salary to its lowest price in months, but West Bromwich Albion's trip to hapless Newcastle United—losers of eight consecutive EPL contests—should bring an end to that. Though Berahino's production has slipped significantly of late, a trip to face the Premier League's most out-of-form club will work wonders for both him and West Brom.
M Charlie Adam, Stoke City: $6,000
A broken nose didn't keep Charlie Adam out of Stoke City's visit to Swansea City last time out, but he did end a stunning streak of five games with at least 15 DK points prior to that. Adam has scored three goals in his last five outings, and his affinity for shots and crosses should see him have a big day against Tottenham Hotspur.
D Ryan Bertrand, Southampton: $4,600
Ryan Bertrand is continuing to overpower Nathaniel Clyne as the best fantasy option in Southampton's defense, as his 13 crosses in the last two matches have finally pushed his season total (103) ahead of Clyne's (100). The Saints should dictate the tempo against Leicester City on Saturday, leading to a plethora of crossing opportunities.
GK Steve Harper, Hull City: $4,800
Save for conceding three goals against Arsenal on Monday in a game Hull City stood no chance in, goalkeeper Steve Harper has been on fire, keeping two straight clean sheets in the previous games, victories over Crystal Palace and Liverpool. Hull shouldn't play down to Burnley as they look to avoid relegation, and Harper should accrue another clean sheet against the EPL's lowest-scoring club (26 goals in 35 matches).
MLS
| Forward | Octavio Rivera (Vancouver) | Philadelphia | 13.7 | $9,000 |
| Midfielder | Mauro Diaz (Dallas) | Kansas City | 12.2 | $6,900 |
| Defender | Jalil Anibaba (Kansas City) | Dallas | 9.3 | $4,400 |
| Goalkeeper | Stefan Frei (Seattle) | Columbus | 11.6 | $4,900 |
F Octavio Rivero, Vancouver Whitecaps: $9,000
He's not a value pick, but Vancouver Whitecaps striker Octavio Rivero is more than worth the hefty salary. Rivera exploded early in the season with five goals in his first six games, but a four-game goal drought has seen his salary drop into a more affordable zone. The league's leading shot-taker is just the sixth most expensive forward Saturday.
Not only have the Philadelphia Union let up five more goals than anyone else in MLS thus far but they face even more trouble Saturday. As reported by Marc Naducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer, their top two goalkeepers are out injured, so they are having to turn to recently acquired loanee Brian Sylvestre.
M Mauro Diaz, FC Dallas: $6,900
Midfielder Mauro Diaz is riding high with the league's most prolific attack thus far. His FC Dallas squad faces a home match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, who are winless in three straight matches. Diaz enters the game having scored on his last two appearances, and he's averaged 22.5 DK points in that span.
D Hernan Grana, Columbus Crew: $4,400
Hernan Grana has no goals or assists on the season, but his 29 crosses are considerably more than any other defender playing on Saturday. That has made its impact on Grana's daily fantasy relevance, as only two defenders on Saturday's slate have more DK points per game. He shouldn't be in for a clean-sheet bonus against Seattle's suffocating attack, but Columbus' counter-attacking play should see Grana produce points.
GK Stefan Frei, Seattle Sounders: $4,900
No goaltender in MLS is hotter at the moment than Stefan Frei, who has posted three straight victories and made a whopping 18 saves in that three-match span. Frei has only once on the season conceded multiple goals, and against Columbus, he should be in for his sixth double-digit points total this term.
DraftKings is hosting one-day EPL and MLS contests with thousands in prizes. Claim your free entry by clicking here and making a first-time deposit!
