This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
Saturday's five-game slate is a bit different than most others there have been this season, as the highest implied team total is only 1.76 and no player is a favorite to score a goal. Tottenham are that team with the highest total for their trip to Bournemouth and Harry Kane ($10,500) has the top goalscoring odds at +110. Bournemouth's defense has been rather stingy recently and Kane is nothing but a GPP option anyway.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: AFC Bournemouth vs. Tottenham Hotspur
- 10:00 am: Brentford vs. Wolverhampton
- 10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Chelsea
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Southampton
- 10:00 am: Newcastle United vs. Aston Villa
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Son Heung-Min, TOT at BOU ($9,600): Son has the highest floor of any player on the slate, so it's pretty much a no-brainer to start with him in cash games. Spurs have struggled recently, but you'd still expect them to be the team in possession and creating more of the chances in what should be a relatively soft matchup.
Tournament options in this range include Wilfried Zaha ($9,100) and Ivan Toney ($8,900), who are both playing for home favorites that have roughly a 1.5 implied total. The odds say that Toney is more likely to score and both will be relatively popular, which seems to always be the case. Take your pick or fade them for a bit of easy leverage.
Eberechi Eze, CRY vs. SOU ($8,600): Crystal Palace have been much better at home this season and the matchup against Southampton could be a nice bounce-back spot after they were soundly beaten 3-0 by Everton last time out. Eze put up 10-plus floor points for the fourth consecutive game and he's played at least 89 minutes in each of those. You'd like for him to start in the front three, but he has plenty of upside from midfield, as well.
The cheaper range really doesn't offer much. I suppose you could consider Pascal Gross ($7,100), but he gets subbed early now and a matchup against Chelsea is never really one to target. Leon Bailey ($6,400) has been splitting corners but those might be tough to come by with Aston Villa away to Newcastle. Bailey can't be expected to play more than 70 minutes anyway so I wouldn't consider him for cash games, but he's been in good form and would be fine for tournaments as he won't be popular. Bryan Mbeumo's ($6,100) propensity to get subbed before 70 minutes rules him out of cash game consideration for me, as well. Joe Aribo ($5,200) is too expensive to consider punting after spending most of the season below $5,000. Joelinton ($4,300) probably has the highest floor in that range if you want to go that route but spending up at both spots seems more optimal to me.
MIDFIELDERS
James Ward-Prowse, SOU at CRY ($7,300): Midfield is somewhat interesting as there are a few options worth considering in the $7,000 range. You might be inclined to choose Mason Mount ($7,700), as it's not often that he's priced under $8,000. However, his floor hasn't been as high this season and Chelsea have been less than impressive offensively under Graham Potter. Mount would split set pieces with Ben Chilwell, but how many can they expect have in a tough away matchup with Brighton that has the lowest implied total on the slate?
Marcus Tavernier ($7,000) has been pretty reliable this season. He's delivered at least nine crosses in four of his last seven games and plays 90 minutes more often than not. I'm not jumping to spend $7,000 on the set-piece taker for the biggest underdog, though Spurs are not a team to fear when targeting floor-point potential as they don't possess the ball well and concede plenty of chances. Michael Olise ($7,400) would be an interesting option but better suited for tournaments in my opinion as his range of outcomes is wider due to more sub risk. Finally to Ward-Prowse, who's continued to underwhelm after the lofty standards set in seasons past. I'd argue that he's been somewhat unlucky in terms of game scripts and matchups. I believe he's still a bit underpriced for a matchup against Crystal Palace and it isn't much of decision to choose him over the rest of this range in cash games.
Joao Moutinho, WOL at BRE ($4,700): Moutinho has been plenty serviceable of late and he was more than that last match, as he put up 14 floor points in 81 minutes against Leicester City. He's now scored at least eight points in three consecutive starts, taking the majority of set pieces. That would be just fine for $4,700 and the matchup against Brentford is usually one of the better spots to target for floor. Douglas Luiz ($5,200) would be a similar option. He's coming off his best game of the season, though it was just the second time that he's topped eight floor points this season. The matchup away to Newcastle is not a good spot and that plus the $500 savings makes Moutinho the clear choice.
DEFENDERS
Kieran Trippier, NEW vs. AVL ($7,800): Trippier's price tag is getting to the point where it might make you hesitate some but not on this slate. He's the only elite defender option and he's been crushing all season, topping double-digits in every match sans the one at Anfield. The matchup home against Aston Villa is favorable and I see no reason why he shouldn't be one of the first players in cash-game lineups. I won't be rostering Ben Chilwell ($6,000). Last season, he was a great option when he took corners, but this season he hasn't done much more than that and Chelsea haven't been getting many. He's scored more than five floor points only once and the matchup away to Brighton doesn't provide optimism. Hugo Bueno ($4,200) would be about the only decent option in the mid-range if he gets a third consecutive start.
Dan Burn, NEW vs. AVL ($2,900): I'm only highlighting Burn because nothing stands out after Trippier. Few players even have a hint of appeal as this is one of the weaker slates I can remember at defender. Maybe you prefer Lyanco ($2,700) at right-back, but I'd rather bet him to be booked in what's sure to be a tempestuous battle with Wilfried Zaha. I would've highlighted Bueno, but it's hard to see him starting again given what Wolves looked like in general last weekend.
GOALKEEPERS
Vicente Guaita, CRY vs. SOU ($5,300): Guaita has slightly better clean sheet odds than Nick Pope ($5,400) for $100 less. If my cash-game lineup includes Ward-Prowse and no Aston Villa players, I'd choose Pope. Even though you aren't rostering Ward-Prowse for a goal or assist in that format, you'd still like it to happen as he won't be 100-percent rostered.
Mark Travers, BOU vs. TOT ($3,800): Travers is the cheapest keeper, though he's playing at home and has the most save upside. Spurs implied total isn't as high as what you'd normally see for the opponent of a $3,800 player.
