This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
Welcome to our Premier League coverage curtailed towards this Saturday's DraftKings contests. Your total available salary is $50,000 to build your best squad of eight players, which includes one goalkeeper, two defenders, two midfielders, two forwards and one FLEX. Points are awarded on DraftKings as follows:Goal = +10 PTs
Assist = +6 PTs
Shot = +1 PTs
Shot on Goal = +1 PTs
Crosses = +1 PTs
Fouls Drawn = +0.75 PTs
Red Card = -1 PTs
Saves (GK) = +2 PTs
Goal Allowed (GK) = -2 PTs
Clean Sheet (GK, D) = +5 PTs
One Goal Allowed (GK, D) = +2 PTs
Win (GK) = +5 PTs
Penalty Kick Save (GK) = +3 PTs
With that out of the way, here are the best available GPP contests for Premier League soccer Saturday:
$7K Equalizer ($1,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $27
$6K Treble ($2,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $300
$4K Striker ($300 first prize), Entry Fee: $3
and many more…
DraftKings has announced the $100K Fantasy Soccer World Championship with a $20,000 first prize set to take place May 24. Saturday offers various opportunities to earn entry through contests with entry fees of $12, $33 and $55.
The following games are included:
Burnley at Hull City
Southampton at Leicester
West Ham United at Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur at Stoke City
Manchester United at Crystal Palace
Three games left (except for a game in hand for both Arsenal and Sunderland) and there is still a lot to be decided; well relegation-wise. Burnley will more or less need to win their next three matches, maybe more, to stave of relegation. Long story short: they're going down. Queens Park Rangers, less than impossible, more than realistically possible, so let's call them relegated. That leaves five teams within two points all hoping to avoid the determent of relegation. Those teams in order of their place in the table are Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Hull City and Sunderland (who we've already said has a game in hand with a match against Arsenal, which honestly should do nothing but further deteriorate their negative goal differential). Take this information how you may, but it's safe to presume that teams facing relegation will be in games more likely to have active offenses – as at least one side will be desperate for goals. Be sure to check our EPL lineups page approximately an hour before kickoff to get the official lineups.
Goalkeepers:
Steve Harper ($4,800)
This is a must win for Hull, with an opportunity to play the last-place team while fighting for survival themselves and getting to do it front of the home crowd. Burnley has taken just one point from their last six matches, they are all-but assured relegation at this point. Hull City has played okay of late, winning two of their last three, with their one loss coming against Arsenal. This is a play on Burnley's poor offense and Hull's desperation, and I suspect they will pull out the victory. Burnley has a total of six shots on target over their past three games, so there may not be many save opportunities – this is the biggest deficit in selecting Harper.
Shay Given ($4,600)
It looks like Villa is going to once again go with Given in goal over Brad Guzan, even after letting in two goals against Everton last weekend. West Ham has no true striker, so they take a solid amount of shots from long distances, which can lead to saves in large quantities (they were lucky to get a penalty that led to their lone goal last time out). Aston Villa's offense is really going at the moment, headed by the red-hot Belgian Christian Benteke, and they stand a very good chance to take the win. Given has higher upside than Harper, he's just slightly less trustworthy.
Other Options: I have a hard time paying up for David De Gea ($5,800), even if his side is the sharpest favorites on the day. Manchester United's inability to score goals in concerning, though I honestly think they were unlucky to not have at least one of their many shots last weekend go in. Add in the fact that Crystal Palace has an offense that occasionally scores in bunches, and I really just don't see the logic in dolling out for his large salary. The price on Boaz Myhill ($3,900) against a struggling Newcastle United, who have now lost an ungodly eight games in a row, is mightily enticing though – even with the possible return of Papiss Cisse.
Defenders
Danny Rose ($3,900)
Rose is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. He's among the best fullbacks in the league, and should be treated as such. His price is fantastic; how opposite back Eric Dier is over $1,000 more makes absolutely no sense. Rose's two goals and five assists are not to be scoffed at, he's very talented. And oh yeah, his side is indeed favored over Stoke.
Ryan Taylor ($2,900)
Taylor has a total of 11 crosses over his last two games, so at this price I'm willing to gamble on the defensive bonus he may or may not get. After all, Newcastle actually is slight, and I mean slight, favorites.
Other Options: Well here it is, I don't like much in the defenders department. My top two goalkeepers offer little, with their fullbacks either being stagnant offensively or not even being listed as defenders in the first place. Kieran Trippier is now priced at $6,000, and that's way more than I want to spend on a defender for a team I really don't like. Antonio Valencia ($5,500) isn't too bad; a high price, but he's been really active up the right side for Manchester United lately. The best advice may really be to take the cheapest possible defender on the team you most expect to pick up a clean sheet, taking a defensive bonus and possibly nothing else, but at a price allowing expenditure of funds on other possibly more fruitful positions.
Midfielders
Marc Albrighton ($4,300)
Crosses on crosses on crosses. You can't rely on the two assists he pulled last time out against Southampton, but the suddenly lively Leicester offense figures to push Alrighton to double-digit fantasy points for the fifth time in six games.
Yannick Bolasie ($6,000)
Bolasie's price is back to being playable again, and Manchester United may own possession, Bolasie will be heading the counter up the left side. With Juan Mata and Valencia moving up field readily, Bolasie could have some extra room to show his magic on the ball. This could backfire, as Manchester United could simply own possession, which means Bolasie won't see enough of the ball to do anything. This is not a play for those looking to be risk averse. Wilfried Zaha ($4,400) has also been very lively opposite Bolasie, and is extra intriguing now being eligible in the midfield.
Ashley Young ($5,600)
Young has prominently gone up the left side, providing a high quantity of crosses for a long time now. If/when Angel di Maria moves back into the starting XI, it could limit Young's upside.
Fabian Delph ($5,900)
Delph is the engine of the Villa offense and has now hit double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four games. What is really encouraging is the spike in crosses, totaling 11 over his last two.
Other Options:Erik Lamela ($5,900), Craig Gardner ($5,600), Remy Cabella ($5,300), Chris Brunt ($3,700) and Moussa Sissoko ($3,800) all make the list of punt plays. Lamela and Gardner should be fairly consistent with their production; the others are honestly just gambles. Lamela is a young talented player that's seeing a bigger role by the week. If Angel di Maria ($8,100) gets a start, he's worth a tout, as he's managed double-digit assists despite an obviously disappointing season.
Forwards
Robin van Persie ($9,100)
You may call van Persie's inability to score an inability to finish, or you may call it (as I would) bad luck. 10 shots, six on goal and no goals? I'll take that anytime, as those numbers usually merit multiple goals.
Christian Benteke ($9,000)
Benteke has now tallied 10 goals in his last eight matches. He's leading Villa's pursuit to fend of relegation, a battle I figure them to be successful in doing. When Benteke is this good, Aston Villa is actually a relatively good team.
Dame N'Doye ($7,200)
N'Doye is by far the primary goal scorer at Hull, so if they score, it should be him on the score sheet.
Robbie Brady ($4,200)
Expect crosses, as the Hull City offense will take the upper hand, and you certainly can't argue about the price.
Papiss Cisse ($6,000)
Cisse is eligible to come back after a considerable suspension. He could spark the Newcastle offense, as he has the best goals per minute rate in the Premier League. Then again, he may never leave the dog house for the rest of the season, even if he is technically eligible to play.
Other Options: It's reasonable to think Harry Kane will score, and he very well may, but he's not worth delegating over $10,000 (20 percent of the salary cap) to. Nikica Jelavic ($5,400) is a good way to buy into the Hull City attack if he gets a start up front, though I can't advise using him and N'Doye together.
