DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Picks

For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Premier League: Saturday Cheat Sheet.

MATCHES (EST)

10:00 a.m: Crystal Palace v. Burnley
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Brighton
10:00 a.m: Leicester City v. Watford
10:00 a.m: Manchester City v. Bournemouth
10:00 a.m: Newcastle v. West Ham
12:30 p.m: Southampton v. Manchester United

FORWARDS

Manchester City Attackers

The biggest consideration for Saturday's slate will be how much Manchester City exposure is necessary for cash games. They're all acceptable fades in GPPs in terms of ownership leverage, but a quick look at the odds for over/under 2.5 goals explains why you may need to get really lucky if you fully fade them: HUD/BHA +175 over/-225 under, LEI/WAT -110/-110, NEW/HUD +120/-150, CRY/BUR +100/-125, SOU/MUN -110/-110, MCI/BOU +300/-400. Betting odds aren't everything, of course, but there is a very compelling case to play multiple Manchester City attackers in cash games. Unfortunately, they are all very expensive and they've all been performing of late, making it difficult to key on just one or two. Here is a summary of their fantasy points over the past six games (four in the Premier League and two in the Champions League), a span which has seen them score 21 goals on 72 shots (including 33 on target), pick up 17 assists, send in 65 crosses and win 37 fouls. With Bernardo Silva ($8,600) and Ilkay Gundogan ($6,300, midfielder) seemingly unlikely to play after being held out of Tuesday's Champions League match against Lyon due to injuries, we're left considering Sergio Aguero ($11,200), Raheem Sterling ($10,500), Leroy Sane ($9,800), Riyad Mahrez ($9,100) and David Silva ($9,000, midfielder). It's possible at least one doesn't start, but if they all do, boy do we have a lot to get through.

Paying all the way up for Aguero makes sense because he's the most likely to score at least once and the salary difference between him and Sterling isn't that great. If you want to go "cheap," combining Mahrez and Silva is an option, but the latter has the lowest anytime goal scorer odds of the group while Mahrez could be in the midfield instead of the front three if everyone starts, taking him farther away from goal. With forward spots usually difficult to fill, Silva could be the lowest owned, which is pretty crazy when you consider he has four goals on nine shots (five on target) and one assist in his last five games. Because you can fill both forward spots with players from Manchester City, any midfield/forward options should be considered as if they only had midfield eligibility because the dual-position availability isn't really needed.

Andros Townsend, CRY v. BUR ($6,800): No forward on Saturday's slate has scored more floor points (total fantasy points minus goals, assists and clean sheets) than Townsend, who is behind only Ryan Fraser ($7,400, midfielder) and teammate Luka Milivojevic ($6,500, midfielder) among all players on the slate. As mentioned above, if you're paying up for two Manchester City forwards then you need to compare Townsend to midfielders in his price range, but if Silva is one of the guys you're after, Townsend could provide a very strong floor against a Burnley side that's allowed the most goals, most assists, most shots, most shots on goal, most corners and third-most crosses this season. And if you want some more GPP upside, Wilfried Zaha ($7,200) isn't likely to be highly owned despite taking nine shots, creating eight chances and winning 16 fouls in his last four games, though he hasn't made the scoresheet since Oct. 1.

MIDFIELDERS

Aaron Mooy, HUD v. BHA ($7,300): Mooy is one of the most consistent floor players in the league, as only Fraser, Townsend and Milivojevic have scored more floor points, though he's averaging more per 90 minutes than the Palace guys while Fraser is playing away to Manchester City, arguably the worst possible matchup you could have all season. Mooy is probably overpriced because of the two goals he scored Sunday away to Wolverhampton, his first two goals of the season which also represented half of his total from last season. Nevertheless, his role on set pieces in addition to his defensive work continues to give him a strong floor, and he's now facing a Brighton side that's conceded the second-most shots, second-most crosses and most fouls suffered this season.

Robbie Brady, BUR at CRY ($5,100): The injury absence of Johann Berg Gudmundsson ($7,500, midfielder/forward) for Monday's match against Newcastle pushed Brady back onto Burnley's set pieces, which helped him to nine crosses while adding one shot and one chance created. Gudmundsson is reportedly fit for Saturday's match, but with Brady around to still take some set pieces, his lower price makes him fully viable for cash lineups, even if Burnley are decent underdogs to a Crystal Palace side that's winless in its last eight Premier League matches.

Ki Sung-yueng, NEW v. WHU ($3,800): Ki's partial role on set pieces puts him in the cash-game conversation, and while Matt Ritchie ($6,400) and Kenedy ($5,900) are much better plays, Ki is a lot easier to roster for those looking to stack Manchester City. You can't expect much from Ki, but at his price four or five points would be solid.

DEFENDERS

Jose Holebas, WAT vat LEI ($6,500): Holebas' role on set pieces has helped him be the most prolific crosser in the Premier League, though Watford's defensive play without him lately makes his spot in the starting XI far from guaranteed. With solid play from Adam Masina ($4,700), Holebas could be on the bench Saturday, and while that doesn't automatically push all the set pieces to Masina, it at least puts him in play given the drop in salary. If you're adamant about paying up, you could do worse than Ashley Young ($5,700), who was rested for Manchester United's midweek Champions League match and is coming off a vintage cash-game performance last weekend when he had one shot, which was on goal, 11 crosses, three tackles won and one foul drawn in a clean sheet against Crystal Palace.

Matt Targett, SOU v. MUN ($5,000): Starting for the suspended Ryan Bertrand ($5,000), Targett took over on set pieces and sent in 14 crosses in a 3-2 loss to Fulham last weekend. Bertrand is now doubtful to play Saturday because of a back injury, and while the matchup at home against Manchester United is much tougher, United aren't overwhelming favorites enough to ignore Targett.

Charlie Taylor, BUR at CRY ($3,700): Taylor could be the cheapest starting fullback on the slate, and while Burnley are technically the second-biggest underdog, they face a Palace side that's allowed the fourth-most crosses among teams on the slate. Teammate Matthew Lowton ($4,000) isn't a bad play either, though there really isn't a discernible reason to pay up the extra $300, while pairing them together is a bit reckless.

GOALKEEPER

Joe Hart, BUR at CRY ($4,000): I always hesitate to roster Hart because he's..........not good.........but a $4,000 goalkeeper who has made at least four saves in four of his past five starts against a Crystal Palace side that's been shut out in four of their last six Premier League matches is something to consider (we should also consider the gauntlet schedule they had: v. Wolverhampton, at Everton, v. Arsenal, at Chelsea, v. Tottenham, at Manchester United). Nevertheless, there should be save opportunities for Hart, and the Burnley bend-but-(try)not(to)-break defense could step up for their second consecutive away clean sheet.