This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Brentford vs. Crystal Palace
- 10:00 am: Everton vs. Leeds United
- 10:00 am: Watford vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Raphinha, LEE at EVE ($9,000): This is an interesting slate as there really aren't any "slam-dunk" plays with the exception of Raphinha, which makes him stand out even more. He takes the majority of set pieces, has penalty-kick responsibility and is just super talented. Everton's defense has been very suspect and Leeds have scored three goals in three of their last four league matches. His combination of floor and upside is tops on the slate. People will be tempted to roster Pascal Gross ($7,100) based on his cheap-ish salary and favorable matchup against Watford. Keep in mind that he doesn't have a monopoly on sets anymore and he hasn't played longer than 73 minutes in any of his last four starts. From a GPP perspective, no player is favored to score. Dominic Calvert-Lewin ($6,700) and Richarlison ($7,300) have the best odds at +115 and +145, respectively. The Everton-Leeds matchup has the highest-implied goal total by a significant margin.
Bryan Mbeumo, BRE v. CRY ($6,500): There isn't much to get excited about in the cheap range at forward. Mbeumo still takes a few set pieces here and there and usually plays 90 minutes. He has open-play upside, too, and Brentford's home matchup against Crystal Palace looks like a decent spot for them to get back on track after losing five consecutive games. Looking cheaper, Dele Alli ($5,000) is expected to make his first league start for Everton. He probably doesn't have much of a floor but the matchup against Leeds is clearly the best target for goals of the three games.
MIDFIELDERS
Alexis Mac Allister, BHA at WAT ($8,400): Mac Allister is expected to return to the starting lineup after sitting out the previous FA Cup match due to COVID-19. He's been a revelation since coming into the Brighton side, putting up double-digit fantasy points in six-straight games and he's played 90 minutes in each of his last four starts. He's been taking more sets than Pascal Gross and chipping in with goals and assists, as well. A matchup against Watford is one of the better spots in the league, though they've been a bit stingier in the early weeks of Roy Hodgson's tenure.
Conor Gallagher, CRY at BRE ($7,600): Gallagher unexpectedly took all six of Palace's corner kicks on Wednesday. If he does that again Saturday, he'd be an appealing option at this price, as we've seen him up over $9,000 for most weeks the past couple months. I'm still expecting Michael Olise ($7,900) to take some of the left-footed sets, but Gallagher is now the better option for me, considering recent evidence and his goalscoring upside.
Mathias Jensen, BRE v. CRY ($4,700): I'm not confident that Jensen starts, but if he does, $4,700 for the majority set-piece taker of a home side looks pretty good to me. He rarely plays 90 minutes but the salary is cheap enough to take a chance on him regardless, especially with Brentford in a decent spot against Palace. It's possible that Josh Dasilva ($3,000) is ready to start after a year on the sidelines due to a hip injury. The 23-year-old No. 10 has scored 16 goals in 90 appearances for Brentford and could be considered for the minimum salary.
DEFENDERS
Stuart Dallas, LEE at EVE ($5,300): This slate lacks for elite options at defender. Dallas, for the most part, has been splitting corner kicks with Raphinha. He doesn't offer as much from open play when he lines up at left-back but the set pieces give him somewhat of a floor. Elsewhere, Watford's new signing Hassane Kamara ($5,100) has put up double-digit floor points in consecutive games thanks to tackles won and interceptions.
Kiko Femenia, WAT v. BHA ($5,000): Femenia has taken the majority of Watford's set pieces in back-to-back games. He's always a sub risk, but there isn't much opportunity cost at the position, which mitigates the downside of rostering him. Keep an eye on where Sergi Canos ($4,600) lines up. If he plays forward again, he'd make for a decent GPP target. Looking a bit cheaper, Rico Henry ($4,000) offers decent value playing on the wing in what should be a rather favorable matchup for Brentford. So would Mads Roerslev ($3,800), if he starts on the right wing over Canos. Center-backs are more viable than usual on these types of slates. Ethan Pinnock ($2,900) has a higher floor than most of them, while Lewis Dunk ($2,600) and Shane Duffy ($2,500) have shown goalscoring upside over the years.
GOALKEEPERS
David Raya, BRE vs. CRY ($4,800): Despite being priced below Jordan Pickford ($5,000), Raya's 32.5 percent clean-sheet odds are eight percent better, which is a significant difference. Robert Sanchez ($5,200) has the best odds on the slate at just under 37 percent for an away matchup against Watford. Ben Foster ($4,200) is the cheapest priced keeper but Watford have better clean-sheet odds than Everton and Leeds. He's playing at home, as well, which slightly increases the appeal. Correlation will be the deciding factor in my choices for tournaments.
