This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Premier League: Saturday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Crystal Palace v. Swansea City
10:00 a.m: Watford v. Brighton
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Southampton
10:00 a.m: Newcastle v. West Ham
12:30 p.m: Manchester United v. Leicester City
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
GOALKEEPER
Jonas Lossl, HUD v. SOU ($4,400): Lossl is the cheapest home keeper on the slate and faces a Southampton side that was shut out by Swansea City in their opening match before their 3-2 win over West Ham last weekend. Huddersfield's early results (two wins in two) overstate how good they are, but Lossl should see enough save opportunities against the Saints, who forced the fifth-most saves last season and changed their attack minimally this summer.
DEFENDER
Daley Blind, MUN v. LEI ($5,800): Blind gets a fair share of corners and with United expected to dominate possession, he'll be on the ball quite a bit. There are a number of places to save salary on the slate, particularly in midfield, so paying up for one or two defenders shouldn't be prohibitive.
Cedric Soares, SOU at HUD ($5,500): While Blind's crossing value comes from set pieces, Cedric continues to be one of the most prolific open-play crossers in the league, sending in 15 while also taking two shots in his first two games. Southampton are favored away at newly promoted Huddersfield, and while the Lossl recommendation looks counterproductive with Cedric, it works because we're going after the Southampton right-back due to his peripheral points and not his goal-scoring odds (which are understandably low).
Jeffrey Schlupp, CRY v. SWA ($3,900): Schlupp's spot in the starting XI isn't guaranteed, but Crystal Palace will need to fill the void left by Ruben Loftus-Cheek's injury. Schlupp isn't a like-for-like replacement, but he's comfortable on the wing, either as a wingback or farther up the pitch. Patrick van Aanholt ($5,300) is likely to get plenty of attention if he starts against Swansea, but Schlupp could have a better return thanks to his lower salary.
MIDFIELDER
James Ward-Prowse, SOU at HUD ($6,000): Ward-Prowse did not start last weekend's match against West Ham, but he took all the set pieces after entering the game. His upside may not be as high as teammate Dusan Tadic's, but Ward-Prowse's role on corners gives him a solid floor against a Huddersfield side punching above their weight defensively this season.
Juan Mata, MUN v. LEI ($6,900):Henrikh Mkhitaryan ($8,600) looks like the safest Manchester United midfielder, but he's very goal and assist dependent to make value. On the other hand, Mata's upside isn't as high, but he takes a good number of set pieces and can still cross in open play. His value goes down if Anthony Martial ($8,000) starts on the left wing, as United will probably attack more from that side (i.e. fewer open-play crosses for Mata), but if you're looking for a safer floor from the biggest favorite on the slate, that guy is Mata.
Matt Ritchie, NEW v. WHU ($6,200): The Newcastle-West Ham match is going to be a scoreless draw or have seven goals. Neither team has a good defense and it's only a matter of whether their attackers can find the back of the net. With Jonjo Shelvey still suspended, Ritchie should be on all set pieces for Newcastle, and if Newcastle are going to score their first goal of the season, Ritchie is heavily likely to be involved.
FORWARD
Romelu Lukaku, MUN v. LEI ($11,200): Lukaku has three goals in the first two matches of the season, he has the best goal-scoring odds of anyone on the slate and leads the line for the team with the highest win and expected goal odds. Everyone is likely to have him because there aren't any other elite options on the slate, which makes him a perfectly reasonable GPP fade.
Richarlison, WAT v. BHA ($5,000): The second forward spot is going to be a tough one to fill, with few midfielder/forward wingers worthy of cash consideration. Watford are the third-biggest favorites and have basically the same expected goal odds as the non-Manchester United favorites, so getting access to their attack isn't a bad idea. Richarlison is the cheapest of their attackers, which is helpful since he also has the safer floor when compared to Andre Gray and Troy Deeney. It's not a sexy pick, but there aren't many on this slate.
Shinji Okazaki, LEI at MUN ($4,300): Just kidding.
