DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday Value Plays

This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.

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 available GPP contests for Premier League soccer Saturday:



$7K Equalizer ($1,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $27
$4K Golden Boot ($2,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $200
$4K Striker ($300 first prize), Entry Fee: $3
$2K Upper 90 ($700 first prize), Entry Fee: $100
$1K Slid Tackle ($500 first prize), Entry Fee: $50
$1K Stoppage Time ($200 first prize), Entry Fee: $12
and many more…



The following games are included:
Arsenal at Newcastle United
Burnley at Southampton
Crystal Palace at Stoke City
Leicester City at Tottenham Hotspur
Swansea City at Aston Villa
Sunderland at West Ham United

With a litany of fitness questions, being sure to land on players in the starting XI is essential. There is a bit of guesswork in projecting lineups until they are actually announced, especially with teams competing in multiple competitions (though that's not much an issue after this weekend). Nonetheless, be sure to check the starting lineups upon their announcement approximately one hour prior to kickoff.

And before we jump into the recommendations, here's another check of the crosses leaders (table is sortable):

Fraser Forster ($5,400)
I land on Forster by very simple means: his Southampton squad is quoted as the heaviest favorites from the contest's selection. Getting him at prices below that of Hugo Lloris ($5,800) and David Ospina ($5,500) is simply an added bonus. Both of the other options are fine selections, but there is little doubt that Forster provides better value than both coming off a clean sheet against a streaking Crystal Palace side and letting in just one goal while making six saves against league-leading Chelsea. West Ham's Adrian ($5,400) warrants some consideration against a poor-formed Sunderland side.

Julian Speroni ($4,600)
Speroni was scored on against QPR last weekend, but boy-oh-boy was it not his fault. Matthew Phillips may have had the goal of the season as he put one in from 40 yards.

Outside of that he let in no other goals, made three saves and his side got the win. He's failed to record either a clean sheet or one goal against just twice in his last 10 Premier League matches, and his side's offense has been looking healthier and more impressive by the game. Stoke may be without their most explosive offensive threat in Victor Moses, as their injury list has grown quite expansive. The stud goalkeepers make a lot of sense this weekend, but Speroni is an excellent off-the-pace value play.

Defenders:

Ryan Bertrand ($4,600) and Nathaniel Clyne($4,500)
I've already stated my keenness towards their goalkeeper, Forster, and Bertrand and Clyne are both among the more offensively-inclined fullbacks in the Premier League. Both send in crosses at a fairly high rate, especially in games they expect to win. Against an offensively-deficient Burnley side, the Southampton fullbacks will look to spark the offense from their wide positions while also standing a very good chance to pick up a clean sheet.

Danny Rose ($4,500)
Rose should be considered one of the most underappreciated players in the Premier League. He's consistently good, and has tallied an impressive two goals and five assists from the fullback position. He has a very favorable matchup with league-bottom Leicester and is a dangerous weapon to wield in any lineup.

Joel Ward ($2,800), Pape Souare ($2,800) and Martin Kelly ($3,000)
I list the three Crystal Palace defenders in order of preference. Ward normally mans the left back, but with suspensions/injuries there's a very real chance he'll get some action in the midfield. He picked up a goal last weekend in his best performance of the season, and getting a defender playing the midfield is gold in fantasy circles. Soare would be the replacement at left back in the event Ward moves to the midfield. So, if Soare plays, we'll know Ward will be in the midfield if he is in the starting lineup, and Soare himself will become a good value target because he may very well be the best crossing fullback of the bunch. Kelly is the third option, as he will once again start on the right. He's only to use if Soare doesn't start, putting Ward on the left, and especially if you have Speroni in goal.

Aaron Cresswell ($5,100) and Carl Jenkinson ($5,000)
When right, the West Ham fullbacks are extremely lethal in putting in crosses. I don't love their prices, but it would be juvenile to overlook them against the defensively poor Black Cats.

Hector Bellerin ($4,700), Nacho Monreal ($4,500), Calum Chambers ($4,400), Kieran Gibbs ($4,300)
I don't know who is going to start at the fullback positions for Arsenal, as it's always guesswork. Whoever goes is a fine choice, as they've all proven themselves to be perfectly capable.

Midfielders:

Yannick Bolasie ($6,700)
Unfortunately, his price is finally catching up with him, but nonetheless Bolasie is a special player. His two assists last time out may appear as a breakout performance, but he's been good all year. With Jason Puncheon (hamstring) most likely out, Bolasie will see an even heavier load and will give Stoke all they can handle from the wing. He can produce in every scoring category. Teammate Wilfried Zaha ($4,000) is a question at the moment due to a hip knock, but if he passes a late fitness test, he showed how capable he is turning in both and goal and an assist last weekend while also showing past form indicating his capability to service crosses as well.

Mesut Ozil ($8,400)
Ozil is at last coming to grips with play in England. He's seeing action at a more forward role and has been instrumental in the Gunners' recent run of excellent form. Goals and assists will come his way playing the as well as he currently is, it's just a matter of time.

Remy Cabella ($5,000)
Cabella has been slow to come back from a knee injury, but after his decently productive minutes as a sub against Everton last weekend he looks a good chance to finally get back into the starting lineup. When healthy, he is a attacking midfielder than can rack up FPTs in every category and will be needed to produce dearly as his side faces a very much in-form Arsenal side.

Christian Eriksen ($8,000)
Eriksen struggles against good opponents, but he shows up against the poor ones. Leicester is about as poor as it gets, so Eriksen appears a good candidate to get into double-digit scoring. His nine goals and two assists this season are impressive, and are especially good when he racks up crosses. He's a free-kick specialist and always dangerous because of it.

Jefferson Montero ($4,200)
It's always deeply questionable whether he gets the start or not, but his per-minute cross rate is spectacular. In the event he starts, he's a great value play, its just unfortunate how infrequent it has been. Nonetheless, it's worth looking to see once the lineups are announced.

Aaron Ramsey ($6,100)
Ramsey's goals in back-to-back games are nothing to slouch at, but his crossing numbers are up as well. Ramsey will always being a low-floor high-ceiling type, but feel free to cash in while the iron's hot.

Forwards:

Harry Kane ($10,100)
Kane not scoring against Manchester United is inconsistent with his goal-per-match form presented over the last 10, and it should be expected for him to get back to that goal-scoring form against a Leicester side that is simply not to his club's level of competition.

Sadio Mane ($6,700)
Mane continues to produce, his price continues to be stagnant. He reaches double-digit fantasy points with great consistency, and with a favorable matchup against Burnley, he should be targeted with conviction. He's able to produce in every category.

Glen Murray ($3,000)
Expected to start at the striker position once again, Murray is a very good look at the minimum price. Less than a month ago he had two goals and seven shots (four on goal). His minutes-per-goal is unreal, and deserves serious consideration.

Olivier Giroud ($9,700)
Four matches, four goals; not much more really needs to be said.

Christian Benteke ($7,900) and Gabriel Agbonlahor ($6,800)
The in-form Aston Villa side…wait can I actually say that? There is such a thing as an in-from Aston Villa? It appears so! The offensively-stagnant side was poor all season, but it appears they have unearthed something as their two strikers have been pairing up superbly with goals and assists being shared between them. Their prices have now skyrocketed, and I can't help but to remain a tad skeptical. However, Benteke's talent shouldn't be questioned, and if Aston Villa feels like a good option, he is the more consistent option. With some confidence in tow, he appears to finally be playing up to his potential.

Diafra Sakho ($7,700)
Sakho only has one goal in his past four performances, but 17 shots (six on goal) indicate the next goal is near. His side has the advantage against a recently-poor Sunderland squad, who is now with a new interim manager.

Theo Walcott ($6,900)
Walcott is an intriguing player with very good per-minute production, but his minutes are the worry. When he starts, he often doesn't finish, and when he doesn't start, he gets minutes off the bench. His pace from the wing is both what makes him dangerous and presumably what makes it hard for him to stay on the pitch for a full 90 minutes. His price is good, and warrants at least a look in the event he starts.