This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
The Premier League returns after the international break and FanDuel has a seven-game slate to break down. The scheduling is a little different than normal main slates. Instead of one late game, there are two, which means three time slots to deal with. As always, if you have players in these late games, you'll need contingency plans if lineups come out and don't include those players.
Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United are all similarly-lined favorites between -220 and -275 in terms of odds. Nottingham Forest and Brentford are the next tier at -120 and -135, respectively. They both have strong home matchups and are interesting pivots to target in tournaments.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: AFC Bournemouth vs. Wolverhampton
- 10:00 am: Brentford vs. Burnley
- 10:00 am: Manchester City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 10:00 am: Newcastle United vs. Crystal Palace
- 10:00 am: Nottingham Forest vs. Luton Town
- 12:30 pm: Chelsea vs. Arsenal
- 3:00 pm: Sheffield United vs. Manchester United
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Julian Alvarez, MCI vs. BHA ($21): I will continue to lean toward the non-goal dependent options for Man City in Alvarez and Phil Foden ($18) over Erling Haaland ($25), mainly due to price. Both have been extremely consistent with the role they have in a split of set pieces and they still have goal upside. Haaland is completely dependent on shots for his floor, but you'll likely need him to score multiple goals to pay off. That is not out of the question, but I would rather take the discount and the more predictable floor. Bruno Fernandes ($23) has been extremely consistent, as well, but still comes behind Alvarez and Foden in optimal building due to price. If you want a less popular Man City option, Jeremy Doku ($18) has been solid since joining the club.
Morgan Gibbs-White, NFO vs. LUT ($17): Gibbs-White is over most set pieces for Nottingham Forest and they get a strong home matchup with Luton Town. He's produced from a fantasy perspective in tough matchups this season, which this is not. He comes in at a price just off the top of the board, making him a top mid-range option. I prefer the safety you get with his role over someone like Mason Mount ($16), even though Man United are bigger favorites.
Elliot Anderson, NEW vs. CRY ($11): With Man United's struggles, I just can't trust them in any scenario right now. This leads me towards Newcastle as my second favorite team on the slate behind Man City. Callum Wilson ($19) is a strong GPP option as their most likely goalscorer, assuming Alexander Isak isn't ready to start. Anthony Gordon ($19) has shown upside and has an outside chance of nabbing a set piece or two from Kieran Trippier ($16). Then there's the value pieces in Anderson and Miguel Almiron ($15). Almiron may have more upside, but Anderson is at a basement price tag and has produced admirably in starts this season. He's the projected starter if Sandro Tonali ($12) doesn't get the call following his betting scandal.
DEFENDERS
Kieran Trippier, NEW vs. CRY ($16): I just discussed Newcastle at length and Trippier is truly where they start from a DFS perspective. He has a massive role on and always has a strong floor. He has six assists in his last four appearances which adds to the floor. There are no other defenders on the slate that have his type of upside from a crossing/set piece perspective. If Man United were to struggle to score, it may increase the floor for Diogo Dalot ($12) and Sergio Reguilon ($10). Both are fair prices and you could pair them with Trippier with some of the value options. Harry Toffolo ($13) has shown some upside and Neco Williams ($9) is expected back for Nottingham Forest on the opposite side. Both should be pushing forward in a nice matchup against Luton Town.
Lewis Dunk, BHA at MCI ($10): Brighton face off against Man City and I think Dunk is slightly different than some other center-backs usually played in this spot. Dunk has solid goal upside on set pieces and he scored one against Liverpool last time out in addition to having six shots in his last two matches. Now, a lot of his value against Man City will come defensively, but I expect Brighton to score. While unlikely, it gives him massive upside in a matchup where he will be busy defensively. You can also target teammate Adam Webster ($9) or look toward center-backs in a different matchup such as Tom Lockyer ($12) for Luton Town or Marc Guehi ($13) for Crystal Palace.
GOALKEEPER
Nick Pope, NEW vs. CRY ($12): Pope has a lot going for him Saturday. He comes in slightly below Ederson ($13) and Andre Onana ($13), but he has better clean sheet odds than both. He also pairs well with Kieran Trippier to correlate a clean sheet. I have much more confidence in the Newcastle defense right now over Man City or Man United. Matt Turner ($12) has the second-best clean sheet odds in a matchup with Luton and is priced the same as Pope with lower win odds. He makes an interesting tournament pivot. If you need a cheaper option, Arsenal have been somewhat hot and cold in terms of scoring. If they let down after a big win against Man City, Robert Sanchez ($9) and Chelsea could make them pay.
