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MATCHES (EST)
10:00 a.m: West Brom v. Huddersfield
10:00 a.m: Liverpool v. West Ham
10:00 a.m: Bournemouth v. Newcastle
10:00 a.m: Burnley v. Southampton
10:00 a.m: Brighton v. Swansea City
12:30 p.m: Watford v. Everton
FORWARDS
Callum Wilson, BOU v. NEW ($7,500): Wilson's returns are obviously connected to his ability to find the back of the net, which should be okay Saturday since no non-Liverpool player has better anytime goal scorer odds. Bournemouth have been playing very well of late, scoring multiple goals in six of their last eight matches, and they now face a Newcastle side has just one shoutout in their last five.
Jordan Ayew, SWA at BHA ($8,500): Ayew's ability to chip in defensively while also drawing fouls and creating chances has allowed him to score at least 11.75 fantasy points in five consecutive games, including two with a goal. Brighton have been pretty poor defensively this season, even at home, and Ayew provides a nice floor in case he isn't the one who breaks through on goal.
Roberto Firmino, LIV v. WHU ($12,500): Firmino leads the line for the team with the highest win odds and implied goal total. He has scored in four of his last six games, creating at least three chances in three of those matches while putting at least three shots on goal in three as well. His price is very high, enough that fantasy players may not take him and opt for teammate Mohamed Salah ($13,000, midfielder), which will advantageously lower Firmino's ownership percentage in GPPs.
MIDFIELDERS
Mohamed Salah, LIV v. WHU ($13,000): Salah is the most expensive player, and he could also be the highest owned. Coming in with more goals and shots on goal than any other player on the slate, he'll also line up in the attack for the team with by far the biggest win odds and implied goal total. Fading Salah really opens up salary for the other positions, but if he goes off for a big game it'll be really hard to make it up on a slate that's not expected to be high scoring overall. Paying down for Sadio Mane ($10,500), who had a hat trick in the Champions League earlier this week, is definitely a viable midfield pivot, though he's not nearly as reliable. And speaking of unreliable but worthy of consideration, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ($7,500) could provide solid access to the Liverpool attack at a low price if he starts, though his upside isn't nearly as high as the others'.
Jordon Ibe, BOU v. NEW ($7,000): Ibe had a four-match run from the end of December through the beginning of January that saw him get multiple shots on goal and create multiple chances in three of four games (eight shots on goal, 11 chances created in that span), and while he hasn't been quite as prolific in those areas of late, he managed to pick up an assist in back-to-back matches (Jan. 31 at Chelsea and Feb. 3 v. Stoke City). The matchup against Newcastle should certainly help his case, as only two teams have allowed more chances and three have allowed more shots on goal over the past six games. Given how well Bournemouth have been scoring, I'd have no problem stacking Wilson with Ibe.
James Ward-Prowse, SOU at BUR ($7,000): Ward-Prowse has been the main focal point of the Southampton attack recently, at least from a fantasy perspective. He's scored over 21.00 fantasy points in three consecutive matches, with only one of those games including a goal. He created nine chances and put three of seven shots on goal in that run, and he'll now face a Burnley side that's allowed more shots and chances than any other side this season.
DEFENDER
James Collins, WHU at LIV ($7,000): Collins has the second-most clearances in the Premier League over the past eight gameweeks, which is even more impressive when you recognize he only played six games in that span. Coming off 19 clearances against Watford on Feb. 10, Collins figures to have plenty of opportunities with West Ham likely to be under attack all game from a Liverpool side that forces the fourth-most clearances and most blocked shots among teams on the slate.
Marvin Zeegelaar, WAT v. EVE ($5,000): Zeegelaar's ceiling isn't that high, but he does enough of the defensive dirty work to be in consideration. He has scored at least 12.00 fantasy points in five consecutive starts, and since he's not dependent on any one statistic (clearances, for example), there's a little more security in knowing he has multiple paths to make value.
Shane Duffy, BHA v. SWA ($6,000): If you prefer a defender who relies more on clearances, Duffy, like Collins above, fits the mold. He's coming off an impressive 31.50 fantasy points at Stoke City thanks to a season-high 19 clearances, but don't let that overshadow the fact he scored at least 19.00 in three of his prior five games. The Swansea attack isn't overly strong, but they have been better of late and should still allow Duffy to pile on some defensive stats.
GOALKEEPER
Adrian, WHU at LIV ($5,000): If saves are what you're seeking, look no further than the guy in charge of stopping the shots against the biggest favorites on the slate. The clean sheet is highly unlikely here, though Adrian did shut out both Chelsea and Arsenal earlier this season. Making multiple saves in seven of his last eight games, Adrian has also allowed multiple goals just twice in that span. There's obviously risk facing the Liverpool attack, but there could be plenty of save upside.
