This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
- 10:00 am: Burnley vs. Norwich City
- 10:00 am: Everton vs. Sheffield United
- 10:00 am: Manchester City vs. Watford
- 12:30 pm: Newcastle United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
For detailed stats and odds, check out the FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet.
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
It's kind of a boring slate with four matches and all four home teams favored. Manchester City will undoubtedly get all of the attention in cash games against Watford, who haven't stopped anyone from scoring. Sergio Aguero ($23) will be hard to pass up with seven goals in five league appearances, and he was rested in the midweek Champions League win. The only way I wouldn't roster Aguero is if I have the outside wingers on my team, which could be Raheem Sterling ($22) and Bernardo Silva ($18). I wouldn't worry about Sterling playing the full 90 on Wednesday because he did that numerous times last season. Bernardo Silva and David Silva ($15) are the others likely in the starting XI, with Kevin De Bruyne ($20) probably getting the call after being the first sub out against Shakhtar. You could stretch and go Aguero and Sterling, but I'd rather bank on one of them going off. Aguero is in better form, but Sterling can be as potent and is the better GPP route.
Teemu Pukki ($19) has become a fantasy favorite, and because of that I'd rather fade him at Burnley. He's the same price as Richarlison, who has better odds to score and possibly a better floor with four chances created, three shots on goal and 10 tackles in the last two matches. He hasn't been consistent, but his overall numbers have been better the last two matches. That's relevant because not many others in this range have a floor above 10 fantasy points, including teammate Gylfi Sigurdsson ($17). Joelinton ($17) and Ashley Barnes ($17) are each in positions to find the back of the net, but they also haven't shown much of a floor. My money would be on Barnes because of his matchup, as Norwich City have allowed the most shots on goal and chances this season.
There are a surprising number of value options on the small slate, with Pascal Gross ($10) leading the list because he's Brighton's main corner taker. While away from home, it's hard to overlook his 20 floor points last match from six chances created and a couple tackles. Oliver Norwood ($14) continues to be underrated with at least 10 fantasy points in every match because he takes the majority of Sheffield United's set pieces while also providing defensive stats. If you get Pukki, it makes sense to use Emiliano Buendia ($14) as Norwich's only set-piece taker. The last value play I'll point out is Tom Cleverley ($9) because even though his attacking numbers may not continue, his defensive stats should allow him to reach double digits.
DEFENDERS
If you spend $18 on Nicolas Otamendi, hopefully you're not expecting to win. The only expensive defenders I'd consider are Lucas Digne ($16) and Oleksandr Zinchenko ($16), and even they aren't guaranteed for 15 points. Digne is the better bet because he's creating a couple chances every match, though his defensive numbers have been random, racking up 14 clearances in two home matches and one clearance in three away games. It wouldn't be shocking if the Everton stat keepers leaned heavily toward the home team, so that's something worth exploring. That same stat trend applies to Yerry Mina ($14) and Michael Keane ($12).
The three teams who force the most clearances on this slate are Sheffield United, Everton and Man City so that's the best place to look (Everton also force the third-most tackles). Unfortunately, none of the Sheffield United defenders are all that consistent. Chris Basham ($10) is the cheapest, but John Egan ($11) has been the most consistent, scoring at least 9.1 fantasy points in every match. The Watford defenders haven't been any better, though Christian Kabasele ($9) is as cheap as they come, and he has five interceptions and seven clearances in two starts. Paul Dummett ($13) has a solid floor for Newcastle, but I'm not sure Brighton will force a ton of defensive action. The best move may be to back Everton defenders and hope their defensive stats get juiced like in their last two home matches.
GOALKEEPER
Any of the home goalkeepers can be used on this slate, though there's a wide range of pricing. Ederson ($15) is most likely to win and secure a clean sheet, yet Martin Dubravka ($9) comes at a nice discount and Brighton have scored just two goals since bagging three in their season opener. The decision comes down to spending on a field player or on Ederson when someone like Dubravka has a good chance of winning and securing a clean sheet, as well. Of the four goalkeepers, I'd bet on Jordan Pickford to get a clean sheet, but nothing is guaranteed for goalkeepers and Sheffield United have scored in both away matches. If for some reason you aren't backing Man City, Ben Foster ($8) is a GPP option and should be in for around five saves.
