This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Brentford vs. Southampton
- 10:00 am: Burnley vs. Aston Villa
- 10:00 am: Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Watford
- 12:30 pm: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester United
- 2:45 pm: Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS
Mohamed Salah, LIV v. TOT ($21): As a general note, this match has the highest implied goal total and Liverpool have the highest implied goals scored on the slate. Salah has the top goalscoring odds while playing in a home match, where Liverpool have scored 45 goals in 17 matches. The previous three matches between Liverpool and Tottenham have seen four goals scored twice and three goals in the other matchup, providing further evidence you'll want to target at least one player in this matchup. Outside of Salah, who is the frontrunner for the Premier League's Golden Boot, Sadio Mane ($19) is another option, though he's scored single-digit fantasy points in four of his past six Premier League matches. Luis Diaz ($18) is the cheapest of Liverpool's potential starters, while Diogo Jota ($19) is in consideration, too. Jota has scored over 20 fantsasy points in four of the past six Premier League matches. Harry Kane ($19) and Son Heung-Min ($20) are Tottenham's top options, and Son has had some crazy performances of late, scoring 40-plus points in four of his past six matches. Thiago Alcantara ($11) and Jordan Henderson ($10) are the value options if you want 10 floors points with minimal upside.
Ollie Watkins, AVL at BUR ($18): You could go either Watkins or Philippe Coutinho ($19) in this matchup due to Burnley conceding the most chances created of the teams on Saturday's slate. Watkins has been in good form over his past four matches, scoring two goals and creating seven scoring chances. Danny Ings ($16) is also an option after scoring a goal and providing an assist against Norwich last weekend. John McGinn ($14) is good for at least 10 points, while Douglas Luiz ($10) is the cheapest expected starter and offers good value if you find yourself in a budgetary pinch. Matej Vydra ($11) has a goal and assist over the past two matches and should continue to start in attack with Wout Weghorst ($15). Given Burnley's recent form and need to keep crawling up the table, I wouldn't be surprised if they came away with points, especially at home.
Danny Welbeck, BHA v. MUN ($14): Welbeck has been surprisingly effective of late, scoring 30-plus points in consecutive matches against Southampton and Wolverhampton. He's done it by putting six shots on target, creating four scoring chances, scoring a goal and providing an assist, which hasn't been super typical for the Brighton attacker. Manchester United concede the second-most shots on goal and third-most scoring chances created, providing a platform for the Brighton attackers to produce. Welbeck is at mid-tier cost, while Leandro Trossard ($17) is a bit more expensive though also an attractive play. Yves Bissouma ($12) offers great value further down the pricing structure, but he doesn't have quite the ceiling of Trossard or Welbeck. Cristiano Ronaldo ($21) has an outside shot at the Golden Boot as he's scored in four straight matches to make things interesting. Bruno Fernandes ($20) is a reasonable pivot from Ronaldo as he does a little bit of everything, especially against Brighton who aren't great at home, winning just three of their 17 home matches.
Eberechi Eze, CRY v. WAT ($9): Watford concede the most shots on goal, chances created, and tackles won of the 12 teams on the slate. They also give up the most goals and assists, evidenced by them giving up the third-most goals in the Premier League. This bodes well for the Crystal Palace attack, and more specifically, provides a bargain option like Eberechi Eze. He's started the past two matches and appears to be getting closer to the levels we saw him at prior to his Achilles injury. He scored last weekend and has created a scoring chance in the last two matches, both of which he's started. His price and matchup with Watford make him one of the more coveted options at the bottom of the pricing tier. Tim Iroegbunam ($6) made his first Aston Villa start last weekend and is even cheaper if you truly run out of budget.
DEFENDERS
James Tarkowski, BUR v. AVL ($14): While Trent Alexander-Arnold ($15) is the clear top option in defense, Tarkowski has been just as consistent. His ceiling isn't quite as high as the Liverpool right-back, but he continues to string together productive performances. One of the more impressive FanDuel stats I've seen this season is Tarkowski scoring at least 10 points in all 32 of his Premier League appearances. He's liable to add clearances and blocks, and will benefit from playing at home where Burnley have won each of their last three matches. Nathan Collins ($14) has been filling in for Ben Mee as Tarkowski's center-back partner and is putting up similar stat lines each match. Aside from The Burnley center-backs and Liverpool's full-backs, Chelsea's combination of Reece James ($14) and Marcos Alonso ($15) have been effective, though I'd opt for the latter if I had to choose.
Eric Dier, TOT at LIV ($8): Liverpool host Tottenham in a must-win spot for both sides as Liverpool aspire to win the league and Tottenham challenge Champions League qualification. Eric Dier anchors Tottenham's back line and is tasked with slowing down the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, which should lead to a productive fantasy day even if Tottenham lose. Liverpool force the highest volume of clearances of the 12 teams on the slate by a large margin, giving Dier the chance to rack up a productive outing. The RotoWire lineup optimizer gives Dier the best value, which is the first place I usually look to find value plays. Joel Matip ($11) should come back into the lineup for Ibrahima Konate ($10), while I wouldn't be surprised to see Kostas Tsimikas ($12) give Andrew Robertson a rest at left-back. He offers a bit more value if you want to go that route.
GOALKEEPERS
Jose Sa, WOL at CHE ($6): This match has the third-lowest implied goal total of the six matches, making both Edouard Mendy ($14) and Jose Sa options. Sa is more attractive given his price and that Wolverhampton are one of the top defensive sides in terms of goals conceded. They sit fourth behind Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. I wouldn't expect many goals from this matchup and Jose Sa is a viable option, especially when you consider he's scored at least 9.5 points in seven of his past nine matches. After Chelsea and Edouard Mendy, Alisson ($13) and Liverpool have the second-highest clean sheet odds against Tottenham and they haven't lost a match at Anfield this season. More impressively, Alisson has scored at least 20 points in 10 of the past 12 matches, which hasn't been matched by any other Premier League goalkeeper. David Raya ($12) and Brentford will host Southampton in what could be another quality outing for the Spanish shot stopper. He's consistently hung around 10, making him a worthwhile consideration.
