This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Premier League: Saturday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EST)
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Burnley
10:00 a.m: Bournemouth v. Everton
10:00 a.m: Newcastle v. Brighton
10:00 a.m: Chelsea v. Stoke City
10:00 a.m: Liverpool v. Leicester City
10:00 a.m: Watford v. Swansea City
12:30 p.m: Manchester United v. Southampton
FORWARDS
Alvaro Morata, CHE v. STK ($12,000): Morata is the second-most expensive forward, trailing only Liverpool's Roberto Firmino by $500 and sitting $500 ahead of Manchester United's Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku is the most goal-dependent of the bunch, as he hasn't been shooting nearly as much, though he created five chances in his last two games. Firmino is on an absolute tear, scoring four goals and assisting two others in his last three games, and the home game against Leicester City is another encouraging spot. I prefer Morata because the Chelsea attack revolves around feeding him up top, and he comes in with eight shots on target and six chances created in his last six games while facing a Stoke side that has allowed the most goals and third-most shots on goal this season.
Dwight Gayle, NEW v. BHA ($8,000): Gayle has struggled to put a lot of shots on target of late, but he's still taken 10 shots in his last four starts, with three landing on goal and two finding the back of the net. He'll now face a Brighton side that has allowed third-most shots and fourth-most shots on goal in the last six games. Admittedly, that run included matches against Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool, though Huddersfield and Burnley combined to put 13 of 30 shots on target.
MIDFIELDERS
Mohamed Salah, LIV v. LEI ($11,500): Salah's ridiculous play rolled right along on Boxing Day against Swansea, assisting two goals on three chances created while putting two of his four shots on goal. He has scored at least 29.00 fantasy points in four of his past five games, and then only hesitation on using Salah is that it likely prices you out of pairing him with teammate Philippe Coutinho ($12,000) if you don't go cheap at both forward spots. Salah's last three games have been strong, but Coutinho has three goals (one in each) on 13 shots (three on goal) and two assists on 12 chances created in that span. It's really tough to pick between the two, and you could make the case that Salah's upside is slightly higher while Coutinho has the strong floor.
Willian, CHE v. STK ($8,500): Rostering Willian is a lot more attractive if Cesc Fabregas ($10,000) does not start, and the latter should be considered if he's in the first XI. Both players are very good at creating chances, giving them a solid fantasy floor against a Stoke side that's been awful defensively this season. Fabregas is usually good for a few tackles in addition to his chances created, while Willian is more likely to get a shot on goal. If you prefer a more defensive-minded player, N'Golo Kante ($8,000) has the third-most floor points (total fantasy points minus goals and assists) in the Premier League over the past six gameweeks.
Ryan Fraser, BOU v. EVE ($6,000): Fraser has started both of the past two matches and looks ready for a third with the Cherries dealing with a number of injuries in their midfield. While he didn't get either of his two shots on Boxing Day against West Ham on target, he still created three chances while adding four fouls drawn and two tackles. With a role on set pieces, he could be in good positions to create chances, and he'll face an Everton side that's allowed a decent number of them since Sam Allardyce took over.
DEFENDERS
Cuco Martina, EVE at BOU ($6,000): Despite playing out of position at left-back, Martina has been a steady source of fantasy points, scoring at least 19.00 in seven consecutive starts. He does it all with a combination of tackles, clearances, interceptions and passes, while still being able to create a few chances and draw a few fouls. Bournemouth should be more active in the attack while playing at home, giving Martina plenty of opportunities to keep his fine play going.
Maya Yoshida, SOU at MANU ($6,000): Yoshida has picked up the defensive slack for Southampton of late, with Virgil van Dijk sitting out until his transfer to Liverpool is completed. The former has scored over 24.00 fantasy points in two of his last three games (he actually had 28.75 the match before but that was with a goal), and he's doing it with a solid combination of clearances, tackles and interceptions. He'll now face a Manchester United side that is the highest-crossing and third-highest shooting team on the slate, which lines up well for more defensive stats. Teammate Wesley Hoedt ($5,500) comes in slightly cheaper, but Yoshida has been the more prolific accumulator of late.
Geoff Cameron, STK at CHE ($4,500): As if playing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge isn't hard enough, Stoke will have to do so without Kurt Zouma ($7,000), who is ineligible to play due to the terms of his loan agreement, while Ryan Shawcross ($6,500) is likely to miss out with a calf strain, leaving Cameron and Kevin Wimmer ($5,000) as the likely starting centerbacks. Their low prices are enticing, especially with Chelsea likely peppering the box with touches and shots, forcing the Stoke duo to put in the work. Their upsides aren't overly high, but they should be very busy.
GOALKEEPER
Simon Mignolet, LIV v. LEI ($4,500): Much has been said about Liverpool's defense this year -- in a negative way -- but they've been excellent at home, allowing just three goals in 10 league matches. The matchup against Leicester will likely lead to a few shots on goal, giving Mignolet some decent save upside in a match Liverpool should still comfortably control.
