This article is part of our Mondogoal Fantasy Soccer series.
While goals, assists and clean sheets are the conventional ways for players to separate themselves in most fantasy Premier League formats, MondoGoal's scoring system allows for a more comprehensive evaluation, thus offering unique avenues to accumulate fantasy points.
With that in mind ahead of MondoGoal's Week 7 contests, let's highlight a few players whose matchups this weekend could enable them to continue to rack up fantasy points through specific non-conventional categories.
Saves: Adrian, GK (£6.9M)
Although the scoring system for goalkeepers is relatively straight forward, Adrian has fueled his fantasy stock with an eye-opening amount of saves. In fact, the Spaniard's 18 saves rank fifth-best on MondoGoal, even though he has missed three games through suspension. With eight saves in West Ham's win over Manchester City last weekend, Adrian helped bring his MondoGoal average to 7.13 points per game across three appearances, which trails only Arsenal's Petr Cech. With a home date against Norwich this weekend, Adrian's shot-stopping success could be complemented by a clean sheet.
Passes Intercepted: Laurent Koscielny, DEF (£9.0M)
On the receiving end of an elbow from Chelsea's Diego Costa last weekend, Koscielny has actually made his name by stepping in front of the passes of his opponents. Credited with 21 interceptions so far this season on MondoGoal, only Aston Villa's Jordan Amavi tops his compatriot Koscielny in the category. Furthermore, only four defenders boast a higher point average than Koscielny's 7.32. Although Arsenal face a tough matchup at Leicester this Saturday, the Foxes 70.6 percent pass completion this season is the Premiership's worst figure, which plays nicely into Koscienly's interception ability.
Tackles Won: Nemanja Matic, MID (£7.6M)
The enforcer at the base of Jose Mourinho's midfield, Matic has won 17 tackles thus far, placing him in the top 10 among all Premier League players and the top three among midfielders. Additionally, the Serbian has totaled 20.60 points over his past two league outings, showing he's rounding into form ahead of Saturday's match at Newcastle. Only four teams have retained possession at a worse clip than Newcastle's 45.2 percent this season, creating a great matchup for Matic to showcase his knack for breaking up opposing attacks.
Passes Completed: Memphis Depay, FWD (£11.5M)
Still yet to score in the Premier League, Memphis has made an impact elsewhere, as his 182 passes completed rank second among forwards on MondoGoal. With that possession circulating around him, Memphis has also been able to place four shots on target, the second-best figure on Manchester United. This weekend, the Red Devils host Sunderland, whose 45.7 percent of possession verges on a bottom-five figure and the Black Cats have also surrendered 18 shots per game, the second worst average in the Premiership. Considering those factors, Memphis should enjoy plenty of time with the ball at his feet Saturday, when he could notch his first league goal.
Shots On Target: Mame Diouf, FWD (£6.0M)
Regardless of position, only two players have landed more shots on target than Diouf's 10 through five appearances. In doing so, Diouf has managed to score two goals and has also drawn plenty of attention from opposing defenders, winning 12 fouls along the way. With the help of those tallies, Diouf has supplied 47.31 points on MondoGoal, making him a top-5 forward. This weekend, Diouf is gifted with a home matchup against Bournemouth, who have conceded the third most away goals while committing the fourth most fouls per game this season.
