Starting Eleven: Saturday Premier League Breakdown

Starting Eleven: Saturday Premier League Breakdown

This article is part of our Starting Eleven series.

MATCHES (EDT)

7:30 a.m: West Ham v. Manchester United
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Tottenham
10:00 a.m: Arsenal v. Watford
10:00 a.m: Newcastle v. Leicester City
10:00 a.m: Wolverhampton v. Southampton
10:00 a.m: Manchester City v. Brighton
10:00 a.m: Everton v. Fulham
12:30 p.m: Chelsea v. Liverpool

FORWARDS

Through six matches, Eden Hazard has looked like the best player in the Premier League, managing five goals and two assists. He has scored or assisted a goal in nine of his past 10 appearances across all competitions and will look to continue that trend into Saturday's home match with Liverpool. The Reds' defense has been especially stingy this season, but they weren't able to keep Hazard from finding the match winner in Wednesday's 2-1 win in the Carabao Cup. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah found the back of the net in last Saturday's win over Southampton after a three-match scoreless streak, and while he hasn't looked like the Golden Boot winner from last season quite yet, a spot in the Liverpool attack generally warrants consideration.

Aleksandar Mitrovic is an early Golden Boot candidate, with he and Hazard sitting on five goals. He leads the league in shots on target (12) and is second to only Sergio Aguero in total shots (28). Mitrovic will have a favorable matchup against an Everton side who have yet to keep a clean sheet this season.

The aforementioned Aguero will face Brighton, a team who have conceded at least two goals in seven of their past eight matches, putting the Argentine striker and the rest of the City attack in a good spot for a big fantasy day. Both Aguero and Gabriel Jesus have the highest scoring odds on the slate, with City expected to run riot.

Harry Kane had his best fantasy day of the season in last weekend's 2-1 win over Brighton, scoring a goal and racking up five shots, including four on target. Saturday's trip to Huddersfield is a good chance for another big day, as the Terriers are tied with Cardiff City for the most goals conceded this season (14).

Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang have started to shoulder the scoring load for Arsenal, with both forwards finding the back of the net in last weekend's 2-0 win over Everton. However, Watford are off to a good start and will likely be tougher to crack than the Toffees' back line.

MIDFIELDERS

Despite what has turned into a public spat between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho, Pogba continues to be a viable option in the United midfield. He has two goals and a pair of assists in his past two matches, but will being facing a West Ham squad that shut out Chelsea's attack last weekend in a scoreless draw.

Leicester City's trip to Newcastle could be fruitful, as both sides try to make their way up the table. James Maddison is riding a two-goal scoring streak that he'll look to continue, while he also offers value due to his share of set-pieces.

James Milner and Jorginho will be in the heart of a midfield battle during Saturday's battle for first place. Both midfielders are capable of putting up big fantasy numbers, though I give Milner the nod over Jorginho due to how many set-pieces he takes. Whichever player can dictate play will likely have a big fantasy day and help his team to a quality result. N'Golo Kante and Naby Keita are potential pivots if you want to keep shares in the match but aren't interested in either Milner or Jorginho.

Dele Alli captained Tottenham for the first time in Wednesday's League Cup win, his first appearance since Sept. 2. He and Christian Eriksen are expected to be Kane's supply line in what could be a big win for the North London club.

DEFENDERS AND GOALKEEPERS

Manchester City are massive favorites when they host Brighton, along with having the best clean sheet odds on the slate by a sizable margin. Ederson is a safe bet, though his value will be out the window if City concede at all. Benjamin Mendy will miss the match, which should allow Danilo or Fabian Delph back into the starting XI. If you're looking for a safe investment in the City defense, Aymeric Laporte is your best option.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was deemed fit for the Chelsea match, which should bring him and Andrew Robertson back into the lineup after missing the midweek loss. Those two will need to be at their best to slow down Hazard, while Alisson will face his first true test in the Premier League. On the opposite side of the pitch, Marcos Alonso's array of attacking skills and deadly set-piece technique could be the difference-maker. Kepa Arrizabalaga will be in charge of keeping one of the Premier League's best attacks out of the net. A clean sheet for either team is unlikely, but there's still plenty of fantasy value to be taken from this match.

Pau Gazzaniga has taken over with Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm injured, and he comes in with the second-best clean sheet odds, mostly because Huddersfield have scored just three goals in six matches. A stack of Gazzaniga and any of Tottenham's defenders is likely to be productive.

Lukasz Fabianski is second to only Joe Hart in saves, as he racked up 14 saves, conceded two goals and kept a clean sheet in his past three matches. A matchup with Manchester United makes it tough to consider him for a clean sheet, but he will be in line for fair number of saves.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Christopher Owen plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: owenc8888 (DraftKings, FanDuel), RotoCrook (Yahoo!).
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Owen
Chris covers fantasy soccer for RotoWire. In his free time he enjoys watching Jurgen Klopp celebrate goals on the touchline and beyond.
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