This article is part of our Starting Eleven series.
MATCHES (EST)
8:30 a.m: Tottenham v. Leicester
11:00 a.m: Manchester City v. Chelsea
FORWARDS
Sunday's slate isn't much different than last weekend's, with three big clubs in two matches. Manchester City are the biggest favorite, though their lineup could have some changes from Wednesday's match. That's the biggest question mainly because Sergio Aguero could be most selected forward after an appearance on the score sheet in seven of his last eight starts. If Gabriel Jesus takes his spot, he should take most of that ownership. Otherwise, Raheem Sterling will likely return to the starting XI, and he had two assists in his last start.
The problem with Man City forwards is that their floors are often below 10 fantasy points. The same can't be said for Eden Hazard, though not many will want to back the Belgian at the Etihad. He was great in the previous meeting with a couple assists, but City have allowed one goal in their last five matches at home in all competitions. That also means Gonzalo Higuain will be even harder to trust despite scoring last match. Son Heung-Min could end up being the top forward as he continues to dominate for Spurs with seven goals and three assists in his last seven league starts. His floor has been around seven or eight points, but you use him with hopes of another goal. Finally, Fernando Llorente can't be overlooked after taking 13 shots in the last three matches, though he didn't start against Newcastle.
MIDFIELDERS
It may be best to back a bunch of defensive players in the midfield and hope they all reach a floor of 15 fantasy points. Even for the ones who sometimes make the score sheet, David Silva may not start and Kevin De Bruyne hasn't surpassed 12.30 points since returning from injury. If Silva starts, he's still hard to trust after just 10.70 fantasy points against Everton, which included an assist. Fernandinho could be the safest Man City midfielder after scoring 16.90 points in the first meeting with Chelsea from a combination of completed passes and defensive stats. He hasn't been as consistent of late, but he still has one of the best floors on the slate.
For the rest, it's deciding between guys like Harry Winks, N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Wilfred Ndidi. Winks has oddly had the best floor since he's not only completing more passes than the Chelsea guys but also accruing more defensive stats. Plus, the same kind of floor won't be there for Kante and Jorginho with less possession expected for the Blues. Ndidi may be one of the only viable Leicester players on the slate, though his floor has dipped to around 10 points the last few games and this matchup won't help. Christian Eriksen will likely be the preferred midfielder because of name, but his floor has jumped around a bit. That said, he hit 17.50 fantasy points last match and should again get plenty of opportunities in the attack, at least more than every other midfielder listed.
DEFENDERS AND GOALKEEPERS
Defender could be the safest position in terms of finding a good floor. Aymeric Laporte has boosted his value with a goal and an assist in the last two matches, but he already pushed his floor closer to 15 points with some big passing numbers. Funny enough, Nicolas Otamendi has had a better floor the last few matches, scoring at least 22 points in two of those.
The selection of Chelsea defenders will be interesting because David Luiz, Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso were all solid in the first meeting against City. Luiz scored to go with seven clearances while Azpilicueta had a ridiculous 13 tackles and five interceptions. Alonso's performance may be the easiest to replicate since he had four tackles and four interceptions. But as a reminder, Chelsea probably won't win 2-0 again. Jan Vertonghen has been the safest in the Tottenham back line, hitting 10 fantasy points in most starts. He racked up 14 crosses as a left-back against Newcastle, but that probably won't happen again. Either way, Davinson Sanchez is in the same mold and Kieran Trippier has the upside if he starts again again. Finally, Ricardo Pereira has had a floor around 15 fantasy points in recent matches against Man United and Liverpool, so there's no reason he can't have another good outing against Spurs.
Hugo Lloris should be the most popular goalkeeper with Leicester struggling, taking just one point from their last four matches. For Lloris, he's had at least 11 fantasy points in four of his last five starts. Ederson is the next option, but he doesn't have the same upside unless you think Chelsea can get multiple opportunities on net. Otherwise, it'll be hard to back either underdog, though Kasper Schmeichel may not be a bad option since Tottenham haven't had the easiest time scoring without their full roster.
