This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 10:00 am: AFC Bournemouth vs. Burnley
- 10:00 am: Aston Villa vs. Southampton
- 10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Sheffield United
- 10:00 am: Newcastle United vs. Crystal Palace
- 10:00 am: Norwich City vs. Wolverhampton
- 12:30 pm: Manchester City vs. Leicester City
FORWARDS
Neal Maupay, BRI v. SHU (£23): Three goals in three matches has Maupay riding a rich vein of form, especially with the goals coming against tough defenses like Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton (Arsenal are not great defensively). I say this because Sheffield United have been one of the top defenses this season, and Maupay will need to be effective once again. I don't recommend a complete fade of Raheem Sterling (£27), Gabriel Jesus (£22) or Jamie Vardy (£25), but Maupay could be the difference maker in tournaments. David McGoldrick (£14) is Sheffield United's main option at forward and is coming off an assist against Aston Villa last weekend.
Raul Jimenez, WOL v. NOR (£20): Over Jimenez's past 10 Premier League matches, he's scored four goals, provided five assists and taken 38 shots, including 15 on goal. He's been as impressive in the Europa League, adding three goals and two assists in three matches dating back to mid-October. The man is on a tear and now faces the second-worst defense in terms of goals conceded. Additionally, Norwich City concede the most shots on goal, accurate crosses, tackles won and corners won of all teams on Saturday's slate. Despite being in good form most of the season, he's rarely cost more than £20, which is the case once again. Adama Traore (£16) is slightly cheaper but hasn't scored like Jimenez has, and while Teemu Pukki (£19) doesn't offer much of a floor, he has scored in three of his past four matches.
Wilfried Zaha, CRY at NEW (£19): After failing to score in the first 12 matches, Zaha has three goals in his past five. This is the first time he's cost more than £18, which is due to his recent production. The bottom drops out on the rest of the forward pool after Zaha and Pukki, who I'm much less enthused about. Chris Wood (£17) is dealing with an injury, Wesley Moraes (£15) is the least productive starting forward in the league, and I don't see much past that in terms of other possible starters. Spend up on forwards and try to go cheap elsewhere.
MIDFIELDERS
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI v. LEI (£25): Somehow, De Bruyne isn't the most expensive player, let alone the most expensive midfielder, as Raheem Sterling (£27) is the priciest overall player and James Ward-Prowse (£26) comes in a bit more than De Bruyne. The reason I'm perplexed by that pricing is because De Bruyne has the most fantasy points by a sizable margin and is playing for the biggest favorite on Saturday's slate. He's a leader in average points, as well as minimum and maximum floor points. Leicester are a tough side but De Bruyne is consistent enough to pay up at this price. If you're thinking De Bruyne is too expensive for your preference, Phil Foden (£16) started the previous two matches, providing two assists and a goal. He's a lot riskier of a play than De Bruyne but offers enough savings to roll the dice. I would also considering pairing De Bruyne with James Maddison (£21) in your midfield. Maddison trails only Jamie Vardy and Kevin De Bruyne in total points and does much of the same work as De Bruyne.
Jack Grealish, AVL v. SOU (£17): Grealish had a 14-point swing last Saturday when his penalty kick crashed off the crossbar and was cleared out of the box by Sheffield United's defense. It was his most disappointing point total of the season, which could have been much different had he converted. Similarly to Maddison and De Bruyne, Grealish takes many of the set pieces for Aston Villa, which has helped prop up his score in previous weeks, and he also leads the Premier League in fouls suffered (4.62 per 90 min). James Ward-Prowse (£26) went from £16 last week to £10 more this week, effectively pricing him out of my lineup and likely yours. John McGinn (£15) was a solid option earlier in the season but has tailed off since mid November, failing to exceed four points in his past four matches. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£15) is more cost effective than Ward-Prowse, though he is responsible for most of the defensive work, limiting his ceiling.
Sean Longstaff, NEW v. CRY (£12): Jonjo Shelvey (£13) has been sidelined the past two matches and could miss Saturday's clash. During his absence, Longstaff has been on set pieces for Newcastle when he's in the starting XI. He's not the most eye-popping selection but gives you a route to players like De Bruyne and Maddison. Luka Milivojevic (£15) is on set pieces for Crystal Palace and has a floor around four points typically, though Newcastle are considered favorites in this matchup.
DEFENDERS
Ricardo Pereira, LEI v. MCI (£15): It's unlikely Leicester earn a clean sheet bonus against Manchester City while being the biggest underdogs on the slate (somehow), but Ricardo has been able to supplement his scores by being second the Premier League in tackles won while averaging 2.0 interceptions per 90 minutes. Manchester City force the most interceptions due to their possession-based style of play, which should force Leicester City to defend for most of the match, benefiting Ricardo and other Leicester defenders like Caglar Soyuncu (£18) and Ben Chilwell (£16).
Diego Rico, BOU v. BUR (£14): Rico ranks behind only Wilfred Ndidi in the league with 43 interceptions (in two fewer starts), and he consistently supplements those with accurate crosses and tackles won (1.86 and 1.49 per 90, respectively). If Ryan Fraser misses the starting XI, Rico has taken over set-piece duty, something to keep in mind heading into lineup lock. Burnley could be missing Chris Wood up front, which would force them to start Jay Rodriguez with Ashley Barnes. Additionally, Jack Stacey (£12) helped keep Chelsea out of the net last weekend and is a cheap defensive option.
Ryan Bertrand, SOU v. AVL (£13): Aston Villa concede the second-most corners won and third-most accurate crosses among teams on Saturday's slate. Aston Villa v. Southampton is the most even matchup in terms of win percentage and will give Bertrand opportunities to be involved in attack. He's scored at least five points in four of his past five starts and offers budget savings.
GOALKEEPER
Vicente Guaita, CRY v. NEW (£17): Ederson (£17) has the highest clean sheet odds and win probability, which was the case two weeks ago when they lost to Manchester United. I feel even less confident about a clean sheet or win against Leicester City than I did against Manchester United. Without at least a win, I don't see Ederson making value. Meanwhile, Guaita (£17) is the same price and has four straight matches with at least 12.5 fantasy points and will face Newcastle, a team that have scored the third-fewest goals in the league (17 in 17 matches). Mathew Ryan (£14) is a mid-tier option and has steadily finished with positive points, which is something you can't always count on from goalkeepers. Finally, Dean Henderson (£12) and Nick Pope (£12) are two of the cheapest expected starters and have relatively even matchups against Brighton and Bournemouth, respectively .
