This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 1:00 pm: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Arsenal
- 1:00 pm: Burnley vs. Sheffield United
- 1:00 pm: Southampton vs. West Ham United
- 1:00 pm: West Bromwich Albion vs. Leeds United
- 3:00 pm: Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton
FORWARDS
Patrick Bamford, LEE at WBA (£27): Danny Ings (£17) has the top goal scoring odds on the slate but is coming back from a hamstring injury and may not be fit for the visit from West Ham. That leaves Bamford with the next best odds to find the back of the net, which he's done plenty this season, scoring 10 goals on 54 shots (25 on goal). He will be visiting a West Bromwich Albion side that conceded the most shots, shots on goal, accurate crosses and corners won of the 10 teams on Tuesday's slate. This also bodes well for Leeds United's set-piece specialist, Raphinha (£18). He's shared some of those duties with Kalvin Phillips (£16 - M) and Jack Harrison (£19 - M) while supplementing this role with a high volume of shots and accurate crosses. West Brom held Liverpool to one goal Sunday in their first match under Sam Allardyce, which is something to keep in mind. If you think Big Sam's tutelage makes West Brom a defensive fortress, opt for Marcus Rashford (£26), who has six goals in his past nine matches and is playing for the heaviest favorite on the slate with the highest implied goal total.
Chris Wood, BUR v. SHU (£15): There are a number of viable options in between the upper echelon of forwards and this lower tier, all with their own risks. Wood has the fifth-highest goal scoring odds and has an opportune matchup against Sheffield United, who rank in the bottom four in terms of goals conceded. They concede the third-most shots and shots on goal of the 10 teams playing Tuesday. Wood has taken five shots (three on goal) over his past two matches and won't take a ton of production to meet value. Oliver McBurnie (£14) is nursing a shoulder injury but has been Sheffield United's most productive striker.
Gabriel Martinelli, ARS at BHA (£14): Martinelli made his first start of the season on Boxing Day and ended with 6.3 points in 71 minutes. Brighton don't concede many shots, so if you're concerned about his potential, Bukayo Saka (£18) took all of Arsenal's set pieces during Saturday's 3-1 win over Chelsea and may have a more stable floor than Martinelli. Alexandre Lacazette (£24) scored against the Blues and is Arsenal's best goal-scoring threat at the moment. Neal Maupay (£19) scored his first goal since Oct. 3 on Boxing Day and will likely support Danny Welbeck (£16) up front. For a super cheap forward who could be a steal, look no further than the minimum-priced Karlan Grant (£10).
MIDFIELDERS
Bruno Fernandes, MUN v. WOL (£28): Manchester United are the biggest favorites, making Fernandes the the chalkiest play on Tuesday's slate. He hasn't scored fewer than 4.4 points and averages 8.1 floor points per appearance. Considering the layout of this slate, it's unlikely Fernandes isn't rostered by the vast majority of entries. Even if Paul Pogba (£22) makes the starting XI, his performances have been so erratic that he's unlikely to provide much value unless he scores. Daniel Podence (£19) has been great for Wolverhampton, scoring at least 5.7 points in five of his past seven starts.
James Ward-Prowse, SOU v. WHU (£22): Speaking of floor points, that's what Ward-Prowse eats for breakfast. He effectively has a set-piece monopoly for Southampton and is averaging 6.6 floor points, making him a safe option against West Ham. Tomas Soucek (£21) has scored in three of his past five matches, though that's where the majority of his production lies.
Ashley Westwood, BUR v. SHU (£13): Dwight McNeil missed the past two matches and will likely miss Tuesday's match against Sheffield United, which should leave Westwood on set-piece duty. He's an unexciting, cheap midfield play with a favorable matchup. Josh Brownhill (£14) doesn't have the set-piece responsibilities, though he's a defensive machine and has taken five shots over the past two matches.
DEFENDERS
Liam Cooper, LEE v. WBA (£20): Cooper has scored at least 7.0 points in each of his past four matches and could be in a position to accumulate a high number of passes considering West Brom's style of play. He's quite expensive, though his consistent production makes it worth it if he's able to overcome his abdominal injury. Darnell Furlong (£16) is a good alternative for West Brom as most of his value comes from defensive statistics like blocks, interceptions and tackles won.
Aaron Cresswell, WHU at SOU (£16): No player has more accurate crosses than Cresswell, and it's allowed him to provide four assists in 15 appearances. He's slightly cheaper than Jan Bednarek (£19), who's helped turn Southampton into one of the better defensive sides. Kyle Walker-Peters (£15) is a great value play at right-back and was a defensive monster against Fulham on Boxing Day, winning an eye-popping eight tackles to go along with three interceptions and a block. He consistently scores at least four points and won't kill your budget.
Alex Telles, MUN v. WOL (£14): It's unclear whether Telles or Luke Shaw (£16) will start, though both are viable plays with United playing well of late and with each having a share of free kicks. Telles has scored more than five points in six of nine appearances this season, while Manchester United also have the best clean-sheet odds.
GOALKEEPERS
Nick Pope, BUR v. SHU (£14): Illan Meslier (£18) is the most expensive goalkeeper for good reason after he scored 19 points against Burnley on Boxing Day. Rui Patricio (£16) is the next priciest option but hasn't produced more than five points in any of his past eight matches. David de Gea (£14) and United have the highest win and clean sheet odds, though his production has struggled at home. Finally, Pope is facing an attack starving for goals and has scored at least five points in six of his past seven matches (12.5+ in four matches).
