This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 1:00 pm: Manchester City vs. Newcastle United
- 1:00 pm: Sheffield United vs. Wolverhampton
- 1:00 pm: West Ham United vs. Burnley
- 3:15 pm: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Liverpool
FORWARDS
Gabriel Jesus, MCI v. NEW (£25): City are the biggest favorites on the slate and have the highest implied goal scored total, while Jesus has the top goal-scoring odds of any player. Sergio Aguero looks set to miss the rest of the season, making Jesus a secure choice for playing time as City's top striker. He has yet to score since the restart, though a home match against Newcastle could be the right recipe. Jesus is also slightly cheaper than Raheem Sterling (£28). If you think Newcastle can spring an upset like Southampton did against Manchester City last week, Dwight Gayle (£13) and Joelinton (£12) are the expected starters up front.
Roberto Firmino, LIV at BRI (£23): Mohamed Salah (£29) and Sadio Mane (£27) both have better goal-scoring odds but Firmino leads all Premier League players in away goals with eight. Playing Firmino would be more of a tournament play, while Salah and Mane should be two of the highest-owned players on the slate. Neal Maupay (£20) is Brighton's best attacker and will have a tough time against the league's stingiest backline. Meanwhile, a changed team sheet could give Divock Origi (£13) or Takumi Minamino (£13) rare chances to start in attack.
Chris Wood, BUR at WHU (£17): Burnley have been tossed around with injuries, but Wood returned by playing 21 minutes off the bench this past weekend. Barring any setbacks, he could come back into the starting XI against West Ham on Wednesday. Jarrod Bowen (£25) has a higher floor due to his role on set pieces for the Hammers, while Jay Rodriguez (£19) has a goal and assist in his past two outings.
MIDFIELDERS
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI v. NEW (£29): I'd like to do anything in my life as well as De Bruyne strikes the ball. He's been the cream of the crop all season and hasn't taken his foot off the pedal since the restart with three goals and an assist in five appearances (three starts). He and Salah are the most expensive options for good reason, but if I had to choose I'd go with De Bruyne in his matchup. City are coming off a somewhat embarrassing loss to Southampton and out for blood. A stack is certainly in play, which makes Riyad Mahrez (£27) or Phil Foden (£23) possibilities, though Foden has been arguably City's best player besides De Bruyne since the return of the Premier League. Miguel Almiron (£19) has scored in consecutive matches, though room to operate could be difficult to find with City expected to possess for long stretches.
Sander Berge, SHU v. WOL (£14): Berge has finished with 16.35 and 5.45 in his past two starts as he filled a small amount of the potential he brought after being Sheffield United's record signing. His lack of set-piece responsibilities hurts his floor, though his recent uptick in value has come from his open attacking play. He's a bit of a risk given the implied goal total, but his cheap price makes it worth it. Joao Moutinho (£16) is a walking 5.5 points and is a reliable option if it comes down to it.
Josh Brownhill, BRN at WHU (£10): Brownhill has played 90 minutes in each of the past four matches and comes in minimum priced. He hasn't scored more than 4.1 points, but at this price I'd take the four points and the savings and go with another Manchester City or Liverpool attacker. While Bowen was mentioned earlier, I'm also intrigued by Michail Antonio, who has been operating as West Ham's target forward. He doesn't have the floor Bowen has but he's enjoying a good run of form with two goals, an assist, and nine shots (six on target) in his past three matches. West Ham v. Burnley has the second-lowest implied goal total on the four-match slate and Burnley have been especially stout in defense, so you'll likely want to go with just one of the West Ham attackers. Ashley Westwood (£14) is a cheap and unflattering option, but he gets the job done, while Dwight McNeil (£16)l is more involved in attack for Burnley.
DEFENDERS
Matt Doherty, WOL v. SHU (£16): Sheffield United have an implied goal total just under one in a match with the fewest implied goals based on the odds. In other words, I don't expect Sheffield United to score, giving Wolverhampton the crucial defensive bonus. Doherty is the most expensive Wolverhampton defender but also the best from an attacking standpoint, with four goals and two assists this season. He's scored at least 5.6 fantasy points in eight of his past nine starts, making him one of the more consistent defensive options. Meanwhile, Jonny (£15) and Willy Boly (£15) are alternatives with the same clean sheet potential.
Joe Gomez, LIV at BRI (£15): Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£19) are the two most expensive defenders, with Andrew Robertson (£17) coming in not much cheaper and carrying a knock. Gomez, on the other hand, is a reasonable price and still carries the same clean sheet odds. He also led Liverpool in passes completed last time out and would be a good pivot from the more-coveted Reds. Lewis Dunk (£16) is one of the better fantasy defenders, though his attacking output and potential for a clean sheet will be limited against Liverpool.
Eric Garcia, MCI v. NEW (£11): Any Liverpool or Manchester City stacks require us to find savings where we can, and Garcia represents that option, who just happens to play for City, owners of the best clean sheet odds. He's started the past two matches and could return to the lineup despite the loss to Southampton.
GOALKEEPERS
Nick Pope, BUR at WHU (£14): Alisson Becker (£19) and Nick Pope lead the Premier League in clean sheets with 13. Both goalkeepers have decent matchups Wednesday, and while Alisson has much better odds for a clean sheet, Pope comes at a cheaper price. I have a difficult time spending nearly £20 on any goalkeeper when that can quickly be erased with one goal. Pope and his counterpart, Lukasz Fabianski (£14), are the two cheapest expected starters and will face each other. Dean Henderson (£15) will face a Wolverhampton side that was just shut out by Arsenal, while Martin Dubravka (£15) will face a Manchester City side that was shut out by Southampton last time out. Dubravka leads all goalkeepers in saves, though he could be a sacrificial lamb against a Manchester City attack capable of putting up five goals every time they step on the pitch. Speaking of City, Ederson (£19) is the same price as Alisson and is just one clean sheet behind him and Pope.
