This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
As the season winds down, teams have to get in their games, so there are matches Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tuesday's three-game slate involves no teams in the top five of the Premier League table. This is a welcome slate in my eyes to focus on the players and not necessarily look at a team to score three or more goals.
MATCHES (ET)
- 2:30 pm: Wolverhampton vs. Crystal Palace
- 2:45 pm: Aston Villa vs. Fulham
- 3:00 pm: Leeds United vs. Leicester City
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Ollie Watkins, AVL vs. FUL ($9,600): Forward is pretty ugly on this slate, so I think paying up for the most likely goalscorer, who has been in great form since the turn of the new year, makes a lot of sense. Aston Villa are also the biggest favorite on the slate albeit not drastically. Michael Olise has seemingly taken over all corners for Crystal Palace from Eberechi Eze ($8,500), who I view as GPP only.
This leaves the only forward-eligible players with a share of sets as Daniel Podence ($8,200) and Willian ($7,100), though there's no telling who starts for Wolves. I prefer Willian of those two because Podence hasn't sniffed 90 minutes lately. I really think it's a slate to not worry about set shares at forward and grabbing one of the likely scorers at the top and potentially paying down for your second one.
Rodrigo ($7,600), Kelechi Iheanacho ($8,000), and Luis Sinisterra ($8,600) all make some GPP appeal in the same game. I would like them more in team or game stacks than something like an optimal build, because none have great floors which makes it tough to pay these prices.
Tete, LEI vs. LEE ($5,600): As gross as it sounds, there are two pay-down options who make some appeal to me. Tete has actually shown decent production when given the minutes in the right matchup, and this one with Leeds is not something I'm scared of. The other would be Diego Costa ($4,600), who is very goal dependent but is the cheapest projected starter at forward as a home favorite.
MIDFIELDERS
Michael Olise, CRY vs. WOL ($9,000): Almost all sets for Crystal Palace are going Olise's way right now and that has translated to a great floor for DFS purposes. Even as away dogs against Wolves, I am targeting Olise as I think he has the best floor of any player on the slate. Right there with him is James Maddison ($8,700) in a similar spot as a road dog. He is expected to start after missing over the weekend with an illness. Andreas Pereira ($8,800) is expected to take a majority of set pieces for Fulham and is with Olise and Maddison for the best floor on the slate.
GPP options would include the Aston Villa pair of Douglas Luiz ($7,900) and Jacob Ramsey ($7,400), who make good stacking partners with Watkins if you think Villa dominate this game. Harry Wilson ($7,000) has scored in back-to-back games and is another player with tournament appeal.
Marc Roca, LEE vs. LEI ($6,200): Roca and Leeds are a home favorite here and he has had a majority of sets of late. With that he has produced a double-digit floor in four of his last five appearances and is a strong mid-range play.
Value options at midfield start with Matheus Nunes ($4,900), who has been just under 10 floor points on DraftKings in his last three matches. Wolves are slight favorites at home against Crystal Palace, so I could see him hitting those numbers again with goal upside. John McGinn ($5,200) could get a slight set split with Douglas Luiz and is a cheap enough price that he is appealing with Aston Villa being the biggest favorite. Lastly, Brenden Aaronson ($5,800) is cheap enough with a share of sets to make for a GPP option, as well.
DEFENDERS
Antonee Robinson, FUL vs. AVL ($4,800): There isn't any defender on the slate that is likely to have a set split which makes the position a bit tougher. I don't hate the idea of punting down at the position and allowing yourself to pay up at other positions where there's safer production. With that said, Robinson and teammate Kenny Tete ($5,700) make the most appeal to me if you have the salary. Yes, they are the biggest underdog on the slate, but I think they will still possess the ball enough to provide open play value against Villa. If they fall behind early, even better for their floors.
Other pay-ups include Alex Moreno ($5,600), Victor Kristiansen ($4,600), and Timothy Castagne ($4,900), none of which I can get behind for optimal building. I can see deploying them in tournament lineups where you are playing their goalkeeper in clean-sheet stacks.
Caglar Soyuncu, LEI vs. LEE ($2,700): Since returning, Soyuncu has produced five and eight DraftKings points without a clean sheet. He has even threatened for a goal so he gives you that added upside if he were to slot one in. You're only really playing him for the salary savings that allows you to play the safer and higher upside plays at other positions, something you don't have to worry about at defender. Joachim Andersen ($2,700) also fits this bill but is definitely behind Soyuncu for me.
GOALKEEPER
Emiliano Martinez, AVL vs. FUL ($5,500): Aston Villa are the biggest favorite on the slate and have the best clean sheet odds, as well. If you have the salary, I don't mind paying up for Martinez. Jose Sa ($5,000) is the next best play in terms of odds, but I think Olise and Crystal Palace will slot at least one by him even though that match has the smallest implied total.
I will personally stay away from Daniel Iversen ($4,500) and Illan Meslier ($5,200) since I see both teams scoring there. Bernd Leno ($4,100) and Sam Johnstone ($4,300) make for GPP appeal if you need the salary savings, with the latter being in solid form and in the lowest-implied total on the slate.
