This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Brentford vs. Leeds United
- 10:00 am: Chelsea vs. West Ham United
- 10:00 am: Newcastle United vs. Crystal Palace
- 10:00 am: Nottingham Forest vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 10:00 am: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Fulham
- 10:00 am: Wolverhampton vs. Southampton
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Saturday's six-game slate is slightly larger than what there's been in previous weeks. Tottenham are the biggest favorite at home against Fulham and they have an implied goal total above two. Chelsea are similar-sized favorites with a similar implied goal total at home against West Ham. While these are decent games to target, they aren't the prime spots that we've seen with Man City and Liverpool recently. Still, it's a good place to start for cash games and optimal lineup construction.
Son Heung-Min, TOT vs. FUL ($9,500): Son has struggled a bit to open the season, putting up 10-plus floor points in only two of five matches. He's also been subbed off before 80 minutes in three of those games and that might continue throughout the season due to congested fixtures and the addition of Richarlison. Nevertheless, there just aren't many options to spend up for and Tottenham are in a pretty good spot at home against Fulham. Son takes most of the set pieces and is one of two players on the slate favored to score with the other being Harry Kane ($10,500). Both will be popular in tournaments and rightfully so. Raheem Sterling ($9,000) is another option to consider for GPPs. He's scored three goals in the last two games and will be less popular than the Spurs forwards. Moving down, Ivan Toney ($8,100) has the third-highest goalscoring odds at +120 as Brentford have a favorable home matchup against Leeds. Eberechi Eze ($7,600) has been a popular cash-game option in recent weeks, but Crystal Palace are underdogs away to Newcastle and he's a tad priced-up for my liking, especially if he continues to start in midfield instead of the front three. I'd prefer going to Bryan Mbeumo ($6,500), as he's taken multiple sets in three of the last four games and has more goalscoring upside in a better matchup. Alexander Isak ($6,600) stands out as a tournament option in this range. Newcastle's prized new signing scored on his debut against Liverpool midweek and now gets a favorable matchup against Palace to give a first impression to the home fans.
Morgan Gibbs-White, NFO vs. BOU ($6,100): Gibbs-White would be one of the first players in my cash lineup as he's got everything going for him Saturday. His salary is affordable, he's been taking a majority of set pieces and the matchup is ideal. Nottingham Forest have a 1.5 implied total for their home matchup against struggling Bournemouth. Emmanuel Dennis ($6,100) and Brennan Johnson ($5,200) are good options for tournaments. Looking elsewhere, Raul Jimenez ($5,600) and Kai Havertz ($5,900) have the best goalscoring odds in this range. Rostering Havertz has cost me a lot of money so far this season, as he's yet to record a goal or assist in five starts. Still, this is the first time we've seen him priced under $6,000 and Chelsea are home favorites. If you're looking even cheaper, Patrick Bamford ($4,900) is expected to come in for Rodrigo and Leeds have a decent matchup away to Brentford.
MIDFIELDERS
Midfield presents the toughest decisions on the slate for cash games. Jack Harrison ($8,400) continues to show a high floor and plenty of open-play upside. James Ward-Prowse ($8,200) has seen his salary fall to its cheapest point of the season and might be the safest option in this range based on his set-piece monopoly and penalty-kick responsibility. Pedro Neto ($8,000) has taken most of Wolves sets this season and they have a nice matchup at home against Southampton which provides him increased goal/assist equity. Mason Mount ($7,700) is priced under $8,000 for the first time this season and Chelsea are home favorites. If Reece James is out of the lineup or starts in a back three, Mount or Neto would be my preferred option as they have more goalscoring upside than Harrison and Ward-Prowse, in these specific matchups in my opinion. I'll be strongly considering Dejan Kulusevski ($7,200) for GPPs. He has as much upside or more than any of the midfielders priced above him and will be less popular than Kane and Son. Of course, it would make sense to pair them together, as well.
Ivan Perisic, TOT vs. FUL ($6,300): The cheaper salary on Perisic makes him appealing, as does Tottenham being the biggest favorite at home against Fulham. He will probably take a set piece or two and always has considerable assist upside in these spots where Spurs have a high implied total at home. Elsewhere in this range, Marcus Tavernier ($5,800) has taken almost all of Bournemouth's set pieces this season and the matchup away to Forest is actually one of the better ones they'll have this season. He'd be reasonable as the last man in for cash games, but I'm unlikely to go there.
Matheus Nunes, WOL vs. SOU ($4,200): Nunes seems like the player to roster in cash games if you need some salary relief. He's taken a few set pieces and Wolves are in a nice spot at home against Southampton. He's also getting forward at times and has attempted seven shots through three matches, making him a fine option in tournaments, as well.
DEFENDERS
Reece James, CHE vs. WHU ($7,400): If James starts as a wing-back, he'd be the first defender in my lineup. If he starts in the back three, it will be a tough decision on whether to roster him or not because there are plenty of good options at the position and obviously they're all cheaper. For starters, Ben Chilwell ($6,300) or Marc Cucurella ($6,000) at wing-back would surely be preferable to James in the back three, especially considering the salaries.
Neco Williams, NFO vs. BOU ($6,100): You might rank the Newcastle full-backs above Williams and that's understandable considering that Williams hasn't taken any sets over the past two games. Kieran Trippier ($5,900) and Matt Targett ($5,200) will share corners in a decent matchup at home against Palace. Williams has more upside, while still possessing a floor made up from shots, chances created, crosses and tackles/interceptions. Forest have a great matchup, which would have me considering Renan Lodi ($4,800), too. Lodi takes left-sided corners but can't be expected to play 90 minutes. He rarely did for Atletico and lasted just 69 in his debut Wednesday. Considering that all of these options look pretty good, it makes sense to roster three of them in cash games.
GOALKEEPERS
Edouard Mendy, CHE vs. WHU ($5,100): The top four keepers on the slate have clean-sheet odds between 35 and 40 percent, meaning no one really stands out from that perspective. The only reason I highlighted Mendy is because he's cheaper than Pope and Henderson, despite having slightly better odds. Chelsea haven't kept a clean sheet in their last four matches, so play whoever you want. I'm unlikely to go below Vicente Guaita ($4,200) with his win and clean sheet odds being roughly 10 percent better than those of the two bigger underdogs.
