This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Premier League: Saturday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: West Ham v. Everton
10:00 a.m: Bournemouth v. Middlesbrough
10:00 a.m: Swansea City v. Stoke City
10:00 a.m: Hull City v. Watford
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
GOALKEEPER
Darren Randolph, WHU v. EVE ($4,300): Everton have forced 3.48 saves per match this season, and they are the only team on Saturday's slate to force at least three per game. Bournemouth, who are home to Middlesbrough, have forced 3.00 per game when they play at the Vitality Stadium, but that's still a lower average than Everton's 3.38 saves forced per away match. It's worth noting that Randolph hasn't made more than two saves in a home match since Jan. 2 against Manchester United, though he has faced a number of teams that don't force many saves anyway. If you're not convinced that Romelu Lukaku can explode at London Stadium, Randolph could return value on his lower price.
DEFENDER
Jose Holebas, WAT at HUL ($5,400): Holebas has sent in at least five crosses in five consecutive starts (36 total in that span), and he's also taken five shots and won 11 tackles. Meanwhile, Hull City have allowed the third-most crosses this season (most among teams on the slate), including the fifth-most over the past six games.
Aaron Cresswell, WHU v. EVE ($3,900): Cresswell was an unused substitute in his return from injury last week, but he should be able to get his starting job back against Everton, which would push Arthur Masuaku ($4,200) back to the bench. Before the injury, Cresswell had sent in at least five crosses in five straight games (including three straight with six), while also picking up an assist. He isn't a prolific shooter, but the crosses should be there against an Everton side that's allowed the fourth-most crosses (among teams on the slate) over the last six gameweeks.
Charlie Daniels, BOU v. MID ($4,300): Bournemouth have had a rough stretch of fixtures (at Southampton, at Liverpool, v. Chelsea, at Tottenham), which has understandably affected Daniels' fantasy value, but he should be able to move up more in the attack this week against Boro, whose early season defensive success has evaporated. Daniels isn't a high-volume crosser, but he does get involved and has even taken four shots in his last three games. With fewer defensive responsibilities this week than in the four prior, Daniels' opportunities for crosses will be more meaningful.
MIDFIELDER
Xherdan Shaqiri STK at SWA ($7,700): Shaqiri returned from his calf injury with a bang, as he had 10 crosses and an assist in his first game back, which came against Liverpool, and then he had a goal and an assist in last weekend's win over Hull. He is splitting corners with Marko Arnautovic, who should also be in consideration at $7,500, and they could keep their solid play going against a Swansea side that hasn't won since their 3-2 victory over Burnley on March 4.
Stewart Downing, MID at BOU ($6,000): Middlesbrough continue to be terrible, but Downing has turned into a very solid fantasy option after taking over on set pieces. Despite Boro being outscored 6-3 in their last three games, including a scoreless draw at home against Burnley, Downing has sent in 32 crosses and picked up one assist, hitting double-digit fantasy points in each match. Again, Boro stink, but Bournemouth have allowed the second-most crosses (most among teams on the slate) and second-most corners over the last six gamesweeks, which plays right into Downing's wheelhouse.
Sam Clucas, HUL v. WAT ($3,900): Starting as a central attacking midfielder, Clucas took two shots and sent in five crosses in a 3-1 loss to Stoke last week, and he gets a bump in value if he continues to split corners with Kamil Grosicki. His upside isn't overly high, but his salary is a very attractive price for a player who has a role on set pieces for a favorite.
Ryan Fraser, BOU v. MID ($6,500): Bournemouth have a number of solid fantasy options, but the problem is that they can cannibalize each other's production. Fraser is the Cherries' main set piece taker when Junior Stanislas ($6,200) is out, but the latter started last week for the first time since January after returning from injury, which pushed the former to the bench. Unfortunately, Fraser came on for Stanislas after 69 minutes, which ultimately capped both of their upsides. Playing against Boro should make one of them valuable, but if they keep splitting playing time, it will be tough to roster either one of them, which means it may be worth getting your Bournemouth exposure from Daniels and forward Joshua King ($6,900), though he's a prototypical goal-dependent option.
FORWARD
Gylfi Sigurdsson, SWA v. STK ($11,000): Sigurdsson struggled in back-to-back games, which came against Spurs at home and at West Ham within three days of each other, but he returned to double-digit fantasy points last weekend against Watford (he finished with 16) despite not scoring a goal or assisting on one. The Swansea attack has really struggled of late, but Sigurdsson takes enough shots and sends in enough crosses to still warrant serious consideration each time they play. Stoke are coming off a solid 3-1 win, though it was at home against Hull and they had lost four consecutive matches before that.
Kamil Grosicki, HUL v. WAT ($7,100): While his set-piece upside isn't as high as it used to be now that Clucas is back in the mix, Grosicki is still a solid open-play crosser who has taken multiple shots in five of his last six starts. Meanwhile, Hull have allowed the fifth-most crosses over the past six games, indicating Grosicki's open play success could continue.
Romelu Lukaku, EVE at WHU ($11,400): Lukaku is the most expensive player on the slate, but he also has the highest upside. He leads the Premier League with 24 goals this season, including 12 in his last 10 games, and he has taken multiple shots in seven of the last eight games (he was held without a shot during the Merseyside derby at Anfield on April 1), firing off 31 (14 on goal) in that span. Additionally, he picked up two assists during the run, though we're not rostering him for helping others score. He has the highest anytime goal-scoring odds on the slate by a considerable margin, and with relatively few true goal scorers available, fading him could be very detrimental if he goes off.
