DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Picks

MATCHES (EDT)

• 11:00 am: AFC Bournemouth vs. Newcastle United
• 11:00 am: Burnley vs. Leicester City
• 11:00 am: West Ham United vs. Huddersfield Town

For detailed stats and odds, check out the DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet.

FORWARDS

Dwight McNeil, BUR v. LEI ($7,300): The forward pool for Saturday's slate lacks strong floor options, which isn't surprising when the teams involved on the slate are ninth, 10th, 12th, 13th, 17th and 20th in the table, all with negative goal differentials. McNeil's fantasy production has been a bit lackluster of late, but as a player with an actual floor, he'll be popular in cash games even though Burnley are slight underdogs at home against Leicester City. Ashley Barnes ($8,600) seems pretty expensive when compared to McNeil, but he has a goal in five of his last seven games, failing to find the back of the net away to Newcastle and away to Liverpool. And while McNeil does most of his damage in open play, Johann Berg Gudmundsson ($7,200) could also be an option if he starts because he generally has a role on set pieces.

Miguel Almiron, NEW at BOU ($5,400): Almiron seems to have found a weird spot in the pricing algorithm, as he hasn't been priced above $6,400 since moving to the Premier League, including being below $5,500 in four of five games despite scoring at least 4.75 fantasy points in every start, including at least 11.50 in two without a goal or assist. His solid floor from shots, crosses, tackles won and fouls drawn will keep him a popular cash-game option Saturday, even with Newcastle a firm away underdog.

Callum Wilson, BOU v. NEW ($8,100): The Bournemouth attack is much better with Wilson at the front, and while he's recently back from injury, he's scored three goals on eight shots (six on target) in his last three starts. He has the highest anytime goal scorer odds among likely starters, and Huddersfield come in dead last in the Premier League table. There is theoretically a path to Wilson being viable in cash games, but he's definitely more suited for GPPs, just like Barnes, Jamie Vardy ($8,200), and Salomon Rondon ($7,900).

MIDFIELDERS

James Maddison, LEI at BUR ($8,600): Maddison has arguably the highest floor of anyone on the slate, as he has a basic monopoly of Leicester City's set pieces while facing a Burnley side that's conceded the most shots, most shots on goal and second-most crosses among teams on the slate. He has picked up an assist in two of the last three games, helping him to reach double-digit fantasy points in nine of his last 10 starts, with his one low game coming away to Liverpool. With a dearth of cash-viable forwards worth paying up for, Maddison will easily be one of the highest owned players on the slate. If you're looking for a GPP pivot, Harvey Barnes ($6,400) and Demarai Gray ($5,200) are certainly viable, with the former coming in with a pretty decent shot floor.

Ryan Fraser, BOU v. NEW ($9,000): If there's one player who might have a higher floor than Maddison, it's Fraser, who has scored double-digit fantasy points in seven of his last 10 matches, with his low ones coming against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. More encouragingly, he'll face a Newcastle side that's conceded the most crosses, most fouls drawn, second-most tackles won and third-most shots among teams on the slate. Extending the point about a lack of forwards worth paying up for in cash games, it seems very likely that most cash lineups will have both Maddison and Fraser, even though they are two of the three most-expensive players on the slate.

Robbie Brady, BUR v. LEI ($3,900): Brady's spot in the starting XI is far from guaranteed, but he presents as a tremendous value if he starts because he's likely to have a role on set pieces for a home side. Brady starting likely means McNeil is not, but even if they somehow go together (and even with Gudmundsson), Brady's low price makes him very interesting. The same could be said about Newcastle's Jonjo Shelvey ($3,900), who could take set pieces away from Matt Ritchie ($7,900) and/or Ki Sung-yueng ($4,300), both of whom should get consideration if Shelvey is on the bench. Additionally, it's possible to roster three high-priced midfielders in cash games and GPPs, with Ritchie, Robert Snodgrass ($7,500) or Felipe Anderson ($6,700) likely to have some ownership. There's also a possible path for Aaron Mooy ($4,800) or Alex Pritchard ($5,600) to be considered, but it's unclear what you'll even do with the extra salary by going with them over the more expensive group.

DEFENDERS

Chris Lowe, HUD at WHU ($3,900): Lowe isn't guaranteed to start, but he could be a solid source of crosses if he does, at least based on his price. Huddersfield may be the biggest underdog on the slate, but playing away to West Ham is hardly a difficult task, even if the Irons don't concede many peripheral fantasy points. If Lowe doesn't start, any of the  Huddersfield fullbacks are in play, and none are overly expensive. On that point, it seems unnecessary to pay up at the position, especially since it allows you to spend up at midfield.

Ben Chilwell, LEI at BUR ($5,000): It's possible you have extra money for defenders if you end up with someone like Brady or Shelvey or Mooy in the midfield, and while Ricardo Pereira ($5,600) gets more attention among the Leicester defenders, Chilwell has had a few games recently that reminded us he can be a very serviceable fantasy-point scorer. The conceded stats by Burnley referenced above with Maddison apply to Chilwell, who had nine crosses and five chances created in his last two games. Cash players with salary to spend will probably focus on Ricardo, but GPP players shouldn't forget about Chilwell or Harry Maguire ($3,100), who is always a big threat on set pieces and had taken seven shots in three games before being held without one last week against Fulham.

Nathaniel Clyne, BOU v. NEW ($4,200): Clyne and Charlie Daniels ($4,000) really haven't been crossing that much, but facing off against a Newcastle side that's allowed the most crosses in the Premier League has to at least put them in the conversation. It also doesn't hurt that they have decent clean-sheet equity, and their low prices really don't require a whole lot to make enough value to take the risk.

GOALKEEPER

Lukasz Fabianski, WHU v. HUD ($5,600): Anyone who pays down at a midfield spot or utility is likely to have enough cash to pay for whichever goalkeeper they want. Fabianski is the most expensive, but he's also scored at least 6.0 fantasy points in seven consecutive games, which impressively came with just one clean sheet. He comes into Saturday as the biggest favorite with the best clean sheet odds, so there's no denying his viability. On the other hand, it seems just as viable to pay all the way down for Jonas Lossl ($3,900), who has the task of stopping a West Ham side with multiple goals in two of its last nine Premier League games.