This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 11:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Southampton
- 11:00 am: Burnley vs. Wolverhampton
- 11:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Huddersfield Town
- 11:00 am: Leicester City vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 11:00 am: Manchester United vs. Watford
- 1:30 pm: West Ham United vs. Everton
For detailed stats and odds, check out the DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet.
FORWARDS
Andros Townsend, CRY v. HUD ($8,200): Townsend's role on set pieces is gone, but that hasn't stopped him from crossing, shooting, winning tackles and drawing fouls. He has one of the safest floors of any forward on the slate, which actually doesn't say that much because the cash-game options at the position are pretty bleak. Teammate Wilfried Zaha ($8,900) is always a consideration, though as the second-most expensive player on the slate it'll be tough to stomach if he's limited at all by the hamstring injury he's been dealing with. Huddersfield haven't conceded a ton of peripheral fantasy points this season, but you simply can't ignore that Palace are the second-biggest favorite on the slate while Huddersfield sit last in the table while conceding the third-most away goals. Burnley's Dwight McNeil ($7,700) is in a similar boat than Townsend in that he does most of his damage in open play, and while he is cheaper, his match at home against Wolves is much tougher. A riskier move may be to hope that Michail Antonio ($7,200) grabs a spot in the West Ham starting XI because he usually has a decent floor from shots, a few crosses and fouls drawn, but you could be in a pickle if he's on the bench for the late game.
Marcus Rashford, MUN v. WAT ($9,300): Manchester United are the biggest favorite with the highest implied goal total, so it only makes sense to at least consider their leading front-line attacker. The United forwards are actually a bit banged up, with Rashford, Romelu Lukaku ($8,500) and Anthony Martial ($8,700) all sitting out international play because of injuries, though none are considered serious. Rashford has the highest anytime goal scorer odds and seems to be the most likely to play, though we'll know before lock anyway. He has scored at least 7.00 fantasy points in each of his last four starts despite just one goal, and that time was preceded by a stretch that saw him score six goals on 37 shots (19 on target) in eight games. Getting a solid floor game probably isn't enough at his salary, but again, United have the highest implied goal total on the slate.
Raul Jimenez, WOL at BUR ($8,400): Jimenez has been in excellent form of late, scoring six goals on 22 shots (eight on target) and drawing 13 fouls in his last seven starts, a run that also saw him create multiple chances three times. While his shot floor is decent, his overall production really isn't suited for cash games, though it's tough to ignore that he's facing a Burnley side that's conceded the most goals, shots and shots on goal per match this season. There are a number of goal-dependent forwards in attractive situations , but Jimenez's form and matchup put him ahead of guys like Jamie Vardy ($8,300), Richarlison ($7,600), Danny Ings ($7,500) and Callum Wilson ($7,300). If you want to spend down for your 14.00 points (including the goal), Glenn Murray ($5,300) could be that guy facing a Southampton defense he scored against earlier this season.
MIDFIELDERS
James Maddison, LEI v. BOU ($8,800): Maddison remains Leicester's primary set-piece taker, a role that has helped him create more chances than any other player in the Premier League this season. Bournemouth's defense has been horrible away from home, conceding 35 goals in 15 games (trailing only Fulham's 40 in 16), and only three teams on the slate have conceded more crosses per game. There are a number of very strong cash-friendly midfielders on Saturday's slate, but none of them are as reliable as Maddison, who has scored at least 10.00 fantasy points in nine of his last 10 Premier League starts.
Gylfi Sigurdsson, EVE at WHU ($7,900): The potential absence of Lucas Digne ($5,900, defender) could give Sigurdsson a monopoly of set pieces in a match that's expected to be close. While he hasn't reached double-digit crosses since Dec. 5, Sigurdsson continues to take enough shots and put enough on goal while chipping in with a few tackles won to maintain a very strong floor, which has recently coincided with a run that's seen him score three goals in his last four games. Paying up for Maddison and Sigurdsson likely eliminates you from being able to grab one of the other strong midfielders like Paul Pogba ($8,600), James Ward-Prowse ($8,000), Ryan Fraser ($7,600), Luka Milivojevic ($7,500), Anthony Knockaert ($7,300), Robert Snodgrass ($7,300) and Joao Moutinho ($6,600), but all of those players have similar floors because of set pieces (other than Pogba), but none have scored as many goals as Sigurdsson this season, including Pogba.
Robbie Brady, BUR v. WOL ($3,500): The potential absence of Johann Berg Gudmundsson ($7,200) could open up a spot for Brady on the right wing, even if he hasn't started there since last season. With Dwight McNeil ($7,700, midfielder/forward) seemingly locked in on the left, there's still an opportunity for Brady to sneak into the starting XI and grab a few set pieces. The matchup against Wolves isn't ideal, but Brady's incredibly low price makes it easy to roster him and allow you to pay up at other spots. There are a few other cheap midfielders worth considering, and I keep finding myself pushing toward Manuel Lanzini ($4,100), even if he's failed to score more than 4.00 fantasy points in two of his three starts (and his high was only 5.75). Despite a history of having set pieces, it doesn't seem like he's close to getting enough thanks to Snodgrass, Felipe Anderson ($6,400) and Aaron Cresswell ($4,700, defender) all available for them too. There will always be people who believe in Will Hughes ($3,400), who won't have to do much to make value against Manchester United at Old Trafford, though Wilfred Ndidi ($4,000) has been producing much more lately and has a nice home matchup against Bournemouth. Then again, if you have the money to spend, Aaron Mooy ($5,900) continues to be attractively priced even though Huddersfield have been the worst team in the Premier League.
DEFENDERS
Ashley Young, MUN v. WAT ($5,800): The absence of Digne could push a lot of people toward Young because of his role on set pieces for the biggest favorite on the slate with the highest implied goal total. He actually hasn't been crossing that much lately, and he rarely takes shots, but he can contribute defensively, and it doesn't hurt that he's playing a Watford side that's conceded the most crosses among teams on the slate, including more than 23 per away match. Young may end up starting at left-back if Luke Shaw ($4,700) can't recover from his knock, which could allow Diogo Dalot ($4,400) to stay in the starting XI. He won't have any role on set pieces, but he's shown in his past few appearances that he can make an impact at a lower price.
Leighton Baines, EVE at WHU ($3,300): Speaking of a potential Digne absence, Baines could get the call at left-back if Digne isn't fit enough to start. Baines has an occasional role on set pieces, and while West Ham have only conceded the sixth-most crosses among teams on the slate, Baines' very low salary makes him pretty attractive given the assist potential. That being said, Baines has mostly been a trap when he does get the playing time, so don't think for a second this is some risk-less free square, especially since Everton play in the late match. If you're interested in a normal-time trap, Patrick van Aanholt looks attractive for only $3,700.
Chris Lowe, HUD at CRY ($4,200): Lowe continues to be a decent crosser while playing as a full-back, wing-back or attacking midfielder, and while Huddersfield are the second-biggest underdog, they're facing a Crystal Palace side that's conceded the fifth-most crosses at home among teams on the slate. None of the defenders on the slate jump out, aside from Digne (and, I guess, Young), so if you find yourself paying down at one or both spots, I don't think that's a worry at all, especially with midfielders you want to pay up for and forwards you might have to.
GOALKEEPER
Tom Heaton, BUR v. WOL ($4,500): Heaton is the cheapest starting home goalkeeper, and while the matchup against Wolves isn't ideal, it's worth noting they scored multiple goals just once in their last five Premier League games, which came at home against Cardiff City. It's not an easy play, of course, as Heaton has conceded multiple goals in four straight games (11 total over that span) while making just seven saves, but Wolves seem like they could be lightly owned in cash games, making Heaton a reasonable place to go at goalkeeper.
