This article is part of our FanDuel 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. Manchester City
10:00 a.m: Fulham v. Southampton
10:00 a.m: Brighton v. Leicester
10:00 a.m: Watford v. Liverpool
10:00 a.m: Everton v. Cardiff
10:00 a.m: Manchester United v. Crystal Palace
12:30 p.m: Tottenham v. Chelsea
FORWARDS
Sergio Aguero, MCI at WHU ($13,000): If Aguero starts, he could easily be the most popular forward because Harry Kane ($12,500) faces Chelsea and Roberto Firmino ($12,000) doesn't have a floor. Aguero may not play a full 90, but he's shown that doesn't matter because he's hit at least 15 fantasy points in every match but the trips to Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal. West Ham aren't in the same category as those clubs and have allowed 66 shots on goal in 12 matches, something Aguero can capitalize on. If you want to save money, Alvaro Morata ($10,500) is a guy not many will look at because of the matchup, but he's performed and has had a floor of 10 fantasy points.
Anthony Martial, MUN v. CRY ($10,000): I'm betting on Martial playing after he went a full 90 in the Manchester derby a couple weeks ago. He's scored in his last five league matches and has 18 shots and 12 chances created in his last seven starts in all competitions. He's produced in a more consistent role, and this is a perfect spot for Man United to rebound. Crystal Palace have one point from their last six league matches, and that doesn't include a 1-0 cup loss to Middlesbrough. Jamie Vardy is the only other viable play near this price, and he couldn't score at home against Burnley last match. Meanwhile, Marko Arnautovic ($9,500) has been great, but it's hard to trust any forward against Man City.
Aleksandar Mitrovic, FUL v. SOU ($8,500): There's nothing to like about Mitrovic's form, and this may be the last time I back him unless his price drops even more. He has just one shot on goal and one chance created in his last four starts, but three of those came on the road and it's still hard to ignore how productive he was earlier in the season. Against a Southampton side sitting near relegation, it makes sense to back Mitrovic for at least a couple chances in front of net. Either way, his upside makes for a nice GPP play, while I can't recommend throwing money at others in the same range like Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Gerard Deulofeu. As for Glenn Murray ($8,500), he may be the more popular play at this price since he's already scored five goals in five home matches and Leicester don't exactly have a top back line.
MIDFIELDERS
Raheem Sterling, MCI at WHU ($11,000): City are dealing with a few injuries and that makes Sterling, a player almost guaranteed to start, one of the easier plays to back. He's gone a full 90 in his last five starts and City are projected to score the most goals on the slate. West Ham have one clean sheet this season, and in this spot last campaign, Man City bagged four goals at London Stadium. Sterling's overall numbers are somewhat skewed due to a couple huge outings, but he's still averaging 1.46 shots on goal and 2.40 chances created per 90 minutes. Eden Hazard ($11,000) has a slightly better floor, though he's in a tough spot. Mohamed Salah ($10,500) is in the same mold, but again, Sterling has more upside and is in the most favorable match.
Richarlison, EVE v. CAR ($9,000): If Gylfi Sigurdsson ($9,500) starts, he'll be my favorite play on the slate, but with an ankle injury, I'll turn to his teammate. Richarlison doesn't have the same floor, but he has the best goal-scoring odds for Everton and that could be enough since Cardiff are allowing more than two goals per away match. Cardiff are also allowing more than five shots on goal per game, which is tied for the third-worst rate in the league. If Sigurdsson doesn't play, that could change Richarlison's position, but he's already shown he can score as a forward or outside midfielder. The only other players I'd touch in this range are David Silva ($10,000) and Leroy Sane ($9,000).
Rachid Ghezzal, LEI at BHA ($6,000): Ghezzal is dependent upon the status of James Maddison ($8,500), and I'm not sure he'll be ready for this match. Ghezzal surprisingly played a full 90 in place of Maddison last match and took every corner, which led to five chances created and 15 crosses. That floor against a Brighton side that has allowed the second-most corners (79) and chances created (156) in the last five gameweeks makes Ghezzal a no-brainer at his price. If he doesn't start, there are a few options to consider, including Jean Michael Seri ($7,000), who should return to the starting XI for Fulham, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg ($7,000), who has had a nice floor when starting. Andros Townsend ($6,500) doesn't have the best matchup, but he's had a decent floor against top competition.
DEFENDERS
Sol Bamba, CAR at EVE ($6,500): It looks like the days of Bamba being a value play are gone. Everyone's favorite fantasy defender has shot up in price, but he still makes sense due to a floor around 20 fantasy points on the road. The main worry is that Everton haven't forced many clearances this season, while Fabian Balbuena ($6,500) is in a much better spot to rack up clearances against Man City. Of course, you can get Bamba's teammate Bruno Ecuela Manga ($5,500) for cheaper and his floor is around 15 points. It's also worth taking a shot on Lewis Dunk ($5,500) since he had at least nine clearances in each of his last four starts. I'm still slightly tentative on Dunk because he was nowhere near those totals in the first month-plus of the season.
Yerry Mina, EVE v. CAR ($4,000): If Serge Aurier ($4,500) was guaranteed to start, he'd be in this spot, but in the late game I can't put my full support behind him. Mina received his first start of the season and managed 10.2 fantasy points against Chelsea. Whether it's Mina or Kurt Zouma ($4,500) in the Everton back line (or both in a back three), I'm willing to go cheap with either, while Michael Keane ($5,500) is more expensive. Not only do the Toffees have great clean-sheet odds, but Cardiff forced the fourth-most clearances (141) in the last five gameweeks, putting them just behind teams like Man United and Liverpool.
Mamadou Sakho, CRY at MUN ($4,000): If you hate spending money on defenders, Sakho is another reasonable play who should reach at least 10 fantasy points. He finished with 17.3 from eight clearances against Spurs last match, and that upside is good enough for his price. Plus, Man United have forced the second-most clearances (149) in the last five games, something that should continue given Palace's recent struggles. If you have extra money, Wes Morgan ($4,500) and Wesley Hoedt ($5,000) have held decent floors near 15 points, though their matchups aren't the best for accruing defensive stats.
GOALKEEPER
Jordan Pickford, EVE v. CAR ($5,500): Unfortunately, most of the goalkeeper prices make sense on this slate, but Pickford still comes at a small discount given the odds. Everton are the third-biggest favorite and aren't expected to allow much more than either Manchester squad. Even better is that Pickford usually makes a couple saves no matter the opponent, and that's led to at least 7.5 fantasy points in his last six starts. If you have money, I'd go for David De Gea ($6,000) against a struggling Crystal Palace. On the other end of that, if Fulham suddenly turn into a good team, Sergio Rico ($4,000) isn't that big of a stretch, especially as a small favorite.
