This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
- 10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 10:00 am: Burnley vs. Cardiff City
- 10:00 am: Fulham vs. Everton
- 10:00 am: Southampton vs. Wolverhampton
- 12:30 pm: Manchester United vs. West Ham United
For detailed stats and odds, check out the FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet.
FORWARDS
Romelu Lukaku, MUN v. WHU ($12,500): Man United are expected to score more than any other team, so it makes sense to use one of their forwards, and Lukaku is still the play even though he hasn't scored in his last three starts. Marcus Rashford is the same price, but only two of his 10 goals have come when both him and Lukaku are in the starting XI. Lukaku may have struggled in recent starts, but a lot of that has to do with the competition, and even then he's managed a floor of 10 fantasy points in each of his last two league starts. Raul Jimenez ($11,500) is on nice form, but it's hard to spend that much on him away from home. The same goes for Ashley Barnes ($11,000), who scored last match, but his floor has been around five points, which makes him hard to trust in cash games.
Chris Wood, BRN v. CAR ($9,000): If you want a piece of Burnley and don't want to spend on Barnes, Wood is the logical choice because he has the same floor and just as good odds to score. If Burnley score a few against Cardiff, which is more than possible, Wood should at least make the scoresheet. The downside is that he doesn't have much of a floor, hurting his usability in cash games. Helping the situation is that Cardiff have given up multiple goals in four of their last five away.
Aleksandar Mitrovic, FUL v. EVE ($8,500): If you prefer backing the numbers, Glenn Murray ($8,500) has the best odds to score of any forward not from Man United. Of course, he came off the bench last match and isn't guaranteed to start, so Mitrovic is my pick after racking up nine shots (three on target) last match at Watford. He's still playing a full 90 minutes every time out, and the same can't be said about most other forwards in this range. Everton may have won at West Ham and Cardiff in recent away matches, but they also gave up three in a trip to Newcastle. Fulham are struggling, but it can't be overlooked that their last four home matches came against Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City.
MIDFIELDERS
Gylfi Sigurdsson, EVE at FUL ($9,000): Richarlison ($9,500) has better odds to score, but Sigurdsson's more likely to reach 20 points, which he did against Arsenal last match. He's also been better about getting looks on net himself, with two shots on goal in each of his last three starts. That's in addition to the couple chances he creates, and even if he doesn't make the scoresheet, he should have one of the higher floors on the slate. Fulham could get some chances through Mitrovic, but they've allowed multiple goals in their last 13 matches, and someone from Everton will have to benefit; my money is on Sigurdsson.
James Ward-Prowse, SOU v. WOL ($8,500): Since Paul Pogba ($9,500) has been mostly useless, there aren't many great midfielders on the slate. Ward-Prowse has at least had a better floor than Pogba, reaching 10 fantasy points every start, and that's often around 15 or 20 in a good matchup. That's what could happen in this match because Wolverhampton have had away issues, losing on recent trips to Huddersfield and Burnley. Ward-Prowse can't be relied on to score, but corners keep him fantasy relevant, as seen in the seven he took last match against Liverpool.
Junior Hoilett, CAR at BRN ($6,000): Hoilett has again become a regular in the starting XI, going a full 90 in each of the past three matches. Even though he's only managed one shot on goal, he's still had a floor around 10 points through defensive stats and chances created. This matchup is also easier than any of the prior three, as Burnley have allowed the most chances in the league, which is how he'll reach 10 points again. While you can't bank on goals from someone this cheap, Hoilett at least has upside, and if he plays 90 minutes again, you can't find many better plays in this range.
DEFENDERS
Lucas Digne, EVE at FUL ($7,000): I don't usually recommend defenders priced this highly, but this feels like the prefect spot for Digne to make the scoresheet. He has at least 20 fantasy points in each of his last five starts, including one assist from 11 chances created. In addition to his usual defensive stats, he should again get forward against Fulham, who have allowed the second-most crosses to defenders in the last 10 gameweeks. His floor should again be near 20 points, but his upside could reach 30 with another appearance on the scoresheet. No other defender on this slate has the same upside, with Angelo Ogbonna ($6,500) maybe having the next best floor of the high-priced options.
Jannik Vestergaard, SOU v. WOL ($5,000): It's usually a good strategy to use whichever Southampton center-back is cheapest and that title goes to Vestergaard this week. He's reached 15 fantasy points in each of his last four starts and rarely drops below 12. He had nine tackles last match and should get a few more against Wolves, who have forced the fourth most in the league. Vestergaard had a floor of 16.7 points from five clearances and three tackles in the previous meeting and should be near those numbers again. Bruno Ecuele Manga and Kurt Zouma have a similar floor at the same price, but neither are as consistent.
Fabian Balbuena, WHU at MUN ($4,500): Balbuena returned to the starting XI last match and if he gets the start again, his price is too hard to pass up. He's hit at least 14 fantasy points in his last four starts in which he went the full 90, and his floor was near 30 points in two of those matches. Manchester United don't force a ton of defensive action, but that shouldn't matter, especially with this match being at Old Trafford. There aren't many other defenders at this price with the same floor, but there are plenty viable options, with Everton's Phil Jagielka and Seamus Coleman at the top of the list. As for those at $4,000, you're testing your luck with five points possible for any of them.
GOALKEEPER
Tom Heaton, BRN v. CAR ($5,000): There won't be one favorite goalkeeper on this slate since only two are priced above $5,000; you just have to pick the right one. I don't like Burnley much, but Heaton has the second-best odds to win and get a clean sheet. Cardiff have also failed to score in their last two away matches and three of their last five. David de Gea ($6,000) is the best option, but that also feels like the perfect spot for him to allow one late. If you want to take the opposite approach, Mathew Ryan ($4,000) is the cheapest goalkeeper and it wouldn't be surprising if he held Bournemouth scoreless.
