This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 10:00 a.m: Southampton vs. Manchester City
- 12:30 p.m: Everton vs. Arsenal
- 3:00 p.m: Newcastle United vs. Fulham
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI at SOU ($24): I was going to fade De Bruyne, but the number of cheap, quality defenders and goalkeepers should allow you to get him if you want. Fortunately, Man City are the first match, so you won't be out of luck if he's not in the starting XI. He's been hard to peg down because his upside hasn't really been worth the price this season, as he's scored in just two matches. But when things are going well, he'll rack up chances and get shots on target, hitting a floor near 20 points, which is better than anyone on this slate. You could fade him because this would be his third start in eight days, but there's always the chance he makes the score-sheet multiple times. I was also higher on Southampton before Man City drew West Brom last match. City will likely come out gunning and that could lead to a high-scoring contest. Still, I'd avoid Gabriel Jesus ($20) because he's not in form and will likely be subbed off early for Sergio Aguero ($20). If Aguero starts, he could finish with 1.3 fantasy points in 60 minutes. Raheem Sterling ($21) is always in play, but I think there's a chance Riyad Mahrez ($18) and Ferran Torres ($17) could come into the XI after sitting midweek. If you think City are going full attack mode, I'd save a spot for Danny Ings ($17) because you know Southampton will get opportunities given their current form.
Callum Wilson, NEW v. FUL ($18): Wilson might be my favorite play on the slate. He's in the late match and could be rested, but he's been the guy for Newcastle, and even if there's a chance he's fatigued, he probably won't sit. He has seven goals and three assists in 11 matches this season and will be involved in a goal if Newcastle get one. I'm also intrigued because he won't be popular due to the Man City guys, as well as Richarlison ($19) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ($18) in the same price range. There's a good chance Fulham mix up what has been their bread-and-butter starting XI because of fatigue. I think that could lead to some defensive struggles and opportunities for Wilson. He has the third-best odds to score of the expected starters, and while he doesn't have much of a floor, I think he's at a price where you only need to worry about upside. Since this is the late match, it'll be hard to trust anyone else, so you have to keep that in mind when composing your lineup. Joelinton ($16) and Miguel Almiron ($15) could start, but any other possible starter is much cheaper. It's the same case for Fulham where they could overhaul their starting XI. I like Ademola Lookman ($17) because of his floor, but there's a chance he doesn't start and if that's the case, you'll have to go down to someone like Aleksandar Mitrovic ($13) or Aboubakar Kamara ($7).
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, EVE v. ARS ($21): Calvert-Lewin has better odds to score than Wilson, but he's more expensive and would take you off a Man City piece. He has also struggled to produce against better teams, failing to hit the back of the net in recent contests against Leicester City, Chelsea, Leeds, Man United and Southampton. Sure, Arsenal aren't playing well, but it's not like their back line has been a sieve, only allowing more than two goals to Aston Villa. Calvert-Lewin also provides minimal fantasy value when he doesn't score, which is why he's been held below three fantasy points three times this season. If you back Calvert-Lewin, you may as well go all in on Everton with Richarlison ($19), who has a much higher floor and at least 16 fantasy points in each of his last five starts. Then again, he had a floor of 2.6 points last match to go with his goal. Everton have been a weird team this season; early on, they were constantly on the attack and of late, they've bagged early goals and then kind of taken their foot off the pedal en route to a couple clean sheets. If you like Everton but don't want to spend, Gylfi Sigurdsson ($14) is still fairly cheap and taking set pieces, assuming James Rodriguez ($16) misses another match.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, ARS at EVE ($19): Similar to the last slate, Aubameyang may be the best GPP option because a lot of people will fade him given this season's struggles. Even though he scored last match, he had a floor of 5.6 fantasy points. However, this is still a guy who has 22 goals each of the last two seasons and playing against a back line that has struggled with consistency. Arsenal have the highest implied goal total of the underdogs and when these teams met last February, Aubameyang bagged a brace in a 3-2 win. This probably isn't the best move for cash games because he's finished with fewer than 10 fantasy points more often than not this season. While it's unknown who will start for Arsenal, this is at least the second match of the slate, so there is some wiggle room. Willian ($15) is viable because he dropped in price, while Alexandre Lacazette ($16) is in the same mold as Aubemeyang. Arsenal are having massive struggles on the pitch and it's showing up in the box score.
The other GPP route is to back Ings and James Ward-Prowse ($15), and hope for a high-scoring match. That's always in play, but probably not the most likely result. The problem with backing the usual Fulham guys like Lookman and Ivan Cavaleiro ($14) is that neither could start and then you'll be stuck with Mitrovic, who has no floor.
DEFENDERS
Matt Ritchie, NEW v. FUL ($6): This is where it gets tricky. It's nice that Ritchie is cheap, but there's a chance he doesn't start, which means you need to have other players in this match or have extra money to use. Still, Ritchie should start after resting midweek. He went a full 90 against West Brom last Saturday, creating three chances while playing as an outside midfielder. Emil Krafth ($7) costs slightly more and could also start in place of Jacob Murphy. If neither of those guys start, Jamal Lewis ($8) and Joachim Andersen ($9) are next on the list and should start unless the managers are resting everyone.
Antonee Robinson, FUL at NEW ($13): If you don't use De Bruyne, you should have money to spend at defender, though it's not the best slate for that strategy. Joao Cancelo ($15) is the only Man City full-back who produces consistent defensive stats, but I'm not sure he starts again. That's why I'm leaning on Robinson after writing about him midweek. He has at least 9.1 fantasy points in all 10 starts this season and has at least 14 in his last four. He's creating chances every match to give him an extra edge on center-backs, while also supplying clearances, interceptions and tackles, and the opponent doesn't matter. If you have the money, Robinson is worth the 15-to-20 points he should get.
GOALKEEPER
Karl Darlow, NEW v. FUL ($10): After being all in on Fulham last slate, I think it's a good time to fade. They've had a couple good performances, but with three matches in seven days, I'm not sure they can keep it up. Darlow is also fairly cheap for a favorite and is a reasonable option to use if you're going Callum Wilson in the attack. He's made multiple saves in every match this season and even finished in the positive last game despite allowing five goals. If you don't use Wilson or any other Newcastle player, Alphonse Areola ($8) is plenty viable as an underdog with at least four saves in five of his last six starts. Ederson ($14) has the best odds for a win and clean sheet, but Southampton are one of the most in-form teams in the league and are home.
