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: Bournemouth v. Leicester City
10:00 a.m: West Brom v. Watford
10:00 a.m: West Ham v. Swansea City
10:00 a.m: Stoke City v. Southampton
10:00 a.m: Manchester United v. Crystal Palace
12:30 p.m: Chelsea v. Manchester City
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
FORWARD
I'm changing the format for this slate because there is one player who will single-handedly change lineup construction. Romelu Lukaku at $13,000 is a beast of a price, but if you consider that 12 of the next 14 most expensive players are either from Manchester United or the Chelsea/Manchester City match, the price isn't as punitive, as most will likely bypass the majority or all of the Chelsea/City players. Pairing him with Marcus Rashford ($10,500) is fine, as he has the second-highest goal-scoring odds and has a higher chance to go 90 minutes with Anthony Martial picking up a slight knock in Champions League action this week. Manchester United have a 2.4 implied team total, with the next highest at 1.6.
Other options at forward will likely be of the fade/leverage type in order to open up midfield possibilities, including Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Goals are the most important thing on FanDuel, so when choosing other plays this week consider if they can score one if not two. Forwards likely to do so include Alvaro Morata, Gabriel Jesus, and Andy Carroll or Chicharito, as long as only one starts.
MIDFIELD
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, MUN v. CRY ($11,000): Writing up the most expensive player might seem obvious, and this week it is. Seven of the top nine most expensive mids are in the Chelsea/Man City match, a similar story to forwards. Mkhitaryan and United are playing great lately and the come up against Crystal Palace, who have zero points in six games this season. Adding insult to injury, Palace will be without four of their regular players.
Chelsea/Man City Players: While most of the normal options from this match will likely be differentials or leverage plays, N'Golo Kante ($9,500) and Tiemoue Bakayoko ($7,000) would likely fit into lineups due to the wide array of defensive stats FanDuel includes. If Cesc Fabregas starts up front, it's likely that both go 90 minutes with Danny Drinkwater and David Luiz out. After a master-class performance against Atletico Madrid this week, the pairing could continue their standout performance against the title favorites, albeit on short rest. Fernandinho ($7,500) would be the Man City equivalent play.
Other options include: Dusan Tadic, Xherdan Shaqiri, Luka Milivojevic and Fabian Delph.
DEFENDER
Andreas Christensen, CHE v. MCI ($5,000): Christensen is the real deal as far as youngsters go. He won't be intimidated by Man City after pocketing Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski on multiple occasions in the Bundesliga. Playing in the center of the back-three, the position most involved in Antonio Conte's defense, he will be tasked with slowing City. He is also a $1,000 discount versus the player who usually starts there, David Luiz.
Stoke Defenders: The defense that Stoke City will be fielding this week can best be described by the word "gross." However, that doesn't mean there isn't fantasy value. Glen Johnson is only $4,000, and Josh Tymon is minimum-priced. Meanwhile, Southampton have forced the second-most clearances this season and an above-average number of blocked shots.
Other options include: Mamadou Sakho, Harry Maguire and Jose Holebas.
GOALKEEPER
While Wayne Hennessey is a decent play and could be viewed as a top option because of how well goalkeepers have done against Manchester United, the absence of Paul Pogba takes away some easy saves. Oh, and Crystal Palace is just plain bad. Many big goalkeeper performances have come from a combination of a resilient team and a talented keeper, neither of which Crystal Palace possesses.
Thibaut Courtois, CHE v. MCI ($4,500): Chelsea will likely be tired and at a disadvantage against Manchester City after having one fewer day of rest and travel time back from Spain. The game line has moved back to basically even from a Chelsea favorite. While still early in the season, this is likely a match Conte (and Pep Guardiola) will sell to the players as a title-changing match. Courtois will no doubt be called upon for a few saves, and there is certainly the chance to keep a clean sheet.
Other options include: Jack Butland and David de Gea.
