This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 2:30 pm: AFC Bournemouth vs. Wolverhampton
- 2:30 pm: Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
- 2:30 pm: Manchester City vs. Nottingham Forest
- 2:45 pm: West Ham United vs. Tottenham Hotspur
- 3:00 pm: Liverpool vs. Newcastle United
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Wednesday's slate will likely come down to how each of the two massive favorites in Manchester City and Liverpool perform. City host Nottingham Forest at The Etihad and Liverpool play host to Newcastle, coming off a nine (yes, nine) goal drubbing of Bournemouth on Saturday. Game theory always plays a role in GPP contests of course so there are ways you can get different from the field without sacrificing upside.
Erling Haaland, MCI v. NFO ($23): Haaland's anytime goalscoring odds are the highest on the slate and that'll likely be the case almost every slate this season. This match sees one of, if not the, highest implied goal totals this season in the league, accompanied by one of the shortest favorites. With the two-games-a-week schedule starting, it remains to be seen who manager Pep Guardiola will rest and when. If Haaland is rested, Julian Alvarez ($16) will start in his place at a discounted price. Either way, exposure is warranted in any format to this front line. In GPP contests, stacking City will surely be popular. Bernardo Silva ($18), Ilkay Gundogan ($18), and Riyad Mahrez ($17) all have appeal if they make the starting XI. Kevin De Bruyne ($22) is pricey and may be best suited for GPPs when you have Haaland for a similar price. If you plan to play City in GPPs, I like the idea of full stacking this team with as many as you can fit throughout your lineups. Most will try to pick a couple and then mix in players from other teams, but sometimes a full stack of a team works if they put up four or five goals. On the other side, if you are a bit lower on City's prospects of scoring a lot of goals then limit your exposure to one or even fade them and mix In other teams that are still large favorites such as Liverpool and Arsenal. The thought with that strategy isn't that City lose 2-0, it's just that the Liverpool/Arsenal pieces can outscore the top City ones on this particular slate.
Gabriel Jesus, ARS v. AVL ($19): Arsenal are the third-biggest favorite on the slate, making them intriguing for GPPs. Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli ($18) are the top options here, though Bukayo Saka ($17) is worth a look and he may not be as popular after a slow start. Jesus has two goals and three assists on the young season. Aston Villa are a reeling side, as they've only secured three points from four matches.
Harvey Elliott, LIV v. NEW ($13): Elliott provides cheaper exposure to Liverpool and contributed his first goal of the season over the weekend against Bournemouth. The more expensive options in Luis Diaz ($19), Mohamed Salah ($21), and Roberto Firmino ($20) make sense as a pivot to City pieces in GPP contests, but at similar prices in optimal builds it is hard to go away from the Citizens. As for Elliott, he allows you to get quality attacking pieces for both City and Liverpool, as he provides a tad more upside than someone like Rodri ($11).
Declan Rice, WHU v. TOT ($12): West Ham are at home against Tottenham and this is a matchup in which Rice could produce a solid fantasy outing. Against City, he produced 10.4 fantasy points from mostly defensive stats. Rice will do some of that here, but he could also see some value from West Ham generating opportunities to score at home. He could have an upside game if he is given an opportunity for a penalty kick over Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio, or if he can generate an assist.
DEFENDERS
Ivan Perisic, TOT v. WHU ($12): Perisic has shown how well he fits into Antonio Conte's system this season by registering two assists in limited minutes. He has been an integral part of the attack when on the pitch and is a big help to striker Harry Kane ($20). Trent Alexander-Arnold ($15) is almost always in consideration, but with the expensive options at forward/midfielder, I find it hard to fit him on this slate. If Perisic doesn't start, most of the Tottenham wing-backs are in this range, including Ryan Sessegnon ($11) and Matt Doherty ($10).
Scott McKenna, NFO v. MCI ($8): In a game where this back line is expected to be busy, McKenna sparks interest. He has shown solid floors with blocks and clearances against Tottenham, West Ham, and Newcastle this season. At this price he opens up a lot of other high-upside options you'll want to get to at the forward/midfielder position. Fellow center-backs Joe Worrall ($10) and Steve Cook ($9) are also options if you want to stack this back line and hope they rack up stats across the board.
GOALKEEPER
Ederson, MCI v. NFO ($15): On Wednesday's slate, there are three teams with clean-sheet odds shorter than the shortest team on Tuesday. What this means is you want to prioritize goalie a bit more and go for those bonus points you get from a win and clean sheet on FanDuel. Manchester City have the highest clean-sheet odds by a solid margin, making Ederson the top play even at this price. In GPPs, I like the idea of taking a bit of a discount in hopes of getting a better stack at other positions with more flexibility. Mark Travers ($10) is my favorite if you are going this route in a game I expect Bournemouth to bounce back from after their 9-0 defeat versus Liverpool.
