This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 10:00 am: Sheffield United vs. Southampton
- 12:30 pm: Aston Villa vs. Wolverhampton
- 3:00 pm: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Leicester City
FORWARDS
Pedro Neto, WOL at AVL (£25): It's a pretty ugly slate for forwards, mainly because all of them are struggling. Neto is the only one who takes set pieces, and he's almost a must. Prior to the Man City match, he hit at least six fantasy points in six straight starts. and even as an underdog against Aston Villa, he should get plenty of opportunities in a match with the highest-implied goal total.
Danny Ings, SOU at SHU (£24): Ings has the best odds to hit the back of the net, and that's the only reason to consider him. He hasn't done much of late, with just one goal in his last seven starts, and it doesn't help that he's barely getting opportunities. While Sheffield United are bottom of the table, they've been decent defensively at times and most recently held Villa scoreless.
David McGoldrick, SHU v. SOU (£16): If you need to save money, McGoldrick is your guy. He scored last match and is the most likely Sheffield United forward to go a full 90. His floor is often limited, but against what has been a bad Southampton back line, he could get a few chances to score again. That said, I wouldn't count on it in cash games.
MIDFIELDERS
Youri Tielemans, LEI at BHA (£20): Compared to the forwards, midfield is pretty loaded, mainly because of set-piece takers. Tielemans is the most I'd spend, but if you have extra money, James Ward-Prowse (£24) is always viable. Tielemans has had a decent floor all season because of defensive stats, but without James Maddison in the team, he's playing a little more forward and taking set pieces.
Pascal Gross, BHA at WBA (£16): Gross is almost an automatic five fantasy points no matter the opponent, hitting that mark in each of his last seven starts. He usually gets multiple successful crosses per match, and he took six shots in the last three. While Leicester City are near the top of the table, they haven't been playing well without their best players, and that'll allow Gross to hit his usual numbers. I also like teammate Leandro Trossard (£15) if you need to fill in another spot.
Anwar El Ghazi, AVL v. WOL (£18): El Ghazi is in the same mold as the other midfielders in that he takes set pieces. He had a floor of 9.75 fantasy points last match and has done that a few times this season because of how willing he is to take shots from outside the box. In the absence of Jack Grealish, he has six shots and eight successful crosses the last two matches, and Wolves are unlikely to slow him down.
DEFENDERS
Joel Veltman, BHA v. LEI (£17): If you believe Leicester City continue to struggle without Maddison and Harvey Barnes, there are a couple Brighton defenders worth considering. But even if they don't secure a clean sheet, both Veltman and Lewis Dunk (£18) are worth it. Veltman had a floor of 8.40 points last match in a 1-0 loss, and his recent attacking style allows for a lot of upside with a decent floor. Dunk is more about consistent defensive stats without the upside.
Ahmed Elmohamady, AVL v. WOL (£10): Elmohamady and Dan Burn (£10) are at minimum price if you need a value play. Elmohamady has slightly more upside, but his numbers have been a bit all over in minimal starts, scoring 2.70 points with a clean sheet followed by 6.50 points without a clean sheet last match.
Caglar Soyuncu, LEI at BHA (£14): Brighton have had massive issues scoring, so any of Leicester City's defenders are in play. Soyuncu is probably the most consistent as a center-back because he usually adds a foul won with tackles and interceptions, as well as a decent number of completed passes. Ricardo Pereira (£14) and Timothy Castagne (£13) have more upside, but neither have much of a floor playing on the flanks.
GOALKEEPER
Kasper Schmeichel, LEI at BHA (£17): Going back to Brighton's struggles, Schmeichel is in the perfect spot for a clean sheet. Of course, on a slate with a bunch of low implied goal totals, every goalkeeper is in play. Emiliano Martinez (£18) is the most expensive, but opponent Rui Patricio (£15) is more likely to have the most saves.
