This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Arsenal vs. Brentford
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 10:00 am: Fulham vs. Nottingham Forest
- 10:00 am: Leicester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur
- 10:00 am: Southampton vs. Wolverhampton
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Aleksandar Mitrovic (FUL vs. NFO, $8,000): While it feels unintuitive due to a lack of set pieces, I feel like Mitrovic may be the best cash option in this price range. He is cheaper than Harry Kane ($9,200) despite having the same goalscoring odds and Fulham are bigger favorites than Tottenham. Son Heung-Min ($8,100) continues to split set pieces with Ivan Perisic ($5,700) and Spurs' recent signing of Arnaut Danjuma ($8,400) increases Son's risk of an early substitution. Gabriel Martinelli ($8,500) is in a similar situation with a split set-piece role along with two early substitutions from new signing Leandro Trossard ($8,200) in the past three matches (he also didn't start the Cup match). Mitrovic is almost guaranteed to play 90 minutes and can get a solid floor based on shots alone against a Nottingham Forest defense that has allowed just under 14 shots per match this season. With uncertainty in this price range, I am inclined to lean on his goal upside.
Eddie Nketiah ($7,700) is going to be a popular GPP option with the players I mentioned above. If you want to do something slightly different, while Leicester are underdogs, we have seen Tottenham concede a lot of possession to home sides when they've played away this season. Leicester's new signing Tete ($6,700) scored on his debut last week and averaged close to 2.5 shots and over 3.5 crosses per 90 minutes this season for Lyon to go along with six goals in 14 starts. I think he is a great tournament option and the matchup is worth targeting in general with an implied goal total just under three.
Bobby Decordova-Reid (FUL vs. NFO, $4,400): While it is possible to spend up twice at forward in cash games, there are also constructions you can use where you spend down at one spot. I think Decordova-Reid is a good value that can rack up a couple crosses, even if he only plays 70 minutes. Odsonne Edouard ($4,900) looks underpriced for his anytime goalscoring odds of +185 and he has gone over 85 minutes his past two starts. I'm not sure what to expect from the Southampton starting XI, but if Paul Onuachu ($4,000) starts, he managed to create three chances in a second-half substitution appearance against Brentford in his team debut.
MIDFIELDERS
Bukayo Saka (ARS vs. BRE, $8,800): While I think Brentford are capable of giving Arsenal a difficult game, it seems unwise to fade Saka in this spot in cash games. While the right-sided corners he takes are a nice boost to his floor, he doesn't rely on them to score fantasy points. He has 14 shots (six on target) with 18 chances created in his past six starts, playing a full 90 minutes in each.
Andreas Pereira (FUL vs. NFO, $7,300): The theme of solid Fulham values continues with Pereira, who we expect to continue taking a near-monopoly of set pieces against a Nottingham Forest side that has conceded over six corners per match this season. Even if Willian ($6,200) poaches one or two of those corners, I'd expect one or two shots from open play from Pereira, as well. I still think people will play James Ward-Prowse ($7,900) in cash games, but I think I prefer Pereira. Given Southampton's inconsistency lately, there are no guarantees they have enough possession or set pieces for him to reliably hit a solid fantasy floor for cash games.
The Brighton midfielders are certainly tempting tournament spend-up options. Kaoru Mitoma ($8,700) will be popular, as he can't seem to stop scoring for Brighton with four goals in his last five starts. I think Solomon March ($7,500) will come with lower rostership and even if he is less likely to score a goal than Mitoma, he is more likely to score over 25 fantasy points in the games that he does score due to his stronger floor. If Pascal Gross plays in an attacking position, he is a great play at $8,200.
Martin Odegaard (ARS vs. BRE, $6,700): I'm surprised Odegaard is almost $2,000 cheaper than Saka and Martinelli, since his price had been close to theirs before DraftKings overhauled positional eligibility last week. He takes most of Arsenal's indirect free kicks and has achieved at least a 10-point fantasy floor in four of his past six starts. Along with his floor, I think he is underpriced for his +175 anytime goalscoring odds. Morgan Gibbs-White ($6,800) will take most of Nottingham Forest's set pieces and looks underpriced, as well, even if Fulham are favored. Ivan Perisic ($5,700) seems cheap for a split set-piece role, though 90 minutes are never guaranteed for Tottenham's wing-backs.
With opportunity cost so high at midfield, I don't want to spend down at the position in any formats, and I want to try to play at least three of the options I mentioned above. There are not many viable punt options, and if you do punt, you should try to find an option capable of scoring a goal. Thomas Partey ($4,000) fits that profile well. He's averaging over one shot and close to one chance created per start, and anecdotally, I've seen him hit the woodwork twice when shooting from distance this season.
DEFENDERS
Romain Perraud (SOU vs. WOL, $4,400): It feels tempting to click on Antonee Robinson ($4,500) at his price, but he has little ceiling with only one shot on the season and just two starts with five or more crosses. I'd rather play Romain Perraud ($4,400), especially if he starts as a wing-back. Even though Southampton are slight home underdogs to Wolves, he has shown a willingness to shoot and score goals (including a brace two weeks ago in the FA cup) other defenders in this range can't match. Both Pervis Estupinan ($4,700) and Tariq Lamptey ($5,000) are favorably priced for Brighton's matchup against a Crystal Palace side that have averaged 20 crosses conceded per match. I prefer Estupinan to Lamptey since he is more likely to play 90 minutes.
Overall, this feels like a good slate to be frugal at defender for cash games since that will allow you to pay up for the best midfielders. Kenny Tete ($6,000) has some open-pay upside for Fulham, but I'm unsure if he is worth $1,000 more than the options above. The same is true for Neco Williams ($5,700), who is priced as if he is either playing on a favorite or taking set pieces. Both are good tournament options, but neither is a cash game priority for me.
Ben White (ARS vs. BRE, $3,300): At $3,300 on the biggest favorite on the slate, it doesn't particularly matter to me that White is a center-back playing out of position as a right-back. He is probably underpriced for Arsenal's clean sheet odds that sit above 40 percent. Outside of White, there are few value options priced below $4,000. If you need to punt at your second defender spot, I think it's fine to simply play the cheapest option.
GOALKEEPER
I'd like to play Aaron Ramsdale ($5,800) if I can find the salary for it. Arsenal are the only team with greater than 50-percent odds to win along with the best clean sheet odds. If I can't afford Ramsdale, it probably makes the most sense to pay down for one of the home underdog keepers. If I had to suggest one name, Gavin Bazunu ($4,600) is most likely to not be negatively correlated to any of the players in your cash lineup, since I am not expecting Wolves players to be too popular in that format. Arsenal and Fulham attackers will be popular in tournaments, but neither is an overwhelming favorite, so I will probably build some lineups that target goals from other matchups and use Keylor Navas ($4,000) or David Raya ($3,700).
