This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
- 10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Everton
- 10:00 am: Watford vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 10:00 am: West Ham United vs. Sheffield United
- 12:30 pm: Burnley vs. Chelsea
For detailed odds and stats, check out the DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet.
FORWARDS
Callum Hudson-Odoi, CHE at BUR ($8,700): The Chelsea set-piece situation is getting pretty cloudy, with Hudson-Odoi, Willian ($9,900) and Mason Mount ($9,100, midfielder) all contributing, but Hudson-Odoi's production of late should put him ahead of the two. His Premier League minutes have been limited as he spent the entire summer recovering from an Achilles injury, but he's looked awesome since returning, picking up one assist in each of his first four appearances, and he had a solid two shots, three chances created and seven crosses in Wednesday's Champions League match at Ajax. He makes the strongest argument for consideration in cash games, even though Willian has been very good as well, while Tammy Abraham ($9,700) leads the line and has the best anytime goal scorer odds on the slate.
Richarlison, EVE at BHA ($8,100): I am done trying to convince myself that Gylfi Sigurdsson ($8,300) is a better cash-game play than Richarlison because of his shared role on set pieces. In actuality, Sigurdsson has been doing little in open play this season and Richarlison keeps chugging along by taking shots, sending in crosses and drawing fouls. Yes, Sigurdsson averages more crosses per 90 (4.69 to 2.72), but 27 of his 33 crosses this season came in three starts, and he finished with three or fewer in his other five. He creates more chances, but Richarlison takes more shots, draws more fouls and wins more tackles. Their floors are similar, but Richarlison's is simply higher and I don't have to pretend Sigurdsson is safer, especially since I consider Lucas Digne ($6,500) a better path to Everton's set pieces, and he always comes at a cheaper price and clean-sheet eligible. If you don't want to rely on Everton away, Pascal Gross ($7,600) is a solid option as long as Leandro Trossard ($6,500) doesn't start, as his return to the first XI could come with set pieces, which takes away from Gross' floor. Watford's Gerard Deulofeu ($7,100) could also be a cheaper path to set pieces because Jose Holebas is suspended, though we've seen before when it looks like Deulofeu could take them and then they go to guys like Roberto Pereyra ($6,000, midfielder) or Tom Cleverley ($6,300, midfielder).
Dwight McNeil, BUR v. CHE ($6,400): This is a little higher than we normally like to pay for McNeil, but he remains one of the most consistent cash-game forwards no matter the opponent. That will surely be put to the test Saturday, with Burnley coming in as the biggest underdog on the slate. He has a shared role of set pieces, which helps him average over six crosses per 90 minutes this season, and he wins fouls and tackles at a decent-enough rate to consistently score near 10 points per game. He's probably the cheapest true cash-game forward, but you can always pay down for Chris Wood's ($5,800) goal-scoring possibilities, though if that's what you're looking for, targeting guys like Neal Maupay ($6,100) or Joshua King ($5,600) might be better among the cheaper forward options, while Sebastien Haller ($8,000), Callum Wilson ($7,700) or Andriy Yarmolenko ($7,200) the better options up the salary scale.
MIDFIELDERS
Ryan Fraser, BOU at WAT ($7,400): Fraser returned to the starting XI last week and reclaimed a big portion of Bournemouth's set pieces, helping him to a season-high 18 crosses in a scoreless draw with Norwich City. He now faces a Watford defense that has struggled significantly this season, though admittedly many of those came away from home. Mount is a solid pay-up option at the position, but given his set-piece splits and quick turnaround from Wednesday's Champions League match, Fraser presents as the safer option for cash games. The same could also be said about Felipe Anderson ($8,200), who has been the most consistent West Ham midfielder this season despite very limited set pieces, with Manuel Lanzini ($6,800) and Pablo Fornals ($6,500) splitting those chances recently, enough so that neither is especially safe for cash games (though one would be if the other sits).
Roberto Pereyra, WAT v. BOU ($6,000): On the other side of the match is Pereyra, who struggled last week against Tottenham but has otherwise been pretty solid against non-top-six teams, at least from a floor perspective. Holebas' absence could bring set pieces to Pereyra, though Tom Cleverley ($6,300) is lurking in that department, and Deulofeu shouldn't be ignored in that equation either. In fact, if we are presented with all three in the starting XI, it might be more prudent to ignore them in cash games and focus on another team.
John Fleck, SHU at WHU ($5,400): Further down the salary list is Fleck, who has been splitting Sheffield United's set pieces with Oliver Norwood ($5,700). Their floors are pretty similar, but Fleck tends to get his with shots versus tackles, which obviously provides more upside if one of those lands in the back of the net. And speaking of Sheffield United, John Lundstram ($3,100) continues to start as an attacking winger, and while his floor hasn't been great, he really doesn't have to do much at his price to make it pay off.
DEFENDERS
Lucas Digne, EVE at BHA ($6,500): No expected starter is averaging more crosses per 90 minutes than Digne's 8.51, and his 2.38 shots assisted per 90 are more than any defender on the slate. His role on set pieces will always make him a viable play, and with few midfielders worth paying up for, his salary shouldn't be much of a limit. He's likely to be extremely popular in cash games, though his upside is more assist-dependent, which is the argument to fade him in GPPs.
Diego Rico, BOU at WAT ($5,500): Rico's share of set pieces was severely cut back last week because of Fraser's return, but he still managed to send in 11 crosses and create two chances, helping him to double-digit fantasy points for the fifth consecutive game. It's understandable not to want a ton of Bournemouth exposure when they're away from home, though Watford have been poor enough that it's not a crazy idea for floor players. If your build includes money for two higher-priced defenders but you don't want to play Rico, Chelsea's Marcos Alonso ($6,000) has been playing quite well, or we could get a slight discount with Emerson Palmieri ($5,400) if he's fit enough to regain his spot in the starting XI.
Kiko Femenia, WAT v. BOU ($4,200): The Watford back line is going to need a replacement for Holebas, and while Daryl Janmaat ($4,700) could return to start at right-back, Kiko could be moved over to the left side. Both are serviceable given they are hosting a Bournemouth side that's conceded the second-most shots, second-most crosses and most chances among teams on the slate, though they're not the most exciting. And speaking of not exciting, we can't rule out the small possibility that Craig Dawson ($2,900) starts out wide, and while he's been playing center-back for a few seasons, he sent in 130 crosses for West Brom a few seasons ago when he played as a fullback.
GOALKEEPER
Dean Henderson, SHU at WHU ($4,400): West Ham have managed just a single goal in their past two games, while Henderson is coming off a three-save, clean-sheet victory over Arsenal on Monday. The Sheffield United defense has been very good, now five games without allowing multiple goals, including three clean sheets over that span. Every goalkeeper has its warts on this slate, but Henderson at least provides some salary relief that can be used elsewhere.
