DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday Value Plays

This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.

Goal = +10 PTs
Assist = +6 PTs
Shot = +1 PTs
Shot on Goal = +1 PTs
Crosses = +1 PTs
Fouls Drawn = +0.75 PTs
Red Card = -1 PTs
Saves (GK) = +2 PTs
Goal Allowed (GK) = -2 PTs
Clean Sheet (GK, D) = +5 PTs
One Goal Allowed (GK, D) = +2 PTs
Win (GK) = +5 PTs
Penalty Kick Save (GK) = +3 PTs

With that out of the way, here are the best available GPP contests for Premier League soccer Saturday:



$7K Equalizer ($1,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $27
$6K Treble ($2,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $300
$4K Striker ($300 first prize), Entry Fee: $3
and many more…



The following games are included: 

Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur
Crystal Palace at Sunderland
Hull City at Southampton
Leicester City at West Bromwich Albion
Stoke City at West Ham United
Arsenal at Burnley

With a litany of fitness questions, picking players in the starting lineup is essential. The season is in its stretch run, and instead of the bottom of the table giving up on their seasons just waiting for a draft pick, as we see in so many American sports, they are fighting tooth-and-nail for their Premier League futures and the huge TV dollars that comes with it. Every game matters, and this is where European football really has a competitive edge on American sports. There is a bit of guesswork in projecting lineups until they are actually announced, so be sure to check the starting lineups upon their announcement approximately one hour prior to kickoff.

And before we jump into the recommendations, here's another check of the crosses leaders (the table is sortable):

Kelvin Davis ($5,100)
Davis is poised to start in goal once again for the injured Fraser Froster, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Davis has allowed one goal in the last two matches and hosts the perennially impotent Hull City offense this weekend. There are three heavy favorites Saturday: Southampton, Tottenham and Arsenal. Southampton not only has the cheapest goalkeeper among the group, but also is the heaviest favorite. Given somewhere around a 50 percent chance to win at $500/$600 below the other choices, Davis is a logistical homerun.

Julian Speroni ($4,300)
Despite the match being a toss-up with the bookies, the Palace keeper is somehow price a full $1,000 cheaper than his opposing keeper Pantilimon. Palace is among the hottest teams in the Premier League at the moment coming off a huge win over Manchester City, and deserves considerable notice at a price too low. Julian Speroni may not have a clean sheet in his last five outings, but he has only had one goal scored on him in each of those five outings. Nothing about the Sunderland offense hints at an offensive flurry to derail Crystal Palace's current momentum.

Other Options: The keepers for Arsenal, David Ospina ($5,600), and Tottenham, Michel Vorm ($5,700), are both fine options, though the Aston Villa offense does have some newfound confidence riding a Christian Benteke hat trick at midweek. So, Ospina at $100 less is the preferred option between the two. Asmir Begovic ($4,000) is a decent punt option for those looking to really to gamble.

Defenders

Ryan Bertrand ($4,200) and Nathaniel Clyne ($4,100)
The Southampton fullbacks are tricky to pick between, but are as cumulatively consistent as they come. The only time one of them really has a down day in terms of production is when one of the two is tasked with marking a winger on the opposing team. Hull City does not have renown men out wide, which should free up both of the fullbacks to get up field on the offensive side more often – and it's already been stated how good the matchup with Hull City is in terms of picking up the defensive bonuses.

Kieran Tripper ($5,400)
Week-after-week Trippier sends a ridiculous amount of crosses in, averaging a staggering 14 over his last two matches. His ever-rising price tag isn't all that attractive, but he seems worth it, as you'll be hard pressed to find a midfielder who racks up the cross numbers Trippier does. If you go with two fullbacks from the same side your goalkeeper resides, do not hesitate to splurge some on your skill positions and use Trippier in the flex, as in the scheme of the entire player pool he is still a much better value than most.

Danny Rose ($4,500)
I may not love the price of his keeper, but this is a very fair price for one of the top fullbacks in the Premier League. Rose's two goals and five assists on the season rank him among the very best for offensive defenders, and he's always a threat to pick up points in every statistical scoring category. The price for his teammate, Vlad Chiriches ($4,400) has spiked a little higher than his actual worth.

Martin Kelly ($2,900) and Joel Ward ($2,800)
The upside is small, but the risk at such low prices for the Palace fullbacks is ever smaller. If you can get a cumulative 12+ FPTs from the duo, they've done enough to suffice. Anything more than that and you should probably consider yourself lucky, but luck is desperately needed if you want to take down one of the big GPPs offered.

Hector Bellerin ($4,800) and Nacho Monreal ($4,300)
Not a fan up dolling up the extra dough for the Arsenal duo over the Southampton set, but if Ospina is your keeper, his fullbacks undoubtedly are a logical choice. The young Bellerin scored last time out against Liverpool, which is an undoubtedly a major component to his price spike. The duo actually has limited crossing ability, so besides the variance that could see them with an unlikely goal or assist, you are really banking on a clean sheet to make value.

Geoff Cameron ($3,000)
The American is a bit of a sleeper coming off a solid performance in a starting role against Chelsea last weekend. The start is far from guaranteed, but Cameron has some double-digit scoring upside and gives those who slot him a chance to root for an American soccer player.

Midfielders

Wilfried Zaha ($4,000)
It's a mystery why Zaha's price is still so low. He's a offensive threat with good crossing ability to go with two goals and an assist in his last three matches. There is always the chance he puts up a low number, like the two FPTs he put up last weekend, but is very enticing at such a low price. Teammates Yannick Bolasie ($6,000) and Jason Puncheon ($5,300) have both made their presences known lately. Bolasie picked up two assists two games back while Puncheon scored an excellent free kick last weekend. Bolasie is the more conservative pick of the group because of his crossing ability, but both make a lot of sense, as Puncheon has the slight edge in actual goal scoring ability.

Aaron Ramsey ($6,300)
There is slight concern with Ramsey after he picked up an ankle injury last weekend, but it's considered a minor issue and his team was already thrashing its way to victory with a three-nil lead at the time. So, the subbing was precautionary and Ramsey has been playing some of his best football of the season with two goals and three assists over his last four appearances, which actually only total 269 minutes (just under three matches). Make sure he is in the starting lineup, and accept that he'll probably be highly owned, but his ability to produce across the board makes him worth it.

Victor Moses ($6,000)
Moses was in fantastic form prior to going down with a groin injury a month ago, but his health is apparently restored and its hard to see him being left out of the lineup come Saturday. Prior to going down with injury, Moses had racked up four consecutive double-digit FPT performances. Teammate Charlie Adam ($4,800) put himself in contention for goal of the season against Chelsea last time out, scoring from his own half. In the game prior to that he amassed 17 crosses, so Adam makes a strong case to be used at a discounted price.

Dusan Tadic ($7,100) or James Ward-Prowse ($5,100)
This is a one or the other, not a use in tandem option. Likely one of the two will get the start, and whoever that is stands as the best option. The current rotation in Southampton is a concern, with starting positions and subs being of great fluidity. So, the actual starter between the pair should also be taken with a grain of salt. Despite all of these negatives, both are very good options at their respective prices. Tadic was among the elite priced midfielders not too long ago, but has seen a serious form downturn and price with it. Someone that showcased such high crossing and scoring ability is always a threat to return to that form, and he's been sneakily solid lately in limited playing time. Ward-Prowse doesn't quite have the upside of Tadic, but is solid in his own right with six assists on the season accompanied by a good ability to cross the ball.

Mesut Ozil ($8,300)
This happy and confident Ozil has been helping to spearhead what just may be the best offense in the Premier League, at least at the moment. He doesn't put up huge stat lines, and I don't love his price, but I prefer him on the stud price line over Christian Eriksen ($8,400). He's always a strong contender for goals and assists.

The midfield is a value zone that makes a lot of sense to be utilized in order to afford some stud strikers.

Forwards

Glen Murray ($3,000)
The prices for these Crystal Palace players are ridiculous. Murray has five goals in five matches, his $3,000 price tag in inconceivable. Capitalize on it.

Harry Kane ($10,700)
Kane is the Premier League's co-top goal scorer this season. He's been trending to score every other match, and this one lines up to be one of the preferable performances. His hat trick two games ago against Leicester was memorable for those fantasy players who played him, and he's truly capable of those types of performances at any time. There is plenty of opportunity to save money at the other positions, making Kane easily affordable even as the week's most expensive option.

Olivier Giroud ($10,300)
I'll be brief: eight goals in eight matches.

Christian Benteke ($7,900)
This is the form we've been waiting to see from the talented Belgian, who has seven goals in his last five outings, including a hat trick Tuesday against QPR. There is slight concern with this being his third start within a week, but against a surprisingly goal-prone Tottenham side, Benteke is a strong option.

Graziano Pelle ($7,500)
Given his recent inability to score goals, with a drought dating back for quite some time, Pelle may seem a bit too much of an ask. However, his shot totals are still healthy and a breakthrough would provide those with Pelle a lot of upside, as it's hard to see him being an overly popular option.

Sadio Mane ($6,200)
Mane has seen his price continually drop over the last month, though I don't understand why. He came off the bench last time out, excusing his zero-point outing. Prior to that he'd been continually threatening with a goal, several shots, crosses and a knack for drawing a fair number of fouls. He figures to be back starting, likely seeing some time on the bench last time out for some much-deserved rest.

Mame Diouf ($5,400)
Diouf has been an on-off switch for goal scoring over his last six outings, and with an off last weekend, it's time to flip it back on. He's Stoke's top goal scorer and deserves merit on that fact alone.