This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
- 1:00 pm: Burnley vs. Wolverhampton
- 1:00 pm: Manchester City vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 1:00 pm: Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
THE CHALK
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI v. BOU ($11,000): De Bruyne is the most expensive player on the slate, but he's also the primary set-piece taker for the biggest favorite with by far the highest implied goal total. He's been losing a few corners to Riyad Mahrez ($9,000, midfield/forward), but De Bruyne still has the highest floor on the slate and plenty of upside because he's on penalties. And while they are coming off a huge 4-1 win over Leicester City, Bournemouth have allowed the third-most goals, fourth-most shots, fourth-most chances created, second-most corners and sixth-most crosses in the Premier League this season. As with any slate where Manchester City are big favorites, De Bruyne won't be the only popular player from the team, but he'll certainly be the highest owned.
Nick Pope, BUR v. WOL ($3,900): Wait, a goalkeeper in the chalk section? Yes! The argument for Pope is pretty simple even though Burnley are home underdogs to Wolves: he's the cheapest home goalkeeper, and he's not facing Manchester City or Tottenham. There doesn't seem to be much reason to pay up for goalkeeper on this slate even though Manchester City are such massive favorites, and while Spurs have been pretty disappointing since the restart and Martin Dubravka ($4,100) leads the league in saves, Pope appears to be the safer play and allows for plenty of salary flexibility elsewhere.
FORWARDS
Harry Kane, TOT at NEW ($8,500): Son Heung-Min ($10,700) is the obvious cash-game forward because of his role on set pieces for Tottenham -- he shares them with midfielder Giovani Lo Celso ($5,800) -- and his matchup against Newcastle is certainly enticing, as they've allowed the most crosses, second-most chances created and third-most shots in the league this season. However, he's priced high enough where you might be better off considering a Manchester City forward because of their high implied goal total, with Gabriel Jesus ($9,300) interesting because he has the highest anytime goal scorer odds on the slate, while Raheem Sterling ($10,100) bagged a hat trick in their last game and Riyad Mahrez ($9,000) has made the scoresheet in back-to-back games. The interest in the Manchester City attackers, which also includes Bernardo Silva ($8,300) among the forward-eligible players, plus Son could give us an lower-owned-than-he-should-be Kane, who has just two goals since the league restart but still managed to put four of five shots on goal against Arsenal last weekend while also adding four shots assisted. Only Jesus and Sterling have higher anytime goal scorer odds than Kane, and getting him when others are looking elsewhere could be very helpful in GPPs.
Adama Traore, WOL at BUR ($7,700): Traore has no role on set pieces, but he has a solid floor thanks to shots, crosses and chances created, three stats Burnley have allowed more of than all but four teams in the league. Wolves could go mostly overlooked as fantasy players focus on Manchester City and Tottenham, but you could make the case Traore's floor is as high as any of them given his matchup. And speaking of that match, Burnley's Dwight McNeil ($6,900) isn't a terrible play because of his open-play contributions, though the matchup against Wolves isn't ideal, with cash-game players likely considering Erik Lamela ($6,400) if he starts and has a path to set pieces. The pay-down options at forward get pretty dicey because they're playing as big underdogs, but guys like Callum Wilson ($4,600) and Dominic Solanke ($4,300) will surely be low owned because of it. Otherwise, the Burnley duo of Chris Wood ($6,200) and Jay Rodriguez ($6,100) could individually be decent GPP plays, though Spurs' defense has been inconsistent enough that Dwight Gayle ($6,300) isn't a bad target either.
MIDFIELDERS
Joao Moutinho, WOL at BUR ($6,200): Moutinho's monopoly of Wolverhampton's set pieces always makes him a target in cash games when they are favored, which is the case Wednesday against a Burnley side that's conceded the sixth-most corners, fifth-most crosses and fifth-most chances created. There's really not much else to it. Spurs' Giovani Lo Celso ($5,800) could also be a target in cash games because of his shared role on set pieces and the fact that Spurs are favored against Newcastle, though he's been fairly disappointing of late, especially as Son's share of those dead-ball opportunities increases. And if you want the poor man's version of Moutinho, Ashley Westwood ($4,700) of Burnley is available after sending in eight crosses against Liverpool last weekend, though he only reached 6.2 fantasy points with those.
Phil Foden, MCI v. BOU ($8,000): Most of the non-De Bruyne Manchester City attackers are forward eligible, which could make Foden a bit under-owned if he starts because it becomes a bit tougher to fill forward spots. Nevertheless, he has tons of upside in this lineup, and while he missed a few golden chances recently, he's at least getting in the right spots for success. Paying down slightly for Matt Ritchie ($7,400) could interest a few people in cash games, though the matchup against Spurs doesn't scream easy fantasy points; then again, Allan Saint-Maximin ($6,700) is certainly interesting for tournaments. The cheaper midfield options seem to revolve around defensive midfielders on big favorites, such as Rodri ($4,200), Ruben Neves ($3,900) and Moussa Sissoko ($3,400), none of whom provide much excitement, and it may be better off to just go nuts in GPPs by hoping for unlikely goals from David Brooks ($3,300), Philip Billing ($3,700) or Harry Wilson ($4,800).
DEFENDERS
Erik Pieters, BUR v. WOL ($3,600): I am long someone who fades Pieters because he's not actually that good, but at this price in a more advanced role on a slate that doesn't have great expensive defenders, he fits. You could theoretically make the same case for Phil Bardsley ($3,400) because he's cheap and playing out wide, and even though the matchup against Wolves isn't great, Burnley are at home and these guys are cheap.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, MCI v. BOU ($4,800): Zinchenko hasn't been crossing a lot on a consistent basis, but he still has more attacking upside than Kyle Walker ($4,500). You could make a case for Joao Cancelo ($5,200) if he starts, though the small cost savings may be helpful. At the very least, Cancelo does more defensive work. Serge Aurier ($5,600) could have the best floor among defenders on the slate, but it's not as high as guys like Trent Alexander-Arnold or Lucas Digne, so paying up for him when there are attackers worth targeting doesn't seem ideal.
