This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 10:00 am: AFC Bournemouth vs. Arsenal
- 10:00 am: Aston Villa vs. Norwich City
- 10:00 am: Chelsea vs. Southampton
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. West Ham United
- 10:00 am: Everton vs. Burnley
- 10:00 am: Sheffield United vs. Watford
- 12:30 pm: Manchester United vs. Newcastle United
- 3:00 pm: Leicester City vs. Liverpool
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Tammy Abraham, CHE v. SOU ($22): Abraham has burned a lot of people in recent matches, but I think this is a perfect spot for a rebound, and he once again has the best odds to score on the slate. He has nine shots in his last three starts and is getting opportunities despite not finding the back of the net. On a short week, Southampton are feeling good after a win, but they've allowed multiple goals in four of their last six away matches. Willian ($18) will undoubtedly be popular after his brace, but this has the makings of a Christian Pulisic ($13) turnaround after he was benched last match. The holiday season is always weird, and betting on a chalk player who braced in the prior match doesn't feel like a great pick. If you want both players who have the best odds to score, Marcus Rashford ($22) is a reasonable play with Abraham. He's been more productive than Abraham in the last month while having a higher floor. My slight worry with Rashford is that Newcastle are close to full strength on the back line and have allowed two goals in their last four matches. That's not everything, but it's something to keep in mind if you're picking between the top forwards.
Jack Grealish, AVL v. NOR ($17): It's unclear why Grealish dropped in price since the last match, but here we are. I'll update what I said last slate: Grealish has three goals, two assists, eight shots on goal and 22 chances created in his last four home starts. Norwich City have been a little more stable in the back in recent matches, but they're sitting in the relegation zone for a reason. The previous meeting was also the weird 5-1 Aston Villa away win. Grealish should have a floor close to 20 points due to his work on corners, as Norwich have allowed the second-most corners in the last 10 gameweeks. Unfortunately, the rest of Villa's production is unpredictable, especially after John McGinn's injury. At the least, Anwar El Ghazi ($13) has created two chances in six of his last seven starts and is a viable stacking piece. I'm passing on Liverpool because Leicester played them tight in the first meeting and the Reds are returning from Qatar, meaning their starting XI isn't guaranteed and that isn't great for the last match on the slate. Some will be intrigued by a reduced rate for Jamie Vardy ($18) and James Maddison ($16), but I'm not sure either are worth the risk after both had a floor of under four points in the first matchup.
John Fleck, SHU v. WAT ($15): Is Fleck overpriced? Maybe. Either way, he's rested after serving a suspension and should get plenty of work against Watford, who have allowed the fifth-most corners in the last 10 gameweeks. Sheffield United are playing well, and I think they'll dominate this match because I expect Watford to come down from their high against Man United. Fleck isn't going to brace every match, but he consistently provides defensive stats with regular set pieces. Lys Mousset ($13) is worth a tournament play if you need a cheaper forward, and while David McGoldrick ($16) has been the guy, he could be rested and I'm not sure I'd spend on him given how often everyone but the forwards score for the Blades. If you need a better floor option, Declan Rice ($12) and Wilfred Ndidi ($12) are cheaper than usual and often provide around 10 points. I'd also put Robert Snodgrass ($13) in a lineup if you aren't backing Crystal Palace players. West Ham didn't play last weekend and Palace's back line is running on fumes. If you don't like Fleck, Emiliano Buendia ($15) will be more popular if you're into that sort of thing.
Teemu Pukki, NOR at AVL ($17): While Villa dominated the previous meeting, it wouldn't be surprising if Norwich got some revenge. When McGinn left injured against Southampton last weekend, the midfield kind of fell apart in terms of cohesion, and that's worth taking a chance against in GPPs. Buendia will likely be more popular than Pukki, but the forward gets the edge in upside. In his last five starts he has three goals on nine shots on target and four chances created. Conveniently, Villa have allowed the most shots on goal and chances created in the last 10 gameweeks. This should be an up and down match, and throwing together Pukki, Buendia and Grealish isn't a terrible strategy. I'd also consider Danny Ings ($18) or Callum Wilson ($16) if you need a tournament forward who knows how to score. Chelsea and Arsenal seem to allow at least one goal whenever they face a lower-tier opponent, and a short week probably won't help.
DEFENDERS
Florian Lejeune, NEW at MUN ($8): Lejune returned from a long-term knee injury last match and if he starts again, he may be in all of my lineups after surpassing 20 fantasy points against Crystal Palace. Newcastle should see a ton of defensive action against a Man United team that has forced the second-most interceptions and third-most tackles in the last 10 gameweeks. You could stack him with Fabian Schar ($9) and both could hit 20 points if all goes well. If you don't like Newcastle, most of the other $8 defenders are in play. Phil Bardsley has hit 10 points in every start, while center-backs Mamadou Sakho and Grant Hanley are cheap because one is returning from suspension and the other from injury.
Caglar Soyuncu, LEI v. LIV ($11): There's a nice string of defenders in this range if you have a few extra bucks to spend. Soyuncu kind of disappointed against Man City, but I'll go back to him because he has at least 11 fantasy points in 12 of his last 13 starts. I also expect Leicester to be more competitive than last match when Man City dominated possession and didn't force an overwhelming amount of defensive action. While Liverpool have played one fewer match, they've forced more clearances than all but one team in the last 10 gameweeks. Teammate Jonny Evans ($11) is also viable along with Jan Bednarek ($11) and Chris Mepham ($10).
GOALKEEPER
Dean Henderson, SHU v. WAT ($10): I'd be surprised if Henderson wasn't the most popular goalkeeper because he's favored in the match with the lowest implied goal total on the slate. He also has back-to-back wins and clean sheets, while Watford have scored once in their last three away matches. There aren't a ton of reasons to look elsewhere for a cheap guy unless you really need to save money. For the cheaper goalkeepers, I'd probably go Roberto Jimenez ($8) or whoever starts for West Ham because Crystal Palace aren't providing much in the attack with Christian Benteke leading the line. David de Gea ($14) has the best odds for a clean sheet, but I'm not sure he's worth the money. Instead, I'd rather take a chance on Jordan Pickford ($12) in Everton's first match under Carlo Ancelotti.
