This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
We have a big Saturday slate in the Premier League, with one big favorite in Arsenal who will get our discussions started below. We close out the day with a toss-up in the late game, which could very well show some goals and make for contrarian plays.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Arsenal vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 10:00 am: Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace
- 10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. West Ham United
- 10:00 am: Chelsea vs. Leeds United
- 10:00 am: Wolverhampton vs. Tottenham Hotspur
- 12:30 pm: Southampton vs. Leicester City
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Bukayo Saka, ARS vs. BOU ($22): Saka split sets with Martin Odegaard ($21) and Leandro Trossard ($20) over the last couple games. All of these Arsenal attackers are expensive for good reason, but I would prioritize Saka's floor/upside combination. Trossard has yet to go over 72 minutes with Arsenal, which lowers his upside just a bit. I prefer Gabriel Martinelli ($20) as my second favorite Arsenal piece and could see playing two of them if we get enough value to open up. I prefer going with the Arsenal options over Harry Kane ($21), who has the best goal scoring odds on the slate but is a bit too overpriced on the road against Wolves.
Chelsea are the second biggest favorite on the slate, but they are so tough to peg right now. Joao Felix ($19) is too expensive for my liking, and if going their direction I would rather take a shot on Raheem Sterling ($16), Kai Havertz ($17) or Hakim Ziyech ($12) thanks to their goal upside and mid-range prices.
Solly March, BHA vs. WHU ($19): Brighton are in a spot that I really like, at home against West Ham. March will split sets with Pascal Gross ($16), and while Gross is cheaper, I like March's upside a lot more with the positioning they've employed recently. You can pair either with Evan Ferguson ($18) or Kaoru Mitoma ($17) in GPPs hoping to nab both ends of a goal. James Ward-Prowse ($18) is also a viable option in this price range if you are passing on the Arsenal guys.
The late game between Southampton and Leicester is one that I could see spitting out some goals. Kamaldeen Sulemana ($12) is the only other option for me on the home side, while you can go with Kelechi Iheanacho ($17), Tete ($15), or James Maddison ($20) for Leicester.
Emiliano Buendia, AVL vs. CRY ($13): Villa are a bit under-priced to be on this slate. Buendia came on and scored in 30 minutes against Everton last week and is at a cheap tag for us here. John McGinn ($10) is the other piece that allows us to fit some pricier players in our lineup. On the other side of that game, I like the potential upside for Michael Olise ($14).
DEFENDERS
Victor Kristiansen, LEI vs. SOU ($11): I liked the floor we got from Kristiansen even last week in a tougher matchup with Arsenal. Two games ago he actually split sets with Maddison, and at this price in a game in which we should see goals, I want exposure to him once again.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, ARS vs. BOU ($10): I am a little confused by this price in such a strong matchup. He gives us some of the salary relief we need, and in addition to his chances of being involved with a goal, he also gives us an over 50 percent chance for a clean sheet. You could also go to his teammate Ben White ($9, who is even cheaper on the other side of the pitch. Matty Cash ($9) would be my favorite wing back for Aston Villa in a matchup I expect to suit them.
If you want to go with the strategy I always talk about and target a center back with a defensive floor, you may want to take a look at Marcos Senesi ($11), Craig Dawson ($11) or Maximilian Wober ($11).
GOALKEEPER
Aaron Ramsdale, ARS vs. BOU ($14): If you have the salary, you will want to pay up for the safety of Ramsdale with over a 50 percent chance at a clean sheet. Combine that with Arsenal's 78 percent implied odds to win and he clearly makes for the top play. I like pairing him with Zinchenko to get the full clean sheet stack. If you need a few extra dollars, I could see going to Robert Sanchez ($12) or Emiliano Martinez ($11) in home matchups where I expect their teams to play well. I simply don't trust any part of Chelsea right now, and even though they have the second highest win odds on the slate, Kepa Arrizabalaga ($13) is too close to Ramsdale for me to mess with the uncertainty.
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