This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 10:00 am: Huddersfield Town vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 10:00 am: Cardiff City vs. West Ham United
- 10:00 am: Leicester City vs. Fulham
- 10:00 am: Newcastle United vs. Everton
- 10:00 am: Southampton vs. Tottenham Hotspur
- 12:30 pm: Manchester City vs. Watford
For detailed stats and odds, check out the FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet.
FORWARDS
Sergio Aguero, MCI v. WAT ($13,500): As long as Aguero starts, you need to build your lineup around him. I know he's expensive, but he's also almost guaranteed to produce. He has seven goals in his last three home starts and a ridiculous 15 goals and four assists in 11 home starts in league play this season. If you fade him and he scores a brace, well, that's your fault. And while Watford are in the top half of the table, they lost 5-0 at Liverpool last road trip and gave up a couple to Tottenham a few weeks before that. Even better is that Watford have given up the most shots in the last 10 gameweeks. Harry Kane ($13,000) is an automatic goal scorer as well, but you don't save much money with him, and he's still away from home.
Jamie Vardy, LEI v. FUL ($11,000): I don't like spending this much on Vardy, and I don't often recommend Vardy, but he's the ultimate fade of Aguero if he starts. He's scored in three of his last four appearances, though he's gotten a lot of help from the schedule. The good news is that this is probably his best matchup, as Fulham have been at the bottom of the charts all season and have allowed the most shots on goal in the last 10 gameweeks. He doesn't have much of a floor, and his upside rarely surpasses 30 fantasy points, but there will undoubtedly be opportunities to score against the Cottagers. A lot of love will be given to Salomon Rondon ($10,500) due to recent form, though I'm slightly tentative, especially at the price. Everton haven't had an easy schedule of late, but they've allowed the fourth-fewest shots and shots on goal in the last 10 matches. That's a worry for Rondon, who has often had a floor near five points.
Steve Mounie, HUD v. BOU ($8,500): If you want to save money, the play is between Mounie and Karlan Grant ($7,000). It only depends on how much you need to save. Grant has only recently moved into the starting XI, so I'm more inclined to go with Mounie, who has at least scored in the Premier League. There's nothing that stands out about his numbers, though he's still averaging a combined 2.38 shots on goal and chances created per 90 minutes. If he doesn't surpass that average against Bournemouth, it'd be disappointing. The Cherries have been wretched away from home, giving up multiple goals in their last nine road trips, losing them all, including a recent 2-0 loss to Cardiff. Huddersfield showed some life in their last home match against Wolves and are in another good spot for three points. If you don't like that method, Joshua King ($8,500) is cheaper on the other side of the pitch.
MIDFIELDERS
James Maddison, LEI v. FUL ($9,000): This is a perfect spot for Maddison to disappoint, but I can't bring myself not to roster him against Fulham. He scored in the first meeting, which led to 42.6 fantasy points, and as long as Fulham don't turn into Man City overnight, he should have a floor close to 20 points. After a down stretch, Maddison is back in form and has created at least three chances in his last five starts, often being above that number against weaker competition. In his last three home starts against Brighton, Crystal Palace and Southampton, he has 15 shots and 19 chances created. While making the score sheet isn't a regularity for Maddison, this may be his best chance to do so. If you have money, Raheem Sterling ($10,500) isn't overly expensive, and the same goes for David Silva ($9,000). However, I'm not touching Gylfi Sigurdsson ($9,000) on the road.
Bernardo Silva, MCI v. WAT ($7,500): This mostly depends on City's starting XI, but Silva is more than likely to start and is the cheapest of the attacking players. If Leroy Sane ($8,500) starts, I'd probably find a way to use him, as well. As for Silva, he's actually been better from a deeper role. He has one goal, three assists and at least 10 fantasy points in his last five starts as a midfielder, but he's surpassed 10 fantasy points just twice in his last five starts as a winger in the front three for City. With Kevin De Bruyne out, there's a chance Silva moves to that deeper role, while also pushing Sane into the starting XI. If that's the case, Silva should have a better floor than he's had since he'll accrue more defensive stats, while also getting the same opportunities in the attack. Ilkay Gundogan ($7,500) is the same price as the defensive midfielder who is set to take the majority of corners.
Manuel Lanzini, WHU at CAR ($4,500): It's odd how a starting midfielder can be so cheap, but if you want to go all out at forward, Lanzini is your guy. He returned to the starting XI last match and played his first full 90 since last May. His floor was only 8.9 points, but he was still pretty active and got a shot on goal. While a lot of his fantasy numbers came when he was on corners last season, he still averaged 1.93 shots and 1.76 chances created per 90 minutes. If he can hit 10 points in a favorable match against Cardiff, that's enough. Alex Pritchard ($5,000) is also an intriguing play in this range if you're a Huddersfield believer.
DEFENDERS
Maya Yoshida, SOU v. TOT ($4,500): Slowly but surely, Yoshida's price is going up. He's had at least nine fantasy points in every start this season, including at least 14 in his last three. It'd be a surprise if he didn't reach at least 10 points in this match since he had at least six clearances in his last five starts. This is a perfect spot to rack up more since Tottenham have forced the fourth-most clearances in the last 10 gameweeks, but also the most blocks and fifth-most interceptions. I like all Southampton defenders in this matchup, with Jannik Vestergaard ($5,000) my other choice.
Ricardo Pereira, LEI v. FUL ($6,000): Pereira feels cheap for someone who could create four chances and get a clean sheet. For the first time all season when playing a full 90, his floor was below 10 points last match, so that probably won't happen again. In addition to his attacking stats, he's averaging 3.89 tackles, 1.75 interceptions and 3.19 clearances per 90 minutes, which is why his floor is usually around 15 points. He could also have some added upside against Fulham, who have allowed the third-most crosses and fifth-most chances to defenders this season. If you want to have fun, you could even pair him with Vardy and hope for a couple connections. This is a decent slate in terms of top defenders, but I'd rather save with Pereira.
Ryan Fredericks, WHU at CAR ($4,500): Fredericks has started four of the last five matches and scored at least 10 fantasy points in each. Cardiff haven't forced much defensive action, but that's changed of late, forcing up the seventh-most clearances to defenders in the last 10 gameweeks. Even if the defensive work isn't there, he could still get up the field and create a chance or two. Considering Fredericks has already had a solid floor in a 2-0 win over Newcastle and 3-1 win over Fulham, he could do the same against Cardiff. Serge Aurier ($4,000) will be in play if he makes Tottenham's squad, but none of the other $4,000 guys are worth it.
GOALKEEPER
Jonas Lossl, HUD v. BOU ($4,500): This isn't an easy goalkeeper slate, so I'm fine with taking a gamble near the bottom of the list. For starters, I don't agree with the odds. Bournemouth have been awful away from home for a few months, and it's illogical to take into account their home results. As for Huddersfield, they won their last home match and Lossl had at least 9.5 points in three of his last five starts. Throw out the Man City loss and he had at least 9.5 points in his last three home starts. Neil Etheridge ($4,000) is a similar gamble, though West Ham have at least shown up on the road at times. If you hate risk, I'd look at Hugo Lloris ($5,500) or Kasper Schmeichel ($5,000), while Ederson ($6,500) is most expensive for a reason.
