This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 10:00 am: Burnley vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Newcastle United
- 10:00 am: Sheffield United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 10:00 am: Southampton vs. Aston Villa
- 12:30 pm: Leicester City vs. Manchester City
For detailed stats and odds, as well as expected lineups, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI at LEI ($23): The best thing about De Bruyne is that you don't need him to score to make value. He's creating more than four chances per 90 minutes, which usually leads to a floor of around 20 fantasy points. Sergio Aguero ($22) and Gabriel Jesus ($22) provide more flash and upside, but De Bruyne provides safety in case this match finishes 1-0 (I think Leicester will play defensively). Otherwise, there isn't anyone with a floor in the same range as De Bruyne and you should have plenty of money to spend if you follow this article. There's also a viable Man City stack that includes Bernardo Silva ($16) and David Silva ($14), who you can combine with De Bruyne or one of the forwards.
Jack Grealish, AVL at SOU ($18): I'm somewhat torn on this pick, but I prefer Grealish's floor, which has hit at least 10 fantasy points in his last eight starts (not including against Man City). He's created 14 chances in his last three, and while he's playing away, Southampton are one of the couple teams who are worse at home, most recently losing 2-1 to Burnley. The other pick in this area is Danny Ings ($19), who also has the best odds to score on the slate. It hasn't been a good idea to doubt him, but Aston Villa should get Tyrone Mings back for this match and their back line has been decent at full strength. Of course, I'm going against the odds, so take that prediction for what you want. This is another slate in which I'm not using James Maddison ($17), who scored 11.9 fantasy points in the last meeting with Manchester City.
Oliver McBurnie, SHU v. BHA ($16): After a string of difficult matches, Sheffield United were on the attacking foot again last time out, scoring twice against Bournemouth. McBurnie has turned into a regular up front, going at least 84 minutes in each of the last five matches. While his numbers aren't great, you can't fault him for playing Man City or bad performances away from home. Things should be easier against Brighton, who have allowed three goals in each of their last two away matches, which came against Bournemouth and West Ham. Including a random win at Arsenal, Brighton have five points from their last 10 away matches. McBurnie won't be popular because of his average, but I think he could be viable in both GPP and cash games. He may not have a great floor, but not many others in this range do unless you're a big Ashley Westwood ($15) fan.
Jay Rodriguez, BRN v. BOU ($14): If you like Rodriguez you may as well bet on him to score because he has worse odds than the injured Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes. Even then, he's been decent up front as a starter, hitting 10 fantasy points in each of his last four starts, mostly from six shots on goal and eight tackles. He'll be the go-to forward with Wood out, and if you can get a favored forward at this price, it's hard to pass up. It helps that Bournemouth have lost their last four away matches by a combined scoreline of 9-1. I'd also look at whoever starts up front for Crystal Palace, or if you prefer a higher floor, James McArthur ($12) has been a decent cash option. Others like Allan Saint-Maximin ($12) and Ryan Fraser ($12) are worth a look, though probably best for GPPs because they are both playing away.
DEFENDERS
Jonny Evans, LEI v. MCI ($9): Evans is oddly cheap despite playing Manchester City, especially after he had 13 points in the first meeting. He should receive similar work in this matchup and Caglar Soyuncu ($11) is a possible stacking piece. The other $8 and $9 defenders are mostly full-backs who provide inconsistent value, but that won't stop the masses from grabbing Danny Rose ($9), especially since Kyle Walker-Peters is already hurt. A Newcastle stack is also an option for fairly cheap between Jamaal Lascelles ($12) and Fabian Schar ($11) because Crystal Palace have forced the most tackles and third-most interceptions in the last 10 gameweeks.
John Egan, SHU v. BHA ($11): Brighton may be losing, but they're forcing a lot of defensive action, allowing the most interceptions, third-most tackles and fourth-most clearances in the last 10 gameweeks. Egan usually hits at least 10 fantasy points and has a touch more upside than his fellow center-backs with 10 shots in his last eight starts. There aren't many reasons to spend up at defender unless you can correctly predict who will score or assist. Benjamin Mendy ($15) can have explosive matches, but his defensive numbers are often minimal.
GOALKEEPER
Vicente Guaita, CRY v. NEW ($9): Guaita isn't securing many clean sheets, but he's one of the cheaper goalkeepers despite having the best odds on the slate to hold one. This seems like a trap play, but it's hard to see Newcastle scoring multiple goals, as they've scored 12 in 13 trips this season. The GPP move is to back Kasper Schmeichel ($10), assuming you don't have any Man City players. Due to the slate of mediocre teams across the board, any of the goalkeepers could be considered viable; Guaita just happens to be the cheapest.
