This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Aston Villa vs. Wolverhampton
- 10:00 am: Leicester City vs. Manchester United
- 10:00 am: Manchester City vs. Burnley
- 10:00 am: Norwich City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 10:00 am: Southampton vs. Leeds United
- 12:30 pm: Brentford vs. Chelsea
FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI v. BRN ($21): Manchester City have an implied goal total of 2.6 and they're playing at home, which may make fitting as many City players as possible a popular strategy. All of the expected starters are $18 or more, so keep in mind you'll have to choose your spots. Kevin De Bruyne is fully fit after starting three matches in a week before going away on international duty. In those three matches, he scored a goal, provided seven scoring chances and three shots on goal. While a slow start wasn't ideal, De Bruyne has finished with 15 and 25 points in his past two outings and is in a prime matchup to have a big performance against Burnley. Gabriel Jesus ($20) is likely to miss out after starting Thursday for Brazil, which should make Jack Grealish ($19), Riyad Mahrez ($18) and Phil Foden ($18) alternatives to De Bruyne. Of the three, Foden is my preference after a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
Jamie Vardy, LEI v. MUN ($19): Mohamed Salah and Jamie Vardy are the current EPL goal leaders, something that's been consistent over the last few seasons. Vardy has +140 goal-scoring odds and should have a few opportunities in front of net, especially with Manchester United missing Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire at center-back. I'd much rather target a United backline that's starting Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly than the former two players. That being said, Leicester City have hardly been the team we saw the last two seasons, giving Cristiano Ronaldo ($23) and Bruno Fernandes ($21) a good opportunity for another round of massive performances. Leicester are conceding the fourth-most shots on goal and fourth-most chances created, which bodes well for both forwards heading into this match. With an implied game total near three goals, it may be worth targeting more peripheral players on either side like Kelechi Iheanacho ($17) or even cheaper ones like Scott McTominay ($7), as Fred ($12) is expected to miss out following international duty.
Douglas Luiz, AVL v. WOL ($13): Serviceable, not sexy. That's how I'd describe Douglas Luiz from a fantasy perspective. He won't match the goal output from players like Ollie Watkins ($18) or Danny Ings ($17), but he'll provide a consistent 10 points for your lineup. Over the past three matches, Douglas Luiz has provided two assists, 11 scoring chances and seven tackles, helping him to at least 16 points in those matchups. If he can continue that trend of dependability, he'll be a worthwhile consideration. John McGinn ($14) is very similar, though more expensive and hasn't enjoyed the same level of form Douglas Luiz has recently. Of note, Luiz is a question to start after playing 20 minutes for Brazil on Thursday. Marvelous Nakamba ($6) could be a value play if he gets the call, though Emiliano Buendia ($12) is also an option to re-enter the XI.
Stuart Dallas, LEE at SOU ($10): Raphinha is expected to miss Saturday's match after starting in Brazil's match against Uruguay on Thursday, giving Dallas an opportunity to feature on set-piece duty against Southampton. This is a bit presumptuous based on Dallas taking the second-most free kicks behind Raphinha thus far, but at this price and Dallas's propensity to be more involved in the attack while Patrick Bamford is sidelined, this ends up being a low-risk play in a match that has the second-highest expected goal total. James Ward-Prowse is suspended and his free-kick duties are totally up for grabs. He's had a monopoly the last couple seasons, though Mohamed Elyounoussi ($15) and Stuart Armstrong ($7) have taken some in the past and may be the next best options.
DEFENDERS
Ben Chilwell, CHE at BRE ($13): After playing seven minutes in the first seven matches of the season, Chilwell played 45 minutes in the Champions League and then started his first match of the season in the 3-1 win over Southampton. He put up a whopping 41.6-point performance on the back of three shots on goal, three chances created and a goal. An underlying stat is that he took all seven of Chelsea's free kicks and is likely to retain that role heading into a trip to Brentford. If he achieves even half of the Southampton performance, he'll justify his $13 value. Marcos Alonso ($15) started the first eight matches of the season at left-back and is a like-for-like pivot from Chilwell if manager Thomas Tuchel reverts back to the previous lineups. Chelsea have the second-best clean sheet odds despite missing Thiago Silva and potentially Antonio Rudiger due to injury. Andreas Christensen ($9) and Trevoh Chalobah ($11) are cheaper options at center-back that could also benefit from the clean sheet, while Cesar Azpilicueta ($12) is a mainstay in the Blues's backline.
Dan Burn, BHA at NOR ($8): Burn started and played his first full 90 of the season against Arsenal prior to the international break after missing the start of the season due to a knee injury. He fared well, finishing with 19.7 points while contributing with mostly defensive stats. He'll have a favorable matchup against Norwich City on Saturday, a side who have failed to score in five of seven matches. Burn operates as a center-back, so I wouldn't depend on many attacking stats, though he's a consistent source of tackles and clearances. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tariq Lamptey ($6) return to the lineup in some capacity after an extended injury absence, which is something to keep an eye on given his ability to affect the match in attack and defense from his outside-back position. It has been over 10 months since he went a full 90, so it will be tough to bank on that. If either don't start, Eric Bailly ($6) is a logical value play in what would be his first start of the season.
Goalkeepers
Zack Steffen, MCI v. BRN ($5): It's rare to be able to grab a starting goalkeeper for any favorite for less than $10, let alone a heavy favorite who's playing at home and has the best clean sheet odds. In the same way that Raphinha's absence boosts Stuart Dallas's value, Ederson playing for Brazil Thursday night will bring Zack Steffen into the starting XI. Edouard Mendy ($12) has the next best clean sheet odds for Chelsea, though Brentford have proven to be a pesky attacking side against Arsenal and Liverpool, both teams with solid back lines. Selecting a goalkeeper is usually a bit of guess work, meaning Steffen could be the favorite of many by a wide margin. Beyond Mendy and Steffen, Robert Sanchez ($10) stands out as Brighton prepare to face a Norwich City side who have lost six of seven matches and scored in just two of the seven. He's a good bet despite visiting Norwich City at Carrow Road.
