FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Targets

Written by

Ethan Sexton

Published on January 14, 2022

MATCHES (ET)

10:00 am: Newcastle United vs. Watford
10:00 am: Norwich City vs. Everton
10:00 am: Wolverhampton vs. Southampton
12:30 pm: Aston Villa vs. Manchester United

For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS

James Ward-Prowse, SOU at WOL ($18): Many fantasy players will look to Bruno Fernandes ($20) at Aston Villa, but Ward-Prowse offers a similar floor at a slightly cheaper price. Both midfielders are in reasonably difficult away matchups and while I can't fault anyone for going with Fernandes, Ward-Prowse is guaranteed to see every dead-ball opportunity for Southampton, whereas Fernandes splits set pieces. Ward-Prowse has more assist upside than goal-scoring acumen, but all it takes is one free kick for the prolific set-piece specialist to score a goal.

Chris Wood, NEW v. WAT ($16): On a slate that features Cristiano Ronaldo ($22), it feels strange that Wood actually has the highest goal-scoring odds. There's no guarantee he starts after his move from Burnley in midweek to go with a lingering groin issue, but Wood is relatively cheap for the odds in a game that features the highest-implied goal total on the slate. Besides the price, Wood is an excellent option for a Newcastle team that will look to whip in crosses from Matt Ritchie and new signing Kieran Trippier, with Wood being one of the best headers of the ball in the league, winning a league-high 113 aerial duels this season.

Andros Townsend, EVE at NOR ($17) or Demarai Gray, EVE at NOR ($16): I'm lumping these two Everton attackers together as I believe both are solid options depending on what direction you'd like to go. Gray presents more goal upside in usually a central-attacking role, while Townsend offers a safer floor from a position on the flank. While Gray takes more shots, Townsend creates more chances. It's a pick your poison situation, with a dream scenario being only one of the two starts, as Richarlison ($18) could come back into the XI, as well. Another bonus for both players is with the recent sale of Lucas Digne, one or both should be on corner kicks and free kicks for Everton.

Joao Moutinho, WOL v. SOU ($12): Moutinho is never that exciting of an option, but it's hard not to recommend him at this salary at home as the primary set-piece taker for Wolves. Moutinho lacks the upside of a similarly priced Emiliano Buendia ($13), but his floor is pretty safe and can offer some salary savings compared to others at the position. Moutinho has only one goal involvement on the season but is second behind Raul Jimenez ($17) with one fewer chance created on the team.

DEFENDERS

Tyrone Mings, AVL v. MUN ($13): Mings is among a group of similarly-priced defenders worth using, including Jan Bednarek ($14), Francisco Sierralta ($12), Jamaal Lascelles ($12) and Max Kilman ($12). All are near the top of the list in clearances and blocks, but the reason I lean Mings is the home matchup against, in theory, a Manchester United side who will be on the front foot forcing the Villa defense to be active throughout the match.

Kieran Trippier, NEW v. WAT ($13): If you want a more exciting option, Tripper offers significant upside in an attacking sense but may lack things such as clearances and blocks that FanDuel players often look for. In his last season with Tottenham, Trippier created 49 chances from right-back while whipping in 185 crosses in 27 games played. While you don't get points for crosses on FanDuel, I love the idea of a Chris Wood-Trippier stack in tournaments as Wood is a dominant aerial option who can feast on crosses provided into the box. Similar attacking defender options to Trippier include teammate Matt Ritchie ($11), Rayan Ait-Nouri ($12), Romain Perraud ($9), and Alex Telles ($13).

GOALKEEPER

Tim Krul, NOR v. EVE ($7): On the surface, it may seem a bit strange to recommend the keeper who is the biggest underdog on the slate, but Krul offers a discount that when digging a little deeper into the matchup, makes a ton of sense to roster. While Everton are the biggest favorite on the slate, their odds to win are not insurmountable and the implied-goal total is the second lowest behind Wolves and Southampton. Throw in the fact that Everton are near the bottom of the league in goals scored and the salary savings for Krul make sense rather than paying up for Jose Sa ($11), as it also allows you to to use some salary savings for your attacking players.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Ethan Sexton plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: esexton18.