This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Brentford vs. Newcastle United
- 10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Aston Villa
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Burnley
- 10:00 am: Manchester United vs. Watford
- 12:30 pm: Everton vs. Manchester City
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS
Bruno Fernandes, MUN v. WAT ($20): Watford just allowed four goals to Crystal Palace on Wednesday and have conceded the third-most goals in the league. Manchester United certainly have the firepower to overpower Watford and that will likely start with Bruno Fernandes, who has scored over 30 fantasy points in five of his past seven matches, including three over 41 points. Whether it's goals, assists, shots on goal or chances created, Fernandes does it all and seems like a safer option than the more-expensive Cristiano Ronaldo ($21). Moussa Sissoko ($11) offers the most value for Watford in my mind because of defensive stats, while Imran Louza ($9) is a player I mentioned in Wednesday's article and could once again be a cost-saving option.
Conor Gallagher, CRY v. BUR ($18): Burnley concede the most chances created of the 10 teams on Saturday's slate and Gallagher leads Crystal Palace in chances created (33), as well as goals (eight) and shots on goal (18). He found the back of the net in Wednesday's win over Watford and will once again be a top option in a winnable home match, while Wilfried Zaha ($16) will probably get more looks because he's cheaper and more likely to score. Wout Weghorst ($17) is in great form for Burnley since joining, scoring a goal and providing two assists on top of other contributions. Maxwel Cornet ($16) is facing a late-fitness test, which may affect Weghorst's value if Burnley need to rely on him further.
Rodri, MCI at EVE ($12): Manchester City have a plethora of options in attack like Kevin De Bruyne ($20), Riyad Mahrez ($19), Raheem Sterling ($19), Phil Foden ($18) and my favorite Bernardo Silva ($18). Unfortunately, getting all of them in your lineup is impossible, which leads me to Rodri, who could easily fit into a stack with players like Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez. He's capable of double digits in most starts and is a solid GPP player if he gets involved in any of City's goals, especially as they have an implied-goal total over two. If I had to select any of City's more-expensive options, it would be Kevin De Bruyne, who takes City's free kicks regardless of who's in the lineup.
Jakub Moder, BRI v. AVL ($8): It's rare to find a starting midfielder below $10 and Moder is that option. The RotoWire DFS Optimizer (awesome tool for DFS) loves Moder's value and his inclusion in your side is a good option for both tournaments and cash games. He's scored over 15.6 points in two of his past three matches while doing it in a variety of ways. Brighton are favored over Aston Villa and this match has the third-highest implied goal total, which could peripherally upgrade Moder's value. You're mostly banking on double-digit points points from his cheap salary, which gives you options further up the wage scale. Neal Maupay ($16) is feast or famine as he's mostly goal dependent, which isn't ideal in this particular matchup. Philippe Coutinho ($18) is Aston Villa's most-coveted attacker, though I think John McGinn ($14) offers a bit more value and a higher floor.
DEFENDERS
Mason Holgate, EVE v. MCI ($11): There's always the option to take an outside-back with attacking upside like Joao Cancelo ($15), who is the most expensive defender on the slate, but you run a bit more risk and limit your options further forward. That's why I would consider going with a center-back who has the potential for a large amount of clearances like Mason Holgate and Michael Keane ($14). City force the most clearances of 10 teams on Saturday's slate and Everton will likely have to defend for much of the match like we've seen most Premier Leagues teams do against Manchester City. While Keane has been better than Holgate for most of the season, his price is a bit prohibitive and I'd rather roll with Holgate due to his price and production the last two matches, where he's had 13 clearances and three blocks. Jonjoe Kenny ($9) really helps your budget and is worth a shout in case Everton are able to produce any counterattacks.
Fabian Schar, NEW at BRE ($10): Brentford force the second-most clearances on the slate behind Manchester City, which could lead to a high volume for Newcastle's center-backs. Dan Burn ($12) has been solid in his two starts since joining Newcastle, finishing with 11.2 and 15.6 points, while helping his side concede just one goal. He's a bit more expensive than Fabian Schar, who has hit double-digit points in six of his past seven matches. Both are good plays in a favorable matchup, though I'd opt for the cheaper Schar given the top-end attacking options. Ethan Pinnock ($13) is a good option for Brentford alongside Pontus Jansson ($11). Jansson is pacing the Premier League in clearances (130), while Pinnock is fourth (113) but offers more in attack and a much higher volume of tackles.
GOALKEEPERS
Jordan Pickford, EVE v. MCI ($6): Jordan Pickford is the cheapest goalkeeper in a stacked slate and offers a ton of value as long as Everton aren't slaughtered by four-to-five goals. He'll have plenty of chances for saves and is an interesting selection if you don't opt for a Manchester City stack. Conversely, Ederson ($14) is most expensive and could add to his league-leading 14 clean sheets. I like Martin Dubravka's ($9) value as well in a match with the lowest-implied goal total. Newcastle have been much stronger defensively while keeping two clean sheets in the past four matches. David de Gea ($13) has the second-highest clean sheet odds, though he's barely cheaper than Ederson and I'd rather have a Manchester City player in their matchup.
