This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed stats and odds, check out the Tuesday Cheat Sheet
MATCHES (EST)
2:45 p.m: Bournemouth v. Arsenal
3:00 p.m: Stoke City v. Watford
3:00 p.m: Crystal Palace v. Swansea City
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
GOALKEEPER
Lee Grant, STK v. WAT ($7,100): Grant is the highest-priced goalkeeper for good reason, as Watford have scored just eight goals in nine road matches this season. Stoke have fallen off of late, but that's mostly because of back-to-back trips to Liverpool and Chelsea. Now against a bottom-half side, Grant has the best shot at a clean sheet and usually gets enough saves to retain some value even if he allows a goal.
DEFENDER
Nathan Ake, BOU v. ARS ($6,100): There's a chance that Arsenal dominate this match and Bournemouth don't see much of the ball, but it's hard not to back Ake right now, as long as he starts. Since coming into the lineup, Ake has three goals in seven matches and that's reason enough to use him. And even if Arsenal are in control, Ake should stack up clearances and tackles, making him worth every penny, even without a shot on goal.
Nacho Monreal, ARS v. BOU ($5,600): On the other side of the field, Monreal is another easy player to trust. While he doesn't have the goals to show for it, he usually reaches fantasy relevance through chances created, tackles or clearances.
Bruno Martins Indi, STK v. WAT ($5,300): Similar to Grant, this is a great spot for Martins Indi, who scored a goal in the last match. Stoke should be in control against Watford, possibly giving Martins Indi more chances in front of net. Of course, that's not something to count on, but Martins Indi is the most consistent Stoke defender and gets the call here. If you're pressed for money because you're spending on Alexis Sanchez, cheaper Stoke defenders can be considered.
MIDFIELDERS
Wilfried Zaha, CRY v. SWA ($7,200): There were a combined nine goals in the first meeting between these teams and with how the Swansea back line has looked of late, Crystal Palace could reach three or four goals again. Zaha has struggled to get much going recently, but most of that has been due to tougher competition. He scored in that first meeting and will likely create a chance or two at minimum, making him a near must-play on a three-match slate.
Gylfi Sigurdsson, SWA v. CRY ($9,200): Swansea may be struggling, but that hasn't stopped Sigurdsson from getting everything done in the midfield. He doesn't have goals or assists to show for it in recent losses, but he continues to create chances no matter how his team performs while also getting multiple shots on net himself. In the prior meeting, he scored and assisted.
Joe Allen, STK v. WAT ($7,400): This is probably the only time I'll ever suggest using three Stoke players in a lineup, but this is the perfect situation. Allen isn't scoring as much as he did earlier in the season, but he can still get fantasy points through passes, tackles and clearances, and he's almost a guarantee to reach respectable numbers. In this favorable matchup, there's no reason to take another midfielder.
FORWARDS
Christian Benteke, CRY v. SWA ($8,700): Similar to Zaha, Benteke hasn't done much lately, but that should be ignored. If Benteke isn't on every FanDuel roster for Tuesday, people aren't doing their homework. The Swans are giving up goals for free and Benteke will be the first to capitalize on that.
Olivier Giroud, ARS v. BOU ($8,600): This isn't a great matchup for Arsenal, as Bournemouth are an underrated side at home, but with the other forward options available, I'm willing to spend on the cheaper Giroud over Alexis. Giroud is fairly rested, while it wouldn't be surprising if Alexis was on the bench. Throw in the scorpion-kick goal that Giroud just scored and it's hard to pass on the striker, having scored in each of the last two.
