This article is part of our Mondogoal Fantasy Soccer series.
With daily fantasy sports being the new craze, RotoWire has partnered with daily fantasy soccer host MondoGoal.com to provide weekly recommendations that could result in prize money for contestants.
MondoGoal offers daily games covering the English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Major League Soccer. Furthermore, users can enter cross-league competitions, as well as Champions League and Europa League contests, to satisfy their constant hunger for fantasy soccer. Using Opta Stats, MondoGoal stimulates the excitement of large cash competitions with real-time scoring that can also be monitored from their mobile application.
Looking at upcoming contests, MondoGoal's Week 9 Premier League game allows owners to spend $100M on 11 players to fill out their roster. From there, MondoGoal's squad confirmations let contestants adjust their line-ups leading up to kick-off to ensure maximum participation from selected players.
In anticipation of the upcoming Premier League fixtures, here are some candidates that could lead to glorious cash returns:
Goalkeepers
Brad Guzan, AVL (at QPR), $5.0M – Of all goalkeepers that have started every match this season, Guzan's price tag is the second cheapest. However, prior to Aston Villa's brutal four-game stretch of Arsenal (H), Chelsea (A), Manchester City (H) and Everton (A), Guzan had allowed just one goal through his first four appearances. That stretch obviously included three clean sheets, and the American has also posted a healthy total of 22 saves on the campaign. This weekend, Guzan travels to London for a matchup against last-place Queens Park Rangers, whose six goals are the third-fewest in the Premier League to date.
Alternative Options:Tim Howard, EVE (at BUR), $7.2M; Fraser Forster, SOU (vs. STK), $6.4M; Joe Hart, MCI (at WHU), $6.4M
Notes: Howard goes against the league's worst offensive unit and is coming off a clean sheet. Forster has been MondoGoal's best goalkeeper this season, but is still very budget friendly. Hart's price seems very reasonable considering Manchester City's defensive pedigree in recent seasons.
Defenders
Seamus Coleman, EVE (at BUR), $10.2M – This week's second-most expensive defender, Coleman's 9.35 points per game rank first at the position among players that have made at least five appearances. The attack-minded full-back returned from a head injury last weekend to score his second goal of the season and secure a clean sheet as well. In fact, through six outings across all competitions for Everton, Coleman boasts three goals and an assist. The Toffees' only two Premiership clean sheets have come in Coleman's last pair of league outings, and Sunday's tie at a Burnley side tied for last in goals scored (four) could continue that scoreless streak for Coleman.
Ryan Bertrand, SOU (vs. STK), $8.0M – The second-highest scoring defender on MondoGoal, Bertrand has clinched five clean sheets in eight matches. Additionally, the left-back has supplied one goal and one assist. Southampton's league-best defensive record of five goals conceded includes just one coming at St. Mary's Stadium, where the Saints will host Stoke City this weekend. Only three teams have scored fewer times than Stoke this season, giving Bertrand a favorable Week 9 pairing.
Younes Kaboul, TOT (vs. NEW), $7.1M – The least costly among Tottenham's starting defenders, Kaboul leads Spurs' back-line with 6.9 clearances and 3.4 interceptions per game. The 28-year-old is a mainstay in new manager Mauricio Pochettino's defense, which had allowed just one goal per game prior to shipping four at Manchester City last weekend. Moreover, Kaboul has kept a clean sheet in two of four league matches at White Hart Lane, while Sunday's opponents Newcastle have failed to score in three of four away trips this season.
Alternative Options:Joleon Lescott, WBA (vs. CRY), $7.2M; Ashley Williams, SWA (vs. LEI), $6.8M; Calum Chambers, ARS (at SUN), $6.7M
Notes: Lescott is averaging over 10 clearances per game since returning from injury and in-form West Brom has kept two clean sheets in four games Lescott has played. Williams has allowed fewer than one goal per game at home and plays Leicester City, who have just one goal on the road this season. Chambers is a low-price option that travels to a Sunderland side that was embarrassed while going scoreless last weekend.
Midfielders
Eden Hazard, CHE (at MUN), $12.3M – After leading Chelsea with 14 Premiership goals last season, Hazard's slow start this season has been overshadowed by the Blues leading the league in scoring. Nonetheless, the Belgian has heated up lately, scoring three goals in his past three total appearances. Furthermore, with Diego Costa (hamstring) potentially sidelined for this weekend's match at Manchester United, manager Jose Mourinho may place more reliance on Hazard going forward. While Man U has averaged just one goal allowed at Old Trafford, Louis van Gaal's defense has still been inconsistent this season. Meanwhile, Chelsea has been held under two goals just once so far and Hazard seems the Blues' most likely candidate to find the net come Sunday.
Nacer Chadli, TOT (vs. NEW), $9.0M – Another Belgian with an eye for goal, no midfielder has scored more than Chadli's four Premier League goals this season. The left-sided attacker also totes an assist through his seven appearances. That production has seen Chadli average a Tottenham-high of 10.14 points on MondoGoal and he costs $2.6M less than teammate Cristian Eriksen. Come this weekend, Spurs host Newcastle, who have allowed seven goals across their past three away ties. Most notably, Chadli found the scoresheet in his most recent encounter with the Magpies, when Tottenham prevailed 4-0 last season.
Ross Barkey, EVE (at. BUR), $8.7M – Following a breakout season that earned Barkley a place on England's World Cup squad, the 20-year-old missed Everton's first seven games due to a knee injury. However, Barkley was able to return last weekend, when he played 66 starting minutes, attempted three shots and recorded an assist for the Toffees. Deployed in the No. 10 role, Barkley is one of the country's brightest talents and goes against last-place Burnley on Sunday. While Everton's attack ranks fourth in the league, Burnley has conceded nine goals over their past three matches, presenting an outstanding opportunity for Barkley, whose price of $8.7M should be anticipated to increase in coming weeks.
Dusan Tadic, SOU (vs. STK), $8.4M – The Serbian has certainly been among the top signings made during the summer transfer window, as Tadic has doled out seven assists and scored his first goal last weekend. Along with finding the scoresheet, Tadic set up four of Southampton's astounding eight goals versus Sunderland. The Saints get another home match this weekend, with Stoke City their foes this time around. In their last away match, the Potters allowed three goals to Sunderland, who are only averaging one score per game on the season. Considering Tadic tore apart Sunderland last Saturday, he could be poised for an encore this Saturday and his $8.4M price tag is a stone-cold bargain.
Alternative Options: Raheem Sterling, LIV (vs. HUL), $11.3M; Gylfi Sigurdsson, SWA (vs. LEI), $10.4M; James Milner, MCI (at WHU), $7.0M; Mohamed Diame, HUL (at LIV), $6.3M
Notes: Sterling is MondoGoal's second-best midfielder and welcome Hull City, who have allowed at least two goals in six of their past seven away league matches. Sigurdsson has registered five of his six assists at home, where he plays promoted outfit Leicester. Milner has taken advantage of newfound playing time and is the most affordable of Man City's attacking players. Diame has jumped out to four goals already and goes at a suspect Liverpool defense.
Forwards
Sergio Aguero, MCI (at WHU), $11.8M – With eight goals in his past five total appearances, including four versus Tottenham last weekend, Aguero is in sensational form. On the whole, Aguero has tallied at least one goal in five straight outings and boasts nine goals in eight Premiership showings this season. The Argentine seems to be automatic in front of goal and has notched three goals over his past pair of visits to Upton Park. Even further, Manchester City has scored 16 times across their last five games against West Ham across all competitions. The Citizens' top offensive threat, Aguero also leads the Premier League with 36 shot attempts (20 on goal) this season and is comfortably MondoGoal's best striker with 118.36 points thus far.
Wilfried Bony, SWA (vs. LEI), $10.2M – Bony was linked to a number of clubs during the transfer window, an off-field distraction that may have contributed toward his tough start to the campaign. However, now that he knows where his immediate future lies, Bony has scored in his past two games and still leads Swansea City with 2.5 shot attempts per game. While the Welsh club has gone five matches without a win, this weekend's tie versus Leicester City should boost their confidence. That's because the Foxes have dropped points in three straight matches to Crystal Palace (16th place), Burnley (19th) and Newcastle (18th). As a result, Saturday appears to be a ripe opportunity for Bony, who scored 16 goals last season, to continue his encouraging form.
Graziano Pelle, SOU (vs. STK), $8.9M – Along with his teammate Tadic, Pelle has been a fantastic addition for Southampton and is also a wonderful bargain at $8.9M in MondoGoal this week. The talented Italian scored twice last weekend, bringing his total to six through eight league matches. In doing so, Pelle's 32 shot attempts (14 on goal) rank second in England. What's more, five of Pelle's six Premier League goals have come at home, where he'll take on Stoke City this weekend. Fresh off an eight-goal outburst at St. Mary's Stadium last time out, Southampton will be chomping at the bit for another showcase. That bodes well for Pelle, who despite being MondoGoal's fourth-highest scoring striker, is advantageously priced lower than 24 players at his position.
Alternative Options:Danny Welbeck, ARS (at SUN), $11.6M; Saido Berahino, WBA (vs. CRY), $9.1M; Diafra Sakho, WHU (vs. MCI), 8.0
Notes: Welbeck has five goals in his last five matches and plays a Sunderland defense reeling from allowing eight last weekend. Berahino boasts five goals in his past four appearances across all competitions, boosting his chances of scoring at home versus Palace. Sakho is enjoying a five-match goal streak and looks to be a great value at merely $8.0M.
