This article is part of our Starting Eleven series.
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Fulham v. Bournemouth
10:00 a.m: Liverpool v. Cardiff City
10:00 a.m: Watford v. Huddersfield
10:00 a.m: Southampton v. Newcastle
10:00 a.m: Brighton v. Wolverhampton
12:30 p.M: Leicester City v. West Ham
FORWARDS
Last season, Liverpool's front line of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino scored in the same match eight times, and they all scored in Wednesday's 4-0 Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade for the first time this season. The triumvirate come into Saturday's match as massive favorites and should have a good opportunity to pack home the goals against a lowly Cardiff side. If any of those three are rested, Daniel Sturridge and Xherdan Shaqiri are good pivots.
The Fulham and Bournemouth matchup has the second-highest implied goal total on Saturday's slate, which has me thinking about the best forward options in that match. Aleksandar Mitrovic has been consistent for much of the season, and he has a good fantasy floor by the number of shots he takes and duels he wins (55). On the other side of the pitch, Joshua King and Callum Wilson have linked up well this season, tallying a combined seven goals and five assists. Of the two, I give Wilson the edge over King.
Aside from the Liverpool forwards and the Bournemouth and Fulham clash, I've got my eyes on Marko Arnautovic, who will face Leicester City and comes in third on the slate in shots (26) and shots on goal (12). He's played the full 90 in consecutive matches for the first time this season and should be a full participant against the Foxes.
MIDFIELDERS
In a similar sense that Arnautovic is West Ham's main playmaker, James Maddison has come into his own for Leicester City. Both defenses have conceded their fair share of goals this season, while Maddison has played a part in a third of the Foxes' 15 goals.
Roberto Pereyra is coming off a goal in last weekend's 2-0 win against Wolverhampton. Huddersfield have allowed the third-most goals in the league this season, while allowing at least three on three occasions. Pereyra has started all nine matches for the Hornets, scoring four goals over that time. He doesn't add a whole lot peripherally, but his matchup and potential for goals is suitable enough for consideration.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been surprisingly productive this season, scoring double-digit points in his past six matches, including four with at least 20. He has just two goals in that span, which isn't an outrageous amount. Hojbjerg has been able to do it because he contributes in every other statistic. Since Gameweek 4, he has as many shots as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (10), is tied for fourth in interceptions (15), fourth in tackles won (14) and fourth in duels won (50). Even if he doesn't score, he still has a pretty good floor based on his ability to supply points in every category.
DEFENDERS
Liverpool are highly favored and also have good clean sheet odds, and that leads me straight to Andrew Robertson. He's coming off a solid performance against Red Star Belgrade that included an assist, and he will have plenty of chances to get involved against Cardiff. Joe Gomez replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back in back-to-back Premier League matches and could do so again. Robertson is my preferred option, but realistically you could go with more than one Liverpool defender.
The Leicester backline doesn't have the best clean sheet odds, but that shouldn't hurt Harry Maguire's value all that much. He's been able to produce well this season, with just three single-digit performances across nine starts. A big reason for that is his duels won (61) and interceptions (17). A clean sheet would obviously help the big center-back, but that will be tough to bank on against West Ham.
Jose Holebas and Christian Kabasele will both be available for Saturday's clash with Huddersfield after sitting out due to suspension. Holebas has the higher floor because of his capability to feature higher up the pitch and his role on set pieces, but you will have to contend with Holebas' inclination to receive yellow cards. Meanwhile, Kabasele is third among Premier League defenders in interceptions (22) and adds more value with duels won (50).
The Wolverhampton backline proved they're human in last weekend's 2-0 loss to Watford. An away trip to Brighton looms Saturday, which may not be the ideal place to select a Wolves' defender, but Brighton have hardly been prolific, scoring three goals in their past four matches, with two of those being 1-0 wins. Matt Doherty, Willy Boly and Jonny are your best bets in the Wolverhampton backline.
GOALKEEPERS
Alisson now has more clean sheets (seven) than goals conceded (six) this season, and Liverpool haven't conceded at home in 841 minutes. That streak is bound to break at some point, but it's unlikely to come in Saturday's match against Cardiff City.
Huddersfield have been woeful in attack this season, scoring four goals in nine games, and that puts Ben Foster firmly in play as Watford host Huddersfield, especially with the Hornets returning Kabasele and Holebas.
Southampton are coming off shutout of Bournemouth, a side that hasn't had much trouble scoring in the first portion of the season. Despite Southampton's place in the table, they've been able to keep a clean sheet in a third of their matches, with Alex McCarthy being a main reason for that. He and the Saints will host Newcastle on Saturday, a side that has just six goals. This is a slightly riskier play than Alisson, but one worth considering.
