This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Everton
- 10:00 am: Watford vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 10:00 am: West Ham United vs. Sheffield United
- 12:30 pm: Burnley vs. Chelsea
FORWARDS
Tammy Abraham, CHE at BUR (£27): Abraham has the top goal-scoring odds, while Chelsea have the highest implied goal total. He's failed to find the back of the net in consecutive 1-0 wins for Chelsea but will hope to get back into his groove at Turf Moor. Something has to give as Burnley are one of the top defensive sides at home, allowing three goals in four matches, while Chelsea rank second in goals away from home with 12. Michy Batshuayi (£19) scored off the bench in Wednesday's win over Ajax but will likely be left out of the starting XI again. Callum Hudson-Odoi (£15) has started three straight matches and is a cheap option who is likely to be low-owned. Chris Wood (£16) has scored in three of his past four matches and will face a Chelsea backline that has conceded the fifth-most goals in the league, though it's worth keeping in mind they've kept consecutive clean sheets. Finally, Jay Rodriguez (£10) started in place of the injured Ashley Barnes (£14) last week and could do so once again.
Callum Wilson, BOU at WAT (£24): Last week I was here touting Wilson against a Norwich City backline who leaks like a colander. What did Wilson do? He finished with 1.1 points over 90 minutes as Norwich kept their first clean sheet of the season. Supremely disappointing for something I felt quite confident in. Watford and Norwich have conceded the most goals overall (21), so attacking them with fantasy options isn't a bad idea. Joshua King (£15) is a cheaper alternative option, while Gerard Deulofeu and (£16) and Andre Gray (£13) are Watford's top options. Curiously, Gray has the third-best goal-scoring odds.
Richarlison, EVE at BRI (£20): The Brazilian attacker hasn't scored since Sept. 1st, but he's been a serviceable option despite the lack of goals. Richarlison has 6.5 or more points in four straight matches, and though that's not going to win any tournaments, he's the focal point of Everton's attack against Brighton, who concede the third-most shots and second-most shots on goal of the eight teams on the slate. Neal Maupay (£20) is the alternative across the pitch but is the most expensive he's been all season.
MIDFIELDERS
Gylfi Sigurdsson, EVE at BRI (£19): Sigurdsson had his biggest outing of the season in last weekend's win over West Ham. The catch is that he only played three minutes and scored a goal on two shots (both on goal). He and Lucas Digne typically share set-piece duty when they're both in the lineup, which makes the Icelandic international's selection a little bit tricky. On the other hand, the slate is small enough to roll the dice if he starts. Pascal Gross (£16) is in a similar mold for Brighton and is a conceivable pivot.
Ryan Fraser, BOU at WAT (£16): Fraser returned to the starting XI after being a substitute for three straight matches and managed a satisfactory 4.6 points. Bournemouth are somehow underdogs against Watford, but I'd keep an eye on a Fraser and Callum Wilson stack. Fraser took six of nine free kicks during the scoreless draw against Norwich and should retain that role if he starts again.
Dwight McNeil, BUR v. CHE (£14): McNeil has yet to score more than 10 points this season but his floor consistently hits five points. His consistency and low price is a reasonable enough option to include in the starting XI. Christian Pulisic (£18) is intriguing after providing the game-winning assist against Ajax, though he hasn't started since Aug. 31 but was highlighted by manager Frank Lampard in his pre-match press conference.
DEFENDERS
Marcos Alonso, CHE at BUR (£17): Alonso has a lock on the starting left-back job after Emerson started out the season as manager Frank Lampard's preferred option. He's taken two shots in three of his past four matches, while Chelsea have kept back-to-back clean sheets. Alonso is a good source of defensive statistics and has no trouble attacking the left flank.
Lucas Digne, EVE v. BRI (£16): Digne's exploits have been well-documented in this column. He's as safe of a defensive option as you'll get aside from the Liverpool fullbacks. Brighton rank in the bottom-third of goals scored, however, a clean sheet is tough to come by for Everton as they've kept two in nine matches. Digne's fantasy value comes from his ability to put in accurate crosses, with most of those coming from set pieces.
Enda Stevens, SHE at WHU (£12): Sheffield United and Liverpool have conceded the fewest goals through nine matches (seven), which has helped Stevens become a consistent option in defense. He's scored at least 7.70 fantasy points in three of his past four matches and offers a floor around 3.5 if Sheffield United are unable to keep a clean sheet.
GOALKEEPER
In a slate like this with a lack of a clear-cut favorite (Chelsea are playing at a traditionally tough place to win in Turf Moor), spending up on a goalkeeper is unreasonable. Roberto (£10) will face Sheffield United, a side that has been particularly stingy in defense, but also underwhelming in attack. Aaron Ramsdale (£10) will have the benefit of facing Watford, and Nick Pope (£12) continues to be a viable option and will likely see a high number of save chances against Chelsea's attack. Then again, Jordan Pickford (£16) has the best clean sheet odds as Everton host Brighton.
