This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: AFC Bournemouth vs. Aston Villa
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Sheffield United
- 10:00 am: Liverpool vs. Southampton
- 10:00 am: Newcastle United vs. Norwich City
- 10:00 am: Watford vs. Everton
- 10:00 am: West Ham United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 12:30 pm: Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton
FORWARDS
Mohamed Salah, LIV v. SOU (£29): Sadio Mane (£28) is expected to miss Saturday's match against Southampton, leaving Salah as the main forward option for Liverpool. He's got the top goal-scoring odds and found the back of the net three times in his past five matches, while also providing two assists. Salah ended with 17.30 points in Wednesday's 2-0 win over West Ham, which Mane missed. Mane's absence brought Divock Origi (£10) into the starting XI, though the Belgian subbed off with cramps in the second half. I'd consider playing Origi if he starts, otherwise Takumi Minamino (£20) could be in line for his first Premier League start should both Origi and Mane miss out. Roberto Firmino's (£23) floor hovers around four points but tends to be goal dependent. Southampton have been resurgent of late and could make this a difficult matchup for Liverpool on two days rest. A main reason for their resurgence has been Danny Ings (£19), who's scored in 12 of his past 16 Premier League matches prior to being shut out in his previous two.
Callum Wilson, BOU v. AVL (£22): After ending a 15-match goal drought against Brighton last match, Wilson and Bournemouth will host an Aston Villa side coming off a come-from-behind win over Leicester City in the League Cup semi-finals this week. Aston Villa have struggled outside of the League Cup and concede the most shots and fourth-most shots on goal. Keep in mind Wilson had been struggling mightily prior to the goal against Brighton, so this is a bit of a risk. Dominic Solanke (£10) started four of the past five matches and provided an assist last time out and would be a cost effective option, albeit a risky one. Elsewhere, Mbwana Ally Samatta (£20) has had over a week since his transfer to Aston Villa and started in the League Cup semi-final. Continuing at this price range, Anthony Martial (£22) is leading the Manchester United attack with Marcus Rashford sidelined, while Teemu Pukki (£21) has scored in consecutive matches and Richarlison (£21) has also done that for Everton.
Dominic Solanke, BOU v. AVL (£10): There's a number of cheap forwards to roll the dice on. As I mentioned, Origi and Solanke have a good chance to make their starting lineups against Southampton and Aston Villa, respectively. Pedro Neto (£11) continues to see playing time, though Diogo Jota (£14) is close to full fitness. Moise Kean (£10) made his second consecutive start against Newcastle and scored his first Premier League goal. Origi plays in the best attack, while Solanke's matchup against Aston Villa is enticing. Neto has the toughest matchup against Manchester United and Kean plays a much-improved Watford.
MIDFIELDERS
Jack Grealish, AVL at BOU (£20): The midfield position is mighty thin Saturday. Grealish is the most expensive expected starter and has been as consistent as any Premier League midfielder. He's been fouled 31 more times than any other player, which isn't normally a stat to rely on, but given Grealish's total it's become something to consider. He chips in 2.1 shots per 90 minutes to go along with seven goals and five assists. In a thin midfield pool, Grealish is an easy selection, especially against Bournemouth. Ryan Fraser (£17) takes the majority of set pieces for Bournemouth and is another option to consider, though he doesn't contribute goals and assists like Grealish.
Matt Ritchie, NEW v. NOR (£13): Ritchie played 90 minutes in Newcastle's previous match for the first time since August and took all five set pieces. This trend should continue, especially with Jonjo Shelvey sidelined. He operates as a left-back or left wing-back depending on what system Newcastle are playing. This somewhat limits his ability to get involved in attack, though his role on set pieces helps boost his accurate crosses. Norwich concede the most corners, third-most shots, second-most shots on goal, and third-most accurate crosses, and those numbers give Ritchie a platform for a serviceable day. Emiliano Buendia (£16) was seen training this week and could play against Newcastle, who have conceded the most shots on goal and fourth-most accurate crosses, boosting Buendia's value given his monopoly of free kicks for Norwich.
Robert Snodgrass, WHU v. BRI (£14): Saturday's match at London Stadium is looking like a "six-pointer" with both Brighton and West Ham sitting near the relegation zone. West Ham have taken four points out of a possible 18 and Brighton haven't been much better, winning one of their past six. I'm interested in Snodgrass for his set-piece duties, and he's scored at least nine points in three of his past five starts. Aaron Mooy (£15) has taken over most of the set pieces from Pascal Gross (£16), which has boosted his floor to around four points. Two goals in Mooy's previous four matches gives him a higher ceiling than most midfielders involved in this matchup.
DEFENDERS
Lewis Dunk, BRI at WHU (£17): Dunk has scored at least seven points in five of his past six matches. He's the third-most expensive defender, but his production has backed up his price. It's unlikely either side are able to keep a clean sheet in this match, so you'll be banking on Dunk's typical production. Adam Webster (£16) is slightly cheaper and has also provides good value for his price.
Lucas Digne, EVE at WAT (£16): Aside from the Liverpool defenders, there haven't been many defenders as consistent as Digne. Gylfi Sigurdsson has a chance to play after missing the past two matches, which could affect set-piece duties for Digne. Even if that does happen, Digne is third in the league with 53 accurate crosses and regularly contributes tackles won and interceptions.
Joe Gomez, LIV v. SOU (£15): Much cheaper than Trent Alexander-Arnold (£19) and Virgil van Dijk (£19), Gomez has been a rock for Liverpool since coming into the starting XI. He's scored 7.85 or more points in his past eight matches, and while Andrew Robertson (£17) is another option, I'd say either go for Alexander-Arnold or Van Dijk if you can afford it, or opt for the savings with Gomez. None of these defenders are that cheap, so if you need one, go with Diego Rico (£13), who has a league-leading 56 interceptions.
GOALKEEPERS
Alisson Becker, LIV v. SOU (£19): Alisson has the best clean sheet odds at home against Southampton and has kept eight clean sheets in his past nine Premier League matches. He's finished with at least 10 points in each of those matches and could be the highest-owned goalkeeper. Martin Dubravka (£15) leads the league in saves (98) and will host Norwich in a winnable match. Sheffield United and Crystal Palace have the lowest implied goal total, which could make Vicente Guaita (£15) or Dean Henderson (£14) solid plays. After Liverpool and Manchester United, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace have the third and fourth-best clean sheet odds, which is uncommon given they play each other (stay away from their forwards). Ben Foster (£14), Henderson and Alisson are all tied for the league-lead in clean sheets with eight.
