This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 10:00 am: Arsenal vs. West Ham United
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Watford
- 10:00 am: Sheffield United vs. Norwich City
- 10:00 am: Southampton vs. Newcastle United
- 10:00 am: Wolverhampton vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 12:30 pm: Burnley vs. Tottenham Hotspur
FORWARDS
Nicolas Pepe, ARS v. WHU (£25): Arsenal are the biggest favorite on the slate and Pepe comes in with a decent share of set pieces over the past few games. He doesn't come cheaply, but there is certainly enough value elsewhere to allow fantasy players to roster both Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£27), who has the highest anytime goal scorer odds. Stacking Arsenal is an option, though they aren't such overwhelming favorites that it's necessary. Then again, they do have the highest implied goal total. Paying down for Edward Nketiah (£16) is an option too, though he doesn't have nearly the upside of his attacking teammates.
Danny Ings, SOU v. NEW (£22): Ings' scoring form has been down after he bagged 10 goals in 10 starts, as he's found the back of the net just once in his last six appearances (four starts). However, a match against Newcastle is a great opportunity to get back on track, as they've conceded the fourth-most shots and second-most shots on goal this season, "helping" them to 29 goals allowed in only 14 away games. Teammate Shane Long is £6 cheaper than Ings, though the latter has higher anytime goal scorer odds than everyone but Aubameyang. If you prefer a forward who isn't so dependent on goals, Ismaila Sarr (£24) and Wilfried Zaha (£19) fit that bill.
Billy Sharp, SHU v. NOR (£11): The Sheffield United forwards are all pretty cheap, with Oliver McBurnie the most expensive at £16. That's not to say their production hasn't warranted their prices, but they are now facing arguably the worst defensive team in the league, so while all of their floors are very low, they're also all decent goal threats. Lys Mousset (£12), who is not expected to start, has higher anytime goal scorer odds than all but four players, while McBurnie is right behind him and Sharp is tied with Pepe. They're certainly more appropriate for GPPs, but they're a side worth targeting because of the matchup and prices.
MIDFIELDERS
Valentino Lazaro, NEW at SOU (£10): Lazaro is expected to return to his spot at right-back after serving a one-match ban, and a role on set pieces should be awaiting him. The matchup away to Southampton isn't overly difficult, even if Newcastle are firmly underdogs, but at minimum price it's hard to find a negative with Lazaro. If he doesn't start, paying £13 for Matt Ritchie isn't bad either considering he'll be in the same situation. There are a few cheap midfielders in play Saturday, including Crystal Palace's Luka Milivojevic (£14), who could get back into the starting XI in place of the injured James McCarthy. Milivojevic seems to have lost his monopoly of set pieces, but he does plenty of defensive work to help his floor. Then again, Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso (£12) is probably the safer option given he's cheaper and more likely to be on those dead-ball situations.
Joao Moutinho, WOL v. BHA (£17): Wolves are solid favorites at home against Brighton, and with Moutinho continuing to get all of their set pieces, there's little reason to think he won't get involved if the attack can get going. Sure, Diogo Jota (£18) has been on fire recently, scoring six goals on 11 shots (six on goal) in his last three games in all competitions, but Moutinho has the safer floor. Then again, GPP players should probably focus more on Jota because of that upside. If Moutinho doesn't sell you, James Ward-Prowse is only £1 more, with Southampton facing a Newcastle side that concedes loads of fantasy points.
John Fleck, SHU v. NOR (£16): If you don't want to rely on unreliable Sheffield United forwards, Fleck has actually been their most active shot-taker of late, and he makes plenty of sense to target against Norwich City. Oliver Norwood (£15) has had a bigger role on set pieces, but his floor is mostly based on accurate crosses and passes, with Fleck's is more attacking in nature, which leads to upside. On the other side of this match, Ondrej Duda (£19) should get some attention because he's been a focal point of the Canaries' attack, though Norwich continue to struggle in terms of earning points to keep them in the Premier League.
DEFENDERS
Pablo Mari, ARS v. WHU (£10): Mari had a strong debut for Arsenal and could be in line for more playing time now that he's acclimated to the squad. A minimum-priced defender for the biggest favorite on the slate is always enticing, though it's worth noting that Wolves, Sheffield United and Southampton have higher clean sheet odds. And speaking of Wolves, their back-line players are quite cheap, other than Matt Doherty (£18), with Ruben Vinagre (£12) a bargain if he starts again for the injured Jonny (ankle).
Ryan Bertrand, SOU v. NEW (£14): With Southampton heavily favored at home against Newcastle, pretty much all of their back-line players are viable. Bertrand's shared role of the Saints' corners gives him a few more opportunities to get on the score-sheet, but if you're just clean-sheet chasing then Kyle Walker-Peters (£13), Jan Bednarek (£13) and Jack Stephens (£14) are serviceable.
Enda Stevens, SHU v. NOR (£14): Sheffield United have the second-best clean sheet odds on the slate, and Stevens showed in his last game what his upside can be, scoring a goal on his only shot in 45 minutes against Brighton to finish with 13.30 fantasy points. He's back fit again and should make his way into the starting XI, and his floor/ceiling combination mixed with his solid clean sheet odds make him a very viable option.
GOALKEEPER
Alex McCarthy, SOU v. NEW (£13): Despite having the second-best clean sheet odds on the slate, there are nine goalkeepers more expensive than McCarthy, who faces a Newcastle side that's scored just 12 goals in 14 away matches this season. The save upside may not be terribly high, but the price is certainly worth chasing because of Southampton's expected dominance of the match.
