This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
- 10:00 am: Leeds United vs. Fulham
- 12:30 pm: Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace
- 3:00 pm: Arsenal vs. West Ham United
FORWARDS
Willian, ARS v. WHU (£24): Pricing on this slate is really tough because the favorites are very expensive and even the expected starters for underdogs don't provide a ton of salary relief. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£29) is the co-most expensive player on the slate, which isn't surprising since Arsenal are heavily favored and he has the highest anytime goal-scorer odds, but it's really tough to do much else with so much salary tied up in one player. Meanwhile, Willian's role on set pieces will always put him in position to get on the score-sheet, and he's capable of producing fantasy points even if he doesn't (though at this price, he better). Alexandre Lacazette (£23) isn't bad given his goal-scoring odds, but pairing him with Willian or Aubameyang will be really costly, enough so that you're unlikely to get any attractive pieces from the other favored teams. Then again, they all look like steals considering Patrick Bamford is £26. The other difficulty is that Arsenal are playing in the late game, so we won't know lineups right away, otherwise Nicholas Pepe (£15) would be a tremendous value.
Jordan Ayew, CRY at MUN (£15): It's basically impossible to find a cheap forward that you actually want to play on this slate, which brings us to Ayew, who could really just be a place holder for Michy Batshuayi (£12), whose biggest benefit is that he's cheap. Crystal Palace are the biggest underdog on the slate and shouldn't be expected to do much against Manchester United at Old Trafford, but the salary flexibility at least allows you to pay up in other spots. If you'd rather take the contrarian side but not rely on the biggest underdog on the slate, West Ham's Jarrod Bowen (£17) is moderately priced and should be on a good share of set pieces against Arsenal.
MIDFIELDERS
Bruno Fernandes, MUN v. CRY (£29): Tied with Aubameyang as the most expensive players on the slate, Fernandes should still be plenty popular because he basically does everything for Man United, including penalties. He doesn't have the anytime goal scorer odds of teammates Anthony Martial (£27) or Marcus Rashford (£26), but Fernandes provides an excellent floor that should make him extremely popular in cash games.
Dani Ceballos, ARS v. WHU (£14): Back with Arsenal on another season-long loan, Ceballos would be a bit of a steal at this price given Arsenal's win odds and his regular production. There is obviously some risk in that he doesn't start because Arsenal are playing in the late game, so it would be best from a lineup perspective not to have him as the only piece left; otherwise, it's time to convince yourself that Mohamed Elneny (£14) is exactly the player you wanted. Ceballos took set pieces last season, though it seems likely he'll cede most of them to Willian now, but he's still going to be on the ball a ton and is always a threat to make the score-sheet. If you're looking for cheaper potential plays, Fulham's Joshua Onomah (£10) or Andre Zambo Anguissa (£10) are possibilities, and we'll know if they're starting right away because they play Leeds in the first game of the slate, while Pablo Hernandez (£12) on the other side of that match isn't bad, especially because Leeds are firmly favored.
DEFENDERS
Kieran Tierney, ARS v. WHU (£14): Arsenal are heavily favored at home and have a decent shot at a clean sheet, with Tierney providing the cheapest exposure to their back line. While he's very good as a left-back or left wing-back, Tierney has been utilized as a center-back recently, and while that takes away some of his attacking exploits, he is still responsible for moving the ball up field. William Saliba (£10) would be a steal if he got a surprise start, but you can't rely on that because he's in the last game of the slate.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, MUN v. CRY (£16): Wan-Bissaka won't come cheaply, but he's an excellent fantasy-point contributor, both in the attack and defense, and Manchester United are overwhelming favorites with very strong clean sheet odds. While Harry Maguire (£18) is the bigger target in the box for set pieces, the realistic outcome is that he doesn't get on the score-sheet, which would easily make Wan-Bissaka the best defender play for the team most likely to post a shutout.
Joe Bryan, FUL at LEE (£14): Bryan is responsible for enough of Fulham's set pieces that he should get some consideration against a fellow promoted side. He reached 5.1 fantasy points in a 0-3 loss to Arsenal just last week, and a similar range of production should be expected against Leeds. It's certainly nothing to brag about, but his price makes it a reasonable return.
GOALKEEPER
Illan Meslier, LEE v. FUL ($£14): Leeds actually have better clean sheet odds than Arsenal, which makes Meslier's price seem solid because he's £3 cheaper than Bernd Leno and £4 cheaper than Dean Henderson. Paying all the way up for Henderson, or to £16 if David de Gea starts, doesn't seem worth it when there are attackers worth prioritizing, so Meslier could end up being the most popular keeper on the slate.
