This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
- 10:00 am: Aston Villa vs. Newcastle
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Brentford
- 10:00 am: Leeds United vs. Everton
- 10:00 am: Manchester City vs. Norwich City
FORWARDS
Riyad Mahrez, MCI vs. NOR ($8,800): Manchester City are a -1100 favorite and have an implied goal total near three for Saturday's home match against Norwich City. Those are massive numbers and all of City's forwards have salaries under $9,000, which seems like a bit of a discount in this spot. Whoever starts in the front three will be a betting favorite to score a goal. Gabriel Jesus ($8,300) and Ferran Torres ($8,000) have the highest anytime odds on the slate at -138, while Raheem Sterling ($7,600) is especially affordable, and all three have hat-trick upside. I highlighted Mahrez because he has a higher floor and that leads to his ceiling games generally being higher. He's also the most expensive forward, which that should slightly lessen his popularity.
Raphinha, LEE vs. EVE ($8,600): Despite picking up a yellow card, Raphinha had 12 floor points and took all five of the set pieces in last week's difficult matchup away to Manchester United. Those are encouraging numbers, and Leeds will expect to bounce back at home to Everton on Saturday in a game with the slate's second-highest total. Leon Bailey ($8,400) is an intriguing option in the same range after playing 30 minutes off the bench in his Premier League debut, picking up an assist to go along with seven floor points. It's possible he could have a role on set pieces as well, and Aston Villa are in nice spot at home against Newcastle, a team that notoriously concedes fantasy points.
Looking in the cheaper range, Bryan Mbeumo ($5,900) and Brentford have a favorable matchup against Crystal Palace, and they're fresh off an impressive upset over Arsenal. $5,900 seems too cheap for a talented forward with goal-scoring upside and a role on set pieces against a bad team. The salaries in that game are depressed across the board, likely because it has a paltry 2.25 total, with juice currently on the under. Patrick Bamford ($5,900) has more upside for the same salary, and he has anytime goal-scoring odds of +110 in a match that is expected to be more lively. I like taking a chance on Wilfried Zaha ($6,800) and his supreme talent whenever possible, and a home match against a newly promoted side seems like one of the better opportunities. Dominic Calvert-Lewin ($6,900) would be the more logical choice if basing the decision solely on goal odds. Down at the bottom, there is definitely merit in taking a chance on Jordan Ayew ($4,600); spending under $5,000 for a home matchup against a team that was playing in the championship just a couple of months ago seems like a nice gamble.
MIDFIELDERS
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI vs. NOR ($10,500): De Bruyne played 11 minutes off the bench in last week's defeat to Spurs and could be fit enough to return to the starting lineup Saturday. He's the top option at midfield on most slates, and that'd be especially true this week in a smash spot against Norwich City.
Jack Grealish, MCI vs. NOR ($9,200): Grealish topped 13 floor points despite picking up a yellow card in Manchester City's opening weekend loss to Tottenham. Keep an eye out for the formation against Norwich, as Grealish was pushed into the front three when De Bruyne subbed on last week, and it would be a significant boost to his goal-scoring chances if he lined up there again.
Emiliano Buendia, AVL vs. NEW ($7,900): Buendia underwhelmed in his Aston Villa debut, playing 72 minutes and taking three corners but finishing with just 5.8 fantasy points. A home match against Newcastle is a nice spot to bounce back, but 90 minutes seems unlikely with the array of attacking talent in that team. A safer bet might be John McGinn ($6,200), who took two set pieces last week and almost never gets subbed. Additionally, he scored the goal of the weekend with a beautiful first-time volley from the edge of the box.
Jairo Riedewald, CRY vs. BRE ($3,000): If you're looking for a minimum-salary punt, you could do worse than Riedewald. He took two corners last week against Chelsea and, assuming he takes them again, should get more opportunities in a decent spot at home against Brentford.
DEFENDERS
Matt Ritchie, NEW at AVL, ($6,300): Ritchie had 12 crosses and four shots assisted playing on the left wing against West Ham last week. He took five of seven corner kicks and showed significant open-play upside from an advanced position on the left.
Lucas Digne, EVE at LEE ($6,100): Digne took six of nine set pieces against Southampton last week as he put up 9.6 floor points. He doesn't offer quite as much from an open-play perspective when playing in a back four, so I'd prefer Ritchie if deciding between the two.
Sergi Canos, BRE at CRY ($7,000): It's surprising to see Canos as the slate's most expensive defender, and I'd expect people to shy away from the $7,000 salary. It's likely inflated after his goal against Arsenal last week but he takes corners and gets involved in the attack whenever possible while playing on the right wing. Brentford's favorable matchup against Crystal Palace keeps me interested.
With Manchester City in such a good spot, Joao Cancelo ($6,800) is a viable option in tournaments, even with his elevated salary, though I'd have more interest in Oleksandr Zinchenko ($5,300) or Benjamin Mendy ($5,200) based solely on the savings. All three players have considerable assist equity in the matchup against Norwich so it would make sense to pair them with an attacking player.
If you don't have the salary to afford one of the top options, Ruben Dias ($3,700) actually has a decent floor if you factor in the accurate passes and clean sheet equity. If you need a minimum-salary punt in order to spend up at forward and midfield, Crystal Palace spent $21 million on Marc Guehi ($2,500), a promising center-back. He played well in his debut against Chelsea last week, and Palace are slight favorites Saturday in the match with lowest total.
GOALKEEPERS
Ederson, MCI vs. NOR ($5,900): It's rare that we see a -1100 favorite, and the uncharacteristically high win and clean sheet odds for Manchester City mean that Ederson is undervalued in relation to the other keepers on the slate. If you're rostering multiple pieces from City, he might be tough to afford. But if you're not, then locking up a goals worth of points from the goalkeeper position can be a nice way to hedge.
Vicente Guaita, CRY vs. BRE ($4,900): The Crystal Palace v. Brentford matchup features the lowest total on the slate by a considerable margin, and both keepers have salaries under $5,000. I usually prefer the home side in these spots, but David Raya ($4,700) is a worthy option as well. Targeting saves can be a good strategy too, and Tim Krul ($3,600) is expected to face plenty of shots and can make value even if he allows multiple goals.
