This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
- 10:00 am: Arsenal vs. Norwich City
- 10:00 am: Brentford vs. Brighton
- 10:00 am: Leicester City vs. Manchester City
- 10:00 am: Manchester United vs. Newcastle
- 10:00 am: Southampton vs. West Ham
- 10:00 am: Watford vs. Wolverhampton
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Mason Greenwood, MUN vs. NEW ($10,200): A five-figure salary might seem like a steep price to pay for Greenwood, but when you consider his role and how good he's been to start the season, the price is warranted. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Manchester United are -500 at home to Newcastle, far and away the biggest favorite on the slate. Greenwood has taken nine of United's 19 corners, and he's played all but one minute across three games. More importantly from a GPP perspective, he's scored a goal in every game while taking at least three shots in each. Assuming he starts, the most popular forward on the slate is likely to be Greenwood's new teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo ($9,200). His anytime goal-scoring odds of -225 are the highest we've seen all season, and the salary is a bit too cheap when you compare him with others in the same range. The matchup is elite and he's in good form too, fresh off another brilliant performance for Portugal where he scored two goals in the final minutes to steal a win over Ireland. His popularity is always a decent reason to fade in tournaments, but if you're convinced he's scoring, there are plenty of other ways to get different elsewhere.
Ismaila Sarr, WAT vs. WOL ($7,900): Sarr has topped 11 floor points in every game this season, and he's not dependent on set pieces. He fills up the stat sheet with shots, shots assisted, crosses and fouls drawn while providing plenty of goal/assist upside, and Watford have a relatively favorable home matchup against Wolves. Some might argue for Jarrod Bowen ($7,700) and his share of corner-kick duties in the same salary range, but I don't think it's particularly close. Comparing the two: Sarr is Watford's do-everything talisman, with bags of skill and pace to burn. He's all but guaranteed to play 90 minutes and possesses the ability to come up with something special. Bowen is West Ham's fourth-best attacker and fourth-most likely to score. He's been subbed in two of three games and was notorious for coming off early last season. You could argue West Ham are a much better team, and while that's true, Sarr at home and Bowen away make the matchups a wash for me. It would be wrong for me to heap praise on Sarr and not mention Adama Traore ($7,800) in the same game. Similar to Sarr, Traore has also scored at least 11 floor points in each of three games, and he's even more of nightmare for defenders to deal with. There isn't a left-back in the Premier League that can stop him from getting a cross off. I have plenty of interest in both players but when a decision is close, I'll side with the one who's playing at home. Rounding out this range, if he starts, Alexandre Lacazette ($7,600) would likely have the third-highest goal-scoring odds on the slate.
Bukayo Saka, ARS vs. NOR ($6,700): Looking in the cheaper range, Saka has considerable upside in a home matchup against Norwich. He's had a slow start to the season but should be full of confidence after scoring his first competitive goal for England over the break. Plus, this should be a get-right spot for the Gunners. Raul Jimenez ($6,500) would be another good tournament option, as he's taken 12 shots in three games and always plays 90 minutes. His anytime goal-scoring odds of +150 stand out for this range, and Wolves are slight road favorites. If Anthony Martial ($5,900) starts, I'd expect him to be popular considering the prime matchup against Newcastle. Milot Rashica ($5,000) took seven corners and sent in 13 crosses against Leicester last time out and a matchup against Arsenal isn't much to fear these days.
MIDFIELDERS
James Ward-Prowse, SOU vs. WHU ($8,000): Ward-Prowse is likely to be the most popular midfielder on the slate, and rightfully so. He takes a monopoly of set pieces and never comes off the field. His free-kick prowess and penalty-kick duty give him plenty of upside as well. The matchup against West Ham isn't ideal, but it isn't prohibitive either. Being too worried about a matchup against West Ham would've caused you to miss out on Conor Gallagher's massive 34 fantasy points last game-week. Moving on, keep an eye out for the Manchester United formation; if Paul Pogba ($7,300) were to start in an advanced role, he'd have as much upside as any player at the position. He played further forward in the first two games and took six shots while producing a whopping five assists. Two weeks ago, he was back in defensive midfield, playing in a double pivot while picking up a yellow card; his viability swings wildly based on where he lines up.
Martin Odegaard, ARS vs. NOR ($6,400): It never feels great to roster an Arsenal player, especially one who routinely gets subbed. However, Odegaard is enticing because his salary is affordable and the matchup is favorable. He has a role on set pieces and has considerable upside from open play, while his elite left foot always gives him a chance to score from distance. His teammate, Emile Smith-Rowe ($5,100) might be an even better tournament option. That salary is awfully cheap for a player who supports the strikers and has played every minute this season. If you're looking for less popular options, the salaries of James Maddison ($4,900) and Harvey Barnes ($4,500) have never been cheaper and very few will target them in a matchup against Manchester City. Brendan Rodgers always seems to get his team up for big games, and Leicester scored two goals in the corresponding away fixture last season. Tomas Soucek ($4,800) will be similarly overlooked but is probably more likely to score in a matchup against Southampton.
DEFENDERS
Luke Shaw, MUN vs. NEW ($6,200): Shaw is the most expensive defender on the slate and for good reason. He's taken nine of Manchester United's 19 corners this season and crosses almost all of their left-sided free kicks. Plus, he has more open-play upside than usual in a home matchup against Newcastle. Aaron Cresswell ($5,800), who is another option in this range, still has a role on corner kicks, though he hasn't taken more than two in a game this season, ceding most to Bowen. He has less open-play value than Shaw as well, with most of his assist equity coming from West Ham's considerable ability to get on the end of set pieces.
Cedric Soares, ARS vs. NOR ($3,800): Simply put, $3,800 is just too cheap for an Arsenal right-back in a home match against Norwich. Valentino Livramento ($4,200) and Fernando Marcal ($4,100) are decent options as well in that range, while Adam Masina ($4,000) took two corners last time out. With so many options on a six-game slate and the differences in floors so close, I prefer to side with the player who has the best chance of getting involved in a goal. Arsenal have a higher implied total and are likely to create more chances. Soares is also the cheapest of the bunch, and it's worth noting that he took the odd set piece last season.
GOALKEEPERS
David Raya, BRE vs. BHA ($4,800): I chose not to highlight one of the expensive keepers because it's a big slate and every bit of salary should help. More importantly, the greater number of cheap keepers to choose from means a greater likelihood of one putting up a decent score. The Brentford v. Brighton match has a noticeably low total that's currently hovering around two. One of the keepers in this game is likely to keep a clean sheet, making Robert Sanchez ($4,700) an equally good option on the Brighton side.
Daniel Bachmann, WAT vs. WOL ($4,400): Bachmann is appealing for the same reasons: Watford's opponent, Wolves, have yet to score this season. Does that make it more or less likely that they score Saturday? Probably neither. Kasper Schmeichel ($4,100) is always a good option when his salary is around $4,000. Leicester City are one of the top teams in the league and their defense is capable of playing well enough to keep out an elite team like Manchester City, especially at home.
