This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
Just a quick reminder, FanDuel has late swap now. This will be the second week of it on the site and, as we hoped, they are doing one-day slates with late swap.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Premier League: Saturday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: West Ham v. Swansea City
10:00 a.m: Stoke City v. Liverpool
10:00 a.m: West Brom v. Southampton
10:00 a.m: Middlesbrough v. Burnley
10:00 a.m: Manchester City v. Hull City
12:30 p.m: Bournemouth v. Chelsea
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
GOALKEEPER
Lee Grant, STK v. LIV ($6,900): For teams in this slate, Liverpool have forced the most saves over the past six matches. Expected to be under pressure all match (despite losing points to lower-tier clubs, Liverpool still have solid attacking numbers against them), Grant should be busy. Eldin Jakupovic could have the same write-up for his match against Man City.
Ben Foster, WBA v. SOU ($6,400): At a slight discount to the other goalkeepers in good spots, Foster is up against Southampton, who have forced the fourth-most saves this season and fourth-most on this slate. Whether or not Manolo Gabbiadini plays doesn't really matter, as Southampton have forced saves with and without him all season.
DEFENDER
There are several higher priced center-backs in good spots (big underdogs) but none really stand out as clearly the best option. Those who warrant a roster spot include (in no specific order): Steve Cook, Harry Maguire and Ryan Shawcross. James Milner is basically unplayable until his price comes down or he moves back to full set-piece duty (unlikely).
Marc Muniesa, STK v. LIV ($4,600): The price is right here for Muniesa, who scored 30.75 fantasy points away to Burnley during the midweek. There is no reason to think he won't have opportunities against Liverpool for defensive stats. There are plenty of big names on this slate in attacking positions who warrant a roster spot, so saving some cap space in defense could help with construction.
James Collins, WHU v. SWA ($4,600): Falling into the same category as Muniesa as a cost saver with a decent floor, Collins will likely continue to start for the injured Winston Reid (leg). Over the past six matches, Swansea have the most crosses while allowing an above average numbers of tackles and blocks.
MIDFIELDER
Gylfi Sigurdsson, SWA at WHU ($9,000): Is this a Gylfi week? Why not, he is playing against a West Ham team has given up the second-most goals at home this season and Swansea are essentially even odds (which will be one of the better odds for them all season). His price has come down in recent weeks as he has had some difficult matchups, but he could get back on track against a poor West Ham defense that will be down two of their normal back four.
David Silva, MCI v. HUL ($8,700): Near the halfway point in the season, manager Pep Guardiola moved Kevin De Bruyne's positioning and Silva has been the biggest beneficiary. Silva was the reason Chelsea manager Antonio Conte brought Nemanja Matic on at halftime Wednesday to essentially man mark him (which he did successfully); he has been that good. Scoring points at a consistent rate (not considering goals or assists) and in a plus matchup, Silva is in a good spot this week.
Chelsea Midfield at Bournemouth: A plus matchup in terms of fantasy and the second-biggest odds on the slate, the Chelsea midfield is likely to have some fantasy action. However, there is no other team that requires us to look harder at lineups for specific roles. Everything depends on if Cesc Fabregas and/or Willian starts. With Fabregas now at $9,100, he is finally priced for his fantasy role without Willian on the field. Willian is still underpriced if Fabregas doesn't start. Add in Eden Hazard, my vote for player of the year over N'Golo Kante, who is untouchable on the field and always a GPP option. With late swap we can now plan for this; if not playing Hazard, you may have to pay for Fabregas and then move down as necessary. It's also worth noting that Pedro has a reduced price and is now a midfielder.
FORWARD
Sergio Aguero, MCI v. HUL ($12,900): By far the best goal-scoring odds in the slate, Aguero is also the most expensive player. At that price he has to have at least one goal and an assist (if not more), but he is in a really good spot to do so. Scoring a goal against Chelsea mid-week marks his third match in a row with a score, as well as his fourth in his last five.
Roberto Firmino, LIV at STK ($10,800): Stoke look like they have given up with basically nothing to play for (no chance at Europe, but no chance of being relegated). With Stoke losing their last three matches and Liverpool needing every win should have one team pushing the entire time. Firmino is one of the few forwards with a floor when not scoring and should keep his spot up top with Divock Origi and Philippe Coutinho.
Value Forwards: There really are no clear value forwards (under $9K) who have either decent matchups or goal-scoring odds. With this being the third match in a about a week for most teams, there will likely be some squad rotation. Look for lineups to see if values arise from any of the big favorites or elsewhere in order to fit in the more expensive forwards.
