FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Targets

FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Targets

This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.

For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Premier League: Saturday Cheat Sheet.

MATCHES (EDT)

10:00 a.m: West Ham v. Everton
10:00 a.m: Bournemouth v. Middlesbrough
10:00 a.m: Swansea City v. Stoke City
10:00 a.m: Hull City v. Watford

PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS

GOALKEEPER

Brad Guzan, MID at BOU ($5,500): Guzan will get the start for Boro in place of the injured Victor Valdes (ribs), which will provide some salary savings because he's not the regular starter. It's also not a bad matchup, as Bournemouth have forced 3.00 saves per home game this season, which is the highest of any home team on the slate, while Boro as a team have made 3.56 saves per away match, the second-highest of the away teams.

DEFENDER

Jose Holebas, WAT at HUL ($6,300): Holebas has scored at least 19 fantasy points in five of his last six starts, an impressive tally given that he doesn't have goal or assist in that span. He's done a good job of contributing across the stat sheet, as he has 23 clearances, 12 tackles, 11 interceptions and nine chances created in those games. He has a share of set piece duty, which allows him more opportunities to create chances, and he'll now face off against a Hull side that's allowed 12.64 chances per game this season, the highest average of any team on the slate.

Calum Chambers, MID at BOU ($5,500): Chambers has not played since Feb. 11 because of an ankle injury, though it was believed he was fit for last Monday's match against Arsenal, which he had to sit out for due to the terms of his loan agreement. If he's able to get back in the starting XI, he makes for a very strong play against a Bournemouth side that has seen defenders rack up interceptions and tackles against them this season. Chambers is also excellent at accumulating clearances, and the defensive stats should add up given the Cherries' penchant for attacking much more at home. If he doesn't start, Daniel Ayala ($5,600) would likely fill in again, though his floor isn't as secure.

Winston Reid, WHU v. EVE ($5,800): Reid is another center-back returning from injury, though if James Collins ($5,500) starts in his place again, he is certainly worthy of consideration too. Despite being at home, West Ham will have their hands full trying to slow down the Everton attack, one that has scored multiple goals in seven of their last eight matches, including four with at least three. Teams haven't had much trouble accumulating defensive stats against Everton, as they've allowed the third-most interceptions, second-most blocked shots, fourth-most clearances and most tackles per game this season among teams on the slate. Meanwhile, Reid has 10 games with at least 10 clearances and six games with at least five interceptions this term.

MIDFIELDER

Kevin Mirallas, EVE v. WHU ($6,800): Mirallas has been an excellent fantasy contributor of late, scoring over 20.0 fantasy points in four consecutive starts without scoring a goal. His two assists against Leicester City on April 9 helped him toward 37.5 fantasy points, but his ability to reach the 20-point mark in the other games has come because of his work in the attack, as he's created two, three, four and three chances in each of those matches, respectively. He's also gotten at least one shot on goal in each match during that span, while also chipping in five tackles in his last two. Everton have scored at least three goals in four of their last six games (they scored once each at Old Trafford and at Anfield), and Mirallas' inclusion in the starting XI has been a key piece of late.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, SWA v. STK ($9,200): Sigurdsson has been a bit of a disappointment in recent weeks, but he's an entirely different player at home against non-top-six teams. He hasn't scored a goal at home since Jan. 31 against Southampton, when he finished with more than 50 fantasy points, but he's still picked up two assists in his last four home games. The price is certainly high, but there aren't a ton of expensive options on the slate, so paying up for Sigurdsson isn't as big of a deal because it isn't cost prohibitive for the rest of a lineup. Even though he doesn't score that many goals, his 11 assists are third-most in the Premier League, and he's still managed to create multiple chances or get multiple shots on goal in three of his last four games.

Cheikhou Kouyate, WHU v. EVE ($6,200): There are a number of lower-priced midfielders who could make value Saturday thanks to their defensive stats, including Adam Clayton ($5,700), Geoff Cameron ($5,400), Adam Forshaw ($4,900) and Ki Sung-yueng ($4,800), but Kouyate is the most reliable of the bunch. He's played a number of different positions this season, but he should make for a solid option as a defensive midfielder against the strong Everton attack for the same reasons that Reid and Collins are under consideration at the defender position. While he does chip in occasionally with a shot (he scored against Swansea two games ago), it's hardly something to rely on, but he's still managed 20 interceptions, 18 clearances, 15 tackles and 11 fouls drawn in his last six games, a nice return for a player in his price range.

FORWARD

Romelu Lukaku, ($12,500): Lukaku's price is sky high, but he's also the only player with a five-figure salary, which means fitting him in won't be nearly as difficult. The Everton front-man has been on a great run of form, scoring eight goals on 31 shots (14 on goal) in his last eight games while also creating nine chances. He's in consideration thanks to his goal upside, something the bookmakers are expecting since he has by far the best anytime goal-scoring odds. Opposing goalkeeper Darren Randolph hasn't been great at home lately either, allowing 11 goals and making just seven saves over his past six at London Stadium.

Peter Crouch, STK v. SWA ($6,800): The forward pool is littered with goal-dependent players, none of whom are in particularly great form aside from Lukaku. Crouch, who hasn't started the last six matches but scored off the bench last week, should be in consideration due to the matchup. Swansea City have really struggled with center forwards this season, allowing 32 goals to them this season, which is nine more than any other side. Additionally, they've allowed the second-most shots and shots on goal, as well as the third-most shots in the box to center forwards. One could look toward Crouch's teammate Saido Berahino ($7,000) since he's started the past six games ahead of Crouch, but all he's been able to muster is two shots on goal and three chances created in 429 minutes, the same number of shots on goal and one fewer goal than Crouch, who has played 88 minutes over that span.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew M. Laird
Andrew is a former RotoWire contributor. He was the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
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