This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
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MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Watford
10:00 a.m: Swansea City v. Everton
10:00 a.m: Crystal Palace v. Brighton
10:00 a.m: Burnley v. Leicester City
12:30 p.m: Liverpool v. Bournemouth
FORWARDS
Roberto Firmino, LIV v. BOU ($12,000): Firmino is definitely the top forward on the slate. Although I would highly recommend choosing midfielder Mohamed Salah over his teammate, it is possible to fit both of them. Firmino has the rare ability to set up players for goals, with seven assists on the year, and he is a proven goalscorer, with 14 this Premier League season. The center forward for the top favorite on the slate is never a poor pick, so try to fit him in if you're struggling to find reliable options elsewhere.
Cenk Tosun, EVE at SWA ($8,500): Tosun had scored four goals in a three-game span until he came up against the juggernauts of Liverpool and Manchester City. Now he returns back to what looks to be a soft matchup against Swansea, who sit 15th in the table.
Jordan Ayew, SWA v. EVE ($7,500): Ayew returns after serving a three-game suspension. He is accompanied by his brother, Andre Ayew ($7,000), so make sure you pick the right one. Before his red card, Ayew was able to produce three matches with over 24 fantasy points in a five-game span.
MIDFIELDERS
Mohamed Salah, LIV v. BOU ($12,500): I feel that this recommendation goes without need for further explanation, but just for fair measure I'll say that he has scored 29 goals in 29 Premier League games this season.
Yohan Cabaye, CPL v. BHA ($7,000): Cabaye plays as a box-to-box midfielder, so he provides both offensive and defensive stats. He will occasionally be over set pieces, though he must compete with Luka Milivojevic ($9,000) and Andros Townsend ($7,000). He has reached at least 20 fantasy points in three out of the last five games, and that is without scoring or assisting any goals, which is a good indicator of his safe floor.
Andros Townsend, CPL v. BHA ($7,000): Townsend has a higher ceiling than Cabaye but also a lower floor. He has scored at least 25 fantasy points in three out of the past five games, but this includes a goal and an assist in that span. He is tasked with taking some set pieces for Palace as well, so his opportunities to assist are almost guaranteed to come.
DEFENDERS
James Tomkins, CPL v. BHA ($6,000): Tomkins is an absolute beast for Crystal Palace. He has scored at least 20 fantasy points in eight of the last 10 games, and most of the time he is reaching 4x value, which is hard to find at the defender position.
Phil Jagielka, EVE at SWA ($5,500): Everton has had a bit of a disappointing season, but Jagielka has been a constant in the side. In his entire game log he has just one single-digit performance, and he has shown the ability to get to the 20-point range without a goal or assist.
Nathaniel Clyne, LIV v. BOU ($5,000): Clyne played his first Premier League game of the season last week after missing out with a back injury. He is a highly active right-back who gets involved on both sides of the field. His 8.5 fantasy points in his first outing were not ideal, but I believe it was just a product of him getting back into the swing of things. He is one of the cheapest options you will find at the defender position, and he is on the team that is by far the top favorite on the slate.
GOALKEEPER
Loris Karius, LIV v. BOU ($5,000): Let's go with the keeper of the top favorite on the slate. Liverpool's defense has been much improved since the addition of Virgil van Dijk, ($7,000), and after conceding just one goal in two UEFA Champions League games against Manchester City, Liverpool and Karius' confidence has to be sky high. Bournemouth have not been held to a scoreless outing since January, but there is a good chance that Karius faces a good amount of shots, if he cannot hold onto the clean sheet.
