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: Fulham v. Crystal Palace
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Chelsea
10:00 a.m: Watford v. Brighton
10:00 a.m: Bournemouth v. Cardiff
12:30 p.m: Wolverhampton v. Everton
FORWARDS
Alvaro Morata, CHE at HUD ($12,000): It's not that I trust Morata, it's only that he has some of the best goal-scoring odds on the slate. He's hard to trust in cash games because he doesn't do much outside of creating a couple chances or getting a shot on goal. You're banking on a goal from Morata to make value, and that's possible against Huddersfield. There aren't many other places to go if you want to spend at forward, though Wilfried Zaha ($10,500) has a higher floor and is cheaper, while Cenk Tosun ($10,000) is also goal or bust. The problem is all three of these guys are playing away.
Joshua King, BOU v. CAR ($9,500): Bournemouth aren't a huge favorite, but they are favored by more than everyone but Chelsea. King had a successful preseason and probably has a better floor than Morata as more of a creator. His goal total was cut in half from 16 to eight last season, but the opportunities were still there and he created more chances. He'll get shots (hopefully on goal) and create chances against Cardiff, and is most likely to play a full 90 in the Cherries' attack.
Diogo Jota, WOL v. EVE ($8,500): Jota may not be on many teams because a lot of DFS players won't use guys from recently promoted squads. He scores goals (17 in Championship), but he also creates up front for Wolves, which should give him a decent floor, especially as a slight favorite against Everton. Aleksandar Mitrovic ($8,500) is in the same tier, but he'll likely be goal dependent as Fulham's strike man.
MIDFIELDERS
Gylfi Sigurdsson, EVE at WOL ($8,500): Sigurdsson didn't have a great first campaign with Everton, yet he still averaged 14.7 fantasy points per match. That was more than N'Golo Kante ($9,000) and Theo Walcott ($9,000), who are both strangely priced more than Sigurdsson. Either way, Sigurdsson has a solid floor from creating chances as a main set-piece taker, as well as from tackles. And if Marco Silva's new tactics pay off, that will only help Sigurdsson's fantasy prospects in reaching the numbers he had at Swansea two years ago (nine goals, 13 assists).
Jorginho, CHE at HUD ($8,500): With Kante likely to miss the opener, Jorginho should run central midfield, similar to the Community Shield match. In more of a defensive role, he's good for tackles and interceptions, which gives him a good floor, while he created at least 1.5 chances per match the last three seasons at Napoli. As a favorite, he should be involved a bit on the attacking end if all goes well. There isn't much attacking power at this price level, unless you're a believer in Ryan Fraser ($8,000).
Etienne Capoue, WAT v. BHA ($6,500): This is a simple play that should get about 10 fantasy points, and it comes in one of the few times Watford will be favored this season. Similar to Jorginho, Capoue will rack up defensive stats in front of the back four after averaging 2.5 tackles, 2.5 interceptions and 2.0 clearances per match last campaign. If Watford can get forward as a team, that should lead to a few more fantasy points. Sure, Capoue's upside is limited, but he'll get you points for cheap, whereas a lot of other players at this price aren't guaranteed for defensive stats. If you need to save $500, I'm not opposed to Davy Propper ($6,000), either.
DEFENDERS
Mamadou Sakho, CRY at FUL ($5,500): Unless you go big at forward, there should be plenty of room to spend on defense. The two Chelsea defenders will likely be most popular, but it's important to keep in mind Marcos Alonso ($7,500) isn't a wing-back anymore, now playing in a 4-3-3 formation as a left-back. He may get more clearances, but probably won't finish with seven goals again this season. As for Sakho, I like him because he's cheaper than teammate James Tomkins ($6,500) and they play the same position. On the road as an underdog, the center-backs should be good for at least five clearances each, in addition to tackles and interceptions. If you have the money, Tomkins is the better play because he gets forward more, but Sakho can match the defensive numbers.
Zanka, HUD v. CHE ($5,500): I hate spending up on a defender unless there's one that gets forward often, a la Alonso last season. That's why all my suggestions are on the cheap end. Zanka will get plenty of work against the Blues and 15 fantasy points is a good bet against Morata and Co. After averaging about 10 tackles, interceptions and clearances per match last season, Zanka should reach that number in the opener, and that's easier than guessing which team will get a clean sheet.
Phil Jagielka, EVE at WOL ($5,000): Jagielka is in the same mold as the other two guys in that he averages close to eight clearances per start. Everton are an underdog, and that means he'll get his normal work, especially with how their defense looked in the preseason, allowing multiple goals against almost every opponent. If you want to spend money elsewhere, Jagielka is an easy choice as a center-back with a good floor.
GOALKEEPER
Ben Foster, WAT v. BHA ($4,500): Not only are Watford a slight favorite, but this match also has the lowest implied goal total. That makes Foster a decent play with good odds (for the slate) for the clean sheet and win. If you don't need to save $500, Rui Patricio ($5,000) is the sneaky route because he'll probably make more saves and the Toffees haven't had many results go their way in the summer. A clean sheet will be more difficult, but saves could make up for it.
