This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed stats and odds, check out the FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EST)
10:00 a.m: Bournemouth v. Wolverhampton
10:00 a.m: Newcastle v. Huddersfield
12:30 p.m: Leicester v. Crystal Palace
FORWARDS
Raul Jimenez, WOL at BOU ($11,000): If you want to spend on a forward, Jimenez may be your best bet. He has nine chances created and five shots on goal in his last four starts, but also contributes clearances, interceptions and tackles to help his floor. Throw in three goals and one assist in that period and no one else can match that on this slate. Bournemouth have been good at home, but less than a month ago they allowed three goals to Watford, all in the first half. Given how well Wolves are playing, with 11 goals in their last four matches, Jimenez will get opportunities. It's a bit more difficult to throw money at Wilfried Zaha ($12,500), who only recently returned to the score sheet. His floor has been miserable on the road most of the season and this match won't be easy to project. You could back Jamie Vardy ($10,500) at home, but even when he scores he doesn't reach 30 fantasy points.
Joshua King, BOU v. WOL ($9,000): It almost feels like a trap with how cheap King is. He's had at least 11 fantasy points in his last four home starts, with three goals and two assists in that span. It's also worth factoring in that he usually gets more opportunities when Callum Wilson is out because he's often the lone forward. The other part is that Bournemouth are a much different team at home, scoring 11 goals in their last four. Wolves are playing well, but their back line has also been sketchy, and that's why their goal differential is only plus one.
Salomon Rondon, NEW v. HUD ($8,500): There are reasons to use Ayoze Perez ($9,500), but only if you're scared of goals. Perez may have the higher floor because he usually adds defensive stats, but Rondon is more likely to make the score sheet, coming in with six goals and three assists this season (Perez has three and one, respectively). Rondon was also the lone scorer between these teams when they met in December. In good matchups, his floor is often 10 fantasy points, but you're hoping for at least a goal when using him. Huddersfield sit at the bottom of the table for a reason, allowing more than two goals per away match. If you throw out matches against top clubs like Tottenham, Chelsea and Man United, Rondon has made the score sheet in six of his last eight starts; he's basically Sergio Aguero.
MIDFIELDERS
Luka Milivojevic, CRY at LEI ($9,500): You have to spend your money somewhere and Milivojevic is oddly the safest midfielder. In addition to his usual defensive stats, which usually totals close to 10 fantasy points, he's been the exclusive set-piece taker with 29 corners in the last three matches. Throw in any possible penalty and he could also have the best upside of the midfielders. James Maddison ($9,500) is at home, but he's less likely to play a full 90 and the only thing he does better than Milivojevic is create chances. Otherwise, his floor is often smaller since he doesn't defend as much.
Matt Ritchie, NEW v. HUD ($8,500): Ritchie isn't far from Milivojevic in that he usually has a decent floor with the help of defensive stats. He's had at least 12 fantasy points in his last five starts, and that's what you need on an unpredictable slate. He may not take as many set pieces due to the return of Ki Sung-yueng, but earlier in the season he was still creating close to two chances per match. Huddersfield oddly had 74 percent possession in the first meeting and still lost, but expect that number to change at St. James' Park. Joao Moutinho isn't much different at the same price, but I'd rather back Ritchie because of Moutinho's matchup.
Youri Tielemans, LEI v. CRY ($7,500): Tielemans has had two weeks to get acclimated with his new club after playing a full 90 at Tottenham, reaching 14.9 fantasy points with one shot on goal and a couple chances created. He should have a reasonable floor with tackles and interceptions in central midfield, but he showed at Monaco he'd take shots from distance, averaging 1.17 shots on goal in six UCL starts. If Maddison gets subbed early, Tielemans could also be next in line to take corners, which he did at Monaco. If you want a slightly more expensive gamble, Ryan Fraser ($8,000) has struggled to maintain a decent floor, but at some point he's going to connect on one of his many crosses. There's little reason to save money in the midfield, but if you need to, Leander Dendoncker ($6,500) and Christian Atsu ($6,500) could be popular options.
DEFENDERS
Fabian Schar, NEW v. HUD ($7,000): Schar is always on my radar because of an excellent floor, but this is one of the only times I can use him due to the extra money. He has the safest floor of any defender, scoring at least 18 fantasy points in his last five starts, but he also gets forward on corners, which helped him to a recent brace and assist. Huddersfield aren't forcing as many clearances as they did earlier in the season, but it's hard to ignore how the first matchup went between these teams when Newcastle made 61 clearances (Schar had a floor of 30.8). That won't happen again, but Schar has been matchup proof since he also racks up tackles and, since you have money to spend, you might as well go with the best option with great clean-sheet odds.
Ricardo Pereira, LEI v. CRY ($6,000): Of the six teams on the slate, Crystal Palace have forced the most defensive action since Gameweek 20. That includes the third-most tackles, fifth-most blocks and fifth-most clearances, all more than any other team on the slate. Pereira has had a consistent floor for a full-back, averaging 3.92 tackles, 3.08 clearances and 1.80 interceptions per 90 minutes, which comes in addition to the 12 chances he created in the last five matches. A floor around 15 fantasy points to go with decent upside is better than most in this range, including teammate Ben Chilwell.
Steve Cook, BOU v. WOL ($5,000): Wolves have been awesome in the attack over the last month, and I'm leaning on that to equal a lot of defensive work for Cook. Even in recent home wins, he's still produced solid floors thanks to 34 clearances in his last four starts. If you sprinkle in a couple blocks, interceptions and tackles, he should be near 15 fantasy points and that's perfect for one of the cheapest defenders available. Of course, there are always cheaper options like Jonny ($4,500) or DeAndre Yedlin ($4,500), but why save money when you don't need to?
GOALKEEPER
Martin Dubravka, NEW v. HUD ($4,000): This is a no-brainer, which means Dubravka probably isn't the best bet in GPPs. Not only is he as cheap as possible, but he also has the best odds to win and to get a clean sheet. He's allowed three goals in his last four starts, with three of those matches coming in difficult spots: at Wolves, at Tottenham and against Man City. There are zero reasons not to use him in cash games. For GPPs, Vicente Guaita ($4,500) could make sense because Leicester are struggling and I didn't recommend any of their attacking players. The next best chance for a clean sheet is Kasper Schmeichel ($5,500), but I prefer Artur Boruc ($4,500) at home.
