This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 10:00 am: Burnley vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 10:00 am: Newcastle United vs. Southampton
- 12:30 pm: Fulham vs. West Ham United
- 3:00 pm: Manchester United vs. Everton
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Bruno Fernandes, MUN v. EVE ($23): I'm not sure what to make of the matchup, but it's usually hard to fade Fernandes against most competition. He has the highest floor on the slate, hitting double-digit fantasy points against everyone but Arsenal this season, and he also has unmatched upside. He's made the score-sheet multiple times in six matches this season, including the prior meeting when he had a brace and assist in a 3-1 win against Everton. He's creating more than three chances and putting 1.50 shots on target per 90 minutes, which are some of the best in the league. Helping his selection is that that the other matches are expected to be fairly defensive. The big question is if you should stack Man United players because they're the biggest favorite and have the highest-implied goal total. The only worry is that Everton are one of the harder teams to project by the match, losing 2-0 to Newcastle one game and then winning at Leeds the next. The problem is that no one else has much of a floor on the team. Edinson Cavani ($17) has a bit of an ankle injury, Marcus Rashford ($21) managed just 30 fantasy points in the 9-0 demolition of Southampton and Anthony Martial ($17) had a floor of zero points in that win. If anything, Paul Pogba ($14) could be the cash option alongside Rashford because he'll be rested and at least provides upside in addition to a chance created or shot on target.
On the other side, Dominic Calvert-Lewin ($18) is goal or bust and James Rodriguez ($17) doesn't usually have much of a floor against better teams. Richarlison ($15) has fallen in price, but for good reason because he doesn't have a consistent floor and is struggling to make the score-sheet.
Pascal Gross, BHA at BRN ($13): I'm not sure how popular Gross will be, but he's almost a must for me in cash games. He's cheap and has hit double-digit fantasy points in all but one start this season. He has quietly been one of the most consistent fantasy performers in the game, averaging 3.02 chances created and 1.68 tackles per 90 minutes, along with a variety of other defensive stats. There's also a slim chance he takes more set pieces following the injury to Solomon March, though there's a chance Leandro Trossard ($14) steps in for those. Either way, this is a matchup that will produce opportunities after Gross had four shots (one on target) and three chances created in the first meeting, a scoreless draw. These teams are playing somewhat similarly (both recently beat Liverpool 1-0), but Brighton is a tad healthier and tends to put more into the attack, which is why they had 59 percent possession in the first meeting. I don't want any of the forwards in this match because it could be another scoreless draw, but that doesn't really matter for Gross. If you want a tad more upside, Trossard is only one dollar more and has made the score-sheet in each of the last two matches.
Callum Wilson, NEW v. SOU ($16): Wilson doesn't have a floor, but given the lack of consistent options on the slate, he can be considered in cash games and GPPs. He has two goals and two assists in the last three matches, producing a floor of about 10 points in those, and I'm backing him to make the score-sheet again. It's mainly because Southampton have a lot of injury issues and don't really have someone to play in a central midfield role unless they can get some guys back early. It also helps that Allan Saint-Maximin ($11) is expected to return to the starting XI, and he'll be a nice boost to a Newcastle side looking to push the tempo and get a goal or two. It won't be popular, which makes it more of a GPP route, but stacking this match could prove useful. Newcastle also have some injuries in the back, and there's a chance these teams go all-out at each other. Danny Ings ($19) has struggled to find form in recent contests, but he's also an option to hit the back of the net, while James Ward-Prowse ($18) is the expensive version of Gross. Wilson is the only guy I'd look at for Newcastle because when Newcastle score, he's by far most likely to be involved.
Michail Antonio, WHU at FUL ($20): I'm not confident in what will happen in this match, but West Ham are the second-biggest favorite with the second-highest implied goal total on the slate. Antonio assisted twice last match and has made the score-sheet in four of his last five appearances. Still, he rarely surpasses 30 fantasy points, and despite being one of the more expensive players, he's not going to break the slate. He's worth considering simply for the odds and because Fulham have struggled a bit, giving up multiple goals in three of their last four. Otherwise, you're kind of guessing at who will score for West Ham. Tomas Soucek ($18) can't be stopped, and while his floor has been decent, I'm not ready to spend $18 on him. Jesse Lingard ($14) will get attention after bagging a brace in his team debut, but good luck with a repeat. While Fulham were competitive in the first meeting, a 1-0 West Ham win, they can't seem to figure out how to score and Ademola Lookman ($14), who has the highest floor on the team, has made the score-sheet in three of the last 10. If I didn't convince you, just go back to the Man United and Everton game and pick from there.
DEFENDERS
Kayne Ramsay, SOU at NEW ($5): I don't think you have to spend down on Ramsay if he starts, but he's at minimum price and had a floor of 10.4 points last match despite his team losing 9-0. There's a chance that floor drops in an even match, but at $5, it doesn't matter. You use him so you can spend on multiple Man United forwards and a high-end goalkeeper. Otherwise, the $7 defenders are fine, and both Dan Burn and Erik Pieters are in play for clean sheets. Matt Ritchie ($7) could get a start and have a role on set pieces, but he's not in the good graces of his manager, so a full 90 may not be likely.
Fabian Schar, NEW v. SOU ($8): There is a method to spending up on Lucas Digne ($14) or Luke Shaw ($13), but neither has an overly easy matchup. That said, both are on set pieces and have had decent floors from a variety of chances created and defensive stats. If you want someone cheaper, Schar has at least 9.1 fantasy points in his last eight matches, and not many of those have been clean sheets. If you hate Newcastle, Victor Lindelof ($8) is also a cheap center-back and Ben Godfrey ($8) has had a decent floor no matter his position.
GOALKEEPER
Robert Sanchez, BHA at BRN ($11): I think anyone can get a clean sheet on this slate, so it's probably dumb to pay up for the Brighton goalkeeper, but life is about taking risks. Sanchez has four straight clean sheets and faces a Burnley team that didn't score in the prior meeting and may be without their top two forwards. The downside is that this match finishes scoreless and Sanchez doesn't get the win bonus. If that's a worry, Lukasz Fabianski ($12) is more likely to beat Fulham and also has decent odds for a clean sheet. As for David de Gea ($14), I'm not willing to pay up for him against a viable side.
