This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Everton vs. Norwich City
- 10:00 am: Leeds United vs. West Ham United
- 10:00 am: Leicester City vs. Burnley
- 10:00 am: Watford vs. Newcastle United
- 12:30 pm: Brentford vs. Liverpool
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS
Sadio Mane, LIV v. BRE ($21): Of course we can't overlook Mohamed Salah ($24) in any matchup, but he's likely to be the most sought after player while having the highest goal-scoring odds and in a favorable matchup against Brentford. He's scored at least 35 fantasy points in four of five matches and could easily do that again Saturday. While he's surely to be the most popular, Mane has also played well to begin the season and isn't far behind Salah in goal-scoring odds. He's good for at least double digits and has hit 20-plus points in three of five matches. Diogo Jota ($20) is the cheapest of the three expected starters and finished with 23 or more in three of five matches, but was in single digits the other two outings. Ivan Toney ($17) is Brentford's main outlet in attack, though he may have a tough time finding space against a Liverpool back line that conceded one goal in five matches.
Ismaila Sarr, WAT at WAT ($21): Similar to Leeds' defensive efforts, Newcastle have been especially leaky and present an opportunity to exploit for Watford. Tom Cleverley ($15) is worth a shout due to his role on set pieces, though his skill set isn't particularly sexy from a fantasy perspective. Emmanuel Dennis ($17) has been the definition of hot and cold, scoring 26-plus in two of five matches while hitting single digits in the other three. The only consistent attacker for Watford has been Sarr, who may single-handedly keep Watford up this season. He's got no role on set pieces, and all of his value comes from goals, chances created and shots on goal, which Newcastle concede a lot of. Allan Saint-Maximin ($19) is electric in attack and is pacing his side with two goals and two assists through five matches. He's their best attacking option and will cause problems for Watford throughout.
Jarrod Bowen, WHU v. LEE ($16): Although the sample size is only five matches, Leeds United have been conceding seven shots on target and over 15 chances created per match, which is the most on the slate in both categories. Bowen takes most of West Ham's set pieces and is the fourth-most expensive West Ham attacker. Even at $16, he's scored at least 9.9 in all five starts and will be facing a Leeds side that has conceded the third-most goals in the Premier League. Leeds could be missing three quarters of their starting backline, which makes them even more susceptible in defense than they've been. Michail Antonio ($22) is the most expensive of the bunch, while Said Benrahma ($19) and Pablo Fornals ($18) have also both been playing well. Patrick Bamford ($19) has been ruled out for Leeds, making Raphinha ($20) the focal point of their attack. He's good for double-digits most matches and is coming off a 41.5-point effort against Newcastle last week.
Dwight McNeil, BUR v. LEI ($16): McNeil's defensive work, coupled with his role as Burnley's main source of attack, has made him a productive player. Despite splitting set-piece duty with Ashley Westwood ($14), McNeil has the advantage in terms of chances created and has doubled Westwood in blocked shots (four to two) while making 17 tackles compared to five. As long as McNeil contributes on both sides of the ball, he'll be a viable play, especially at his price. Despite a tough outing against Manchester City for Youri Tielemans ($15), he's otherwise been a viable play in the rest of his starts, scoring at least 13.9 in the other four appearances. He and Jamie Vardy ($22), who has three goals in five matches, will be tasked with the attacking creation against a typically stingy Burnley side.
DEFENDERS
Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV v. BRE ($15): There are no midfield options at this price that will be able to match Alexander-Arnold's production so it may be wise to take the Liverpool right-back and move on rather than complicate your budget. He missed last Saturday's match due to illness, but is back in training and ready to go against Brentford, where he should continue to be a focal point out of the back. Andrew Robertson ($14) is set to return and is also a viable play, though he hasn't quite matched Alexander-Arnold's production despite scoring 20.9 points in both of his starts. Joel Matip ($8) is a differential play if you like Liverpool to keep a clean sheet, while Virgil van Dijk ($11) is the anchor of the backline without the attacking upside of Alexander-Arnold or Robertson. Liverpool force the most interceptions, blocks, and tackles of any team on the slate, so you may want to look into Pontus Jansson ($12), who's scored double digits in every match this season, or Ethan Pinnock ($11), who should see plenty of work trying to slow down Salah and Mane.
Matt Ritchie, NEW v. WAT ($12): For a slight discount, you can get a similar version of Alexander-Arnold that is likely to fly much lower under the radar. That player is Ritchie, who takes most set pieces for Newcastle and operates from an outside-back position. His crossing volume isn't nearly as much as Alexander-Arnold's, but who's is? Ritchie is a great source of tackles, clearances and chances created; if you have the budget, you might as well go with both outside-backs.
GOALKEEPERS
David Raya, BRE at LIV: Liverpool have the highest clean sheet odds, but it'll be tough to fit Alisson Becker ($13) into your lineup if you stack any of their attackers. Burnley have just three goals this season and Leicester City are right behind Liverpool in clean sheet odds, making Kasper Schmeichel ($12) a potential play at goalkeeper. David Raya ($7) is extremely cheap and should see the most volume in terms of save opportunities, and he could be in for a huge day if he keeps things from falling apart against the Reds. Despite a match against Norwich, Asmir Begovic ($12) doesn't offer much of a discount while playing in place of Jordan Pickford.
