This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 11:00 am: Brentford vs. Norwich City
- 11:00 am: Chelsea vs. Burnley
- 11:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Wolverhampton
- 1:30 pm: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Newcastle United
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS
Raul Jimenez, WOL at CRY ($20): Kai Havertz ($20) and Jimenez are the most expensive options due to their favorable matchups and because Romelu Lukaku is sidelined with an injury. When Jimenez is on the field, he's been Wolverhampton's best attacker. Over his past four starts, he's scored two goals, taken four shots on net and created five scoring chances. His ability to contribute in multiple ways has helped him accumulate 21-plus points in three of those four matches. Francisco Trincao ($16) is a slightly cheaper option who should make the starting XI. He has yet to hit his stride, but at his price it might be worth targeting him in a decent matchup. Conor Gallagher ($19) has been a revelation for Crystal Palace, though his price point doesn't offer a ton of leeway to take a player who needs an assist or goal to justify the price.
Ivan Toney, BRE v. NOR ($18): In a slate with one side in the top six of the table, there's not a ton of the typical firepower available in the attack. That leaves Ivan Toney with the top goal-scoring odds in a matchup of two teams promoted from last season. He and Bryan Mbeumo ($14) are pacing Brentford in goals with two a piece and will have a favorable matchup against a Norwich City side that has conceded the most goals in the Premier League. Toney has been a consistent option at forward, scoring double digits in eight of 10 matches and at least 17.5 points in five of those matches. Norwich are conceding six shots on goal and over 12 scoring chances created per match, which could give the Brentford attackers plenty of opportunities to put together a big fantasy day.
Leandro Trossard, BHA v. NEW ($18): Trossard put together a man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool last Saturday and his price this week reflects it. The logic here is that Newcastle trail only Norwich City in goals conceded (23 to 25) and offer a good platform for the Brighton attack to produce. They're conceding just over five shots on goal a game to go with 12.4 chances created. If Trossard's price point is prohibitive, a cheaper alternative is Solomon March ($11) and he took most of Brighton's free kicks against Liverpool, while Pascal Gross ($15) played only 13 minutes as a substitute. Neal Maupay ($17) should return to Brighton's attack after being benched and has the best goal-scoring odds in the expected starting XI.
Dwight McNeil, BRN at CHE ($15): This game has a number of options with Chelsea highly favored and Burnley's midfielders doing enough to stay relevant in matches where they're underdogs. If you need a player who can hit double digits with a friendly price point, McNeil is that player, as he consistently hits 10 or more points due to his ability to create scoring chances. He recorded an assist against Brentford last weekend when he found Maxwel Cornet ($16) with a through ball, which Cornet turned into his fourth goal in four matches. Kai Havertz ($20) and Hakim Ziyech ($17) are Chelsea's best attacking options in a match where they're the biggest favorite and have the highest-implied goal total. Without Romelu Lukaku, they'll need to produce goals for the Blues in a winnable match at home.
DEFENDERS
Reece James, CHE v. BRN ($13): While Ben Chilwell ($15) will get most of the consideration, James is a cheaper option who has scored goals in consecutive matches. A goal-scoring defender is inconsistent, but James has also taken four shots on goal and created five scoring chances in those two matches. Now that he's fit, he's a consistent starter who is playing for a defense that has the top clean-sheet odds and has the potential to have a big day. Antonio Rudiger ($9) and Cesar Azpilicueta ($9) are the cheapest defensive options, while Thiago Silva ($11) is also expected to start. James Tarkowski ($13) has the highest floor of any defender on the slate and could be in line for a big day of clearances with Chelsea expected to do most of the attacking.
Matt Ritchie, NEW at BHA ($11): Matt Ritchie is the defensive version of Dwight McNeil. He may not have the highest ceiling, but his floor is consistent and he is typically good for 10 points. He's scored more than 12 fantasy points in seven of his 10 starts this season and hasn't finished with less than 8.2 points. Brighton are a quality side, but mostly due to their defense. With 11 goals in 10 matches, it's unlikely Brighton are able to put together a huge attacking output, which should give Ritchie time to get forward and create scoring chances. It helps that Ritchie has a near monopoly on set pieces for Newcastle, which is a main reason for his floor being so consistent.
GOALKEEPERS
Alvaro Fernandez, BRE v. NOR ($12): Edouard Mendy ($13) and Chelsea have the best clean-sheet odds and Mendy has kept an impressive six clean sheets in nine starts. Robert Sanchez ($13) and Brighton have the third-best clean-sheets odds against Newcastle and he's been one of the better goalkeepers in the Premier League. Alvaro Fernandez ($12) will start in place of David Raya and he faces Norwich City, a side who have managed only three goals in 10 games.
