This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa
- 10:00 am: Liverpool vs. Southampton
- 10:00 am: Norwich City vs. Wolverhampton
- 12:30 pm: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Leeds United
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS
Mohamed Salah, LIV v. SOU ($22): Liverpool dominate the highest goal-scoring odds on the slate and Salah is leading the way ahead of Sadio Mane ($20) and Diogo Jota ($19). They face a Southampton side who have been tight defensively, though that hasn't mattered to Liverpool's attack as they've scored more goals than anyone else this season (35). Salah is a big reason for that as he's scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 12 matches. He's the most expensive player on the slate and likely to be the highest owned due to his production. Thiago Alcantara ($10) has started consecutive matches and should come back into the lineup after scoring a beautiful volley in Wednesday's win over Porto. He's cheap and is worth a flier if you need to find a viable midfielder who is budget friendly. James Ward-Prowse ($17) is as steady as midfielders come with 20-plus points in three of his past four matches. Adam Armstrong ($15) is in good form with a goal and two assists in the last three matches.
Conor Gallagher, CRY v. AVL ($19): Gallagher has been a man possessed this season and is one of the biggest reasons Crystal Palace are in the top half of the table. Specifically, he's scored two goals and provided two assists over the past three matches, good for performances of 23.6, 39.8 and 57 (!) fantasy points. Aston Villa looked much better last weekend as they kept their first clean sheet since September and even if Palace are limited in attack, Gallagher does enough by drawing fouls and creating scoring chances to have a high floor. Ollie Watkins ($18) has two goals in three matches and looked livelier after playing on the left wing last weekend. His running mate, Danny Ings ($17), returned from a two-match injury absence and could grow into his role after struggling to get going last weekend. He and Watkins have led the scoring for Villa with three goals a piece.
Daniel James, LEE at BHA ($14): Despite last weekend's loss to Leicester City, James put in his best performance in his short Leeds United career. He put four shots on goal and found the back of the net to finish with 39.3 points. Brighton are winless in their past eight matches and Leeds are coming off a draw against Leicester City. James and the likes of Raphinha ($19) and Rodrigo ($17) are well positioned for productive outings. Raphinha has nine performances with at least 9.5 points and five with more than 29 points, as he's been the talisman for Leeds United. Leandro Trossard ($19) is the most in-form attacker for Brighton as he's scored two goals, put five shots on goal and created seven scoring chances in his past three matches.
Pierre Lees-Melou, NOR v. WOL ($11): If you're looking for a cheap midfielder under the radar, Lees-Melou is likely one of your best bets. He operates in the center of Norwich's midfield and has scored double digits in five of his nine appearances. You'll want to check the starting XI as he's not a guaranteed starter. Mathias Normann ($16) is a bit more expensive but has had some huge outings despite Norwich's lack of wins as he's scored more than 20 points in three of his eight starts. If Lees-Melou doesn't start, Billy Gilmour ($13) would likely benefit again and he split sets last match en route to an assist. Daniel Podence ($16) started his second match of the season last weekend and ended with an assist and three chances created, which was good for 27.3 points. He could be a player on the rise and now may be a good time to take advantage of his price point.
DEFENDERS
Jan Bednarek, SOU at LIV ($11): Liverpool force nearly 25 clearances per 90 minutes and Bednarek paces Southampton by averaging about five clearances a match. Southampton have been decent defensively over the past five matches by keeping three clean sheets over that span. While it's unlikely they're able to keep a clean sheet, Bednarek and the Southampton back line should have plenty of opportunities to rack up defensive stats. Mohammed Salisu ($13) is slightly more expensive and has scored at least 14 points in each of his past five matches. Valentino Livramento ($12) operates from right-back and is the more likely option to be involved in attack, though he's unlikely to have as many clearances as the aforementioned center-backs. For Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold ($15) is consistently the best defender on the slate and his price reflects that. Andrew Robertson ($12) came off the bench to replace Kostas Tsimikas ($13) in the midweek win over Porto and he should reclaim a starting role now that he's fit, which is something to consider as you're receiving a slight discount due to him coming back from a minor injury.
Conor Coady, WOL at NOR ($8): Coady is one of the cheapest expected starters and he'll face a Norwich side who have been playing better but still remain at the bottom of the table with the least amount of goals scored. Wolves have the second-best clean sheet odds and Coady has put together consecutive double-digit performances. Romain Saiss ($13) has scored double digits in 10 of 12 matches and is Wolverhampton's most-consistent defender. Grant Hanley ($14) has been productive in a variety of ways and he's one of the pricier defenders on the slate. He can be a bit hit or miss, though his big performances have been slate tilting.
GOALKEEPERS
Jose Sa, WOL at NOR ($10): Wolverhampton have the second-best clean sheet odds behind Liverpool as they travel to Norwich City. Jose Sa has made at least three saves in five-consecutive matches and could benefit from a matchup against Norwich's lackluster attack. This match has the lowest-implied goal total as neither side are particularly effective in attack. Alisson Becker ($13) has the top clean-sheet odds against Southampton, while his counterpart Alex McCarthy ($7) is the cheapest expected starter on the slate and could be in line for a lot of save opportunities. Emiliano Martinez ($9) has the third-best clean sheet odds against Crystal Palace and is coming off a clean sheet last weekend in the win over Brighton.
