This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Arsenal vs. Brentford
- 10:00 am: Aston Villa vs. Watford
- 10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Burnley
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea
- 10:00 am: Liverpool vs. Norwich City
- 10:00 am: Southampton vs. Everton
- 12:30 pm: Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS
Roberto Firmino, LIV v. NOR ($17): With Diogo Jota sidelined, Liverpool will have to lean on either Roberto Firmino or Luis Diaz ($17) in attack. Firmino started Wednesday's win over Inter Milan and also found the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season. While Mohamed Salah ($21) is the clear focal point, it might be worth going with an alternative in Liverpool's attack for GPPs, as Salah could be the highest-rostered player in a packed slate. If Diaz starts instead of Firmino, he's an intriguing play. In his lone start for Liverpool, he put two shots on goal and created a scoring chance, helping him to a 13-point outing. In a matchup where Liverpool could score multiple goals, either Firmino or Diaz pose an opportunity to pivot from where most people are looking. Another alternative for Liverpool is Sadio Mane ($18), who despite struggling to find the back of the net (one goal in his past 12 matches), doesn't offer as much of a discount.
Bukayo Saka, ARS v. BRE ($17): Arsenal are the third-biggest favorite Saturday behind Liverpool and Manchester City, and will host a Brentford side who are winless in their past seven matches across all competitions. This presents an opportunity for Bukayo Saka to put up big numbers. Over his past eight matches, Saka's scored more than 21 fantasy points in six, while never having fewer than seven points. Brentford are middle of the road in terms of attacking stats conceded, while Saka gets a slight bump if he's on set-piece duty. Alexandre Lacazette ($18) is a touch more expensive despite scoring only three goals this season, while Emile Smith Rowe ($16) is pacing Arsenal in Premier League goals and shots on goal, and is the cheapest of the three with a start likely, as Gabriel Martinelli is suspended.
Alexis Mac Allister, BHA v. BRN ($14): Neal Maupay ($18) and Leandro Trossard ($17) get most of the attention for Brighton because of their goal scoring this season, but Mac Allister has been having a sneaky good campaign. He's tied with Trossard in goals (four) to go with two assists and has contributed in other areas, including chances created, tackles and fouls drawn. His price point is easy enough to swallow and his production has exceeded the investment required. On top of that, Brighton have a favorable matchup against a Burnley side who have conceded the most scoring chances created on the slate, as well as the second-most shots on goal. They'll also be playing at home in what may be a serviceable outing for the Brighton attack. Maxwel Cornet ($17) is Burnley's best attacking option, while Ashley Westwood ($11) offers good value as he takes most of Burnley's set pieces with Dwight McNeil ($14).
Douglas Luiz, AVL v. WAT ($11): In a slate with the two best attacks in the Premier League, you'll need a cheaper option to supplement those costs. I'd look no further than Aston Villa's matchup with Watford, where the Hornets are conceding the second-most goals and shots on goal, as well as the third-most scoring chances created of the 14-teams on Saturday's slate. Douglas Luiz is considerably cheaper than the likes of Philippe Coutinho ($20) and Ollie Watkins ($17), and still offers a share of set pieces alongside John McGinn ($15). Outside of those players, Jacob Ramsey ($14) has scored 37-plus points in two of the past four matches with his floor being nine points, making him a potentially better GPP play than Luiz, who is more built for cash games. Watford haven't scored a goal in the past four matches, making it difficult to advise one of their attackers, though Ismaila Sarr ($16) is fully fit and could make a difference in production.
DEFENDERS
Cristian Romero, TOT at MCI ($11): Romero has started the last two matches since returning from injury and performed well, putting together two performances with at least 14.1 fantasy points. He should retain his place despite Eric Dier ($10) likely returning and will have a tough matchup against Manchester City that could result in another efficient outing from the center-back. Despite conceding five goals in those two starts, he's still come away with double-digit points, which makes me feel better despite a tough matchup at Manchester City. With City playing Tuesday, it's possible there's a bit of rotation in the backline, which could give Oleksandr Zinchenko ($9) the chance to start at left-back, while Nathan Ake ($8) is an option at center-back and Kyle Walker ($7) is set to start following a Champions League suspension.
Ben Gibson, NOR at LIV ($11): Liverpool are by far the heaviest favorite on Saturday's seven-match slate and have an implied-goal total over 2.5, which means the Norwich backline should be occupied for most of the match. This typically means defensive stats will be frequent and easy to attain as the Norwich center-backs attempt to slow down their attack. This leaves Ben Gibson and Grant Hanley ($12) as potential options, though Ozan Kabak ($10) could return to the XI. Hanley is a bit more pricey, but he's produced 14-plus points in three of his past four matches, namely last weekend's loss to Manchester City where he racked up nine clearances in a similar matchup as the one with Liverpool. Gibson has been a bit more consistent than Hanley, scoring in double digits the past seven of nine starts. Hanley made six clearances and two blocks against Manchester City. Both have shown they produce in uneven matchups, which I expect to be the case again Saturday. For Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold ($15) is frequently hovering around 20 points and may do so in a matchup where Liverpool are expected to bombard the Norwich box.
GOALKEEPERS
David Raya, BRE at ARS ($8): In a 14-team slate, you really have the pick of the litter so it mostly depends on whether there's any money leftover from your attacking players. In this case, David Raya is a friendly enough price point to roll with as he seems fully fit following two-straight starts. In those two starts, he's scored 10 and 19 points against Manchester City and Crystal Palace. Although Brentford are playing poorly, he should have enough save opportunities to make it worthwhile even if Brentford lose. Alisson ($15) and Ederson ($14) are always considerations due to their clean-sheet odds, but it'll be tough to fit them in your lineups. Brighton v. Burnley has the lowest-implied goal total and Brighton have the third-best clean sheet odds. If you want to pivot from Raya, Robert Sanchez ($11) is a good move in a match that is both winnable and a chance to keep a clean sheet. Angus Gunn ($6) is the cheapest expected starter and will see plenty of work against Liverpool. Hugo Lloris ($7) is likely the best value on the slate while traveling to Manchester City.
