This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 9:00 am: Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace
- 9:00 am: Leeds United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 9:00 am: Watford vs. Leicester City
- 9:00 am: West Ham United vs. Manchester City
- 9:00 am: Wolverhampton vs. Norwich City
- 11:30 am: Everton vs. Brentford
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
MIDFIELDERS / FORWARDS
Phil Foden, MCI at WHU ($18): This match is one of three with real implications on European places or the relegation scrap, so you can expect a full starting XI. Over the past five matches between these teams, neither side has scored over two goals, which is interesting because Manchester City's implied goal total is 2.19. I'm a bit weary to go a full City stack given their opponent, previous record and the amount of other options on the slate, but you'll definitely want at least one player given how they've performed all season. Kevin De Bruyne ($22) is the most expensive player on the slate and coming off a four-goal performance against Wolverhampton. Gabriel Jesus ($19) was on fire for a few matches but has tapered off and didn't play against Wolves. He has a chance to come back into the lineup against West Ham and is a slightly cheaper option. Riyad Mahrez ($19) hasn't started the past four Premier League matches but is typically productive when in the lineup. The best value in the City lineup is probably Phil Foden ($18), as he's hit 20 fantasy points in three of his past four starts. Keep an eye one whether Rodri ($13) starts in the midfield or is forced to drop to center-back due to City's defensive injuries. For West Ham, Michail Antonio ($15) could return from a hip injury and is cheaper than normal given the injury and his opponent. Jarrod Bowen ($17) is the most expensive of the West Ham attackers, while the most value could come from the likes of Manuel Lanzini ($11) or Declan Rice ($11).
Raul Jimenez, WOL v. NOR ($17): It's rare to find the player with the highest goalscoring odds below $20, let alone at $17, but that's the case for Raul Jimenez. His odds are likely propped up due to Norwich being the opponent and Wolverhampton being a heavy favorite. Norwich have conceded the most goals in the league and they give up the most chances created and allow the second-most shots on goal of the 12-team slate. Given those numbers, it wouldn't be surprising to see others from the Wolves attack to flourish. Pedro Neto ($14) has scored over 13.6 fantasy points in consecutive matches, which is made more impressive when you consider those performances came against Chelsea and Manchester City. Chiquinho ($13) provided two assists off the bench against Chelsea and had 9.3 points against City, and is a cheap option expected to start on the right wing. His pace makes him dangerous and a potential tournament play. Ruben Neves ($14) is the best central midfield option as he's regularly finished with double digits. Despite Wolverhampton's recent form, it's hard to bank on Norwich's attack against a defense that has conceded the fourth-fewest goals in the league and generally don't give up much to opposing attacks.
Leandro Trossard, BHA at LEE ($16): Similar to the thought process on Wolves against Norwich, the Leeds backline has been quite porous and Brighton should theoretically benefit. One of the potential beneficiaries is Leandro Trossard, as he's been steering the Brighton attack with four goals in the past five matches. That led him to three performances over 30 fantasy points and one over 20. With Leeds' propensity to give up attacking statistics like shots on goal and chances created, Trossard should be able to hit a profitable ceiling regardless of if he scores, which makes him a decent cash game player. Alexis Mac Allister ($12) and Yves Bissouma ($11) offer value from midfield, and Mac Allister has the potential to take set pieces if Pascal Gross isn't in the lineup. Raphinha ($17) should be available after coming off against Chelsea and Joe Gelhardt ($12) is a cheap option likely to start up front.
Harvey Barnes, LEI at WAT ($13): Barnes has started the past two matches and has bounced back well from an injury that forced him out of the prior two matches. He scored 23.9 points against Norwich City on Wednesday, which saw his price go up only slightly. Barnes has started just 22 matches this season, but he's scored over 12 points in 10 of those outings. Watford shut out Everton on Wednesday but have otherwise given up the third-most shots on goal and third-most chances created between the sides playing Sunday. This also bodes well for Jamie Vardy ($20), who returned from injury earlier this week to score two goals and finish with 53.9 points against Norwich. James Maddison ($17) is also worth a shout as he's back to pulling the strings. His ceiling isn't quite as high as Vardy's, but he's definitely got the ability to outperform if Vardy doesn't find the back of the net. Opposite of Leicester, Watford's entire starting attack is essentially sidelined with injury, which leaves a few relatively cheap starting forwards. Samuel Kalu ($11) and Ken Sema ($11) should start on the wings, while Joao Pedro ($14) is expected to lead the attack. This match has the second-highest implied goal total, setting the stage for productive performances.
DEFENDERS
Craig Dawson, WHU v. MCI ($10): Dawson gets the edge here only because he's cheaper than Kurt Zouma ($11), but otherwise the process is the same as usual. Manchester City force the most clearances and West Ham are expected to play a defensive style. Dawson floats around 10 points typically and is expected to be fit for Sunday's match. Vladimir Coufal ($9) has had six performances over 15 points this season, while Aaron Cresswell ($10) sometimes has a share of set pieces. I'd opt for Coufal over Dawson given his body of work and Cresswell being slightly more expensive. Joao Cancelo ($15) is one of the most expensive defenders on the slate and is a dangerous option out of the back for City. The real value might be Oleksandr Zinchenko ($9) as he starts at left-back. Keep an eye on the starting XI as City are pretty thin at center-back due to injuries and there could be some value if a younger player receives a rare start.
Vitaliy Mykolenko, EVE v. BRE ($10): Like Manchester City, Brentford also force a ton of clearances and the Everton backline could be in for a busy day. They're not nearly as good in attack as City but still plenty dangerous. Michael Keane ($13) is the most expensive Everton defender, followed by Vitaliy Mykolenko and Mason Holgate ($10). Mykolenko has been great at outside-back, scoring at least 9.5 points in each of the past seven matches. He contributes in a variety of ways, so he's not limited to just the amount of clearances Brentford force. Elsewhere, Pontus Jansson ($12) leads the Premier League in clearances (176) and is a force in defense as he's scored 16.9 or more points in eight of the past 11 outings, including four matches above 28 points. His center-back partner, Ethan Pinnock ($12), hasn't been quite as good as Jansson but still ranks in the top five in clearances. He's battling a hamstring injury but should be able to start.
GOALKEEPERS
Emiliano Martinez, AVL v. CRY ($12): Ederson ($14) has the second-best clean sheet odds behind Jose Sa ($13), who has the benefit of playing Norwich City. West Ham have scored on Manchester City in each of their last three Premier League matches, making a clean sheet questionable. I'm intrigued by Lukasz Fabianski ($6) because he's the cheapest expected started and should see plenty of save opportunities at home against City. The match worth keeping an eye on is Crystal Palace visiting Aston Villa as both teams don't have a lot to play for. This match has the lowest implied goal total and Emiliano Martinez ($12) is a reasonable price, while Jack Butland ($8) could replace Vicente Guaita ($8) in net for Crystal Palace. Wolverhampton have struggled to score goals, while Norwich have given up a ton of goals. Angus Gunn ($7) is super cheap and may benefit from Wolverhampton's inability to score.
