This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Burnley vs. Newcastle United
- 10:00 am: Chelsea vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 10:00 am: Leicester City vs. Norwich City
- 10:00 am: Sheffield United vs. Aston Villa
- 12:30 pm: Southampton vs. West Ham United
FORWARDS
Jamie Vardy, LEI v. NOR (£26): This slate is borderline disgusting when it comes to the forward options. I really only see three that I feel any sort of faith in, and those include Tammy Abraham (£25) and Vardy, who are the two-most expensive options. If you've been under a rock the past two months, Vardy has scored in eight straight matches and has 13 goals and two assists in the past 10 outings. This is hardly the most creative pick, but on a slate like Saturday's, it seems to be the safest. Norwich concede the second-most shots and most shots on target among teams on the slate, propping up Vardy's value, especially considering Leicester's talisman is averaging 3.2 shots (2.1 on target) per game over that 10-match span. He has the second-most fantasy points of any player in league, trailed by his teammate James Maddison, who I'll get to later. Kelechi Iheanacho (£23) scored and assisted in his past two matches and will likely keep his place in the first XI against the second-worst defensive side in the league, though his price isn't particularly easy on the budget considering he was £15 and £18 in the previous two matches, respectively. Teemu Pukki (£20) is feast or famine for Norwich and faces Leicester's back line, one that's conceded just 10 goals in 16 Premier League matches.
Danny Ings, SOU v. WHU (£22): Ings hasn't been performing quite to Vardy's level, but he does have a goal in five straight matches. This is the most expensive he's been all season, so it's worth keeping in mind when rostering a forward who's goal-dependent like Ings, though he could exploit West Ham's defense, as they've allowed 14 goals in their past six. Sebastien Haller (£15) failed to make the starting XI in two of the past three matches and is West Ham's most-viable forward. I'd steer clear of him until he can find more consistent playing time and a better run of form.
David McGoldrick, SHU v. AVL (£15): Aston Villa concede the most shots and corners won while Sheffield United are the third-biggest favorite on the slate, losing just one of their last six league games. There's a dilemma between McGoldrick and Lys Mousset (£15), but I like McGoldrick because he's had at least 6.1 points in five of his past seven matches. Wesley Moraes (£16) is the main forward option for Villa but he hasn't registered more than 4.65 points in his past eight starts, while finishing below 0.65 six times (three were negative!). McGoldrick or Mousset are likely to be low-owned and could be the differential picks with many players opting for Vardy and Abraham.
MIDFIELDERS
James Maddison, LEI v. NOR (£21): Maddison has the third-highest floor of any Premier League player and consistently performs to his price. He's a must-start for me, even against some of the best teams due to his set-piece monopoly and ability to contribute stats across the board. Youri Tielemans (£18) is another option for Leicester, though for £3 more I think Maddison is the clear play.
Jack Grealish, AVL v. SHU (£19): It's hard not to watch Maddison and Grealish and not think they're the same player from a skill and statistical standpoint. Grealish is about a year older than Maddison and they've both been played well this season. While Maddison has a set-piece monopoly, Grealish takes a little under half of Villa's opportunities. Grealish is as consistent as Maddison, finishing eight of his past nine matches with at least 8.1 fantasy points, with five of those ending with more than 13.0 points. The only hesitation I have about Grealish is his matchup against Sheffield United, who rank in the top-three defensively with 16 goals conceded. An interesting stat is that Grealish leads the Premier League in fouls suffered, which has helped his bottom line along with the rest of his attacking play. Meanwhile, Oliver Norwood (£14) and John Fleck (£15) split set-piece duties for Sheffield United and are affordable enough to fill out your midfield.
James Ward-Prowse, SOU v. WHU (£16): All three of these midfield recommendations function in a similar capacity, with their roles on set pieces the biggest attraction. They each have at least four goals (Maddison has five) and are indispensable to how their midfield operates. Ward-Prowse is a good source of accurate crosses and gets involved with shots and interceptions, which has led the young midfielder to consistent outings of 7.45 or more points in seven of his past eight starts. West Ham are struggling and Southampton have seen a small revival after playing poorly for a long stretch. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is another option for Southampton, though one that is much more defensive.
DEFENDERS
Cesar Azpilicueta, CHE v. BOU (£18): Bournemouth are struggling as bad as West Ham are, winning once in their past six while managing just five goals. This is a good opportunity for a Chelsea stack, with Azpilicueta being one of the more expensive options. He's finished with six or more points in four of his past five appearances, with three of those ending in double-digits. Fikayo Tomori (£18) is the same price and has a good chance at a clean sheet but doesn't attack as much as Azpilicueta, though Reece James (£15) is the cheapest likely starter and would be another way to a clean sheet bonus.
Caglar Soyuncu, LEI v. NOR (£18): It's hard not to like Leicester's matchup against Norwich, especially with the way their defense is playing. Soyuncu has been a big part of that, which is indicated in his price. He's consistently hit eight points and has the best clean sheet odds on the slate. Other Leicester City options include Jonny Evans (£16) and Ricardo Pereira (£16), who is second in the Premier League in tackles won.
Florian Lejeune, NEW at BUR (£13): Newcastle and Burnley have the lowest implied goal total, and options from either team could pay off as this matchup could be devoid of goals. Lejeune has made at least three interceptions and two tackles won in his past three starts. At this price, anything more than five points would return enough value. On the other side, James Tarkowski (£14) is similar in his defensive work and has the better odds for a clean sheet.
GOALKEEPERS
Dean Henderson, SHU v. AVL (£13): Martin Dubravka (£17) and Kasper Schmeichel (£17) are the two-most expensive goalkeepers, trailed by Kepa Arrizabalaga (£16). Leicester and Chelsea have the best odds for a clean sheet but are going to cost you. Meanwhile, Henderson is tied for third in clean sheets this season, while saving a modest 2.8 shots per match. Aston Villa average five shots on goal per game, enough to keep Henderson busy in what should be a relatively even matchup.
