This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Crystal Palace vs. Everton
- 12:30 pm: West Bromwich Albion vs. Chelsea
- 3:00 pm: Burnley vs. Southampton
FORWARDS
Timo Werner, CHE at WBA (£27): Werner has yet to uncork a Premier League goal, but a matchup against West Brom is as good an opportunity as it gets, and the oddsmakers certainly agree, giving Werner the top goal scoring odds in a match where Chelsea are expected to score the most goals. Tammy Abraham (£16) is a much cheaper option who could start after impressing in Thursday's cup match, while Matheus Pereira (£29) is somehow the most expensive player on the slate and worth skipping.
Chris Wood, BUR v. SOU (£20): Both Ashley Barnes (£14) and Jay Rodriguez (£17) continue to be sidelined, making Wood the main option. He scored 14.4 in last weekend's match and will have a fairly even matchup against Southampton, who haven't been sound defensively to start the season. Matej Vydra (£13) could make Burnley's starting XI, offering a cheaper, albeit less attractive option. Danny Ings (£24) is off to another hot start for Southampton, scoring two goals against Tottenham and finishing with 8.4 points in the loss to Crystal Palace, and he has better goal-scoring odds than Wood.
Callum Robinson, WBA at CHE (£14): If Kepa Arrizabalaga is still in net for Chelsea, it could be worth rolling the dice on a random West Brom goal. Robinson is the cheapest expected starter at forward and could take advantage of a Chelsea defense and goalkeeping situation that could use improvement. Not many lineups will have Robinson in them, so keep that in mind for your differential plays. Che Adams (£16) is in a similar mold for Southampton.
MIDFIELDERS
James Ward-Prowse, SOU at BUR (£22): Ward-Prowse has seen more of an attacking role to begin the season with five shots (three on goal) on top of his set-piece duties. Though the sample size is quite small, Burnley are conceding the most corners won and accurate crosses, propping up Ward-Prowse's value heading into the match. Dwight McNeil (£18) and Ashley Westwood (£13) have split the limited number of set pieces Burnley have taken, while Josh Brownhill (£12) is the most cost effective midfielder in this match.
James Rodriguez, EVE at CRY (£21): From one James to another James, although one has a way better pronunciation. I can't think back to a time when Everton seemed this good. Their work in the transfer market this summer has been near the top of the league, and James is the pick of the litter. In two matches, he's finished with 5.85 points and 19.65 while taking a portion of set pieces. Both Hakim Ziyech (£25) and Christian Pulisic (£24) have been ruled out due to injuries, which alters the midfield tiers and makes Rodriguez a must-roster in my mind. Andros Townsend (£20) has a goal and assist and has splits set pieces with James McCarthy (£11), while Allan (£16) is a cheaper defensive pivot who's finished with 5.30 and 7.35 points in the first two outings. Eberechi Eze (£12) has been extremely productive in a small amount of playing time and is a budget-friendly option if he makes the starting XI.
Mason Mount, CHE at WBA (£16): As mentioned, with both Ziyech and Pulisic out, Mount should see an advanced role with N'Golo Kante (£17) and Mateo Kovacic (£14) playing more defensively. Mount will have a chance to link up with Werner and, possibly, Abraham,which was fruitful in Thursday's Carabao Cup match. His price and place on a heavy favorite is a good opportunity to exploit a favorable matchup.
DEFENDERS
Reece James, CHE at WBA (£18): If you've got the budget, you might as well spend up on a Chelsea defender, especially the one who takes set pieces. Their clean sheet odds are the highest on the slate and they should see plenty of attacking opportunities against a West Brom side that has conceded eight goals in their first two matches. James has a goal and assist to go along with three accurate crosses, and a number of defensive statistics to bolster his profile. He's a safe play and one that will likely receive heavy consideration from most other players. If you're looking for more of a differential play, Semi Ajayi (£10) is minimum priced and will be busy attempting to slow down Chelsea's Galácticos attack.
Kyle Walker-Peters, SOU at BUR (£15): Despite Southampton being trounced by Tottenham last weekend, Walker-Peters was able to provide an assist and has been busy defensively with six tackles won and four interceptions in the first two matches. He doesn't have a role on set pieces or anything sexy like that, but he's been heavily involved and may be a safe bet against a Burnley side that is missing two of their top three forwards and are facing a few other injuries. Jimmy Dunne (£16) continues to fill in for James Tarkowski (£14), though Charlie Taylor (£15) would be the next best option after Walker-Peters if I wanted a defender in this match, which has the least amount of firepower of the three on Saturday's slate.
Tyrick Mitchell, CRY v. EVE (£13): With Patrick van Aanholt out, Mitchell is entrenched at left-back. He was impressive in the season-opening win over Southampton but didn't find himself quite as involved against Manchester United last weekend. Both Everton and Crystal Palace have two wins from two games and should create a lively match in their bid to stay unbeaten. Lucas Digne (£17) still has a share of set pieces despite the addition of Rodriguez and is one of the safest defensive plays along with James.
GOALKEEPERS
Chelsea are the heaviest favorite with the best clean-sheet odds, but do we really think Kepa Arrizabalaga (£16) is worth the investment given what we've seen over the past year? Burnley and Southampton have the lowest implied goal total, possibly making them a match to target, where Nick Pope (£13) and Alex McCarthy (£13) both come in at the same price, though I lean Pope after Southampton gave up five goals to Tottenham last weekend. Jordan Pickford (£18) and Vicente Guaita (£18) are the most expensive goalkeepers and will face each other. Sam Johnstone (£11) should see the most amount of save opportunities against Chelsea's attack and is the cheapest expected starter, giving you budget to spend elsewhere.
