This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 8:30 am: Sheffield United vs. Manchester City
- 11:00 am: Burnley vs. Chelsea
- 1:30 pm: Liverpool vs. West Ham United
FORWARDS
Mohamed Salah, LIV v. WHU (£30): Chelsea and Manchester City face two teams that are no stranger to a defensive setup, which could be an opportunity to stack both Salah and Sadio Mane (£29) if you feel confident in Liverpool's attack. They have the two-highest goal-scoring odds while playing for the biggest favorite on the slate. Roberto Firmino (£22) scored his first goal of the season against Sheffield United last weekend, and all three forwards will be well-rested after being second-half substitutes against FC Midtjylland on Tuesday.
Ferran Torres, MCI at SHU (£18): Torres has scored two goals and provided an assist in his past three matches (both goals came in the Champions League), and he will likely be the beneficiary of Sergio Aguero (hamstring) and Gabriel Jesus (strain) expected to miss Saturday's match. Torres operated as the central forward during Wednesday's win over Marseille, which could continue given the easy stroll City enjoyed in that match. Raheem Sterling (£28) scored a goal and notched an assist in the same match, and he will be the focal point of City's attack again. Sheffield United have struggled, but there are differential options with Oliver McBurnie (£13) and Rhian Brewster (£12) making the start against Liverpool last weekend.
Sebastien Haller, WHU at LIV (£12): Michail Antonio could miss up to four weeks due to injury, giving Haller the chance to come back into the starting XI. Liverpool are down to Joe Gomez and Rhys Williams at center-back, with Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip dealing with injuries.
MIDFIELDERS
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI at SHU (£28): Michail Antonio (£25) has already been ruled out, leaving De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez (£23), Hakim Ziyech (£22), and Phil Foden (£22) as the most expensive midfielders. Sheffield United concede the most shots, shots on goal and accurate crosses of the six teams, giving the City players a boost, though Ziyech showed what he can do when he makes the starting XI with 21.25 points in Wednesday's win over FC Krasnodar. Despite being the most expensive, De Bruyne's foothold on City set pieces gives him a strong foothold, while after the Belgian, I'd roll with Ziyech given the matchup and his most recent outing.
Diogo Jota, LIV v. WHU (£20): Two starts, two goals for Jota, who has played a pivotal role in Liverpool's attack. More impressive is that it came with Liverpool's famed front three of Salah, Mane and Firmino in the starting XI and with them on the bench. It certainly helps that while he's listed as a midfielder, he's solely operated as a forward during his time on Merseyside. During Jota's three starts, he's never finished with fewer than 9.2 fantasy points. Sander Berge (£14) is your best midfield option for Sheffield United, especially if he keeps penalty duties.
Pablo Fornals, WHU at LIV (£15): At this price, I think this is the safest midfield play to make their value. In his past four appearances, Fornals has scored at least 5.4 points, with those four appearances (all starts) coming against Manchester City, Tottenham, Leicester City and Wolves, showing that he can still be productive despite playing top opponents.
DEFENDERS
Ben Chilwell, CHE at BRN (£19): Even with Hakim Ziyech in the starting XI against FC Krasnodar, Chilwell still took the majority of Chelsea's set pieces. It'll be worth keeping an eye on that going forward, but due to that small sample, you can have a bit more confidence in Chilwell's floor. Burnley have scored one goal in their past four league matches, while Chelsea have kept three consecutive clean sheets, making Chelsea defenders a consideration for the shutout bonus.
James Tarkowski, BRN v. CHE (£15): Tarkowski and Burnley's tactics are less than sexy, but they are effective. They've conceded four goals in three matches since Tarkowski returned to the starting XI, with one clean sheet. He's put up at least seven points in consecutive matches and will see plenty of defensive work against Chelsea's dynamic front four.
Rhys Williams, LIV v. WHU (£11): As mentioned earlier, Liverpool have an ongoing center-back crisis and Williams seems the most likely to step into the starting XI on Saturday if Joel Matip (£14) is unable to play. Trent Alexander-Arnold (£18) and Andrew Robertson (£19) have the highest upside and will be very popular, while Joe Gomez (£15) is a decent option for passes completed and the potential clean sheet.
GOALKEEPERS
Aaron Ramsdale, SHU v. MCI (£12): Edouard Mendy (£19) has kept two clean sheets in two appearances for Chelsea, making him the most expensive goalkeeper, followed by a now-healthy Alisson Becker (£18). Burnley and Sheffield United are the worst attacks in the Premier League with just three goals apiece, so you may want to consider Ederson (£16) too. The volatility of the position consistently has me looking for the cheaper options, which is Ramsdale and Nick Pope (£11) on this slate. Both will see plenty of work from City and Chelsea, and could make value even if they can't keep a clean sheet. Lukasz Fabianski (£14) is firmly in the middle tier and has had at least nine fantasy points in three of his past four outings.
