This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 7:00 am: Wolverhampton vs. Everton
- 9:15 am: Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace
- 11:30 am: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Arsenal
- 2:00 pm: AFC Bournemouth vs. Leicester City
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Jamie Vardy, LEI at BOU (£28): The Premier League leader in goals has the best anytime goal-scoring odds and Leicester City are the biggest favorite with the largest implied goal total. Vardy scored three goals off eight shots (four on target) over the past two matches and is doing his best to keep the Foxes in the Champions League conversation. He's cheaper than Harry Kane (£29), who has failed to score and even register a shot over the previous two matches. The other top option is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£28), who has three goals and an assist in three matches and hasn't had a game of fewer than 8.2 in four outings, which indicates his high floor if he fails to hit the back of the net. If you think Vardy is too pricey and want a cheaper slice of the Leicester City attack, Kelechi Iheanacho (£18) is more cost effective and has seen starting minutes of late.
Son Heung-Min, TOT v. ARS (£24): As I noted, Harry Kane's production over the past two matches doesn't give me a ton of belief to pay up for him. Son, on the other hand, is cheaper and has seen a share of set-pieces when he's in the lineup. He hasn't scored since the restart, but he's added a pair of assists and will look to break the duck in the North London Derby. Alexandre Lacazette (£23) and Nicolas Pepe (£21) are in the next pricing tier, while Bukayo Saka (£14) is intriguing at that price point, especially after scoring and providing an assist over his past two appearances.
Jordan Ayew, CRY at AVL (£17): Ayew comes in with the seventh-best goal scoring odds in a match that Aston Villa are actually favored in. Villa are the second-worst defense in the league in terms of goals allowed, and they concede the most shots and shots on goal of any side on the slate. Ayew has been Palace's best forward this season and is worth a slight risk for a decent price. His running mate, Wilfried Zaha (£19), is a bit cheaper and did manage to score a belter of a goal in the 3-2 loss to Chelsea last time out. Even Christian Benteke (£13) plundered the back of the net in that match and will have something resembling confidence coming into the trip to Villa Park. Mbwana Samatta (£13) often leads the line for Villa, though he has yet to put a performance of more than 3.35 points since the restart.
MIDFIELDERS
Dani Ceballos, ARS at TOT (£16): The midfield options lack a whole lot of luster, which leads me to spending higher on the top forwards versus spending on the likes of James Maddison (£26) and Jack Grealish (£24). My strategy is to use the cheaper midfielders with set-piece responsibilities like Ceballos and hope to hit value that way. Ceballos and the aforementioned Bukayo Saka have taken the set pieces with Nicolas Pepe (£21) and Mesut Ozil (£17) failing to see much playing time. Ceballos also adds defensive work with interceptions and tackles won. Giovani Lo Celso (£12) takes a portion of set pieces for Tottenham when Son Heung-Min is out of the lineup and is a decent pivot after lineups come out.
Junior Stanislas, BOU v. LEI (£15): All of a sudden, Stanislas is a thing again? He's been the main free-kick taker for Bournemouth when he starts, while Harry Wilson (£16) and Diego Rico (£15) do see small shares as well. Stanislas finally seems to be healthy after playing 90 minutes for the first time since Jan. 2, 2019. Bournemouth are still firmly in a relegation scrap and will need to take at least a point against Leicester. James Maddison (£26) is the most attractive option, but his price and production haven't matched up recently, while Youri Tielemans (£22) could be considered but he's more dependent on goals and assists.
Douglas Luiz, AVL v. CRY (£12): Jack Grealish (£24) rightfully gets all the attention as a fantasy option due to his set-piece prowess and ability to draw fouls. If you've got the extra budget to spend, go ahead with Grealish, but if you're looking for a cheap, productive option, opt for Douglas Luiz. He's had at least 4.65 fantasy points in his three of his past five starts and will be back to anchoring the Villa midfield.
DEFENDERS
Patrick van Aanholt, CRY v. AVL (£18): In five of van Aanholt's past eight matches, he's scored at least nine points, making him the most expensive defender on the slate alongside James Justin (£18) and Caglar Soyuncu (£18). van Aanholt's matchup against Aston Villa is hardly daunting and should allow him plenty of space to involve himself in attack. If you have the budget and are considering Justin or Soyuncu, I prefer Justin because he is also more involved in attack and can still hit value even if they don't keep a clean sheet.
David Luiz, ARS at TOT (£17): When you take out the red cards and Luiz's inability to consistently defend, he's one of the better fantasy defenders in the Premier League. He's finished with at least 5.8 fantasy points in nine of his last 11 matches (the other two he was red carded). He's been able to score points in a variety of ways and his floor benefits from the number of passes he connects in central defense. I'd consider Ben Davies (£15) for Tottenham, though it'll be tough to bank on a clean sheet.
Lucas Digne, EVE at WLV (£16): Trent Alexander-Arnold is the only other Premier League defender who has as much set-piece responsibility as Digne, making both defenders top fantasy assets. Digne is second to only Alexander-Arnold in accurate crosses by a defender, and his value sees a slight boost if Gylfi Sigurdsson (£19, midfielder) fails to make the starting XI, which is something to keep an eye on when lineups come out. Alternatively, Wolverhampton defenders are a consideration if you like a stack with Rui Patricio (see below).
GOALKEEPERS
Rui Patricio, WLV v. EVE (£16): Pepe Reina (£12) is the cheapest expected starter and somehow has the third-best clean sheet odds, while Aaron Ramsdale (£13) is coming off a clean sheet against Tottenham, though he has a stiff test against Leicester. Meanwhile, Patricio has the top clean sheet odds and is cheaper than five other expected starters. Kasper Schmeichel (£18) and Hugo Lloris (£18) are the next two most expensive options, while Emiliano Martinez (£17) could benefit from playing a sterile Tottenham attack under Jose Mourinho.
