Yahoo DFS Soccer: Saturday EPL Picks

Yahoo DFS Soccer: Saturday EPL Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.

MATCHES (EST)

10:00 a.m: Crystal Palace v. Leicester City
10:00 a.m: Watford v. Cardiff City
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Newcastle
10:00 a.m: Tottenham v. Burnley
10:00 a.m: Wolverhampton v. Bournemouth
12:30 p.m: Fulham v. West Ham

FORWARDS

Harry Kane, TOT v. BUR (£28): The top-end forward options are severely limited on this slate, with Heung-Min Son (£23) the next-highest salary after Kane. Marko Arnautovic (£22) is out for a month with a hamstring injury, while Callum Wilson (£20) is a doubt to face Wolves and Jamie Vardy (£19) just returned to training Thursday after missing the last two matches due to injury. The lack of solid forwards and Kane's matchup makes him a relatively easy choice, though it's worth keeping in mind he'll likely be the highest owned player on the slate because Spurs are heavy favorites at home and Kane has the highest anytime goal-scoring odds. I'm also not ruling out a Kane-Son stack if they both start.

Aleksandar Mitrovic, FUL v. WHU (£19): Mitrovic's shot numbers keep him in consideration, especially on a slate that is lean on forwards. West Ham have been solid in attack of late, but they conceded goals to Cardiff City and Crystal Palace in the past two weeks. Fulham's woes are ties to their inability to defend, while Mitrovic has carried their attack, scoring seven of their 16 goals; additionally, he's tied for second in the Premier League in shots, averaging 3.56 per 90 minutes.

Chicharito, WHU at FUL (£18): After scoring last weekend against Crystal Palace, Chicharito has found the net three times in three matches, which has been aided by a consistent spot in the starting XI. Fulham have been the worst defensive side in the league by a good margin, and West Ham are coming into Saturday's match having scored three goals in each of their past three, all wins. Lucas Perez (£15) picked up a knock against Palace and could miss the match, while Andy Carroll (£13) continues to step up his match minutes and may make his first start of the season. My first choice is Chicharito, though Carroll is somewhat enticing at his salary (I can't believe I just said Andy Carroll is enticing).

MIDFIELDERS

Felipe Anderson, WHU at FUL (£20): It's pretty clear Anderson is the best West Ham attacking threat with Arnautovic sidelined, though the presence of Robert Snodgrass (£15) in the starting XI takes away from Anderson's set-piece opportunities. Anderson is more lethal in open play, as evidenced by four goals in his past six starts, while Snodgrass takes nearly all set pieces when on the pitch. Anderson has a higher ceiling than Snodgrass due to his goal-scoring contributions, which is why he's more expensive, but if you don't have the salary for him, Snodgrass makes for a fine alternative.

Ryan Fraser, BOU at WLV (£17):Callum Wilson (hamstring) is questionable for the trip to Wolverhampton, which will likely keep Fraser as the main source of attack for the Cherries. Despite Junior Stanislas (£16) seeing a small portion of set pieces, Fraser still appears to be the main man in dead-ball situations. Fraser is cheap enough to offer salary savings but has a high enough ceiling to justify the mid-tier price. Andre Schurrle (£17) is priced the same and would be a good pivot from Fraser if you want more shares of the Fulham v. West Ham matchup.

Ashley Westwood, BUR at TOT (£12): As we head to the midfield bargain bin, it's important to keep in mind that Johann Berg Gudmundsson (£15) is doubtful for the match with a hamstring injury. After Gudmundsson subbed off injured against Brighton, Westwood took the lone free kick for Burnley. If Gudmundsson does miss out, it's also possible Robbie Brady (£14) takes over set-piece duty, or shares with Westwood. This isn't the most ideal spot to roll out a Burnley set-piece taker, and I may be reading too much into the tea leaves here, but it's worth a roll of the dice at a discount price.

DEFENDERS

Ben Davies, TOT v. BUR (£17): Tottenham have the highest win odds, the highest clean sheet odds, the highest implied goal total and they're playing at home. Specifically, Davies has had a small share of set pieces while Kieran Trippier (£18) has been sidelined. If you're playing for the clean sheet and want a slightly cheaper option in the Tottenham defense, Jan Vertonghen (£16) and Toby Alderweireld (£16) are expected to pair at center-back, while Kyle Walker-Peters (£14) could make a second start at right-back if Trippier and Serge Aurier (£15) are unable to play.

Jose Holebas, WAT v. CAR (£15): Holebas is no stranger to a yellow card, which has the tendency to scare off some fantasy players, but aside from maybe Lucas Digne and Trippier, there are really no other defenders in the Premier League who have set-piece monopolies like Holesbas, which is a main reason he averages 2.09 accurate crosses and 0.31 assists per 90 minutes. Additionally, he and Watford will host a Cardiff City side who has scored just three goals while conceding 15 away from home, while also coming in winless in those games.

Harry Maguire, LEI at CRY (£15): Maguire was on the bench for last weekend's loss to Tottenham after a month-long injury absence, but he has had a full week of training and should come back into the first XI. Palace are actually favored in this match, though they've been better away from home this season, winning just once at Selhurst Park. Four goals in seven matches at home shouldn't strike a whole lot of fear into the Leicester back line, especially with the potential return of Maguire.

GOALKEEPER

Hugo Lloris, TOT v. BUR (£16): I'm going with Lloris for many of the same reasons I like Davies or any other Tottenham defender. The biggest favorite on the slate with the highest clean sheet odds playing at home is a good spot to deploy the most expensive goalkeeper. Lloris is unlikely to be particularly busy against the Clarets, so you'll be banking on a clean sheet here. Cardiff's woes away from home also make Ben Foster (£15) an option if you don't like the idea of one goal possibly staining Lloris' day.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Christopher Owen plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: owenc8888 (DraftKings, FanDuel), RotoCrook (Yahoo!).
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Owen
Chris covers fantasy soccer for RotoWire. In his free time he enjoys watching Jurgen Klopp celebrate goals on the touchline and beyond.
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