This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
A six-game Premier League slate is upon us Saturday and we get Manchester City who are nearly twice as favored as anyone else. They will be the main focus of the slate and where everything starts in cash games and tournaments. In cash games I think the main goal is to jam as many pieces as possible. In tournaments, anything goes, but at the very least you likely need to get a piece or two even if you go underweight on City.
MATCHES (ET)
- 11:00 am: Brentford vs. West Ham United
- 11:00 am: Burnley vs. Crystal Palace
- 11:00 am: Everton vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- 11:00 am: Manchester City vs. AFC Bournemouth
- 11:00 am: Sheffield United vs. Wolverhampton
- 1:30 pm: Newcastle United vs. Arsenal
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Erling Haaland, MCI vs. BOU ($25): Haaland represents a big decision on this slate due to the price tag. Julian Alvarez ($23) and Phil Foden ($21) generally have a better floor due to set pieces and are priced closer to Haaland than they usually are while Haaland obviously has more upside. Haaland has two straight braces and over 60 FanDuel points in his last two games. If you can find enough value to get up to $25 then Haaland is the easiest play on the slate.
When it comes to the rest of Man City, Foden and Alvarez are both solid plays, but may be hard to fit if you go the Haaland route. Bernardo Silva ($16) and Jack Grealish ($17) are very good options as well in the mid range to get more exposure to Man City if they start. The tough part of this team is trying to figure out where the goals will come from outside of Haaland.
Thomas Doyle, WOL at SHU ($12): With Pedro Neto out, Doyle is expected to take over most set pieces for Wolves. They are pretty much level with Brentford as the second-biggest favorites on the slate. Doyle gives you much needed salary relief at the position to help fit in multiple Man City pieces. Neal Maupay ($15) is a decent look as well in the mid-range for Brentford and I prefer him to teammates Bryan Mbeumo ($21) and Mathias Jensen ($17) who are over set pieces, but cost more for the safety.
Joao Pedro, BHA at EVE ($17): Brighton is an interesting GPP team to me on this slate as they have the second-highest implied goal odds, but are the fourth-highest favorites. It is tough to pay for Pascal Gross ($20) with Man City on the slate, even with Solomon March out giving him a monopoly on set pieces. Pedro is right with Evan Ferguson ($20) as the most likely goal scorer for Brighton and comes in at the top of the mid range in pricing. Pedro comes into play for me in tournaments where you are limiting exposure to Man City and using him as a pivot to players like Grealish and Silva. Carlos Baleba ($12) also makes some appeal for Brighton and he has produced well in three starts with the team.
DEFENDERS
Kieran Trippier, NEW vs. ARS ($15): As always no other defender can match the role offensively of Trippier. They gave us a slight discount on him as well due to matchup, but I still like his prospects here. I see a back-and-forth game with solid output from both sides. If you need some salary relief, you can look to Nelson Semedo ($12) or Rayan Ait-Nouri ($11) in a solid matchup with Sheffield United. Josko Gvardiol ($12) and Ruben Dias ($10) have also shown a safe floor if you want more exposure to Man City.
Illia Zabarnyi, BOU at MCI ($11): This is the safest matchup to go and look for a defensive upside play against Man City. Zabarnyi and Marcos Senesi ($9) will likely be very busy in a matchup where they will be pinned back constantly. This gives them both a solid floor and the ability to rack up defensive stats throughout.
GOALKEEPER
Ederson, MCI vs. BOU ($13): I usually don't like the idea of paying for Ederson, but Man City are such big favorites on the slate that I have to mention him. FanDuel just doesn't price goalies widely enough to make you debate going down unless you just need the salary elsewhere. Mark Flekken ($11) would be my next option, but you are only getting $2 savings to take on significant risk. In tournaments, I like Nick Pope ($10) to pair with Trippier in a home matchup against Arsenal where I think Newcastle take the win.
