We had a pretty nice week of UCL content here at FTN, especially Wednesday with all three of the goal scorers on the slate listed as recommended plays in my DFS article. Additionally, my betting picks went 4-1 for a nice profit. We are turning our attention back to the EPL until the Champions League resumes next week. You can get more of my thoughts for this weekend’s games and other leagues in the FTN Discord or on my Twitter (@vdray5). Also, feel free to take a look at my betting picks on the FTN Bet Tracker.
FanDuel has a massive seven game slate on Saturday, while DraftKings has six without the late game.
Forwards/Midfielders
With a very large slate, there will be plays that I don’t touch on, but let’s start with some spots I really like Saturday.
Brighton — who have become a scoring machine lately — will be at home Saturday against a Fulham side that is weak defensively. Brighton has had several games recently with big goal outputs, and this is a spot where they could have another big game. I can’t get away from Solly March ($19, $8,100) even at this price tag. He has been flourishing since Christmas with five goals in seven games, and he is adding in some peripherals at a good rate. Evan Ferguson ($18, $7,200) has the best goal-scoring odds in this game at +150 on FanDuel Sportsbook and has been running hot recently. Kaoru Mitoma ($17, $7,700) is the last Brighton attacker in my player pool on this slate. He’s getting SOGs at a good rate with at least one in eight straight games. He also has four goals since Christmas and is +170 also on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Another spot to consider on this slate is Chelsea at home against Southampton. Chelsea’s attack is going to unload on some poor team very soon. They have created an average of 1.63 xG/game over their last six in all competitions with just three goals total in that span. They looked dangerous again Tuesday against Dortmund but could not find the back of the net. Joao Felix ($21, $9,200) is my favorite Chelsea attacker despite this price tag. He has had two nice EPL games for Chelsea fantasy-wise, and he has a huge ceiling in this game. Mykhailo Mudryk ($15, $5,900) is underpriced in this matchup and will be a nice salary-saver.
One of the underrated teams to target on this slate is Newcastle. Liverpool has been horrid on the road in the past season or two especially on defense. They are giving up an average of 1.9 goals per game away from Anfield this year, so Newcastle’s strong attack should have a solid game. Alexander Isak ($17) has been solid since his return from injury one goal and at least one chance created and one SOG in each of his three games. He’s taking on a Liverpool defense at home that is nothing to be afraid of. Miguel Almiron ($16) has a decent shot at providing a low-rostered goal as well.
Other attackers in my player pool on FanDuel are Kevin de Bruyne ($22), Dango Ouattara ($16), James Ward-Prowse ($15), Weston McKennie ($12) and Matheus Nunes ($12). On DraftKings, consider rostering Kevin de Bruyne ($9,300), Riyad Mahrez ($8,800), Pedro Neto ($8,000), Pascal Gross ($7,300) and Jack Harrison ($6,900).
Defenders
Kieran Trippier ($16) is another absolutely fantastic play. He is the first ever DEF on FanDuel to be priced over $15, but he is having possibly the best fantasy season by any defender. He is averaging 24.3 points on FanDuel in a 10-game span and has not scored less than 14 in any of those 10 games. He has great attacking upside and a prime matchup for defensive stats against Liverpool. He is expensive but a top option nonetheless.
With Liverpool allowing the most combined defensive action in the league, we can prioritize some cheaper Newcastle defenders like Sven Botman ($11) and Dan Burn ($10) on FanDuel.
Reece James ($14, $6,100) is another top defender on this slate. Like Trippier, he has some attacking upside in what could be a big offensive game for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He also gets a good matchup for defensive stats which he collects at a good rate. His floor/ceiling combo is not quite as good as Trippier’s, but it’s up here. A possible clean sheet bonus at home against Southampton who are in last place is another reason to play him.
Pervis Estupinan ($12, $5,300) is a cheaper wingback with a good matchup for both attacking and defensive stats. He has three assists in his last three games. Brighton’s defense at home has been strong, so a clean sheet bonus would be useful.
Other defenders to consider on FanDuel are Armel Bella-Kotchap ($11), Vitaliy Mykolenko ($10), Robin Koch ($9) and Seamus Coleman ($8). On DraftKings, Hugo Bueno ($4,300) is another player to target.
Goalkeepers
Chelsea is a fairly large favorite in this game, and they are taking on a Southampton team that has just eight away goals in 11 games. Their defense has been solid too, giving up just two goals in their last five games. Kepa Arrizabalaga ($14, $5,800) is expensive, but he’s in a good spot Saturday.
David Raya ($12, $5,300) is another really strong GK option. He’s at home facing a Palace defense that has been atrocious. One of their best attackers Zaha might be out. They have just four goals in seven games since the EPL returned after the World Cup and 0.89xG in those games. Raya is a little bit of a cheaper way to get a solid chance at both bonuses.
Nick Pope ($11) has a very high ceiling this weekend. He should get plenty of saves against Liverpool, and Newcastle’s defense has been top-notch at home. They have allowed just six goals on 8.5xGA in 11 games. Liverpool is barely scoring over one goal per game on the road. With some saves and both bonuses, Pope would likely be the highest-scoring keeper on the slate.
