I won’t go so far as to say Saturday’s EPL DFS slate comes down to how many Arsenal players you can fit in your lineup, but I certainly wouldn’t blame anyone for playing an Arsenal stack even with six games on the FD slate. When the top team on the table faces the team that has allowed the most goals in the league, they are bound to generate a lot of interest. It also doesn’t hurt that the other top teams and players mostly have warts. Chelsea has dropped to tenth in the table thanks to a streak of five straight games without a win. The last four of those games were with top signing Joao Felix, who has failed to reach double-digit fantasy points in each of his last two games. Tottenham is fourth in the table but they are on the road coming off a terrible game in the FA Cup midweek. Leicester is always good for goals (for both teams) but they are only available in the FD slate. I don’t know if I will stack Arsenal but I do suspect I will go stars-and-scrubs, especially if we can find an extra value play or two once starters are announced.
Goalkeepers
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Danny Ward
LEI
SOU
11
9.04
This is probably too much to pay for the Leicester goalkeeper, especially on the road. That being said, Southampton has scored more than one goal in a game just once since August. Even if Ward doesn't get a win and/or a clean sheet, he should record enough saves to return value so long as he can hold Southampton to one goal.
Aaron Ramsdale
ARS
BOU
5900
9.26
14
14.38
You can pivot to Kepa Arrizabalaga if you need to save money but Arsenal has kept three more clean sheets than Chelsea and Bournemouth has been shut out in half of its games this season.
Fraser Forster
TOT
WOL
5000
6.52
12
10.75
Spurs have a win and a clean sheet in four of their last five games. Wolves have lost and been shut out in two of their last three. I expect Tottenham to bounce back after no-showing in the FA Cup, and we are getting a decent price even on the road.
Alphonse Areola
WHU
BHA
4100
-0.64
9
-0.67
Only six teams have allowed fewer goals than West Ham. Brighton, on the other hand, has scored just two goals in its last three games. I don't love this matchup but considering Brighton's leading goalscorer now plays for Arsenal, this matchup is probably better than it looks.
Forwards
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Joao Felix
CHE
LEE
8200
14.1
19
19.02
Felix was quiet statistically against Tottenham last week, but so were all of his teammates. Only four teams have allowed more goals than Leeds, and Felix is easily the best fantasy play on his team, even if he is the most expensive.
Kelechi Iheanacho
LEI
SOU
17
8.89
Only three teams have allowed more goals than Southampton, and Iheanacho has 1.20 goal involvements per start. James Maddison is second on the team with 0.88. Maddison is safer thanks to the chances created but Iheanacho is cheaper.
Danny Ings
WHU
BHA
7100
6.59
16
11.53
Perhaps doubling down on our good calls from last week isn't the most wise strategy but I am willing to bet that Ings's brace is a sign of things to come. West Ham's 31.0 xG proves that they can generate scoring chances and it appears that finally have someone who can finish those chances. That being said, Ings is risky on both sites and shouldn't be in cash lineups.
Leandro Trossard
ARS
BOU
8000
11.62
20
15.73
Trossard paid off for us last week with an assist and he remains the cheapest of Arsenal's attacking trio. Feel free to pay up for Martinelli, Saka or even Odegaard, but with such a good matchup I think all three could provide attacking returns. That is all the more reason to save some money on Trossard.
Midfielders
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Kamaldeen Sulemana
SOU
LEI
12
6.90
Sulemana is third on the team with 1.79 chances created per 90 minutes and he is second in shots per 90 at 3.18. I still think someone other than James Ward-Prowse is going to get an attacking return and we are getting a great price for the person I think is probably the most likely candidate.
Bukayo Saka
ARS
BOU
####
17.03
22
22.22
Once again, Saka is the best top-tier target on both sites. He has at least 20 fantasy points in five of his last seven games on DraftKings and six of his last seven on FanDuel.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
CHE
LEE
4100
4.78
10
6.03
Loftus-Cheek had a season-high four crosses against Brentford in the only game he played all 90 minutes at wing back. Whoever starts at right back or right wing back has a chance to be a nice value in a really good matchup. Lewis Hall is even cheaper but I might trust Loftus-Cheek more in that position.
James Maddison
LEI
SOU
20
24.47
Harry Kane is probably a better bet for an attacking return but Maddison is safer and has a better matchup.
Douglas Luiz
AVL
CRY
5400
8.65
12
12.57
Only two teams have allowed more crosses than Crystal Palace and Luiz should send in plenty from open play as well as from corners. Douglas Luiz is a nice value with a reasonably high floor on both sites. He leads the team in chances created per 90 minutes and is second only to Ollie Watkins in goal involvements per 90.
Midfielders
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Pascal Gross
BHA
WHU
7100
13.38
16
16.94
This is as cheap as Gross has been since October, mostly because he has gone five straight games without a goal involvement. I would look to play him now before his price rises, especially on DraftKings.
Dejan Kulusevski
TOT
WOL
6700
9.24
17
13.52
Kulusevski has been on corners almost exclusively the last two games with Son Heung-Min coming off the bench. Kulusevski could be worth a shot either way but I like him much better with Son out of the starting lineup.
Defenders
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Ben Chilwell
CHE
LEE
5200
6
9
6.78
Chilwell has eight crosses, two shots and a chance created in his last two starts. With Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta likely out, Chilwell looks like the safest of the Chelsea outside backs.
Romain Perraud
SOU
LEI
9
9.38
Perraud is third on the team in goal involvements, and Leciester is third in the league in goals allowed. I usually like him better on DraftKings but I wouldn't mind chasing a goal or an assist in the GPP.
Jack Stephens
BOU
ARS
3400
2.19
10
9.62
His price and his FPPG are down because he came off the bench for his first four appearances of the season. He has at least 10.4 FD fantasy points in all five starts, averaging 15.76 fantasy points in that span. No team on the slate has allowed more clearances than Arsenal this season.
Maximilian Wober
LEE
CHE
3600
4.83
11
12.03
No team has allowed more tackles + interceptions than Chelsea this season. Wober has double-digit FD fantasy points in four of his six starts. He is a little riskier than I usually like for my defenders, but he should be a nice value in this matchup.
Ben Davies
TOT
WOL
4100
5.75
12
12.03
Davies has eight crosses, two chances created, a shot and an assist in two starts at wing-back this season. He should get another start there and looks like the best defender on the DK slate so long as he doesn't move back to center back.
DraftKings Core Plays
Top Tier
Joao Felix
$8,200
Leandro Trossard
$8,000
Mid Tier
Pascal Gross
$7,100
Dejan Kulusevski
$6,700
Value Tier
Douglas Luiz
$5,400
Ben Davies
$4,100
FanDuel Core Plays
Top Tier
Bukayo Saka
$22
James Maddison
$20
Mid Tier
Danny Ings
$16
Kelechi Iheanacho
$17
Value Tier
Kamaldeen Sulemana
$12
Jack Stephens
$10
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