Updated with the starters for the early games.
The Premier League seems to have covid relatively under control lately, but injuries are piling up across the league, particularly for a few of the teams playing Saturday. It is hard to know what to expect for fantasy when we don’t know who is going to play or where they will be lined up, and that should lend itself more to GPPs than cash games. That being said, a lot of my favorite mid-priced cash plays are expected to start Saturday, so I probably won’t ignore cash games entirely.
Perhaps the most interesting position, especially for cash games, is defense. There are a lot of very solid, safe defenders, but very few values. That may change once we know who is starting, though it will be hard to trust someone who rarely starts or who is playing out of position. With that in mind, I’m probably picking my defenders last, since I think I’ll be content with my choices almost no matter who I wind up with.
As always, the lineups below are examples of lineups you can make using the players in the Playbook and are not for plug and play.
Goalkeepers |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Karl Darlow | NEW | SOU | 4600 | 6.42 | 8 | 10.27 |
Southampton have managed just two goals in their last five games, the worst in the league in that span. They'll turn it around eventually, perhaps as soon as Saturday, but Darlow is worth a shot at home. Darlow is fourth in the league in saves this season. |
Nick Pope | BRN | BHA | 4200 | 9.7 | 9 | 15.33 |
Burnley have struggled against Chelsea and Manchester City their last two games, but I expect better in a battle of two teams trying to stay well clear of the relegation zone. Pope has at least four saves in four straight games, and he had three saves and a clean sheet at Brighton back in November. |
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Forwards |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Callum Wilson | NEW | SOU | 7900 | 11.88 | 16 | 17.29 |
Wilson has scored or assisted on 15 of Newcastle's 21 goals this season. This is a pretty nice matchup at home against a team decimated by injuries. |
Jay Rodriguez | BRN | BHA | 3500 | 1.68 | 10 | 2.91 |
Neither Chris Wood nor Ashley Barnes made the bench Wednesday, and while one or both could return, I would be a little surprised if they start. Rodriguez should be on penalties if the two starters are out, and it is surprising to see he is cheaper than Matej Vydra on DraftKings. Whoever starts up front for Burnley is a GPP play, though Rodriguez and Vydra would be the best values. |
Danny Ings | SOU | NEW | 7100 | 11 | 19 | 18.33 |
We've been having some success lately with good strikers in the middle of a scoring drought, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin being the latest example. Danny Ings isn't quite as cheap as Calvert-Lewin was on Wednesday, but he is pretty cheap. This is by far his best matchup in 2021, perhaps going all the way back to Sheffield on February 12. Ings is a GPP play, especially on DraftKings, where he is pretty cheap for someone who is +138 to score a goal. |
Midfielders |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Bruno Fernandes | MUN | EVE | 10800 | 21.9 | 23 | 31.33 |
He admittedly doesn't feel as safe now as he did a few weeks ago, but he is far and away the best player on the slate in any format. He's pretty easy to afford on both sites, and I would have an awfully hard time fading him. |
Allan Saint-Maximin | NEW | SOU | 4400 | 6.46 | 11 | 6.80 |
After missing two months and coming off the bench the last four games, Saint-Maximin is $3200 less on DraftKings than than before he came down with covid. He doesn't hit a ton of crosses, but he is the only Newcastle player who is capable of bringing the ball up the pitch and can also hit accurate passes. He is a GPP play on both sites, and I would consider him for FD cash games as well. |
Dwight McNeil | BRN | BHA | 6900 | 9.36 | 9 | 8.10 |
McNeil had his best games of the season two weeks ago before coming back down to earth against Chelsea and Manchester City. McNeil is reasonably priced for how high his floor is, and I think his ceiling is pretty high as well. |
Johann Gudmundsson | BRN | BHA | 3600 | 2.91 | 5 | 4.81 |
With Robbie Brady out Wednesday, Gudmundsson played 90 minutes for the first time in five games. He is safer than Burnley's forwards on DK and is eligible at forward. |
Adam Lallana | BHA | BRN | 4800 | 3.47 | 9 | 5.44 |
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Midfielders | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
James Ward-Prowse | SOU | NEW | 7900 | 13.56 | 18 | 18.60 |
I would like Ward-Prowse better if Kyle Walker-Peters returns and Ward-Prowse can go back to the midfield. That being said, he'll still be on set pieces, and he had eight crosses and three chances created against Aston Villa as a wing back. Ward-Prowse is always better on DraftKings but he's looking pretty safe on both sites. |
Ademola Lookman | FUL | WHU | 7600 | 11.35 | 14 | 16.63 |
Lookman has at least eight DK fantasy points in nine of his last 10 games, with the lone exception coming against Chelsea. He is more volatile on FD, though he is a nice value there as well, eight eight chances created in his last three games. |
Pascal Gross | BHA | BRN | 9200 | 10.01 | 13 | 12.40 |
He's too expensive for my liking on DraftKings, but he's too cheap on FanDuel. Gross has 12 chances created in his last three games, and he may get even more set pieces with Solly March out. Gross has a good chance to take penalties as well. |
Jesse Lingard | WHU | FUL | 4900 | 32.02 | 14 | 52.30 |
I'll let someone else play him in cash, but he's awfully cheap for someone who had two goals on six shots (three on target) with two chances created in his first goal with his new team. I'll have an awfully hard time fading him in GPPs in another nice matchup. |
Defenders |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
James Tarkowski | BRN | BHA | 2600 | 4.45 | 12 | 15.39 |
Tarkowski has traditionally been just as good, if not even slightly better for fantasy, than teammate Ben Mee. Mee is currently $3 more expensive, and while I might play him if I had the extra money to spare, I think Tarkowski is a better value. Only three teams have allowed more clearances than Brighton this season. |
Dan Burn | BHA | BRN | 3600 | 3.31 | 7 | 8.17 |
I'm definitely playing Burn Saturday. On which site and in which lineups depends on where we think he will be deployed. If Joel Veltman plays, I think Burn will start at left wing back and could be a very nice value on DraftKings, especially GPP lineups. If Veltman doesn't play, I think we could see Ben White line up outside with Burn as one of the three center backs like we saw in the first half against Liverpool. That would make Burn a nice value on FanDuel. The good news is that Brighton play one of the two early games, so we'll have a better idea of what to do with Burn when we're constructing our lineups. If Burn plays inside, Ben White is playable on DK. |
Antonee Robinson | FUL | WHU | 4800 | 7.26 | 11 | 13.46 |
Robinson has eight crosses in two games since missing three games due to suspension. The American is a safe cash play with a pretty nice matchup. |
Matthew Lowton | BRN | BHA | 3700 | 5.3 | 8 | 11.91 |
Lowton had two crosses in each of the last two games, and this matchup should be a lot better than those. If Charlie Taylor is healthy I would like him better, though he is much more expensive. |
Kayne Ramsay | SOU | NEW | 2700 | 0.3 | 5 | 10.40 |
He didn't do anything in his only start of the season, Southampton's 9-0 loss to Manchester United, but it is difficult to blame him for that. Only West Brom have had fewer possession than Newcastle this season, so Ramsay should have some opportunities to get forward. That being said, we really don't know what we're getting from Ramsay. |
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
Javier Manquillo | NEW | SOU | 4100 | 5.67 | 9 | 8.53 |
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has allowed his fullbacks to get forward more the last three games, and while that has gone better for Jamal Lewis, Javier Manquillo has 13 crosses in that span. If Lewis is somehow able to go, I will pay up for him. |
Fabian Schar | NEW | SOU | 8500 | 7.77 | 7 | 9.73 |
With Matt Ritchie out, Schar is probably the best Newcastle defender for FanDuel, thanks to his clearances. |
DK Cash | | | DK GPP |
Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | | | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
F | Dwight McNeil | BUR | BHA | 9.36 | $6,900 | | | F | Danny Ings | SOU | NEW | 11 | $7,100 |
F | Ademola Lookman | FUL | WHU | 11.35 | $7,600 | | | F | Callum Wilson | NEW | SOU | 11.88 | $7,900 |
M | Bruno Fernandes | MU | MU | 21.9 | $10,800 | | | M | Jesse Lingard | WHU | FUL | 32.02 | $4,900 |
M | James Ward-Prowse | SOU | NEW | 13.56 | $7,900 | | | M | Bruno Fernandes | MU | MU | 21.9 | $10,800 |
D | Matthew Lowton | BUR | BHA | 5.3 | $3,700 | | | D | Ryan Bertrand | SOU | NEW | 6.65 | $4,500 |
D | Javier Manquillo | NEW | SOU | 5.67 | $4,100 | | | D | Jamal Lewis | NEW | SOU | 4.68 | $4,400 |
GK | Nick Pope | BUR | BHA | 9.7 | $4,200 | | | GK | Nick Pope | BUR | BHA | 9.7 | $4,200 |
Util | Antonee Robinson | FUL | WHU | 7.26 | $4,800 | | | Util | Takumi Minamino | SOU | NEW | 3.14 | $6,200 |
| | | | Total | $50,000 | | | | | | | Total | $50,000 |
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DK Pivot Cash | | | DK Pivot GPP |
Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | | | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
F | | | | | | | | F | | | | | |
F | | | | | | | | F | | | | | |
M | | | | | | | | M | | | | | |
M | Jarrod Bowen | WHU | FUL | 10.87 | $7,800 | | | M | | | | | |
D | | | | | | | | D | Ben White | BHA | BUR | 4.37 | $3,800 |
D | | | | | | | | D | Antonee Robinson | FUL | WHU | 7.26 | $4,800 |
GK | | | | | | | | GK | | | | | |
Util | Charlie Taylor | BUR | BHA | 6.78 | $4,600 | | | Util | | | | | |
| | | | Total | $12,400 | | | | | | | Total | $8,600 |
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FD Cash | | | FD GPP |
Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | | | Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
F/M | Bruno Fernandes | MUN | EVE | 31.33 | $23 | | | F/M | Dwight McNeil | BRN | BHA | 8.10 | $9 |
F/M | Pascal Gross | BHA | BRN | 12.40 | $13 | | | F/M | Bruno Fernandes | MUN | EVE | 31.33 | $23 |
F/M | James Ward-Prowse | SOU | NEW | 18.60 | $18 | | | F/M | Callum Wilson | NEW | SOU | 17.29 | $16 |
F/M | Jarrod Bowen | WHU | FUL | 10.93 | $16 | | | F/M | Danny Ings | SOU | NEW | 18.33 | $19 |
D | James Tarkowski | BRN | BHA | 15.39 | $12 | | | D | Vladimir Coufal | WHU | FUL | 16.02 | $13 |
D | Fabian Schar | NEW | SOU | 10.32 | $8 | | | D | Joachim Andersen | FUL | WHU | 12.45 | $10 |
GK | Nick Pope | BRN | BHA | 15.33 | $9 | | | GK | Nick Pope | BRN | BHA | 15.33 | $9 |
| | | | Total | $98 | | | | | | | Total | $99 |
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FD Pivot Cash | | | FD Pivot GPP |
Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | | | Pos | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
F/M | | | | | | | | F/M | Pascal Gross | BHA | BRN | 12.40 | $13 |
F/M | Allan Saint-Maximin | NEW | SOU | 6.80 | $11 | | | F/M | | | | | |
F/M | | | | | | | | F/M | | | | | |
F/M | | | | | | | | F/M | | | | | |
D | Ben Mee | BRN | BHA | 18.39 | $15 | | | D | | | | | |
D | | | | | | | | D | Matt Ritchie | NEW | SOU | 9.73 | $7 |
GK | | | | | | | | GK | | | | | |
| | | | Total | $26 | | | | | | | Total | $20 |