A busy week of action in the Premier League continues on Saturday with eight games on the schedule. There will be plenty of money on the line in DraftKings Daily Fantasy Leagues, which includes the EPL $12K Striker that will feature a guaranteed $12,000 in prize money handed out to the top entries. It’s never easy to find the perfect balance between star players and strong value options but we have looked ahead to this weekend’s slate in order to find the best possible mix. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Saturday’s DraftKings Premier League Daily Fantasy Leagues.
GK: Ben Foster, West Brom
Salary: $3,500
Foster is undefeated in his last three matches for West Brom and there is a very good chance he is able to extend that run with a trip to Newcastle this Saturday. Foster has stopped 10 of the last 11 shots he has faced while posting two clean sheets over his last three games and his $3.5K price tag is very reasonable.
D: Patrick van Aanholt, Sunderland
Salary: $4,300
Sunderland’s most productive fantasy defender has been very consistent including two goals in his last three games. Liverpool has been an absolute mess at both ends of the pitch of late, so it’s worth targeting the matchup with van Aanholt as our top play at the defender position.
D: Aly Cissokho, Aston Villa
Salary: $3,400
Aston Villa is buried at the bottom of the Premier League table but they have earned at least a point in three of their last four games while conceding just three goals over that span. Cissokho has provided a ton of crosses in to the box in his recent outings and it could pay off again this week with a relatively favorable matchup at home versus Norwich.
D: Russell Martin, Norwich
Salary: $2,500
On the flip side of that matchup, Martin has been very consistent for Norwich all year but the most attractive aspect of his availability is his $2.5K price tag. Martin isn’t the best defender option on the board, but his extremely low price tag makes him a sneaky value option that could really pay off.
M: Christian Eriksen, Tottenham
Salary: $7,400
Tottenham has strung together three straight wins and Eriksen has been their most productive midfielder all year. It only makes sense to plug him in as our top option at the position. Spurs will be in tough against Watford but Eriksen has been extremely consistent, and he is still available at a very reasonable price.
M: Ben Watson, Watford
Salary: $4,200
Watson hasn’t been the most productive midfielder in terms of goals and assists but he is constantly all over the field for Watford. The fact that he is available at just $4.2K makes him worth taking a chance on at the midfield position.
M: Craig Gardner, West Brom
Salary: $3,500
Gardner was used as a substitute in West Brom’s most recent game but he started each of the previous four games for them and fired eight shots at the goal in those contests. West Brom has a relatively favorable matchup this week and Gardner’s price tag makes it worth taking a chance on him.
F: Harry Kane, Tottenham
Salary: $8,200
With Eriksen already locked in as our top midfielder, we aren’t afraid to plug in Kane as Tottenham’s top striker and arguably the best striker option on the board for this weekend. Kane ranks second in the Premier League in goals scored with 15 this season, trailing only Leicester’s Jamie Vardy in that department.
F: Odion Ighalo, Watford
Salary: $7,000
Ighalo has scored in two of Watford’s last three games to bring his goal-scoring total to 14 on the year. Kane and Ighalo might be the best striker tandem that we can afford this weekend and that is only thanks to having Watson and Gardner as a decent sleeper tandem at the midfield spots.
FLEX: Adam Johnson, Sunderland
Salary: $3,600
Johnson is another low-risk, high-reward option that could pay off for us this weekend if Sunderland can keep Liverpool down. Dividing our remaining salary cap space over the final two FLEX positions isn’t easy but Johnson has the potential to produce above the level of his price tag.
FLEX: Ryan Bennett, Norwich
Salary: $2,200
Our final FLEX spot will go to another sneaky value option from the Norwich back line. We’re specifically banking on Bennett based on the price tag and matchup. He isn’t an elite fantasy option by any means but he should play 90 minutes against Aston Villa and the potential for a clean sheet bonus makes him that much more attractive of an option.
