Leicester City has clinched the Premier League title while the top four spots in the table are all but locked in so there isn’t much left to play for heading in to this weekend’s action. That said, every single team has its own individual motivation for a strong finish. With seven games on the schedule for Saturday there will certainly be plenty of options on the board for those interested in competing in EPL fantasy tournaments and we have taken the time to break down the rosters and build what we feel is an ideal winning lineup. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Saturday’s EPL Fantasy Leagues.
GK: Karl Darlow, Newcastle
Salary: $4,300
Newcastle extended its undefeated streak with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last week, which was its fourth straight games with at least a point. Newcastle has shut the door on its opponents in each of its last two wins and there is a good chance they do it again this week at Aston Villa. Darlow has been excellent in goal for Newcastle so we feel very comfortable plugging him in with a favorable matchup for Saturday.
D: Chris Smalling, Manchester United
Salary: $2,900
Manchester United stretched its own undefeated streak to three with a draw versus Leicester City last weekend and they are in a favorable spot to get back in the win column this week when they visit Norwich. Smalling has been very consistent on the back end for United and the clean sheet bonus is in play here with a strong matchup.
D: Sam Byram, West Ham United
Salary: $2,500
Fifth place is still within reach for West Ham United with a key matchup this week at home versus Swansea. Byram doesn’t have much offensive upside but he will likely play the full 90 minutes for West Ham and that makes him an intriguing value option at just $2.5K in EPL fantasy.
D: Jamaal Lascelles, Newcastle United
Salary: $2,400
We already broke down the favorable matchup for Newcastle United this weekend so we have no problem leaning back on it with Lascelles as our final option at this position. His low price tag and the potential for Newcastle United to pull out the clean sheet result make him a smart value play with high upside in this spot.
M: Ross Barkley, Everton
Salary: $6,000
Everton finally broke through with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth last week with Barkley registering an assist in the victory. Now they will look to double up against this year’s Premier League champions and the fact that Leicester City has clinched the title already should help. Barkley has eight goals and eight assist this season and he will be in the middle of their attack as they look to break through again this weekend.
M: Craig Gardner, West Brom
Salary: $4,700
West Brom and Bournemouth have both struggled of late but the potential is there for them to have a high scoring affair on Saturday so we have no problem rolling with Gardner. He has been limited to three goals and three assists in 32 games so far this season but a favorable matchup should help him to find the score sheet on Saturday.
M: Georginio Wijnaldum, Newcastle United
Salary: $4,200
Wijnaldum has been extremely productive in the midfield for Newcastle this season with nine goals and five assists in 36 games. He is available at a very reasonable $4.2K so the low price tag combined with a favorable matchup versus Aston Villa is enough for us to consider him a strong pick for Saturday’s EPL fantasy tournaments.
F: Romelu Lukaku, Everton
Salary: $6,500
Lukaku has been one of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League over the last two seasons including 18 goals in 34 games for Everton this year. Lukaku hasn’t scored in any of his last seven appearances for Everton so there is a good chance he breaks through and finds the score sheet this weekend.
F: Anthony Martial, Manchester United
Salary: $6,200
Martial has been on fire for United over their last two games with two goals on seven shots with an assist. The 20-year-old striker is up to 11 points on the season and he is one of the best options on the board at his position for this weekend.
FLEX: Oscar, Chelsea
Salary: $4,800
The Blues rallied from two goals down to officially knock Tottenham out of the title race and the potential is there for them to be involved in another high scoring affair this week versus Sunderland. Oscar has just one point in his last three games but he has had certainly had his share of opportunities and at $4.8k he is worth taking a chance on in this spot.
FLEX: Jermain Defoe, Sunderland
Salary: $5,300
After a slow start, Defoe has picked up his production with 14 goals in 31 games this season. The veteran striker has scored in two of Sunderland’s last three games and we like him to produce in what could be a high scoring affair with Chelsea on Saturday.
