It was very clear heading in to this season that if Manchester City were going to contend for a Premier League title, they would need a fast start. After all, the reigning champions Chelsea had dominated from start to finish last season and left the remaining contenders chasing all year long.
City has lived up to every expectations early on with three straight wins and a combined 8-0 goal differential – including a lopsided 3-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s side. There is absolutely no reason to expect any let up now that they have taken control of their own destiny.
Meanwhile, Chelsea is dealing with a sense of desperation after three uninspiring performances, so it should be no surprise that we are counting on some of their players to break out this weekend. Here is a look at the optimal starting XI for Saturday’s DraftKings Premier League Daily Fantasy Leagues.
GK: Joe Hart, Manchester City
Salary: $5,800
City still hasn’t conceded a goal through three matches and they draw a favorable matchup this weekend at home versus a Watford side that has strung together three straight draws. Hart has been solid when called upon and while he likely won’t be busy this weekend, we like him here as almost a guarantee for the clean sheet victory.
D: Bacary Sagna, Manchester City
Salary: $3,700
Sticking with the theme of City’s dominance and a favorable matchup at home, we like Sagna in this spot as a bargain play for our first defender spot. Sagna’s fantasy upside isn’t as high as Aleksandar Kolarov or Vincent Kompany, but he is available at a much lower price tag so it makes sense to plug him in here and save our money for the other positions.
D: Joe Gomez, Liverpool
Salary: $3,400
A 0-0 draw with Arsenal means that Liverpool is one of three Premier League clubs that haven’t allowed a goal yet this season. Every member of their back four has put up decent fantasy numbers too. Gomez is a quality bargain play as a defender that isn’t afraid to move forward but is also available at an excellent price, so we are thankful we can lock him in here as our second defender.
M: Eden Hazard, Chelsea
Salary: $10,300
The reigning champs followed up an uninspiring 2-2 draw with Swansea by getting blown away by City. While they managed to bounce back with a win last week, they were certainly pushed by a seemingly overmatched opponent in West Brom before pulling out the 3-2 victory. Mourinho will ramp up the urgency again this weekend as Chelsea looks to regain its championship form and Hazard is their strongest fantasy option regardless of position.
M: Oscar, Chelsea
Salary: $7,200
Crystal Palace has recorded wins over Norwich and Aston Villa already this season but they did lose 2-1 to Arsenal. Their back end hasn’t exactly been flawless to begin the year. Chelsea has gone three straight matches without a lopsided win and while Palace will not be an easy test at home, we expect Hazard and Oscar to shine in the midfield as the Blues put together their most complete performance of this early season.
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F: Jermain Defoe, Sunderland
Salary: $7,100
Sunderland finally managed to get on the board with a point from a 1-1 draw with Swansea last weekend and while they have looked terrible early on, it’s worth pointing out that Defoe already has two goals in three games – including the team’s lone goal last weekend. Despite reports of his potential move, it seems as though Sunderland is set on keeping Defoe for now. He will have a good chance to do some damage this weekend against an Aston Villa side coming off consecutive losses.
F: Callum Wilson, Bournemouth
Salary: $6,800
Bournemouth recorded a win that was decades in the making when they finally registered a Premier League victory last weekend. Wilson was the biggest factor in that match with a hat trick in the 4-3 win over West Ham. Wilson might not get a hat trick again this weekend but Bournemouth won’t be afraid of a Leicester side that has overachieved early on this season. He will certainly have the potential to produce as a bargain play listed at under $7K.
FLEX: Pedro, Chelsea
Salary: $5,000
Pedro is perhaps the ace up Mourinho’s sleeve as they look to turn things around. Many experts feel like the ex-Barcelona forward has changed the dynamic at Stamford Bridge. Pedro made an instant impact with a goal in his Chelsea debut against West Brom and since he is listed at only $5K for this weekend’s crucial tilt with Crystal Palace, we have no problem taking a chance on him as our FLEX play.
