With the new covid variant wrecking havok on sports leagues around the world, paying attention when lineups are posted is even more important than usual. It does not look like we will get any canceled games like we did Tuesday, but it would not be surprising if some unexpected positive tests shake up lineups Wednesday.
PLAYBOOK
Goalkeepers
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Daniel Bachmann
WAT
BRN
4300
4.03
8
6.50
In a slate where literally no team is favored to win, playing the cheapest keeper who doesn't scare you is a pretty reasonable strategy. On DraftKings, that keeper is Bachmann. Burnley doesn't concede many saves but they have scored the third-fewest goals in the league, with no goals in their last three games.
Jose Sa
WOL
BHA
4600
9.45
8
13.69
He is pretty clearly the best keeper play on FanDuel and I think I will probably pay up for him on DraftKings as well. Brighton is tied with Burnley with 14 goals but they have allowed four more saves. No team has more saves than Wolves this season and only Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City have conceded fewer goals. Of the teams playing Wednesday, only Arsenal has more clean sheets.
Vicente Guaita
CRY
SOU
5300
5.98
10
9.63
It is surprising to see the keeper prices so different between the two sites. It would be cheating to say I'm playing Guaita on FD and Nick Pope on DK and just be done with it, though I don't mind that strategy. Both Palace and Burnley are +215 to get a win and a clean sheet, but since Southampton has scored seven fewer goals and allowed seven more saves than Watford, I'll give Guaita the nod if you have money leftover or just have to chase a clean sheet.
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Forwards
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Wilfried Zaha
CRY
SOU
9100
11.32
17
13.49
Zaha has gone five games without a goal, though it was nice to see him get 10 crosses and eight chances created in that span. He is playable in all formats on DK, but I think he is GPP-only on FD, where he has an outstanding chance at a goal for his price.
Matej Vydra
BRN
WAT
7000
2.91
12
4.92
In the lone game he started this season and didn't get hurt, Vydra created two chances and took two shots, with one on goal and one assist against Leicester. Watford has allowed seven more goals than any other team on the slate, and if Maxwel Cornet misses out, Vydra would be one of the best bets to score for Burnley. Even so, he is strictly a GPP play.
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Midfielders
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Eberechi Eze
CRY
SOU
7300
0.9
5
0.65
Eze is at the top of my list of underpriced bench players I'm looking to play for DFS whenever he starts. I think his first start is coming soon after a couple of bench appearances, and he would be a must-start on FD.
Solly March
BHA
WOL
5100
4.74
10
9.47
March's numbers are underwhelming in part because so many of his appearances have come off the bench. He has at least four crosses in three of his last four starts, and he should start Wednesday with Adam Lallana not yet ready to start.
Daniel Podence
WOL
BHA
5400
3.91
14
5.26
Podence is averaging 18.7 FD fantasy poitns in two starts this season. Whgever starts for Raul Jimenez will be playable for fantasy, though Podence would likely be the best value.
Conor Gallagher
CRY
SOU
9800
16.03
20
23.71
Gallagher looks like the safest player on either site, though he could be difficult to fit in DK lineups. He has at least two chances created in seven of his last eight games, with four goals and two assists in that span.
Tom Cleverley
WAT
BRN
5600
6.37
12
9.38
Cleverley has at least four crosses in three of his last four games, with nine chances created in that span. Only Tottenham has allowed more crosses per game than Burnley this season.
Midfielders
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Bukayo Saka
ARS
WHU
8000
10.4
15
12.88
Saka has 10 crosses, six chances created and seven shots in his last three starts. He is underpriced on FD and his forward eligibility makes him a top play on DraftKings as well.
Emile Smith Rowe
ARS
WHU
8600
11.07
17
16.64
Smith Rowe is averaging 22.65 FD fantasy points in his last six games despite scoring just 3.9 fantasy points at Liverpool in that span. He isn't quite as safe on DK, but he gets enough crosses to be playable there as well.
Defenders
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Takehiro Tomiyasu
ARS
WHU
4600
7.33
12
13.42
I'm still not sure why Tomiyasu is so much cheaper than Kieran Tierney, even if they produced nearly identical fantasy points per dollar on Saturday. I'm fine paying up for Tierney if you have some extra cash to spend, especially in GPPs, but I think Tomiyasu is just as safe on DK.
Danny Rose
WAT
BRN
4200
6.24
9
9.65
If Rose doesn't start, I'll simply pivot to his replacement at left back. Only Tottenham has allowed more crosses per game than Burnley this season. For the icing on the cake, Rose has scored more goals (two) against Burnley than in any other team in his career.
William Troost-Ekong
WAT
BRN
2600
1.02
9
9.82
Troost-Ekong leads Watford in clearances, but he is cheaper than teammate Craig Cathcart. More importantly, Burnley is allowing 3.1 more clearances per 90 minutes than any other team in the league. I would probably prefer a Watford outside back for GPP lineups but Troost-Ekong looks like a great FD cash play.
Dan Burn
BHA
WOL
3500
3.16
9
11.05
Neither of my top FD defenders are as safe as I normally prefer, but it is hard to ignore Burn's 12.74 fantasy points per start this season. For a team that doesn't score much, Wolves have surrendered a good amount of tackles, interceptions and blocks.
Ben Mee
BRN
WAT
3300
5.17
12
15.14
Mee has at least 19.3 FD fantasy points in three straight games, and while I don't love chasing that production, I think he is too cheap. He is playable in both formats if you have some extra money to spend.
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Aaron Cresswell
WHU
ARS
6200
10.4
12
13.51
This doesn't appear to be a great slate for high-upside defenders, but I do think we need to consider Cresswell for GPPs, especially on FanDuel. He only has one goal and one assist so far this season, but I think he is due for more attacking returns.