EPL DFS Targets: Gameweek 32
The season is in its final stretch, with just eight game-weeks remaining, and it’s imperative to consider the big picture when evaluating players and what motivations a team has when they play.
It’s also important to keep an eye on injuries, because this is the part of the season where lots of teams announce players out for the year; conversely, if a team is fighting for a spot in Europe or to avoid relegation, they might bring in an injured player which gives you potential to roster a high value player at a low price tag. This week features a healthy set of fixtures. with seven matches starting at 10:00 AM Eastern time on Saturday.
This will be a top plays article in which I will attempt to give team rationale behind each selection as well as look at previous performances for these players in recent weeks as a guide to judge how well I expect them to perform.
Goalkeeper
Petr Cech, Arsenal $3,500 – Arsenal are the biggest favorite on the board this week as they host a relatively safe Watford at home. Watford are currently 11 points out of the relegation zone, and while they have two forwards who can score at any time in Ighalo and Deeney, that helps Cech achieve a high ceiling as he will face opportunities for saves. Cech is coming off injury and prior to the release of the salaries on DraftKings it was not clear if he would be starting or not. But from reading the news, it looks like you can expect Cech to be in the starting lineup and in a spot where he would normally be close to $4.5K getting him at such a discount means he’ll be a must play in all your teams.
Simon Mignolet, Liverpool $3,700 – If you want to spend up on goalkeeper then Adrian should be your play here as West Ham face a faltering Crystal Palace at home. However, if you want to go a bit off the radar then the Liverpool keeper could be worth a look. Liverpool haven’t been playing their best in the league recently having fallen to Southampton 3-2 in their last match. They face a Tottenham squad that is desperate for points as they chase leaders Leicester. The good news for Mignolet is that opponents of Tottenham have had the most saves per game this season. The bad news for Mignolet is that opponents of Tottenham have also conceded the most goals and he would have to face Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen. Mignolet is a high upside, high risk play that isn’t for the faint of heart.
Defenders
Phil Bardsley, Stoke $2,800 – I am a fan of value defenders this week as I really want to load up on some expensive midfielders and forwards. This is why I am looking at all defenders at less than $3K for my lineups this week. First of which is Phil Bardsley for Stoke. Stoke has been decimated by injuries this season and Bardsley has stepped in and provided an anchor at the full back position. Bardsley looked good the last match and got an assist. This week he faces Swansea who have only scored 31 goals this season, the fourth worst mark in the league signifying that a clean sheet has a good chance of happening.
Russell Martin, Norwich $2,600 – continuing with the cheap defenders, I have my eye on Norwich defenders for this one as they take on struggling Newcastle in a matchup between two teams struggling. Norwich are just barely outside the relegation zone, while Newcastle are three points behind and after the firing of their manager recently will be looking to begin life with a new manager in a positive light. This should appeal to those who like games that are back and forth. Martin is cheap enough that he’s worth taking a chance on, and he’s been able to get on the score sheet in the past so his upside is there.
Jonny Evans, West Brom $2,700 – West Brom visit Sunderland in what should be a close match given that West Brom are on the road. WBA might be close to safety and can secure safety in just four matches. Something tells me they’re not worried much about that. Evans has upside when it comes to interceptions and tackles as he’s had games with up to 8 tackles. He can reach double digits without a clean sheet or being involved in scoring.
Midfielders
Dimitri Payet, West Ham $8,600 – Payet might be my number one play on this slate. Crystal Palace are reeling right now, and are winless in 13 straight matches. Payet has been playing tremendous football with three straight games with an assist. He will be very highly owned by the game log watchers as he’s had nine of his last 10 games with double digit fantasy points. But if you fade him you might be struggling to stay afloat on Saturday.
Ibrahim Afellay, Stoke $3,800 – If you’re going to afford Payet, you’re going to have to step down in some positions. One of the top places to do so is with Afellay of Stoke. Afellay has been taking crosses and corners for Stoke in the absence of Xherdan Shaqiri who is currently at 50%. We’ll find out Saturday morning if Shaqiri will play when the lineups are announced. If he does indeed play, then Afellay isn’t on my radar and I’ll be looking elsewhere.
Andros Townsend, Newcastle $4,000 – If we think that Newcastle will be desperate for goals in this match in order to stave off relegation, then that means they’ll be whipping in crosses. These crosses will come from the likes of Townsend and Sissoko who have shared both elevated their fantasy production in recent weeks. Sissoko is slightly more expensive at $4,300, but he gets more shots and has a slightly higher floor. Townsend gets the writeup because of the price difference though, but I would not see a problem with using either of them in a lineup.
Wahbi Khazri, Sunderland $5,400 – Sunderland can still save their season if they manage to win a few more games before the season is over. If they do somehow succeed, the thanks will fall on Wahbi Khazri who’s flare for the dramatic doesn’t quite match his individual skill set. Nevertheless, we don’t get fantasy points for skills, but we get them for actions. Actions such as crosses, shots and goals, all of which Khazri can accomplish, and I expect that he’ll prove his acumen for goals very soon.
Matthew Jarvis, Norwich $3,300 – Jarvis took seven crosses last match with Brady in the lineup, so his production isn’t dependent on the absence of Robbie Brady. He carries a small price tag and managed an assist last match against West Brom. Look for him to continue his attacking ways in this matchup for Norwich against Newcastle.
Forwards
Sergio Aguero, Manchester City $8,800 – He’s my favorite forward of the slate on Saturday. Unfortunately, he’s so very expensive and rostering him means you will have to make extreme sacrifices elsewhere. I will probably stick to just using him in GPPs. Manchester City are visiting Bournemouth in what should be a fast paced match where City should thrive despite missing Raheem Sterling due to injury. If Kevin De Bruyne is back and is starting then Aguero should be getting some good looks based on the creative talent of KDB. If De Bruyne is not back, I still like Aguero because of the lack of Sterling thus freeing up some shots for Aguero.
Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal $7,800 – If you choose to not roster Aguero, taking Alexis Sanchez in a matchup with Watford should be fun. In the reverse fixture Alexis scored off of just four shots and he should get some good looks in this one. Arsenal are slightly behind the top two and can close the gap on Leicester by securing the win. The players know this and will go out trying their hardest to dominate possession and score goals to win this one.
Jermaine Defoe, Sunderland $4,700 – With Sunderland up against it, they will go all out in the remaining fixtures trying to get wins to guarantee a spot in the Premier League next season. Over his last three matches, Defoe has managed double digit fantasy outings with two goals and an assist. With a matchup against West Brom at home, this might be a good spot for him. With losses to Newcastle and Swansea away in the last few weeks, West Brom have proven that they are vulnerable away from home and might be ripe for the picking by the Black Cats of Sunderland.
Marko Arnautovic, Stoke $5,600 – This matchup between Stoke and Swansea can either be a high scoring affair or a dull drab of a match. I am hoping it is a high scoring affair as I am targeting several players from this one. I think Stoke come out firing on all cylinders as they hope for a spot in Europe next term given they are just five points out of fourth place. Arnautovic is no stranger to drama and he might be looking to create some this Saturday by scoring a goal or two.