EPL Gameweek 22 Plays
EPL is here in a big way this weekend. The Soccer portion of the January Jam takes place today and DraftKings is offering a $25K GPP with $100 entry or a January Jam ticket. This is an interesting slate for soccer this weekend as we’ve already had some transfers which have shaken up the player pool. As such, there are a few things to take note of – Wilfried Bony no longer plays for Swansea, he’s completed a transfer to Manchester City. He is, however, still listed as a Swansea player on DraftKings, so don’t roster Bony this weekend as he’ll get you zero points. Moreover, pay close attention to the rosters as we have the African Cup of Nations and the Asia Cup ongoing right now and several key players are missing from their teams (including Bony). As always follow me on twitter @DFS_hambazaza if you want, I’ll try to provide up to date lineups and news as it comes in. Good luck.
Goalkeepers
Petr Cech, Chelsea $4,900 – This pick is contingent on Cech starting in goal for Chelsea. The Chelsea manager has said that Courtois is still suffering from a finger injury he sustained more than a week ago, and if he is not good to go, then Cech is in a great spot and should be able to overcome the weakened attack of Swansea. The only fear here is Gomis, who managed six shots on target last week, and eight the week before, but still hasn’t found the back of the net. If you think that scoring will continue to elude the Swans new front man then Cech should get plenty of supply of saves AND not be at huge risk of conceding a goal or two. Moreover, Chelsea should be in line for the win in this match and that bonus alone should be good for whoever mans the goal to make value.
Simon Mignolet, Liverpool $5,200 – It’s been a while since I’ve written up the Liverpool keeper, as he had a bad run recently that kept him off my radar. Mignolet enters this week though facing one of the worst offenses in the Premiership in Aston Villa, as they haven’t scored a goal since Christmas. One fear, however, is that the last time these two teams met, Villa was able to steal 3 points away from Liverpool.
Other Keepers I Like: Ben Hamer (Leicester City, $4,700), Fraser Forster (Southampton, $4,700), David De Gea (Manchester United, $5,100)
Defenders
Kieran Trippier, Burnley $5,600 – This is a tough call to make. On the one hand, he had a VERY productive game last week and was able to provide plenty of attacks and in some scoring formats, plenty of crosses. On the other hand, almost none of those crosses counted for Trippier in the DK scoring format as the stats provider didn’t deem them as “crosses.” I won’t get into the specifics of what should and should not be a cross, but Trippier has been an excellent player for this Burnley side and he is long overdue for an assist as he has just one on the season to go with 29 chances created. At some point, the luck is bound to turn around. Trippier is a risky play because of all those factors, however, he is also reliably involved in the Burnley offense that is going to play at home against a weak Crystal Palace team.
Kyle Walker, Tottenham $4,200 – Last week Kyle Walker recorded four crosses and 2 fouls drawn using DraftKings scoring. What’s lost is that he’s finally looking fit again and ready to contribute in a big way towards the Tottenham offense. This week with Tottenham playing against Sunderland, I expect Walker to sit closer to midfield and be involved in the attack. With some runs down the right side, he should find himself in position to deliver a few crosses and if they can be accurate could result in a shot or even a goal.
Luke Shaw, Manchester United $4,000 – Shaw will be playing as midfielder marked as defender on DraftKings. These are ideal scenarios in which we need to take advantage of. Manchester United are starting to get their defense back in form, and with a formation of 3-5-2, Shaw plays on the flank and could be a great play against a QPR team that isn’t known for stopping right flank attacks.
Other Defenders I Like: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton, $4,800), Nathanial Clyne (Southampton, $4,400), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool, $4,100), Filipe Luis (chelsea, $4,100), Danny Simpson and Paul Konchesky (Leicester City, $3,300 and $3,400)
Midfielders
Eden Hazard, Chelsea $9,500 – He’s playing as the main cog in the Chelsea offense that is working hard to maintain possession of the lead in the table. Hazard is the main penalty taker, and he’s the star midfielder working to get the ball up to the ever talented Diego Costa. Prior to last week, he has had a goal or an assist in five of the last 6 games, but his price hasn’t really changed much. He disappointed a little last week with only four fantasy points, however, I believe that Hazard is the top midfield play on the day. He should have as many touches as anybody in the final third and will be instrumental in a potential Chelsea victory.
George Boyd, Burnley $6,300 – Here’s a guy that has quietly been putting up some numbers. Over his last ten games, Boyd has managed to reach double digit fantasy points four times and has done so by being ever present in the offense from the right side. This week Boyd is facing Crystal Palace, and if you want to fade Danny Ings or even complement Ings with a Boyd stack, it might prove to be very fruitful in a GPP. Boyd is a high-risk, high-reward option as he’s never gone over seven fantasy points in matches when he did not net a goal.
Christian Eriksen, Tottenham $7900 – I’ve debated between him and Raheem Sterling for this spot, but ultimately, the price and recent performance have won me over. However, if you choose to go with Sterling over Eriksen, I can’t fault you as Sterling is well rested, and is poised to take the striker spot for Liverpool. Eriksen also got a rest during the week as he missed the cup game for Tottenham. Last week he came real close to scoring against Palace, but came up short. He should be in a great spot this week to make up for the very low score of last week, one that could be attributed to fatigue.
Other Midfielders I Like: Raheem Sterling (Liverpool, $8,500), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea, $7,800), Dusan Tadic (Southhampton, $9,200), Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace, $5,400), Victor Moses (if he starts, Stoke, $5,500), Angel Di Maria (Manchester United, $10,500)
Forwards
Harry Kane, Tottenham $10,500 – Sometimes you have to just go with the obvious choice. When the entirety of the Internet began to tout Harry Kane as the top forward recently, I began to search for reasons NOT to roster him, and here’s what I came up with
- -He wins only 28% of aerial duels.
- -He provides average numbers on defense.
Kane has been a great forward for the last few weeks, and has shown it with goals scored, as he has six goals in the last six games. Tottenham is playing a Sunderland team that is not very good, and this is a recipe for success. Pay the price for Kane and enjoy the (hopefully) great show.
Diego Costa, Chelsea $10,300 – I can’t help it, I’m a Chelsea addict and I can’t help but roster their players. However, it helps that Costa has been so good. How good you ask? On the season, he has a goal every 104 minutes, which is roughly every game and a quarter. He also averages 8.6 touches in the penalty area every game. Costa is the head of the proverbial snake that is the Chelsea attack and Chelsea are looking to get forward in this one. I expect a big game from them, and specifically from Costa this week.
Danny Ings, Burnley $8,000 – I was right on Ings last week, let’s see if we can make it two in a row. Ings has been consistently aggressive, and he’s quietly gone about putting Burnley ahead in the games that he’s been featured. Burnley should be able to score a goal or two in this matchup and look for Ings to be the main beneficiary from that offense.
Other Forwards I Like: Wayne rooney (Manchester United, $10,600), Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester, $6,100), Charlie Austin (QPR, $9,300), Peter Crouch (Stoke City, $6,400), Steven Fletcher (Sunderland, 5,400), James Wilson (Manchester United, $4,500, only if he starts)