EPL Grind Down: Gameweek 19

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Welcome to the Week 19 Grind Down! This week we have seven matches in what is proving to be a fun set of contests that should appeal to everybody if you’ve been playing DFS Soccer all season. And if this is your first time playing DFS Soccer, have no fear, there is still plenty of season left with this match being the halfway point for the season. There are a few things to take into account this week as we build our lineups and breakdown the matches, so I’ll make sure to point them out as we go along.

If the Grind Down isn’t enough content for you, and you want more soccer, you should check out the DFS Marketplace where I’ve included my weekly projections, my personal player rankings, A strategy piece specific to stacking and when to use it, as well as a chat room where I’ll be hanging out Saturday morning talking Soccer and breaking down the lineups right before lineup lock. Speaking of lineup lock, this week we have 7 matches with 6 of them starting right at 9AM Central Standard time, with one more match starting at 11:30AM CST. Feel free to leave a comment on here, or hop on the chat and ask any questions you might have! I’ll do my best to answer them, you can also follow me on twitter and reach out to me there!

Leicester vs West Ham

Leicester West Ham
Article Image Vegas Odds Article Image Vegas Odds
107 280
D L W L D L D L D W W W
4-5-9 6-4-8
Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm
11.06 3.44 13.89 7.89 19.17 22.22 13.72 3.33 14.00 9.56 19.89 21.11
Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks
Mahrez, Vardy Mahrez, Drinkwater, Gray Mahrez, Drinkwater, Gray Noble, Carroll, Payet Payet, Noble Payet, Lanzini, Noble

Leicester Play again on Monday on the road against Middlesbrough

West Ham play again on Monday at home against Manchester United

Leicester enter this matchup at home facing some serious trouble. After winning their first every title last season, the team seems to be in freefall. Not all can be attributed to the departure of N’Golo Kante to Chelsea, as the rest of the team seems to be playing a less than stellar brand of football than they did last season. Of course, Kaspar Schmeichel missed some time which hurt their defense a bit, and teams have been stepping up to play the defending champs. Leicester now find themselves on the doorsteps of relegation and are facing the upcoming prospect of being without Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani, Daniel Amartey, and Jeffrey Schlupp for the month of January for the African Nations Cup, so the team will be struggling. For their matchup this week, they are going to have all these players available, but they still won’t have Jamie Vardy due to his suspension, while they will face West Ham at home. West Ham are entering this match having won their last 3 with a combined score of 6-1 and have positive results against Liverpool and Manchester United in their last 6 matches. This will be a tough matchup for the home team, but they’ll look to rely on their counter attack and quick feet to take West Ham’s defenders off guard and try to score goals. The oddsmakers have Leicester as favorites but not heavy ones meaning that there are opportunities to take all players from both teams for both FanDuel and DraftKings.

Leicester Top Plays

If you decide to target Leicester, the top players to go after are going to be Danny Drinkwater, Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani, Christian Fuchs and Kasper Schmeichel. In order to truly assess which players are worth considering, you must consider the style of play that Leicester has employed in their recent home matches. In typical fashion, in three matches (win against Manchester City, Loss to Everton, Draw to Middlesbrough), Leicester gave up 78%, 58%, and 59% in that order. Given that the team gives up close to 60% possession every match, they likely don’t end up with many fantasy contributors when you look at just the offensive side of the ball. It also puts pressure on the defenders for interceptions, blocks, tackles and clearances. The Goalkeeper also gets some extra looks in this schema as Leicester’s opponents have taken more shots than them in all but 3 of their 9 home matches this season so far. Nevertheless, the matches usually don’t have lots of shots taken as the action centers around the midfield and right before the 18 yard line on most possessions.

Marc Albrighton (Midfielder, $5,700 FD, $6,100 DK) would be the top option to consider here as he’s taken his game up to the next level in his last two providing double digit crosses and 9 total chances created making him a viable option on both sites. Albrighton is likely getting an increased role in the team to return to last year’s success and to begin the process of compensating for the departure of Mahrez in the midfield that will leave the team lacking a true playmaker.

Leicester Secondary Plays

Kasper Schmeichel, Goalkeeper, $6,800 FD, $5,100 DK – Schmeichel gets the nod here due to his relatively consistent role on the team as the playmaker and stopper. He’s likely to get the Win here for the defending champs which gives him at least 5 points on DraftKings. Now whether he gets a clean sheet, is debatable as the team has had some weak defensive performances in the past, and they haven’t been able to get a home clean sheet in their last six matches in all competitions. So Schmeichel gets a slight nod here but not an overly confident one.

West Ham Top Plays

Dimitri Payet, Midfielder, $10,000 FD, $9,000 DK – You can’t go wrong with targeting Payet, who’s on his second consecutive match on the road. He’s had over 30 FanDuel points in his last four matches, including a goal AT Liverpool and has 22 chances created in that span to go along with 37 crosses and a goal and assist. He’s averaging 16.5 DK points and 25.7 FD points on the season, and he’s the best player on this team. Payet doesn’t need his team to win the match in order to have a good day, but he does need possession, and there is no better opponent than Leicester to grant him his wish.

West Ham Secondary Plays

Andy Carroll, Forward, $8,400 FD, $6,300 DK – His price is slow to rise on DraftKings which makes him a better option there. He managed a goal last time out against Swansea to make up for having 9 shots that went unanswered in his previous two starts as West Ham’s new number 9. His point total on DK was just at 15 even with the goal, so you won’t get much out of him (2.5x), while he managed 28.75 on FD (3.4x). He’s unlikely to feature much in this one as the team wont be able to penetrate the Leicester defenses very reliably, however, Carroll does have some interest for me. Other places to look for Leicester include Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini if the latter gets the start following missing the last match due to a rib injury.

Burnley vs Sunderland

Burnley Sunderland
Article Image Vegas Odds Article Image Vegas Odds
142 229
L L W L L W L W L L W L
6-2-10 4-2-12
Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm
9.00 2.83 19.56 10.44 16.61 25.56 9.78 2.72 18.89 10.89 16.33 25.22
Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks
Andre Gray, Sam Vokes Dean Marney, Johann-Berg Gudmundsson Johann-Berg Gudmundsson, Scott Arfield Borini, Defoe, Watmore Khazri, Van Aanholt Khazri, Januzaj, Gooch, van Aanholt

Burnley play again on Monday on the road against Manchester City

Sunderland play again on Monday at home against Liverpool

Burnley have one of the best home records in the premier league this season (surprisingly) with 19 points in ten matches having won 6, lost three and drew just 1. This week, they welcome Sunderland who have just 4 points in 9 tries away from home with a goal differential of -11 to show for their efforts. Burnley are indeed given some respect for their accomplishments so far, but they still remain as a bottom half team as they currently sit at 14th. What makes Burnley tick at home is that they rely on the counter attack and the speed of their young players, Barnes, Marney, Gray and the skills of Vokes in the air. The team doesn’t generate a lot of fantasy appeal for offensive stats as they tend to slow things down in order to gain control of the pitch and dictate the pace. Their opponents, Sunderland, have not had much success in any methodology this year having won just a single match away from the Stadium of Light against Bournemouth making Sunderland a likely candidate for relegation this season. Sunderland does not tend to play an overly aggressive brand of football preferring to absorb the attacks and hit on the counter attack. They rely on Patrick Van Aanholt, and Billy Jones, the full backs to start the counter with reliance on Victor Anichebe and Fabio Borini and Adnan Januzaj to continue the midfield push with Jermain Defoe in the front to try to finish the balls into the back of the net. They have had some success with that. But this should lead to some busy work for the Burnley central defenders as well as the defensive midfielders for both squads.

Burnley Top Plays

Ben Mee, Defender, $5,900 FD – Mee and Keane are both valuable players to take on your FanDuel lineups as they both can provide some fantasy points in clearances, tackles, blocks and interceptions. Mee gets the nod here because of his seemingly higher ceiling and floor due to his higher average over his last few matches. With Burnley having to deal with Defoe in the back, Mee and Keane will be working hard to keep him off the ball and that could end up being the difference between winning and losing this match.

Burnley Secondary Plays

Johann Berg-Gudmundsson, Midfielder, $5,200 FD, $6,100 DK – If Gudmundsson starts this one as expected he should be a top option on this team as he’s going to take the set pieces and will be one of the main cogs of the offense as they look to get a win here prior to the Monday trip to the Etihad to play Manchester City. Gudmundsson plays wide for this team and in a match where they’ll have to do something different they may rely on his creativity and his skill to boost their performance to get this win.

Sunderland Top Plays

Victor Anichebe, Forward, $7,200 FD, $6,500 DK – Most people will likely target Defoe as the favorite on Sunderland to get the goal, and they wouldn’t be wrong. Defoe had a good run prior to a tough stretch of matches that featured Manchester United and Chelsea. But the real star for this team has been Anichebe for the past few weeks. Judging by activity alone, Anichebe has been tremendous in terms of activity leading the team in touches along with Patrick Van Aanholt. Both players make for a good tandem.

Sunderland Secondary Plays

Vito Mannone, Goalkeeper, $5,000 FD, $4,500 DK – Mannone can be a good keeper if he’s got a good defense in front of him. For this match he should face some pressure from Gray (who scored a goal last time out), and Gudmundsson (who’s back from injury), adding to Mannone’s appeal. He’s on the road which takes away from him a little, but he’s still expected to face a supply of shots close to 5-6 shots on target meaning he has potential for double digits points on DK if he doesn’t concede too many goals.

Chelsea vs Stoke

Chelsea Stoke
Article Image Vegas Odds Article Image Vegas Odds
-362 1250
W W W W W W W W L D D L
15-1-2 5-6-7
Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm
15.33 5.44 8.78 5.00 19.06 18.39 11.61 3.61 14.44 8.78 18.50 21.83
Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks
Hazard, Oscar, Fabregas, Costa Willian, Oscar, Fabregas, Matic Willian, Fabregas Bojan, Arnautovic, Adam, Walters Shaqiri, Adam, Arnautovic Shaqiri, Bojan, Adam, Arnautovic.

Chelsea Play again on Wednesday on the road at Tottenham

Stoke play again on Tuesday at home against Watford

Chelsea come into this match having set the club record for consecutive wins in a row in the Premier League and are just two wins away from setting it for the Premier League. They want this win in this one and will get Diego Costa back and he’ll be itching to get at least a goal or two against a Stoke defense that has had its problems this season. Without a win in their last four matches, Stoke find themselves in a bit of a tough bind in this one as they will try to compensate for short rest after losing to Liverpool in Anfield on Tuesday. Chelsea will be without Pedro who scored two goals last weekend (one was unfortunately ruled an own-goal, much to the dismay of several players who undoubtedly had him in their lineups) but they will get N’Golo Kante and Diego Costa back. Stoke will rely on their defense to see them through on this one as they’ll still be missing Marko Arnautovic, but will have Xherdan Shaqiri, Bojan Krkic and Joe Allen if they start all three.

Chelsea Top Plays

Diego Costa, Forward, $13,600 FD, $9,300 DK – Priced as one of the most expensive players on both sites, Costa returns from his suspension with a juicy matchup that should see him take advantage of a Stoke defense that just got done allowing Liverpool to score 4 goals. Costa has just one match this season with multiple goals and this might be an opportunity for him to build on that as he has 13 goals in total which leads the league. He’s tough to fit in your lineups, but he’s worth squeezing in.

Chelsea Secondary Plays

With Chelsea playing in a 3-4-3, it puts close to 7 players in play on offense and allow the team to be very aggressive while not giving up much on defense. This style has worked great for the likes of Marcos Alonso, Eden Hazard, Willian, and Cesc Fabregas. This week without Pedro to play in the attacking midfield, the team will likely be looking to Victor Moses to carry some of that offensive weight. Any of these five players can help support Costa on offense and could be paired with him.

Stoke Top Plays

None, Chelsea have been too good lately for me to recommend a single player as a “primary” target for this matchup.

Stoke Secondary Plays

Lee Grant, Goalkeeper, $7,200 FD, $3,700 DK – Grant loses some appeal for being on the road, but if the price on FanDuel is any indication, Grant gets a big nod this week due to his opponent expected to get a lot of possession and shots. Grant should face a lot of shots from this Chelsea squad, it makes him more appealing on FanDuel than on DraftKings where he can end up in positive territory. But his price on DraftKings is so low you could potentially roster him along with multiple top options to build a good team.

Manchester United vs Middlesbrough

Manchester United Middlesbrough
Article Image Vegas Odds Article Image Vegas Odds
-388 1554
D D W W W W D W L L W L
9-6-3 4-6-8
Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm
16.44 5.56 9.61 5.06 23.78 15.94 9.11 2.50 13.39 7.83 18.78 20.61
Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks
Rooney, Ibrahimovic, Herrara, Martial, Mata Rooney, Ibrahimovic, Depay, Mata, Young Blind, Rooney, Depay, Mata, Herrera, Young Ramirez, Downing Ramirez, Downing Downing, Ramirez, Friend

Manchester United play next on Monday on the road at West Ham

Middlesbrough play next on Monday at home against Leicester

United come into this one undefeated in 9 straight matches with the second longest streak in the league at the moment. They get to host a tough Middlesbrough team that won’t give up easy but is susceptible to losing. The closest comparison we have to look at is their match with Liverpool just three matchdays ago where they lost 3-0 at home. With this match on the road, the expectation is that United with control the match from top to bottom with Middlesbrough trying hard to withstand the attack from the likes of Mkhytarian, Pogba and Ibrahimovic.

Manchester United Top Plays

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Midfielder, $7,700 FD, $$7,500 DK – Mkhitryan scored an incredible goal last time out for United and continued his great run where he’s scored goals in his last three matches played for the Red Devils after having not scored in his previous 9. Mkhy should get another set of opportunities in this one as United continue their run of matches with him, Pogba and Zlatan all playing near the peak of their abilities, this team will be tough to stop. Moreover, his price is the cheapest of the three making him the most intriguing of them from a fantasy perspective.

Paul Pogba, Midfielder, $10,200 FD, $7,800 DK – Pogba is extremely cheap on DraftKings making him a very viable option there with United having relied on him in the recent matchups to guide them from the midfield and facilitate their attacks. Pogba is a top player in this league with unparalleled skill. He contributes in many ways to this team as well with crosses, shots and chances created he makes for an excellent option for a not-so-steep price tag.

Manchester United Secondary Plays

Any of Ibrahimovic, Mata, Lingard, would do the trick as the team would be looking for another win in this one. Ibrahimovic is the most obvious one with the biggest threat as a goal scorer. He is one of the top targets at forward this week, but his price is tough and the opponent is a tougher than usual defensive squad. Mata may sit this one out in favor of Mkhitaryan, meanwhile Lingard and/or Rashford would get the start here and either of them would make for a fine selection for a tournament.

Middlesbrough Top Plays

None

Middlesbrough Secondary Plays

Ben Gibson, Defender, $5,400 FD – Another central defender that fits only on FanDuel due to the scoring algorithm there. Gibson gets attention due to his potential for double digit clearances against this United team that will look for quick short passes down the middle of the park allowing the central defenders to clear the ball. His price isn’t too prohibitive, but the upside really doesn’t exist since he has very little chance at a goal.

Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion

Southampton West Bromwich Albion
Article Image Vegas Odds Article Image Vegas Odds
-126 428
W L W D W L D W L W L L
6-6-6 6-5-7
Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm
15.00 4.83 10.28 6.72 25.33 17.72 10.44 3.11 13.56 8.33 19.78 21.28
Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks
Tadic, Bertrand, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Davis Tadic, Ward- Prowse, Redmond, Van Dijk Ward-Prowse, Tadic,  Davis, Bertrand Berahino, Rondon, Gardner Gardner, Rondon, McClean Brunt, Gardner, McClean, Berahino

Southampton come into this one at home with some mixed results in recent weeks. After home wins against Everton and Middlesbrough and road wins against Bournemouth, they were dismantled at home against Tottenham after appearing to keep up with the London side. However, after a red card to Nathan Redmond, the Saints saw a 1-0 lead evaporate and turn into a 4-1 loss. They come into this matchup facing a West Brom team that plays solid defense away from home, but is coming off some tough matchups. Tony Pulis’ team doesn’t look as good defensively as it has in years past, but they play a solid match and have some offensive weapons. Both teams will look to get the win in this one, and the oddsmakers have Southampton as a slightly big favorite here.

Southampton Top Plays

Dusan Tadic, Midfielder, $6,400 FD, $7,600 DK – Having not started in recent weeks and likely getting a start here due to the missing Nathan Redmond, Tadic should get some opportunities here to take advantage of. Tadic was the star of this team last season but his star isn’t shining as bright this time around as the team is looking for some success without him. He might be back on corners this week as he looks to get your fantasy team back on track.

Southampton Secondary Plays

Jay Rodriguez, Forward, $8,100 FD, $6,700 DK – Rodriguez comes into this match after scoring two goals in his first start. He gets another chance this week to start against a weaker team than what he faced last time out against Tottenham who have been one of the better defenses in the league. Rodriguez isn’t the cheapest option over on FanDuel, but on DraftKings he makes for a great pivot for just 6700 and could fit right into a tournament lineup.

West Bromwich Albion Top Plays

Nyom, Defender, $5,200 FD, $4,400 DK – Nyom is a good play for this West Brom squad as its looking to come away with a win here in a matchup against this Southampton team. Nyom takes 4-6 crosses a match and is involved in the offense enough to trigger a solid contribution for fantasy purposes. Nyom will also look to take advantage of the space in the back that will open up with the advancement of the Southampton full backs who like to push forward leaving some holes in the back making Nyom a viable option for both his defensive contribution (tackles, interceptions) and offensive contributions (shots, chances created, crosses)

West Bromwich Albion Secondary Plays

Ben Foster, Goalkeeper, $6,700 FD, $4,000 DK – Foster is extremely cheap on DK and is about 1K cheaper than similar options on FD making him a great option for tournaments. With Southampton at home, they’ll be taking lots of shots which opens up the door for Foster to get some saves and potentially get enough stats to win somebody a tournament. Foster had a monster match last time out with 10 saves against Arsenal showing that he has the potential in him if he faces the supply. He won’t face 10 shots on target again this time, but he will face between 3-6 and if he can get saves on most of them he’ll come out ahead on both sites.

Swansea vs Bournemouth

Swansea Bournemouth
Article Image Vegas Odds Article Image Vegas Odds
194 153
W L W L L L L W L W L L
3-3-12 6-3-9
Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm
11.44 4.11 15.11 9.67 22.94 18.83 11.78 3.89 14.17 8.61 18.00 19.61
Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks
Sigurdsson Sigurdsson Sigurdsson, Routledge, Stephen Kingsley Wilson, Daniels,  Stanislas Ibe, Arter, Gradel King, Fraser, Gradel, Stanislas, Daniels

A lot of unknown in the Swansea camps this week as they recently fired head coach Bob Bradley to make his tenure as the first American coach in the Premier League a short lived and forgettable one. Of course, Bradley didn’t really have a chance with a team that wasn’t constructed to win this season after giving up plenty of their top assets in recent seasons for financial stability they were bound to run into some issues. Now they appear to be headed for relegation and nothing short of a miracle or a series of miracles can save them. Bournemouth on the other hand have a good opportunity to come away with a road win here this week, though, it’s hard to predict what a team with a fired manager will do and which version of the team will show up. I expect that Bournemouth will have a few good chances this week making them a possible option for fantasy purposes. Ranging from Junior Stanislas, Callum Wilson and even the full backs and center backs will have some potential this week.

Swansea Top Plays

Gylfi Sigurdsson, Midfielder, $9,400 FD, $9,200 DK – Swansea won’t transition to a solid team anytime soon, but the next best thing is that they rely heavily on Gylfi Sigurdsson for their offensive contributions which leads to plenty of opportunities for him to contribute on the offensive end. He’s one of the top options this week as he looks to help this team find their footing under an interim manager. Siggy is still responsible for crosses, corners and almost all free kicks that it’s hard for the team to get any offensive contributions not involving him.

Swansea Secondary Plays

Lukasz Fabianski, Goalkeeper, $6,500 FD, $4,700 DK – Fabianski is a solid option to consider on defense since he’s a home keeper that is an underdog meaning that he’s got an improved potential for a win despite being part of a lesser team. Swansea have had trouble in the back, that might start to get better moving forward, but the expectation is that it will take a while. In the meantime, Fabianski will still be facing a large amount of shots, and while he’s shown the ability to go in the negative over on DK in recent weeks, he’s not facing a team that could REALLY punish him giving him more opportunity to deliver on his cheap price tag.

Bournemouth Top Plays

Callum Wilson, Forward, $6,900 FD, $6,300 DK – Wilson comes into this matchup as one of the more popular options given the opponent as well as his position on the pitch as the leader of the line of attack. Wilson hasn’t scored a goal in three weeks since December 4th, but the matchup against a Swansea team that has allowed 19 goals in their last six matches leaves little to the imagination as to what this Bournemouth team can accomplish.

Bournemouth Secondary Plays

Junior Stanislas, Midfielder, $5,100 FD, $6,900 DK – If Stanislas gets the start he likely gets the nod to take corners and is one of the main crossers on this team from open play making him an important play to consider on DraftKings. Stanislas however isn’t a consistent starter but with the team on short rest this week and with another match on Monday, he will definitely get some playing time in one of these matches.

Steve Cook, Defender, $5,700 FD – Cook is a FanDuel only option considering his position as a central defender. He’s worth considering for his ability to rack up defensive stats including clearances, tackles, blocks, and interceptions. Cook is cheap enough to consider on your team and will likely be one of the higher scoring central defenders on the day being on the road against a team that attacks with abandon (and without much precision)

Liverpool vs Manchester City

Liverpool Manchester City
Article Image Vegas Odds Article Image Vegas Odds
136 217
W L D W W W W L L W W W
12-4-2 12-3-3
Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm Sh/Gm SoT/Game Shots A/Gm Shots A in box /Gm Cross/Gm Cross A/Gm
18.11 6.22 7.67 4.17 20.94 14.06 16.89 5.61 8.67 5.06 22.22 14.39
Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks Penalties Direct Free Kicks Corners & Indirect Free Kicks
Milner, Benteke, Henderson, Sturridge, Coutinho, Moreno Philippe Coutinho, Lallana Milner, Lallana, Coutinho, Henderson Aguero, Toure, De Bruyne, Bony, Kolarov Toure, Kolarov, De Bruyne, Silva De Bruyne, Silva, Kolarov, Navas, Nasri, Sterling

For the last matchup of the day, Liverpool play host to Manchester City. Both teams are high octane offenses and neither team has shown a proclivity for quality defensive performances so far this season. This match could go either way with both teams ending up on top or with neither team being able to secure the win. But one thing that I can predict here is that there will be goals between these two squads as each team will be looking to dominate and inch closer to Chelsea at the expense of their opponent in this match. Liverpool are still missing Coutinho who will be out for a while for injury, and this should also be the last match in which they have the services of Sadio Mane before he takes off to the Gabon for the African Cup of Nations. City welcome Sergio Aguero back after he missed 4 matches due to suspension and in this one I think he gets his feet dirty a little and scores a goal or two.

Liverpool Top Plays

James Milner, Defender, $7,400 DK – Marked as a defender on DraftKings, rostering Milner gives you a chance to get an extra offensive player on your team. It’s a sound tournament strategy since Milner is on penalty kicks and pushes forward as part of the offense on more than one occasion during the match. Milner also takes corners for Liverpool and is good for a goal every once in a while.

Sadio Mane, Midfielder, $9,600 FD, $8,900 DK – Likely his last match prior to heading to the Gabon for the African Cup of Nations, Mane will be looking to make his imprint on this match in preparation for being gone for a while. He’s cheaper on DK than on FD and a good option on both considering that this match may feature up to 5 goals combined from both teams, it will be worth taking players from both sides here.

Liverpool Secondary Plays

Divock Origi, Forward, $10,100 FD, $7,400 DK – Playing as the striker in a 4-3-3 formation, Origi has plenty of potential to take advantage of the City exploitable defense and their inconsistency in dealing with tough physical forwards. Origi had a knock earlier but indications show that he’ll be playing this week. still, make sure to check lineups to confirm that he’ll be in there prior to locking your teams in.

Manchester City Top Plays

Sergio Aguero, Forward, $12,400 FD, $9,000 DK – He’s back from his suspension and will be extremely expensive on FD, but regardless, he’s still one of the more enticing options on the day. He’s got as much upside as Costa and Ibrahimovic this week and he’s cheaper than both. Look for Aguero to score a goal or two in this one and try to get himself back on track after missing multiple matches with the suspension.

Manchester City Secondary Plays

Kevin De Bruyne, Midfielder, $10,100 FD, $9,300 DKKDB is one of the top midfield options each and every week regardless of the matchup and in this matchup against Liverpool I suspect that City will try to get the win since it’s a matchup between two top teams making him unlikely to sit this one out. KDB is good for crosses, shots and chances created. It’s hard to tell for sure how much possession he’ll end up with but he is a sure bet for a good portion of it for this team considering the circumstances.

About the Author

hambazaza
Hesh Hambazaza (hambazaza)

At the intersection of sports and mathematics you’ll find Hesh Hambazaza as a staunch believer that numbers really can explain everything. Along with working as a RotoGrinders editor, Hambazaza contributes to RotoGrinders in Soccer coverage as well as a contributor to RotoAcademy highlighting Vegas as a useful tool. When he’s not devoting countless hours to DFS a week, Hambazaza can be found working as a father, husband and electrical engineer on various NASA projects.