SOCCER

4 FanDuel Premier League Studs to Target For Matchweek 23

Dele Alli has been in excellent form, scoring eight goals in his last six league matches, and Spurs get a dreamy matchup against Sunderland.

As is the case when playing any sport on FanDuel, it’s imperative to hit on high-priced studs, the players in which you’ve made the biggest investment. This is especially true with strikers in soccer as goals are often the difference between winning and losing in DFS.

Let’s take a look at some high-priced players -- all across the pitch -- who, despite costing a good chunk of change, are worth the investment.

This article is geared toward Tuesday's main slate, which starts 2:45 p.m. EST and features seven matches.

Matchweek 23
Tuesday, January 31st
Southampton at Swansea City
Tottenham at Sunderland
Crystal Palace at Bournemouth
Leicester at Burnley
Watford at Arsenal
West Brom at Middlesbrough
Chelsea at Liverpool


Let's get to it.

Forward

Diego Costa, Chelsea

FanDuel Salary: $12,400

Alexis Sanchez and Harry Kane are good plays, assuming Kane is deemed fit, but it's hard to pass on Costa against a floundering Liverpool side.

Then again, it's always hard to pass on Costa. Among players who have made at least 20 Premier League appearances, no one in league history has scored at a better rate than the former Atletico Madrid man as he's scratched the scoresheet in 55.4% (41 of 74) of his Premier League matches.

The game has a decent enough 2.5-goal over/under. Liverpool have allowed six goals over their last three league matches, and it hasn't mattered who they've faced, with relegation combatants Swansea and Sunderland combining for five goals against the Reds. Making matters worse, Liverpool gave up two goals Saturday in an FA Cup loss to Wolverhampton, a team currently in 18th in England's second tier.

Costa, as usual, has the best odds to score in this match. After sitting out due to a reported disagreement with managers Antonio Conte, Costa returned in the Blues' last league match. It was business as usual as he scored a goal on his way to a 36.5-FanDuel-point day. Costa is tied (with Sanchez) for the league lead in goals, netting 15 in 20 appearances, and he's averaging a robust 29.4 FanDuel points per game this season.

Midfielder

Dele Alli, Tottenham

FanDuel Salary: $9,300

There is some lineup correlation at play here. If you opt for Kane in a striker spot, you may want to go with Eden Hazard ($9,800) in midfield. Considering we tabbed Costa, it makes sense to get some exposure to Tottenham here. Christian Eriksen ($10,100) is in play, but no one is in better form than Alli -- plus he's $800 cheaper than his midfield mate.

Over his last six Premier League fixtures, Alli is averaging 36.7 FanDuel points per game, and he's bagged an incredible eight goals in that span.

OpponentGoalsFanDuel Points
Manchester City120
West Brom023
Chelsea245.25
Watford242.5
Southampton252
Burnley137.25


Admittedly, Alli is more goal-reliant than Eriksen, so if you're looking for a safer floor, Eriksen is likely the better play due to his passing and work rate (he's covered more ground than any Premier League player this season). Alli has a better ceiling, though, as he's gone over the 42-FanDuel-point mark three times in his past five matches -- a point threshold Eriksen has cleared just twice all season.

Spurs should run the show against last-place Sunderland, and they are a 1.5-goal favorite, second-highest on the slate. The Black Cats sit 18th in possession (42.7%) while Spurs are third (56.6%). Sunderland have allowed 42 goals in 22 matches, and they are allowing 18.4 shots per match, the second-worst mark in the league. Tottenham, meanwhile, lead the Premier League with 17.7 shots per match, so, yeah, you're going to want some exposure to Spurs.

Defender

Kyle Walker, Tottenham

FanDuel Salary: $6,300

Sticking with Spurs, both of their fullbacks are in opportune spots since Tottenham will likely control proceedings and spend a lot of time in Sunderland's half, meaning Walker and Danny Rose ($6,800) should be coming forward frequently. Rose is a beast, but a knock may keep him on the sidelines, so we'll focus on Walker.

Walker is averaging 19.4 FanDuel points per game this year, but he's played very well in matches against teams similar to Sunderland. In two fixtures against Burnley and Hull, two other teams in the bottom half of the table, Walker averaged 38.9 FanDuel points. He created five chances in each match while also recording an assist in each. He could be similarly productive in this one.

Goalie

Tom Heaton, Burnley

FanDuel Salary: $7,200

Heaton is the slate's most expensive goalie, but he's been so good that it's hard to forego him just to save a few bucks, especially in a nice matchup with Leicester.

Heaton's 93 saves lead the league, and they are 12 more than any other keeper. He's averaging 16.5 FanDuel points per game, which is 2.5 more than any other goalie on this slate. Burnley's poor defense -- they've allowed a league-high 19.1 shots per match -- ensures Heaton has a safe floor due to volume. That was on display in his last match, when he totaled 16.5 FanDuel points despite giving up two goals.

He may not be quite as busy against a slumping Leicester side, but the upside for a clean sheet is there. The Foxes have netted 24 goals in 22 matches, including just three tallies in their previous six contests. Leicester have been shut out in their last three league matches.