SOCCER

Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 29

Ashley Barnes and Burnley have a favorable matchup, but which other players can give flexibility on FanDuel this weekend?

A six-game slate featuring teams mainly from the bottom half of the Premier League table brings plenty of value to FanDuel this Saturday.

Chelsea and Everton players are among the most expensive ones on FanDuel. That should not come as a surprise given their opponents and form. Everton's Romelu Lukaku is one of the studs to target and the most expensive player in the slate. All plays in this post will come from teams in the lower half of the table.

Matchweek 29 - Saturday, March 18th
Chelsea at Stoke City
Hull City at Everton
Watford at Crystal Palace
Burnley at Sunderland
Leicester City at West Ham
Swansea City at Bournemouth


Let's see where the value is for this weekend's action.

Forward

Ashley Barnes, Burnley

FanDuel Price: $6,700

Barnes is nearly half the cost of Lukaku, but relies on his strength much like the Everton forward. Barnes scored last week after returning from suspension and hopes to build momentum.

He's expected to start alongside Andre Gray against last-place Sunderland, which has lost their last three matches. During the three-game losing streak, Sunderland has given up eight goals and now have the worst goal differential in the Premier League. Three of those eight goals were scored by central forwards, which is the role Barnes tends to take with Gray following him into the box.


Barnes has warned his team about overlooking Sunderland as the Black Cats fight for survival. Burnley has beaten Sunderland twice this season and hope to move one step closer to securing their Premier League place for next year by grabbing their third win in a favorable matchup on Saturday.

Midfield

Sofiane Feghouli, West Ham

FanDuel Price: $5,800

Robert Snodgrass is doubtful this weekend against Leicester City, so Feghouli should start on the left side of midfield. Leicester have not won any of their last 15 Premier League away matches and over 2.5 golas have been scored in West Ham's last seven. There is a potentially high ceiling for Feghouli here.

Leicester are a confident team and should work to find possession that would allow Feghouli to also score defensive action points. Leicester have not been good with possession this season in the Premier League, but they had close to 50% against Hull and managed seven attempts from open play against Liverpool with limited time on the ball. As long as he puts in time on the defensive end, Feghouli can match his four defensive actions last time out against Bournemouth. He has recorded nine tackles in his last four appearances.

Feghouli recorded an assist last week with two shots on goal. Leicester have given up 45 goals this year and played on Tuesday. Despite recent good form from their opponents, there is a good chance West Ham will still produce good scoring chances. Feghouli is a sneaky option who will likely not carry a high ownership.

Defender

Stephen Kingsley, Swansea City

FanDuel Price: $4,200

Kingsley has been announced as the starter and is the definition of a value pick. There are only six defenders cheaper than him that have seen playing time this season. His price and improved form from Swansea make him hard to overlook as a money-saver with a potentially high return.


The Scottish defender has not played for two months with the senior team, but will be recalled against Bournemouth. Manager Paul Clement is confident in the 22-year-old left back's ability.

It will be Kingsley's 10th appearance of the season with his best match being his debut against Burnley back in August. He has averaged four defensive actions per match and created four chances. There is also a chance for an assist, as Swansea has become reliant on the cross. They are fifth in the league in total crosses this season, so Kingsley will likely be asked to get forward and get the ball in the box.

Keeper

Jordan Pickford, Sunderland

FanDuel Price: $6,400

As has been the case for much of the second half of the season, the keepers are priced closely together. Pickford used to be at the top of the pricing for keepers, but he is now at the bottom after a lengthy injury spell. Despite the defense in front of him, Pickford has made 11 saves in the two matches since his return.

Burnley averages 10 shots per match and tallied 16 in the reverse fixture back in December. Pickford should be looking at another active match with the potential for another five- or six-save performance. Hopefully the shots that get by him come from Barnes.

As always, good luck this weekend.