SOCCER

FanDuel Premier League Matches to Target in Matchweek 31

Douglas Smith  —  @DFresh39 Apr 3rd, 2017
Burnley has been great at home this season, and targeting players from their match with Stoke City can help differentiate your FanDuel squad on this week's four-game slate.

There are only four games on the main FanDuel slate for midweek Premier League action. The league is having a quick turnaround with six other matches taking place on Wednesday, but this post will stick with the main slate, which focuses solely on Tuesday's fixtures.

Stoke traveling to Burnley has the smallest over/under on the day at just two goals. Leicester are a big favorite over Sunderland, but Manchester United are the biggest moneyline favorite on the board as they host Everton. Watford hosting West Bromwich Albion is a push. None of these matches bring much momentum for one team or the other, so picking the right matches to focus on Tuesday comes down to history and motivation for each team.

Burnley vs. Stoke City

Although this is the lowest over/under of the day, neither team can stop opponents from scoring. Burnley has one clean sheet in the last eight matches across all competitions. Aside from Manchester City, Stoke's only good defensive performances of late have come against teams in the bottom five. Both teams have given up 44 goals on the season.

Burnley are approaching the bottom, but they have some offensive ability. They are third in the league in goals from outside the box. Burnley also continues to have good form in friendly confines. They have lost only four times on their home turf. Six of nine goals scored by Andre Gray across all competitions have come at Turf Moor.

Ben Mee averages close to 20 points a match and will cost $6,400. He has collected 48 clearances over his last four matches. Fellow defender Michael Keane has collected 34 clearances over that time and costs $200 less than Mee.


Stoke are unbeaten in their last nine away matches against newly-promoted sides. Much like Burnley, their most consistent DFS production has come from defenders, with Erik Pieters leading the way. He averages 17 points per match, but he scored 18.5 over the weekend thanks in part to 5 clearances, 2 blocks and 2 fouls drawn against Leicester. Pieters is $6,000 on the Tuesday slate.

There is no reason to expect an explosion of goals, but a 1-1 draw is the consensus result. It should be an even game with both teams seeing the ball. Neither have averaged more than 48% of the possession per match. That means equal opportunity defensive action points, as well.

Even on a small slate, this one will likely go under-owned, and with no player costing more than $7,500, there is plenty of value. Both teams want to finish the season strong, and Burnley is feeling a bit of relegation heat.

Watford vs. West Bromwich Albion

This is the only other match on the small slate in which the best odds of the final score includes both teams scoring. It will also bring plenty of value as Troy Deeney is the most expensive player at $8,300. The remaining players start at $7,300.

Deeney's return after sitting this weekend will be welcome relief for a Watford side that have six players declared out for this mid-table match. Manager Walter Mazzarri is likely happy that his team is staying at home for this contest as they have lost just one of their last six matches across all competitions at Vicarage Road.

West Brom come in with a bit of momentum after taking four points from Arsenal and Manchester United, although it is a small sample size. However, they only average about 40% possession on the road, so the defense could be busy. Gareth McAuley was credited with 9 clearances over the weekend and averages almost 19 FanDuel points per match. Craig Dawson played close to his average against United, scoring 17 points. McAuley is $300 cheaper than Dawson at $5,900.

Salomon Rondon started the weekend's match on the bench, but he may be reinstated in the starting XI. West Brom is tied for first in the league on goals from headers due in part to a hat trick of headers by Rondon earlier in the year.

Even on a small slate, these two games can separate your team from the pack. It is likely that many FanDuel players will add Leicester footballers to their rosters given their recent form, and Manchester United and Everton are the biggest names on the board. Finding good plays in these two fixtures can give you a leg up on the competition.