FanDuel Premier League Matches to Target in Matchweek 33
Another six-game FanDuel main slate awaits on Saturday as the Premier League heads down the stretch. Only one of the top six teams is featured on the slate with Manchester City hosting Southampton in the last match of the day. However, four of the bottom five teams are a part of the main slate on FanDuel.
| Matchweek 33 |
|---|
| Saturday, April 15th |
| Leicester City at Crystal Palace |
| Burnley at Everton |
| West Ham at Sunderland |
| Swansea City at Watford |
| Hull City at Stoke City |
| Manchester City at Southampton |
Only the Manchester City game has an over/under higher than 2.5 goals, and Everton is the biggest favorite in the group. The home of the Toffees, Goodison Park, is where we start this week.
Everton vs. Burnley
There is no reason to overthink this, so targeting Everton players in this fixture is the way to go. Everton have scored 17 goals over their last seven games, and they netted four against Leicester City in their last match.
Romelu Lukaku is the second most-expensive player on the slate, but he may be worth it as he is coming off another two-goal performance. He had gone two games without a goal after scoring in five straight matches across all competitions. He has also feasted against teams in the lower half of the table of late, scoring four goals against Bournemouth and two against Hull.
Ross Barkley averages 21.5 FanDuel points per game, and he's listed at $8,700 for this matchup. His 27.25-fantasy-point game last weekend was his best over the last four. Also in the win over the Foxes, fellow midfielder Idrissa Gueye ($8,000) had his best game over his last six last weeks, scoring over 30 points.
It should be noted that Barkley was attacked at a bar earlier this week, but reports say he did not sustain any injuries.
Young defender Matthew Pennington is averaging over 16 FanDuel points in his three matches. He is $4,800, but it is likely if any defenders are targeted in this match it should be those of Burnley.
Burnley has only averaged 42% possession this season, so their back line should be under attack, giving them a chance to rack up defensive action points. Ben Mee averages 12 defensive actions per match and leads all Burnley defenders in average FanDuel points per match with 20.1. Matthew Lawton averages 19.2 points per game and has scored over 20 four times in his last six games. Both defenders are just over $6,000 on FanDuel this week.
It has been four matches since Everton kept a clean sheet, and Burnley scored twice in their win against the Toffees earlier this season. If you are building multiple lineups, it might be good to take a flier on Ashley Barnes, who now leads all Burnley strikers in points per game. He could be a part of a contrarian lineup that counteracts the potentially high ownership of the Everton front six.
Crystal Palace vs. Leicester City
Given recent form, this may be the best game on the slate. Leicester's loss to Everton last weekend was their first in seven matches. They rested some players in that game to prepare for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have won five of their last six, including wins against Chelsea and Arsenal.
The outcome of Wednesday's match could change the lineup for Leicester, but it is safe to say that Jamie Vardy has found his 2015-16 form. He has seven goals and two assists over his last nine games across all competitions. Priced at $9,800, he is the most expensive player available in this matchup.
Vardy's strike partner, Islam Slimani, has scored in two straight Premier League games. However, Slimani has a long way to go to match the team leader in points per match, Wilfred Ndidi. Ndidi is dealing with a groin injury and may miss the mid-week clash, but Leicester will hope to have him back for the weekend.
Palace have climbed out of the relegation zone, but they are not completely safe yet. They have been led by Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke. Zaha averages over 20.4 FanDuel points per game while Benteke averages 17.0. Benteke has received a yellow card in three of his last five matches, which does cost him a point in FanDuel's scoring system.
Chelsea 1-2 Palace.
Wilfried Zaha & Christian Benteke give Palace a 4th consecutive win and check Chelsea’s title bid pic.twitter.com/mZwMSMHBGA
— François (@fnwizu) April 1, 2017
Both teams have allowed at least 50 goals against this season. They are in the middle of the pack in blocks and clearances. Palace is near the top of the leaderboard in crosses while Leicester still enjoys the long ball. All of this is a recipe for an open game with plenty of looks at goal.
