4 FanDuel Premier League Players to Avoid in Matchweek 6

The main slate for Matchweek 6 features seven Saturday matches, including favorable matches for the top-three clubs (Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea) and a surprising top-seven showdown between Huddersfield and Burnley.

As with any sport, it is imperative to have your players, especially the high-priced studs, live up to their price tag. When investing in any player, it is important to determine which will likely contribute in FanDuel's emphasized areas (goals, assists, and shots on target). It's also just as crucial not to overspend on players in bad matchups.

We should try to take advantage of the teams -- and players -- who play especially well either home or away, while also looking at Vegas favorites and over/under totals. DFS players, as always, should check out injury reports and confirmed starting XI's when they become available.

Let's take a look at four players, across the entire pitch, who should be avoided in the upcoming matches.

Forward

Chris Wood, Burnley

FanDuel Price: $9,500

Wood is the fifth-highest priced forward for Matchweek 6, and he has averaged 19.0 FanDuel points in his three appearances this season. Despite starting just once in his first two appearances, Wood scored in his first two matches for Burnley.

DFS players will want some exposure to the top-priced players on the slate -- both forwards and midfielders -- as they have perceived great matchups, so rostering Wood, at his price, isn't too appealing. Wood and Burnley host Huddersfield at Turf Moor. The Clarets are a 0.5-goal favorite, and the over/under of 2.0 goals is the lowest on the slate.

The Clarets average 10.4 shots per match while Wood has averaged 1.66 shots per match in his three appearances this season. The Terriers have allowed the ninth-fewest shots (12.4) per match this season and have performed well against forwards. They have allowed the fifth-fewest shots on target (four) while allowing one goal and zero assists to forwards this season.

Wood’s tough matchup and inflated salary make rostering him a low-upside gamble, especially given the quality matchups for top-tier players.

If DFS players are looking to fade one of the top four forwards -- Sergio Aguero, Romelu Lukaku, Gabriel Jesus and Alvaro Morata -- United’s Lukaku is the best option (although not recommended) to fade.

United is traveling to St. Mary’s Stadium to face the Saints and have the lowest implied team total for the matches with the top forwards on the slate. The Saints have also allowed the fewest number of shots to forwards (13) and eighth-fewest overall shots in the league. The other two opponents for the top-priced forwards, Stoke City and Crystal Palace, are both in the top-six in the Premier League for shots allowed to forwards, and the Eagles have allowed six goals -- second-most in the Premier League -- to that position this season.

Midfielder

Abdoulaye Doucoure, Watford

FanDuel Price: $8,500

As mentioned above, DFS players will want some exposure to the top-priced players on the slate as their clubs all have perceived great matchups.

After scoring 4.75 FanDuel points in Matchweek 5 (in what could have been a plus matchup), Doucoure is once again listed as the midfielder to avoid. He has averaged 19.05 FanDuel points this season, and he has already scored 2 goals, doubling his effort from last season and almost matching his output over the last two seasons combined (3 goals).

Doucoure, however, is not heavily involved in the Hornets’ attack. He has only produced 2 shots on target this season -- scoring on both -- while amassing 5 total shots. In the three matches in which he failed to score a goal, Doucoure has averaged 9.9 FanDuel points, with the majority of those points coming from defensive actions.

The Hornets travel to Liberty Stadium to face the Swans and are a slight underdog in Saturday’s match. The possession in the match should be relatively even as both squads struggle in that category, which could mean a slight uptick in defensive actions for Doucoure. However, the Swans are one of the worst clubs in the Premier League at allowing defensive actions to midfielders/defensive-midfielders. They have allowed the 10th-fewest tackles (32), 6th-fewest interceptions (16) and fewest clearances (10) while not allowing a blocked shot to midfielders/defensive-midfielders this season.

The Swans have allowed the most shots on target (9) this season to midfielders/defensive-midfielders but have played four matches against clubs in the top half of the table. DFS players are going to want to find savings at every position in order to roster as many of the top-priced players as possible. However, if they are able to find a little bit of extra money, they should once again pivot to the Terriers' Aaron Mooy ($9,000), who faces a Clarets squad that has allowed the most chances created to midfielders/defensive-midfielders this season.

Defender

Nathan Ake, Bournemouth

FanDuel Price: $6,500

Ake is tied with 10 other defenders as the seventh-highest priced defender for Matchweek 6. He has averaged 16.7 FanDuel points this season.

The Cherries travel to Goodison Park to face the Toffees. The Toffees are a 1.0-goal favorite and have an implied team total of 1.75 goals. The possession battle should be fairly even as both clubs do well in that category and both are in the top-half of the league, respectively, in home (Everton) and away (Bournemouth) possession.

The Toffees are currently in the drop zone and have had a disappointing season compared to their preseason expectations. Due to their struggles, they have not been a favorable matchup for opposing defenders. They have allowed the 10th-fewest interceptions (25), 6th-fewest blocked shots (8), 3rd-fewest tackles (18) and fewest clearances (63) to defenders this season.

Ake has averaged 6.2 clearances, 1.8 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 0.5 blocked shots in his five matches this season, and now faces an Everton squad that struggles to relinquish defensive actions to defenders. The $6,500 price point offers a large number of defensive options, including Crystal Palace’s Scott Dann, who should see a high number of defensive action opportunities against the Citizens.

Goalkeeper

Jonas Lossl, Huddersfield

FanDuel Price: $5,000

After averaging 22.9 FanDuel points in his first three matches, Lossl has averaged 3.75 FanDuel points in his previous two matches -- including a 1.75-point performance in Matchweek 5 against Leicester as our goalkeeper to avoid -- and is once again the man-in-the-net to avoid.

The Terriers travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley. The Clarets are a 0.5-goal favorite, and the over/under is set at 2.0 goals, the lowest total on the slate.

The Clarets have not been a great opponent for keepers this season, allowing just one clean sheet -- Matchweek 2 against West Brom -- and producing only seven total saves, the second-fewest in the Premier League this season.

The possession battle should be fairly close as the Clarets possess the ball more on their home pitch. Lossl, as he was in his previous match, is very dependent on a clean sheet to produce fantasy points, and the Clarets have shown the ability to find the back of the net on an extremely limited number of shots, making Lossl a risky fantasy option.