4 FanDuel Premier League Players to Avoid in Matchweek 30
The main slate for Matchweek 30 features six Saturday matches with just one of the top-five clubs in action while eight of the bottom-10 clubs will feature on the slate.
| Matchweek 30 |
|---|
| Southampton at Newcastle |
| Brighton at Everton |
| Leicester at West Brom |
| Swansea at Huddersfield |
| Burnley at West Ham |
| Crystal Palace at Chelsea |
As with any DFS 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 who 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 oddsmakers' favorites and over/under totals. Due to the midweek matches, DFS players, as always, should check out injury reports and confirmed starting XI's when they become available since some players may be rested.
Let's take a look at four players across the entire pitch who should be avoided.
Forward
Pedro, Chelsea
FanDuel Price: $9,500
Pedro is tied with four other players as the second-highest priced forward on the slate, and he has averaged 14.22 FanDuel points this season -- the second-lowest average among the forwards priced at $9,500 or above. Pedro has been unable to place a shot on target in his last four Premier League appearances, three of which were starts, and he's averaged 12.08 FanDuel points over those three starts.
The Blues aren't playing well, being held scoreless in two of their previous three league matches at Stamford Bridge, but they are the largest favorite on the slate -- 1.5-goal favorites -- and they have a slate-high implied total of 2.0 goals. Chelsea should be to dominate possession against the Eagles -- as they did in the reverse fixture -- as the Blues maintain 55.5% of the possession on their home pitch while Palace struggle in that category away from Selhurst Park (44.8% road possession).
Despite currently sitting in the drop zone, the Eagles have played well against attacking-midfielders this season. They have allowed the seventh-fewest chances created (1.57) and sixth-fewest shots (1.54) per 90 minutes against that position throughout this campaign.
Pedro is at the same price level as a few forwards who are in better matchups, including Brighton’s Glenn Murray. Murray has scored five goals and averaged 30.1 FanDuel points over his last five matches and now faces a Toffees squad that has not performed well against opposing forwards this season.
Midfielder
Gylfi Sigurdsson, Everton
FanDuel Price: $9,000
Sigurdsson is tied with two other players as the fifth-highest priced player at his position, and he has averaged 17.13 FanDuel points in 26 appearances this season. Sigurdsson has failed to reach his season-long average in eight of his last nine starts and has averaged 14.19 FanDuel points over that span.
The Toffees enter Saturday’s match as a 0.5-goal favorite over the Seagulls and have an implied team total of 1.25 goals.
Despite being 12th in the Premier League with 137 crosses, Sigurdsson is outside of the top 25 in chances created (36) and has created zero chances in five matches he has started this season. On top of that, he now faces a Brighton squad that has played well recently against forwards/attacking-midfielders. The Seagulls -- despite being in the middle of the table throughout the entire campaign -- have allowed the eighth-fewest chances created (1.38) and sixth-fewest shots (1.67) per 90 minutes over the last five matchweeks to the two positions (forward/attacking-midfielders) Sigurdsson has lined up in over his last eight starts.
Sigurdsson has scored more than 30 FanDuel points twice this season and has the talent to produce tournament-winning performances, but his price is still too high compared to other midfielders. Both Hudderfield’s Aaron Mooy -- if fit to play -- and Brighton’s Pascal Gross profile as better plays with Gross producing the third-highest average among midfielders over the previous four matchweeks.
Defender
Ben Mee, Burnley
FanDuel Price: $6,500
Mee is tied with nine other defenders as the sixth-highest priced player at his position, and he has averaged 17.95 FanDuel points this season, reaching 20 FanDuel points just five times -- none of which have come since Matchweek 14. Mee's consistency makes him more appealing in cash games, but his lack of upside takes him off the radar in GPPs.
The Hammers are a 0.5-goal favorite over the Clarets and have an implied team total of 1.25 goals. West Ham have scored more than one goal just once in their previous six league matches. The Clarets dominated the possession in the reverse fixture -- although the Hammers went down a man in the 27th minute -- but both squads struggle in that category, with the Hammers holding the slight edge in overall possession (46.6% to 44.7%).
Mee has taken three shots on target over his last six matches, but those are his only shots on target sine Matchweek 5 as almost all of his fantasy production comes from defensive actions -- mainly clearances as he is fourth in the Premier League with 195. Despite allowing the seventh-most clearances (4.91) per 90 minutes, the Hammers are not the best opponent for opposing defenders as they do not relinquish a large number of the higher-point defensive statistics, allowing the eighth-fewest tackles (1.63), third-fewest interceptions (1.3) and fewest blocked shots (0.38) per 90 minutes to defenders.
The upside -- especially recently -- that Mee offers is extremely limited as every defender listed $6,500 or above (except Leicester’s Christian Fuchs) has scored 20 or more FanDuel points more recently than Mee. Paying up for Mee makes sense in cash games, but leave him alone in large-field tourneys.
Goalkeeper
Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea
FanDuel Price: $5,000
Courtois is tied with six other keepers as the second-highest priced player at his position, and he is averaging 11.37 FanDuel points per match this season. Courtois has been unable to reach his season-long average in four of his last five matches, including scoring fewer than 10 FanDuel points in back-to-back outings.
Courtois is 15th in the Premier League with 56 saves and has recorded more than 2 saves in eight league matches so far this campaign.
Despite having an implied team total of 0.5 goals, the Eagles have scored at least one goal in seven of their last eight matches, including six straight matches away from Selhurst Park. The Eagles have allowed the ninth-most saves (77) to opposing keepers this season, but they are separated from West Brom -- who have allowed the fifth-fewest saves to opposing keepers -- by only 13 saves.
The Eagles are still fighting for a spot in the Premier League next season but have flipped their early-season struggle of finding the back of the net. Unless Courtois holds Palace scoreless for the first time in seven road matches, the other keepers in his price range should offer more value.
