FanDuel Premier League Matches to Target in Week 1

Matchday 1 in the Premier League gets underway on Saturday when the defending champions Leicester City travel to Hull. Unfortunately, this match is not available on most slates in daily fantasy. If it were, Leicester would be the chalk with Hull City expected to sink quickly into the relegation zone.

That means looking for value elsewhere on the opening week of the English Premier League. In order to get a leg up on the competition, target a couple of matches that have less overall appeal.

Burnley vs. Swansea

Odds are that neither Burnley nor Swansea will challenge for a top six position. Relegation is not out of the question for either of these teams, but Burnley presents ample opportunity for value during Matchday 1.

Burnley won the English Championship last season to gain promotion to the Premier League. They allowed only 35 goals and kept 20 clean sheets with 12 of those coming at home. Keeper and captain Tom Heaton just signed a new deal with the club after starting every league match for Burnley over the past three seasons. Heaton made 128 saves last year, including 13 over the last two games. His £7.4M price tag on FanDuel makes him only the ninth most-expensive keeper, increasing his value even more.

With Heaton in play, that means his back four could score valuable points. There are still some questions with the back four, so pay close attention to the starting lineups. Manager Sean Dyche is hopeful that Stephen Ward will be available on Saturday. Jon Flanagan may not be fit either, so Danny Lafferty could start. Lafferty is only £4M on FanDuel.

Even with the instability on the Burnley back line, this is a favorable matchup. The Swans just purchased striker Borja Baston, but he will need international clearance to play on Saturday. He is the replacement for Andre Ayew, who just left the team on Monday. Baston will eventually partner with Fernando Llorente, who was brought in earlier in the summer when Swansea decided not to bring back Bafetimbi Gomis, Eder, and Alberto Paloschi.

Baston signed for roughly £1M for each goal he scored last year. His signing and track record make it unclear just what to expect, but he will likely face the goal while Llorente uses his size to hold up play. Swansea's engine, Gylfi Sigurdsson, just returned to training. Much of Swansea's attack is new and they have not had a chance to build understanding with one another. All signs point to a disjointed Swansea attack.

Swansea also lost Ashley Williams this week and have not signed a replacement. Williams was Swansea's best player last season according to Squawka's performance score. His absence at center back will allow Burnley to build pressure in the Swansea half. This will likely increase ownership of Burnley striker Andre Gray, who may already be feeling the pressure. Johann Berg Gudmundsson will look to supply the strikers. If Michael Kightly starts, he will likely take set pieces as well. Be sure to get a couple Burnley attackers in your squad.

Crystal Palace vs. West Bromwich Albion

Former boss Tony Pulis returns to Palace in the opener of the Premier League. Both squads have question marks for different reasons. For Pulis and West Brom there are not many new faces, but everyone is trying to impress new owners.

The back line is expected to be four natural center backs. Pulis will also likely employee two defensive midfielders and ask Palace to break down his defense with skill. Pulis is known for rigid instruction and adherence to the system.

Midfielder Craig Gardner says the team is a close group and even new signee Matt Phillips has fit in right away. Since Phillips is the only addition West Brom made over the summer, it is no wonder the team has gelled in the preseason. However, it has to be a bit unsettled in West Brom with rumors of Pulis quitting and the constant updates on the transfer of Saido Berahino.

West Brom may be a bit more settled than their opponent on Saturday. Yannick Bolasie is likely on his way out but is still in contention to play on Saturday. Former captain Mile Jedinak is close to a move to Aston Villa. Yohan Cabaye returned to full training one week ago while his club, and country teammate Steve Mandanda is still being integrated into the team after a summer move from Marseille. Bakary Sako, James Tomkins, and Fraizer Campbell are all injured.

This means that many players are trying to impress with the make up of both team's make up still in question. There is already a track record for goals in this game as none of the last 22 matchups between Palace and West Brom have ended goalless. That means targeting this matchup for keepers or defenders will be risky.

Move toward Andros Townsend, who has a chance to be the focal point of the Palace attack with an improved outlook on his career. Townsend carries a £10M price tag on FanDuel, so Wilfried Zaha's £6.5M is an option if looking to save money. Connor Wickham is the only true striker available to Palace with Campbell's injury so he should get his fair share of looks on goal.

It will be wise to check the team sheets before the contest starts, but if Berahino is picked to start he could provide magic. Midfielder James Morrison is West Brom's most expensive player on FanDuel at £7.7M, so there is value all around.

Manchester City and Tottenham are sure to be big targets for many daily fantasy players, but picking players from these two games could push you over the top.