SOCCER

Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 3

Curtis Davies has been in excellent form this season and figures to be a busy man in this weekend's clash with Manchester United.

The first month of the Premier League campaign can be a little crazy for DFS. With new signings arriving and stars reporting late because of international duties, roles are far from set in stone. There are a lot of variables at play.

We covered some high-priced players who are worth the large investment as well as players to avoid, but let’s look at some low-cost assets who could deliver with solid production, highlighting one value play at each position.

The Premier League features a 10-match schedule for Matchweek 3, giving us a plethora of options.

Forward

Michy Batshuayi, Chelsea

Price: £8.9 million

Considering Chelsea is a massive home favorite (-385 moneyline) for their matchup with Burnley, the prices on their attackers are a little odd. Not only is Michy Batshuayi a bit underpriced, but star striker Diego Costa (£9.8 million) is, as well, in comparison to the other top forwards.

Batshuayi played well last week in the Blues' win over Watford, scoring a goal and totaling 21.5 FanDuel points.


He's in a good spot to produce again. Burnley is allowing a league-high 21.5 shots per game and has a league-worst 37.5% possession rate. Chelsea, on the other hand, ranks second in possession (59.4%) and should control this game from the outset.

With how important goals are in DFS, it's risky to gamble too much with attacking players, but Batshuayi is well worth his cost in this tasty matchup.

Midfielder

Marouane Fellaini, Manchester United

Price: £5.6 million

Manchester United are big favorites (-225 moneyline) for their away match at upstart Hull City, and Marouane Fellaini is a cheap way to get exposure to the Red Devils.

While Hull has gotten off to a surprisingly great start, taking all six points from their first two matches, they've been allowing shots at a high rate. The Tigers are surrendering 20.5 shots per match, the second-highest mark in the league, and they haven't gone up against a side with the firepower of Manchester United.

Fellaini has been a steady producer. He racked up 22.25 FanDuel points in Matchweek 1, and he followed that up with an 11.25-point outing last weekend. Fellaini is averaging 61 passes per match and completing them at a pristine 93.4% success rate. He has yet to attempt a shot on goal, but with United expected to control the proceedings, Fellaini may see more offensive opportunities in this match. At 6' 4", he's always a threat on set pieces, as well.

Admittedly, this is more of a dart throw in an effort to get a piece of a red-hot team going against a newly-promoted side, but there is a chance for some upside here.

Defender

Curtis Davies, Hull City

Price: £6.1 million

While Manchester United being the favorite over Hull City does wonders for the Red Devils' forwards and midfielders, the same can be said for Hull's back line, who should be a busy bunch.

Curtis Davies has been in exceptional form through two matches, totaling 39.5 and 32.75 FanDuel points, respectively, in his first two games. As we mentioned earlier, the Tigers soak up a ton of pressure, giving up 20.5 shots per game. That puts a lot on Davies' shoulders, giving him a chance to rack up some defensive stats. It should be no different against the Red Devils.

Davies is averaging an eye-popping 8.0 interceptions and 9.0 clearances to go along with 1.0 tackles and 47.0 passes per match. Per WhoScored.com's player ratings, he has been the fourth-best player in the Premier League this season, and he's the highest-rated player to have played in two fixtures. His price is unlikely to remain this low for much longer, so pounce while you can.

Goalie

Steve Mandanda, Crystal Palace

Price: £6.5 million

This is just a placeholder for whoever Palace starts in goal. Whether it's Mandanda or Wayne Hennessey (£6.1 million), the Eagles' keeper is worth a look, and they're both very reasonably priced for a solid matchup.

Palace gets a home meeting with Bournemouth in Matchweek 3. The Cherries, as our own Doug Smith wrote up this week, have been truly abysmal this season. They have struggled all over the pitch, especially offensively as they are averaging just 8.5 shots per contest. The schedule-makers weren't kind to Bournemouth, though, as they've played Manchester United and West Ham in the first two weeks, which means they should generate more offense versus the Eagles, who are surrendering 16.5 shots per match.

With FanDuel's settings awarding 10 points for a clean sheet and 3 points per save, it will actually be a plus if Bournemouth can make Palace's keeper work. A goalie who is only asked to make a couple saves has a pretty low ceiling. The Cherries' woes in attack, though, still give either Mandanda or Hennessey a decent chance at getting the clean sheet, so the matchup is the best of both worlds.