SOCCER

4 FanDuel Premier League Studs to Target for Matchweek 9

David de Gea has a chance to be busy in goal this week as Manchester United host Chelsea. Which other high-priced players are worth a look?

As is the case when playing any sport on FanDuel, it’s imperative to hit on high-priced studs, the players in which you’ve made the biggest investment. This especially true with strikers in soccer as goals are often the difference between winning and losing in DFS.

With a full 10-game slate on tap for Matchweek 9, there is no shortage of options. Let’s take a look at some high-priced players -- all across the pitch -- who, despite costing a good chunk of change, are worth the investment.

Here is the full schedule:

Matchweek 9 Schedule
Saturday, October 22nd
Tottenham at Bournemouth
Middlesbrough at Arsenal
Crystal Palace at Leicester City
Sunderland at West Ham
Stoke City at Hull City
Watford at Swansea City
Everton at Burnley
West Brom at Liverpool
Sunday, October 23rd
Southampton at Manchester City
Manchester United at Chelsea


This article is for the Saturday through Sunday slate, which includes all 10 matches.

Forward

Roberto Firmino, Liverpool

Price: £10.7 million

Firmino isn't an out and out striker, but he fulfills a lot of those duties for Liverpool, who have a juicy home matchup with West Brom. The Reds have been a team to target this year, and that doesn't figure to change anytime soon. Liverpool rank third in shots per match (18), second in possession (58%) and third in goals (18).

Firmino is a key cog in the center of the pitch. He has scored at least 20 FanDuel points in six of his seven matches this season, and he is averaging 28.79 points per contest. Firmino has netted 3 goals while tallying 3.0 key passes and 2.6 shots per game, also drawing 0.9 fouls per match.

West Brom are last in the Premier League in possession (40.8%), and Liverpool are tied with Arsenal as the biggest favorite (-1.5 goals) of the weekend. The Reds should control this fixture, and Firmino, as he has been all year, should be heavily involved for Jurgen Klopp's side.

Midfielder

Mesut Ozil, Arsenal

Price: £12.2 million

Arsenal are flying high, scoring 19 goals in their last six matches across all competitions, and the Gunners look like a real threat to win the league. They welcome Middlesbrough to the Emirates this weekend.

Not normally a big goal scorer, Ozil already has three league goals to his name this season after scoring 10 over the past two Premier League campaigns. Ozil is coming off a hat trick in Arsenal's 6-0 thrashing of Ludogorets Razgrad in midweek Champions League action.

He is averaging 1.6 shots, 62.4 passes, and 2.7 key passes per match. Over his last three matches, Ozil is putting up 31.58 FanDuel points, including a pair of outings with at least 38 points.

The Gunners are 1.5-goal favorites over Middlesbrough. The Boro have gotten off to a decent start this season, but they still rank 18th in shots per game (10). They are likely to sit back and absorb a lot of pressure in this one, which should give Ozil plenty of time on the ball as the maestro of Arsenal's attack.

Defender

Calum Chambers, Middlesbrough

Price: £10 million

The reasons Ozil is a good play also put Chambers in a nice spot as he should be a busy man on Middlesbrough's back line.

Chambers has played two games this year against top-of-the-table sides -- Liverpool and Tottenham -- and he was a fantasy machine in each match. He totaled 33 FanDuel points against Liverpool and finished with 32.75 points versus Spurs.

For the year, Chambers is averaging 7.0 clearances, 3.3 tackles, 2.3 interceptions, and 1.7 blocks per game. He's putting up 24.63 FanDuel points per match, which puts him fourth among defenders.

With Arsenal in good form and installed as a 1.5-goal favorite, Chambers -- who is actually on loan from the Gunners -- can be a big producer this weekend.

Goalie

David de Gea

Price: £7.8 million

Playing for a stout defensive side in Manchester United, de Gea doesn't often have a huge ceiling because the Red Devils are only allowing 10.5 shots per game, giving him fewer chances to rack up saves. He should be a little more active this week as Chelsea come to Old Trafford.

The Blues are third in possession (55.7%), fourth in shots per game (17.3), and fifth in shots on target per match (6.0). Chelsea lead the Premier League in shots per game on the road, getting off 18 shots per contest in their travels.

Due to Manchester United's defensive prowess, de Gea is just 14th among goalies in FanDuel points per game, averaging a meager 11.47 points. However, in two matches against Liverpool and Manchester City -- teams the caliber of Chelsea -- de Gea is averaging 15.75 points.