SOCCER

Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 11

Douglas Smith  —  @DFresh39 Nov 4th, 2016
Ä°lkay Gundogan is a cheap way to get access to Manchester City, who is a two-goal favorite in their home match with Middlesbrough.

European action during the week leads to a lighter Premier League schedule on Saturday as FanDuel will feature a five-game slate. Fans in the United States will have a little longer to set their lineups, with the first set of games starting at 11:00 a.m. EST.

The value plays on the main Saturday slate are tougher to find with most games having a clear favorite. However, there could be squad rotation for Manchester City after their Champions League win over Barcelona this week. With another break looming, players with nagging injuries could get more time to rest.

Let's dive into where to look for the value on Saturday.

Forward

Wilfried Bony, Stoke City

FanDuel Price: $4,700

When a striker under $5,000 scores 51 FanDuel points, it is time to take notice. Bony scored his first Stoke goals last week against Swansea, helping lift Stoke to their third straight win and firmly out of the relegation conversation.


Now that his name is on the score sheet, Bony is determined to show his worth. Bony may be without Xherdan Shaqiri's service, but another value play, Ramadan Sobhi, would step in. Sobhi had 15 assists for El Ahly Cairo before coming to Stoke.

Shaqiri's absence is balanced out by the absence of Winston Reid for West Ham. Reid picked up his fifth booking of the season last week, so Stoke's opponents will be weaker at the back.

The Potters are undefeated in their last five matches against West Ham and have scored eight goals across those games. Stoke have a good history in this matchup to go with a three-game winning streak in the Premier League, and Bony is in form -- all of which make the Stoke striker a great value play this week.

Midfield

Ilkay Gundogan, Manchester City

FanDuel Price: $7,300

While Bony comes in off of one good performance, Gundogan is riding a longer hot streak. He struck twice last weekend against West Brom and repeated the feat against Barcelona in the Champions League. His performance against West Brom earned him 64 FanDuel points and brought his average to nearly 24 points a game over six matches in the Premier League.


The German midfielder has capitalized on rushing in behind the main attacking line. He has picked his spots well and found himself in the right place. Gundogan has started to flourish under Pep Guardiola and says Manchester City is getting their confidence back. Gundogan has played a large role in regaining confidence as he has played a full match in five of the last six games across all competitions.

City should boss proceedings this weekend against Middlesbrough, and they'll probably be pretty chalk. With that said, expect Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne to see a lot of ownership, so maybe Gundogan flies under the radar a bit.

There is still some uncertainty in Gundogan's role as he has assumed one formerly held by Yaya Toure. However, he is in great form and benefiting from the attention paid to his attacking teammates. Unless the Guardiola switches up his starting XI, Gundogan should produce results against Middlesbrough this weekend.

Defense

Marcos Alonso, Chelsea

FanDuel Price: $5,300

Alonso continues to be reasonably priced despite being a regular for Chelsea. Alonso has scored at least 18 FanDuel points in his last four Premier League matches. That comes as a result of a full switch to a three-man back line under Antonio Conte.

All four of Alonso's last starts have ended in a clean-sheet victory for Chelsea. The home team has a favorable match up with Everton, a team that has not beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 21 matches. Everton has also not been a high-scoring team as last week's two-goal output was their best since September 17th.

Remember that tackles are one of the best stats to target for defenders as they count for two points. FanDuel has credited Alonso with at least three tackles in four of his five matches. Despite acting more like an advanced midfielder, at times, Alonso has still managed to get quality points for his defensive actions.

Keeper

Artur Boruc, Bournemouth

FanDuel Price: $5,600

Boruc is coming off a tough game, but he had little help from his defense in conceding two goals. It was an uncharacteristic performance from both Bournemouth and Middlesbrough.

This week Bournemouth will get another matchup that seemingly favors them as they have yet to be beaten by Sunderland in their two Premier League tussles. The pressure is on for struggling Sunderland with some suggesting a loss could be the end of the line for David Moyes. Sunderland have scored a league-low seven goals on the year. They are also next to last in total shots.

A clean sheet and a couple saves could be on the horizon for Boruc as he and his teammates look to rebound from a poor showing.