SOCCER

4 FanDuel Premier League Studs to Target for Matchweek 15

Even a big bump in salary isn't enough to dissuade us from investing in Alexis Sanchez this weekend for Arsenal's home match with Stoke City.

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.

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.

This article is geared toward the U.S.-based Premier League DFS, and it is for the main slate. That slate starts at 10 a.m. EST on Saturday and features five matches.

Matchweek 15 Main Slate
Saturday, December 10th
Stoke City at Arsenal
Manchester City at Leicester City
Crystal Palace at Hull City
Sunderland at Swansea City
Bournemouth at Burnley


Forward

Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal

FanDuel Salary: $14,200

Sanchez is in some kind of form right now, bagging five goals in his last two Premier League matches. He netted a hat trick in Arsenal's 5-1 drubbing of West Ham a week ago, capping it off with a slick finish.


Those big games have resulted in some silly fantasy output as Sanchez has posted FanDuel point totals of 88.5 and 60.5 in his last two matches.

Overall, in 13 appearances this campaign, the former Barcelona man has racked up 11 goals and 4 assists, with the goals tying Diego Costa for a league-high mark. He's firing off 3.1 shots per match while drawing an average of 1.7 fouls and dishing out 41 passes per outing. Sanchez takes direct free kicks, and at times, he sends in corners, both of which add to his value.

The Gunners host Stoke City in a match with an over/under of three goals, which ties for the biggest over/under on the main slate. Arsenal are a 1.5-goal favorite, so they're fully expected to control the fixture. Stoke are in great form, allowing just three goals in their last six league matches, but for the year, they're 13th in possession (48.3%) and 11th in shots allowed per match (13.4).

The only negative here is his salary. At $14,200, he's $4,200 more than any other active striker, so you'll need to find value elsewhere to roster him.

Midfielder

Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City

FanDuel Salary: $10,900

With Sergio Agüero suspended, de Bruyne will probably be a very busy man in this weekend's fixture at Leicester City. In back-to-back games earlier this season, de Bruyne posted some huge numbers with Agüero out, scoring 50.5 FanDuel points against Manchester United and 60.25 points versus Bournemouth.

de Bruyne played a little farther up the pitch in Agüero's absence -- which was a three-match ban -- and was more directly involved with City's goal-scoring opportunities, netting a goal in each of the two aforementioned fixtures and totaling six shots on goal across the two matches. Those are his only two goals of the season, meaning he's scored twice in three games sans Agüero while going without a goal in eight matches with Agüero in the side.

City travel to Leicester to battle the reigning champs. It's a match between two teams who play contrasting styles as City cherish possession, having the ball a league-best 60.6% of the time while the Foxes play on the counter and possess the ball just 45.8% of the time, which ranks 17th.

The game features a three-goal over/under with Manchester City installed as a half-goal favorite. There should be plenty of attacking, and with the Citizens likely to hold such an edge in possession, de Bruyne -- who averages 41.6 passes and 2.8 shots per match -- would be a nice play even with Agüero in the lineup. But without Agüero, de Bruyne should be on the end of goal-scoring chances instead of instigating them, and he may even take penalties.

Defender

Christian Fuchs, Leicester City

FanDuel Salary: $6,000

When Leicester are facing a top squad, Fuchs makes for a really good play. Against anyone, the Foxes like to absorb pressure and attack on the counter, which provides Fuchs with ample opportunities to rack up defensive stats, and this is especially the case when Leicester squares off with a top team like Manchester City.

Like we just covered, City leads the league in possession (60.6%) while Leicester ranks 17th (45.8%). Fuchs will likely be very active in this one. For the year, he is averaging 3.6 clearances, 2.5 tackles, 2.4 interceptions, and 43.4 passes per match. Those numbers give him a very safe floor, and Fuchs has scored between 18 and 23 FanDuel points in each of his past four matches.

Goalie

Jordan Pickford, Sunderland

FanDuel Salary: $6,600

After a miserable start, the Black Cats have taken all three points from three of their last four matches. The play of Pickford has been a big reason for the turnaround. After allowing 20 goals in their first 10 matches, Sunderland have given up just four goals over their past four fixtures.

Pickford's stellar play in net has resulted in some quality fantasy outings. He is averaging 18.81 FanDuel points per match over his last four games, and Pickford's season-long average of 15.5 FanDuel points per game ranks third among active keepers on the main slate. He's averaging 5.0 saves per match -- FanDuel's settings award three points per save -- over his last four outings.

This week's matchup against Swansea City -- which is a pick 'em with an over/under of 2.5 -- is pretty close to an ideal scenario for DFS as Pickford provides a safe floor and big-time upside. Sunderland's still-not-great defense ensures that Pickford will be busy against a Swans side that's netted six goals over their last three matches, but Pickford's excellent form gives him a chance at an all-important clean sheet (10 points).