SOCCER

FanDuel Premier League Matches to Target in Matchweek 23

Douglas Smith  —  @DFresh39 Jan 28th, 2017
Mesut Ozil and Arsenal are in a great spot this week at home against Watford. What makes that match one to target?

Tuesday's seven-game FanDuel slate includes many of the top Premier League teams. First-place Chelsea take on fourth-place Liverpool in the final -- and headline -- game of the day. Tottenham and Arsenal are also in action Tuesday afternoon as a part of Matchweek 23.

Four of Tuesday's games have an over/under of 2.5 goals. Tottenham is expected to dominate Sunderland, so many Spurs players will likely find their way into daily fantasy lineups. Chelsea players should be highly owned, as well, given Liverpool's recent form in all competitions.

Targeting Tottenham and Chelsea makes sense, but our eyes are looking elsewhere. Here are two matches to target for Matchweek 23.

Arsenal vs. Watford

This game is one of two on the slate with a three-goal over/under. Arsenal have gotten the better of this matchup, scoring 19 goals in the last seven league games against the Hornets. Alexis Sanchez has scored in all three of his previous matches against the Hornets, and he is the most expensive player on the slate.

Arsenal have scored at least three goals in each of its last three matches with Watford, and the Gunners won 3-1 earlier this year, getting goals from Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil.


Arsenal owned nearly 55% of the possession in that match and had seven shots on target. Theo Walcott picked up an assist in the match and is returning to fitness just in time for the rematch.

Aaron Ramsey should have a prominent role with Granit Xhaka suspended for the next four matches. Ramsey likes to get forward, which should push Francis Coquelin into a deeper defensive role. Ramsey is $7,400 and has averaged just under 11 points per match. However, he should be relied upon more in the center of midfield to string attacks together over the next four matches.

The stats suggest that Arsenal defenders and Watford attackers are worth a look on this slate. The scoreline from the August game may be a bit misleading as Watford were able to get six shots on target despite less possession. Arsenal was credited with 33 clearances and 22 tackles, which shows the potential for points across the lineups as the teams meet at Emirates Stadium.

One player that was not involved in the previous tilt is Tom Cleverley. He debuted for Watford on January 21st and racked up quite the stat line. He created three chances and tallied an assist while being credited for three clearances and three tackles. The 27.5-point effort was his best performance by far this season. Cleverley should remain a key figure in the Watford midfield, so his current $5,100 price tag may not last.

Troy Deeney scored over 30 points on the in that January 21st match due in part to a great defensive effort from the forward. He did score a goal, but Deeney also added five clearances to help increase his point total. Deeney won 10 aerial duels in the previous game with Arsenal, which could equate to clearances on set pieces. He also managed two shots in August. The defensive effort will be needed again this week. At $7,400 Deeney is a sneaky contrarian play.

Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace

The match at VItality Stadium is not going to take a lot of headlines over the next few days. However, the amount of value available in both lineups is striking. Adding players from this match can bring points and allow you to build around pricey players like Sanchez and Diego Costa. The most expensive player in this match is Christian Benteke, who is just $7,600.

Crystal Palace have gone eight Premier League games without a win. They are currently in the relegation zone, 10 points behind Bournemouth. To say it is a desperate time for Palace is an understatement. They need to find results.

Palace will be happy to welcome back Wilfried Zaha, who returns from the Africa Cup of Nations. Zaha has been Palace's best player this year, and the attack often runs through him. Zaha has four goals and six assists this season.


Benteke and Jason Puncheon need to up their play for Palace. Puncheon has created 16 goal-scoring chances for Benteke, more than any other player for a teammate this season. However, Benteke has not scored a Premier League goal since December 10th.

Scott Dann, who has scored both of Palace's goals against the Cherries in the Premier League, could return for Tuesday's game after missing the FA Cup match on Saturday. Dann is always a threat on set pieces and will cost $5,700.

Dann and the Crystal Palace defense could rack up defensive action points against a pacey Bournemouth attack that averages 52% of the possession. Benik Afobe has some of the best odds to score across both teams and costs just $6,900. Teammate Callum Wilson has the best odds of all and is only $200 more than Afobe. Crystal Palace has given up 14 shots and committed a third-worst 12.7 fouls per match, so Afobe, Wilson, and the rest of the Cherries' attack should cause problems.

If there is a chalky player in this match it will likely be Junior Stanislas at $6,500. He has scored at least 25 FanDuel points in three of the last four matches. His goal against Hull came from the penalty spot, suggesting that his role on set pieces is increasing.

This match has the making of an end-to-end game with elements of chaos. Palace needs to find results, and if Bournemouth gets an early goal, then Palace will become even more frenzied. This could open up more space in the midfield and lead to a wide-open game. The teams combined for 34 shots in their first tussle this season, and this one could be just as offensive.