SOCCER

Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 30

Douglas Smith  —  @DFresh39 Mar 30th, 2017
Mark Noble will be a busy man in midfield for the short-handed Hammers. Which other low-cost options are in a good spot?

The international break is over, and FanDuel is rewarding its Premier League players with the site's biggest slate yet. Saturday and Sunday action are included in the same slate, meaning a total of nine games are a part of this weekend's main slate.

Liverpool hosting Everton is the only match this weekend not on the main slate. Everton's Seamus Coleman is out for the rest of the season, so Mason Holgate would have been a great pick if the match was a part of the competitions. Holgate will be someone to watch moving forward.

The bigger player pool increases the chances for us to find value during Matchweek 30. Let's take a look at some value options across the pitch.

Forward

Fabio Borini, Sunderland

FanDuel Price: $6,900

Taking Borini is a swerve off the pivot play. Given his $7,400 price tag, Borini's teammate Jermain Defoe will likely be a top target, especially after scoring for England earlier this week. However, Defoe has gone four matches without a goal for Sunderland and did not record a shot the last time out against Burnley.

Borini had three shots in that match, and all of them were on target. He was also credited with three crosses and picked up defensive action points for a clearance and an interception. Borini has at least one clearance in each of his last three matches. He has also created a chance in three straight matches.

The match against Burnley was Borini's best in terms of return on FanDuel. Sunderland will play Watford this week. Borini had more touches than Defoe in the return fixture earlier in the year. Watford has not posted a clean sheet since January 14th, so Borini has a good chance to continue his good form.

Midfield

Mark Noble, West Ham

FanDuel Price: $5,500

Slaven Bilic confirmed that Noble will be in the squad against Hull City this weekend. Pedro Obiang and Michail Antonio are unavailable due to leg injuries, so Noble will be carrying the weight in the midfield for the Hammers.

Noble scored the winning goal from the spot when the two teams played in December. He completed over 90% of his passes and was second on the team in touches in that match. Noble will likely be back on set piece duty this week, as well.

Noble has created 23 chances in 26 appearances and averages at least two defensive actions per match. He was credited with a block, two interceptions and one tackle last time out. Given Obiang's absence, Noble will have to pick up some of his defensive duties.

Hull has given up 63 goals this season, the most in the league. West Ham are eighth in the league in shots, and Noble will not be shy about giving it a go from outside of the box. This match up bodes well for a good showing from Noble at a low price.

Defender

Ryan Bertrand, Southampton

FanDuel Price: $5,700

St. Mary's Stadium is full of value as Southampton hosts Bournemouth. It seems unlikely that Bertrand and the Saints can keep a clean sheet, but his attacking ability has been on display lately. Bertrand has four assists in his last six starts. Bournemouth have allowed 13 goals in that time frame, which is more than any other side, and they conceided a goal to Bertrand in the reverse fixture.


Bertrand has created 20 chances in 19 appearances and also averages four defensive actions per match. Southampton leads the league in crosses, so Bertrand should score on both sides of the ball from his left back position.

Keeper

Lukasz Fabianski, Swansea City

FanDuel Price: $6,300

By now, most FanDuel players realize that keepers are priced together without much difference between them. Fabianski has been trending up, scoring 11.75 fantasy points against Hull on March 11th and following that up with a 14-FanDuel-point performance, his best since December, in the Swans' last match.

Swansea have a great chance at grabbing a shutout, so picking Fabianski is believing in his ceiling. Kyle Naughton is back on defense for Swansea to help his keeper.

Swansea faces Middlesbrough at the Liberty Stadium. Boro have scored one goal in their last five Premier League matches, and Swansea have won their last three matches on their home field. All signs point to Fabianski being a smart pick.

Remember that late swap is now live should any of these players not start.