Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 19

It is matchweek 19 in the Premier League as the first half of the season comes to an end. It is also one of the busiest stretches of the season as there will be at least one game on 11 of the days between Friday, December 22nd and Thursday, January 4th.

The next FanDuel main slate will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. EST.

Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne are this week's most expensive players at $12,500. There are 16 total forwards or midfielders priced at or over $9,000. Six defenders are priced at $7,000 with 27 others being priced between $6,500 and $6,000. Nick Pope is the only keeper priced at $6,000. The remainder of the keepers are priced between $5,500 and $4,500, as usual.

With seven games, that leaves a lot of room for value plays, so let's get to it.

Forward

Jay Rodriguez ($7,500): West Brom manager Alan Pardew has talked about Rodriguez as a number 10, so they could move to a 4-4-1-1 this week against Stoke. The idea of moving Rodriguez further back behind a striker is catching on and seems more likely in an attempt to unlock Rodriguez's potential.

Rodriguez scored five goals in limited minutes for Southampton last season and moved to West Brom. It has been tough sledding for him and the entire team, with the Baggies scoring only 13 goals to this point in the season. However, this match against Stoke is a great chance for the team to break out.

Stoke is only two points above West Brom, and they have allowed 39 goals, the most in the league. Stoke and West Brom are the worst teams in the league in terms of possession. Stoke gives up 13 shots per match, as well. They have also allowed nine goals in the last three games, so their defense is not showing any signs of improvement.

Midfielder

Luka Milivojevic ($7,000): Luckily for Crystal Palace there should be no controversy over who takes the penalty if the team gets the benefit of the whistle. Christian Benteke will be suspended, so Milivojevic will be on spot kick duties.

Milivojevic should have a larger role with Benteke out. When Benteke was not starting, Milivojevic was playing behind a strike partnership of Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha. That is a lot of speed up front that can open up space for Milivojevic.

From Matchweeks 13 through 16, he was very active in that role on both sides of the ball. He was credited with double-digit passes twice, a total of 10 clearances, and a total of 7 tackles in that time frame.

Palace have a favorable matchup, as well. Swansea have given up seven goals in the last two matches. They also allow 14 shots per match and are ranked as the worst defensive team, per WhoScored.

Defender

Connor Goldson ($4,000): Shane Duffy earned his fifth yellow card of the year, so Goldson is in line for his Premier League debut with Brighton.

Goldson is a feel-good story as he has recovered from a heart operation to repair an enlarged aorta. He has made two appearances in the League Cup, but this will be his first chance to impress in the top tier of English football. Given that this is his debut, he among the lowest-priced defenders.

Goldson is a versatile player who is dominant in the air. He has played in the midfield and at right-back. He made 25 appearances in the English Championship during the 2015-16 season, averaging nearly seven defensive actions per match, including 4.5 clearances per game. The clearances will be needed on Saturday as 22 of Watford's 27 goals have come from inside the box.

Keeper

Rob Elliot ($4,500): Elliot made four saves in his return to action last week, showing that he is still sharp despite the lay off. He has also stated that he knows he must become a leader to turn around his team's poor run of form and started by backing his new manager's decision to call off the holiday party.

Generally this spot goes to the keeper who has a high chance of a clean sheet, but Newcastle's poor form combined with West Ham's recent improvements means that Elliot could rack up plenty of save volume. He has reached four saves in three of his last five matches, and Elliot has been active with 10 sweeper clearances, which ranks eighth in the league, despite having at least four less games than most other starting keepers.