Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 21

Matchweek 20 in the Premier League comes to a close on Thursday when Arsenal takes on Crystal Palace. All other teams are focusing on their next fixtures just before the new year. For Matchweek 21, the FanDuel focus will be on a seven-game slate, which starts on Saturday at 10 a.m. EST.

Squad rotation is coming into play as teams recover from another short turnaround while also gearing up for a quick turnaround to Matchweek 22. Rotation and a larger slate creates more value plays, but the players below are true cost savers.

Only eight players are priced at or above $9,000. Robert Firmino leads the way at $12,500. A familiar name tops the defenders list as Marcus Alonso is priced at $7,500. In total, 28 defenders are priced at or above $6,000. The expected starting keepers range from $6,000 to $4,500 with Nick Pope leading the way, as usual.

Let's get to it.

Forward

Dominic Solanke ($7,500): Solanke is expected to start for Liverpool as manager Jurgen Klopp continues to employee frequent squad rotation. He is likely to take the place of Firmino, the player that is helping the young forward the most.

Solanke's price is a bit high for someone who has started just twice, but this is expected to be one of the highest-scoring games on the slate. The over/under sits at 3.5 goals, and the two teams combined for 5 goals in the fall. There have been 14 goals scored in the last three Premier League matches between Liverpool and Leicester.

Solanke will play the center forward in the front three and be asked to find space in the box. Liverpool are second in the league in goals from inside the box, behind league-leader Manchester City. Liverpool are also coming off a 5-0 victory in which their center forward (Firmino) scored two goals.

Solanke benefits from being on a high-powered team and in good position on the field. Liverpool should own the possession given season statistics, putting Solanke in a great spot to score FanDuel points.

Midfielder

Ben Watson ($4,500): The 32-year-old Watford midfielder has started the last two matches, recording 12 defensive actions. He was able to get a little more involved in the offensive play during matchweek 20 and earned two fouls while on the ball.

Watson is getting an opportunity due to a lengthy suspension and injury list as well as manager Marco Silva looking for a way for Watford to get out of a slump. Watson is seeing his first serious minutes in 18 months.

He will get a chance to play in center midfield against a Swansea team that has lost their last seven Premier League away matches. Swansea have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six away matches. Watford have beaten Swansea the last two times they faced off, as well.

This is a good spot for Watson to get his footing back in the Premier League and be more involved in attack. His low cost comes with some risk, but he has big-time potential.

Defender

Matt Targett ($4,500): Targett has featured in the last two matches for Southampton and is averaging 18.8 points. He has 17 defensive actions, 2 chances created, and 3 fouls drawn in the matches against Tottenham and Huddersfield.

Targett should start at left back against Manchester United with Ryan Bertrand still injured. Targett and the back line of the Saints have been busy in their current run of poor form. They have now failed to win in their last seven Premier League outings and sit just above the relegation zone. The task will not get any easier against United.

Southampton are fifth in tackles despite good possession stats. They face a team that has an 82% pass success rate and more than twice as many goals scored. United should be in charge of the match at Old Trafford, allowing Targett to rack up defensive action points.

Keeper

Rob Elliot ($4,500): This is getting repetitive with the Newcastle keeper, but the limited difference between prices means the biggest value is with the cheapest keeper who has a chance at a clean sheet. He is averaging 15.8 points per match over the last three matches since reclaiming the starting job.

Elliot helped Newcastle hold Manchester City, a team with the potential to break the Premier League scoring record, to just one goal. He was buried in his own box the entire time with his team on their heels, but he managed to keep City at bay.

Elliot will now face a team that has scored only 15 goals as opposed to City's total of 61 goals. Brighton have also been shut out four times in the last five games, so there is no reason to stray from Elliot.

Douglas Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Douglas Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username aquemini03. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.