SOCCER

FanDuel Premier League Trends to Know for Matchweek 3

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is off to a great start, scoring in both of Arsenal's first two matches, but he faces a tough challenge away to Liverpool. Luckily, he is not the only player starting the season on a high note.

The next Premier League main slate hits FanDuel at 10:00 a.m. EST on Saturday and features five matches. The only teams that have won both of the first two games will face off in the late game as Arsenal travels to Liverpool.

The majority of players should be up to full fitness, but there are still a handful of injuries impacting play.

Matchweek 3
Saturday, August 24th
Crystal Palace at Manchester United
Southampton at Brighton
West Ham at Watford
Leicester at Sheffield United
Arsenal at Liverpool


Let's look at the teams and players that are rising and falling this week.

Hot

Team: Sheffield United

The Blades had to wait only two weeks into their promotion to get their first Premier League win, a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Their defense played well and kept Palace's best threats silenced, which we will elaborate more on later. Midfielder John Lundstram ($14) scored the only goal of the game, and Sheffield United's budget defenders earned clean-sheet bonuses. Sheffield United more than doubled Palace's total shots despite having less than 45% of possession. This weekend, Leicester are a slight favorite over the Blades, but the Foxes have yet to win. They also failed to score in their opening week match. Sheffield United will be riding high playing at home once again.

Player: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal ($20)

Even though Liverpool will be the toughest test yet, Aubameyang should be considered for your FanDuel lineup after scoring in both matches thus far. He has posted at least 25 FanDuel points in each match, amassing four total shots on goal. He also created a chance last match, working well with Alexandre Lacazette ($18) and Dani Ceballos ($14). Aubameyang has the best odds to score for Arsenal against Liverpool. Aubameyang shared the Golden Boot last season, and his good form has continued into this campaign.

Player: Wilfred Ndidi, Leicester ($16)

Ndidi scored a goal against Chelsea this past weekend to show his versatility after being a defensive force in the season opener. Even though Sheffield United will be riding momentum, Ndidi should shine as he averages the most FanDuel points of any player in the fixture. Through the first two matchweeks, he has recorded 11 tackles, nine interceptions, and five clearances. His work rate has never been questioned, and he is clearly at top fitness to start the season. Ndidi had to help cover for the absence of one of Leicester's best defenders, Ben Chilwell ($14), last week. Chilwell is expected to be good for this week, but Ndidi will still be busy with Leicester away from home.

Cold

Team: Watford

Watford have lost their first two games by a combined score of 4-0. They had more possession and more corners against Everton, but were out shot, 12-8. They dominated all statistical categories against Brighton in their opener except possession and could not convert. They could not finish any chance and ultimately the 3-0 defeat told a story of Watford being outplayed. The last time Watford faced West Ham, they were crushed 4-1 and Jose Holebas ($14) was shown a straight red card. Watford's slow start have moved their odds the wrong way, at least for fans of the team, in the relegation betting.

Player: Luka Milivojevic, Crystal Palace ($16)

Milivojevic's DFS value comes largely from standing over penalty kicks, but he has been virtually nonexistent in open play. He has created a chance each game and totaled five tackles, but he's averaging fewer than 10 FanDuel points per match so far. Palace have failed to score in either game, and Milivojevic knows the team must be better against Manchester United. It starts with him in the heart of the team as the conductor and sneaky-good offensive threat. However, he has yet to get a shot on goal. He pointed out that the team did not control the ball last week, but that is also a big part of his job. Manchester United are heavily favored over Palace, so Milivojevic is unlikely to turn around his play this week.


Doug Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Doug 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.