SOCCER

4 FanDuel Premier League Studs to Target for Matchweek 3

Liverpool have scored at will on Arsenal in recent meetings, and oddsmakers have the Reds as big favorites over the Gunners on Saturday, putting Mo Salah in a great spot. Who else is worth paying up for?

As is the case when playing any sport on FanDuel, it’s imperative to hit on high-priced studs, the players in which you’ve made the biggest investment. This is especially true with forwards in soccer. Not only are the top-end forwards expensive, they are the ones most likely to put the ball in the back of the net, and goals are often the difference between winning and losing in DFS.

This article will cover FanDuel's main slate, which begins Saturday at 10:00 a.m. EST and features five matches.

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


The slate's biggest favorite, per Soccer odd, is Manchester United, who carry implied win odds of 73.7%. Liverpool are the other big favorites despite their matchup with another big-six side as they hold implied win odds of 66.1%. Brighton, Watford, and Leicester are all slight favorites.

Let’s take a look at some high-priced players -- all across the pitch -- who, despite costing a good chunk of change, are worth the investment.

Marcus Rashford, FWD/MID, Manchester United

FanDuel Salary: $24

Manchester United are going to be popular this weekend, and Rashford could wind up being the slate's most-owned player. The Red Devils are in a delectable spot, playing at home against a Palace side that has looked like a team that might have a relegation battle on its hands in 2019-20, and as such, United have been given slate-best implied win odds of 73.7%.

Playing out wide this year with Anthony Martial in a number-nine role, Rashford has been a force through two matches. He netted a brace in the 4-0 triumph over Chelsea on the opening weekend, and he notched the assist on United's lone goal at Wolves last Monday. He paces United with 3.0 shots per game.

Rashford's DFS outlook gets a big boost if he's on penalties, which might be the case now after he cashed one in the opener and Paul Pogba missed his versus Wolves. He also takes some corners, and in a match in which Palace will probably pack it in defensively, Rashford's crossing will come in handy.

Mo Salah, FWD/MID, Liverpool

FanDuel Salary: $22

Liverpool have been a mixed bag so far this year, especially at the back, which is an odd thing to say for a team that hasn't lost yet (outside of the Community Shield). Some of their meh attacking play last week at Southampton may have been due to tired legs as the result of a midweek trip to Turkey for their Super Cup clash with Chelsea, who also looked lackluster last weekend.

Oddsmakers are still very high on the Reds, however, giving them implied win odds of 66.1% at home versus an Arsenal side that has taken all six points through two weeks. The Gunners were outshot at Newcastle (9-8) in Matchweek 1 and allowed Burnley to put five shots on target last week at the Emirates, so their defensive issues from a year ago are still there despite the solid start.

Liverpool are capable of thrashing anyone at Anfield, and they did just that to Arsenal a year ago, winning 4-0. Over their last three matches versus Arsenal, Liverpool have totaled a whopping 11 goals, so even though it seems like a tough matchup for the Reds, we shouldn't be shy about loading up on them.

Salah racked up 13 goals and five assists in 19 home league starts a season ago, and he had a goal and assist versus Norwich in this year's home opener. As always, his outlook is enhanced if James Milner is out of the lineup, which would likely put the Egyptian on penalties.

Gerard Deulofeu, FWD/MID, Watford

FanDuel Price: $16

While Watford have stunk something fierce so far this season, they'll have a chance to right the ship at home versus West Ham, and the Hornets' poor form could result in them flying under the radar in DFS.

Deulofeu's stock gets a boost with Troy Deeney ruled out, putting even more of the attacking responsibility on the shoulders of the former Barcelona man. Deeney's absence also opens up penalty duties, though it's hard telling who will assume that task for Watford. (Tom Cleverley may be the favorite if he's on the pitch.)

Two weeks changes a lot, and it's already difficult to remember that Watford were a solid side last season, finishing 11th and scoring the 10th-most goals in the league. Deulofeu was a big part of that, ending last campaign with 10 goals and five assists in 26 starts. Outside of this slate's big favorites (United and Liverpool), if you're looking for someone who could deliver a monster game, Deulofeu is right up there.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, DEF, Manchester United

FanDuel Price: $16

With Palace averaging just 46.4% of the possession through two matches versus Sheffield United and Everton, it's a safe bet that Manchester United see a lot of the ball at Old Trafford in this one. That should allow Wan-Bissaka to push forward from his right-back spot, giving him nice upside as he faces off against his former club.

In addition to what he offers going forward in this spot, Wan-Bissaka has averaged 7.5 tackles, 3.0 clearances, and 1.5 interceptions so far this season. He has decent clean-sheet odds in this one given that the two most likely scorelines, per FanDuel Sportsbook, are clean-sheet wins for United (1-0 and 2-0). He's a nice stacking partner for any of United's forwards as well as with David de Gea in the hopes of double-dipping on the clean-sheet bonus.