FanDuel Premier League Value Plays for Matchweek 12

Value plays are often the difference on the FanDuel leaderboard. With this year's format, value plays will be priced at $12 or lower in most cases. There will be some exceptions along the way.

This article will cover FanDuel's main slate that begins Saturday at 10:00 a.m. EST.

The most expensive player on the slate is Harry Kane ($22) after a bout with illness. Only Kane and Jamie Vardy ($20) are priced at or above $20. The highest-priced defender is Ricardo Pereira ($16). Leicester's Kasper Schmeichel ($15) is the most expensive keeper on the main slate for the first time this season.

Let's see where the value lies in Matchweek 12.

Forward/Midfield

Allan Saint-Maximin, Newcastle ($12)

Saint-Maximin is one of the few Newcastle players who has been able to spur an offensive attack. He scored 19 FanDuel points last week on the back of three shots on goal. He has created seven chances and drawn seven fouls over the last four matches. Last week was the first time in five matches that Saint-Maximin did not provide at least one cross from the left midfield.

This is Saint-Maximin's first season in the Premier League after scoring eight goals and providing eight assists in the last two seasons in Ligue 1. He had 36 shots on target combined in those two seasons with Nice. Bournemouth allow over 14 shots per game, just like Newcastle. This is an evenly matched game and has been in recent years, but Newcastle has scored twice in each of the last three. Saint-Maximin's form leads one to believe that he will be involved if Newcastle score this time around.

Lucas Torreira, Arsenal ($10)

Arsenal have not been great away from home, and Leicester are on a hot streak. In their last four away matches Arsenal have lost one and drawn three. Torreira will be needed to slow down the Foxes' attack, so his value will likely be centered on defensive actions.

Torreira only had three defensive actions last week against Wolves, but his best game came against another team with a great attack . He was involved offensively against Liverpool in an early-season match that helped him score more than 25 points. Torreira has not received consistent minutes this season; he played only 29 minutes in that match against Liverpool. He has had at least three defensive actions and one shot on goal in each game that he played the full 90.

Lewis Cook, Bournemouth ($8)

With the match against Newcastle expected to be even, looking at a low-priced option on the Bournemouth side to counter Saint-Maximin is a good idea. Cook is a risk as he has not been able to play much this season after a serious knee injury, but he is still the subject of transfer rumors to some of England's biggest teams. These teams believe in his play given his history as captain of the England under-20 World Cup squad in 2017.

The suspension to Jefferson Lerma should allow Cook to slot into the starting lineup. He will play in an advanced role in the center of the midfield behind the Bournemouth attackers, but expect him to contribute defensively as the game goes back and forth. Clearly Cook is a dart throw pick, but he is a starter at the lowest salary on the slate and would allow for easy roster construction elsewhere.

Defender

Yerry Mina, Everton ($12)

If recent form holds, Mina is in for a great game. He is scoring well in every other game and is coming off a game of just 2.6 points while playing through a nagging knee injury. He has a clean bill of health for this weekend and will play a struggling Southampton team.

The Colombian defender averages nearly four clearances per game and a total of 7.3 defensive actions. Southampton are slumping and average less possession than Everton. Southampton have not scored more than one goal in their last five Premier League games. This is a game in which the Everton back line should feel and play confident. Mina is in the center of the defense and should be the anchor.

Fabian Balbuena, West Ham ($10)

Balbuena was inserted back into the starting lineup a couple weeks ago and scored a goal last week to help keep his place in the team. He had five shots with two on target last week playing the role of striker more than defender. However, that offensive production should not be counted on this week against a Burnley team that have lost three in a row. Balbuena recorded four clearances and tackles over the last two weeks while also adding three interceptions.

Last year was Balbuena's first season in the Premier League, and he recorded 55 interceptions for West Ham. The defensive works helps Balbuena's floor, but the lack of possession from Burnley does give West Ham a chance to see more of the ball, allowing Balbuena to get a few more shots off to raise his ceiling.

Keepers

Dean Henderson, Sheffield United ($11)

Henderson is tied for the league lead in clean sheets with five. He will face talented offensive personnel this week, but Tottenham are struggling in the Premier League. Tottenham have scored a total of three goals in their last four league games. Meanwhile, Sheffield and Henderson have three shutouts in their last four matches. Sheffield have only allowed eight goals all season. Tottenham are still favored in this matchup, but recent form says it is a good time to take a chance on Henderson.

Roberto Jimenez, West Ham ($9)

For many of the same reasons why Balbuena is a decent play, Jimenez is back on the radar. He has made 17 saves over the last three matches. He has faced 23 shots on target over that time, which is more on Balbuena and the back line. Jimenez has done well given the circumstances.

Burnley average 10 shots per game, with only 3.4 on target. As you may imagine, the odds have this as a low-scoring game. Obviously, there is risk in playing the West Ham keeper, but the competition is not currently a major threat.

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.