SOCCER

FanDuel Premier League Value Plays for Matchweek 20

Some of the best value plays for Matchweek 20 in the Premier League are also the riskiest, but Mason Greenwood and others are ready to put their stamp on the league.

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 and includes six matches.

Matchweek 20
Saturday, December 28
Everton at Newcastle
Crystal Palace at Southampton
Aston Villa at Watford
Leicester at West Ham
Tottenham at Norwich
Manchester United at Burnley


Marcus Rashford
and Harry Kane ($22) share the highest salary this week. Three defenders, Jack Stephens, Serge Aurier, and Lucas Digne ($15), share the top price at their position. The top keeper spot is also shared between David De Gea and Paulo Gazzaniga ($14).

There are 329 players available on the slate with only 69 priced above $12. Some of the best options at or below that mark are also the riskiest. Let's see where the value lies in Matchweek 20.

Forward/Midfielder

Mason Greenwood, Manchester United ($12)

This starts with a risky play, but Greenwood is coming off a goal on Boxing Day. He may start on the bench with Daniel James ($14) in front of him this weekend, but Greenwood has been playing well enough to stay on the field. He has nine goals in 23 appearances across all competitions. He has 10 starts with a total of seven goals in those matches. Greenwood has scored twice in the final 25 minutes of a Premier League match in the last month to help United salvage a point, showing he can make an impact off the bench. Playing someone who does not start is incredibly risky, but at least Greenwood has a history of playing well in crunch time. In addition to his goal on Boxing Day, Greenwood added two crosses as United dominated Newcastle.

Michael Obafemi, Southampton ($9)

Obafemi scored his first goal of the season on Boxing day in wonderful fashion, which should warrant more paying time, perhaps alongside Danny Ings ($19).

Obafemi drew one foul and added one defensive action, but opening the scoring at Stamford Bridge by taking the ball right at the Chelsea back line is a nice show of confidence. Obafemi did score a goal and add an assist in EFL Cup action this season while also tallying an assist in a Premier League 2 match. In his six starts across all competitions Obafemi has two goals and two assists. In only one of those starts has Obafemi been totally quieted by the opposition. With more time on the pitch, Obafemi looks ready to make an impact.

Defender

Jetro Willems, Newcastle ($10)

Willems returned to the lineup on Boxing Day in a tough spot against Manchester United. He has a much better matchup with Everton tomorrow. Willems has had six games scoring over 15 points and has at least one interception in seven of the last eight matches. With Newcastle moving to a back three, that means Willems is pushed forward to a wing back role and given more freedom to play on both sides of the ball. Willems has been more defensively focused in recent matches with nine clearances over the past three, however; he does have two games with at least three chances created. With midfielders Miguel Almiron ($12) and Jonjo Shelvey ($14) playing well, there should be more room for Willems.

Kortney Hause, Aston Villa ($9)

Hause has played three games at center back for Villa, but he averages over 20 FanDuel points. His lowest output is 15.6 points. He had three blocks, nine clearances, and five tackles on Boxing Day against Norwich. Nine clearances is the lowest output in that category with a season-high 11 against Sheffield. Interceptions are the only defensive category in which Hause has not tallied at least one in the games he has featured. Despite limited playing time, Hause is one of the top-rated, in-form center backs in the league.

James Justin, Leicester ($8)

To continue the theme, Justin is a risk as he has played just two Premier League games for a total of 20 minutes. He recorded an assist in one match and completed a successful and dangerous cross in the other. Justin has played in the EFL Cup twice, recording six fouls drawn and five crosses. Justin is expected to start in a wing back role that will allow him to get forward in a favorable matchup with West Ham. It is for that reason, along with the lowest salary on the slate, that Justin is worth a look.

Keeper

Tom Heaton, Aston Villa ($11)

Heaton is coming off one of his best matches of the season with a clean sheet against Norwich, which moved the Canaries into last place. This week's opponent, Watford, sit just above Norwich. Watford have managed to score just 12 times all season long and have been shut out in three of the last five games. Heaton has made five saves in back-to-back games and has now tallied at least five saves in six matches. This is a chance for Villa to move out of the relegation zone against a team that is trying to catch them, so the spotlight is on Heaton.



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.