SOCCER

FanDuel Premier League Value Plays for Matchweek 21

Ilkay Gundogan is slated for another start in the high-powered Manchester City front six, making him one of the better value plays in the Premier League on New Year's Day.

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 Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. EST and includes seven matches. This is the last matchweek in the busy holiday schedule before an eight-day break.

Matchweek 21
Wednesday, January 1
Leicester at Newcastle
Tottenham at Southampton
Wolverhampton at Watford
Everton at Manchester City
Crystal Palace at Norwich
Bournemouth at West Ham
Manchester United at Arsenal


Kevin De Bruyne
and Harry Kane ($23) share the top salary for forwards and midfielders. Crystal Palace's James Tompkins ($16) finds himself at the top of the defender salary range, sharing that spot with Serge Aurier. Tottenham's Paulo Gazzinga ($15) sits alone at the top of the keeper list.

There are 395 players on this slate with 97 of them priced above $12. Let's see where the value lies in Matchweek 21.

Forward/Midfielder

Ilkay Gundogan, Manchester City ($12)

It is always nice to get exposure to the City front six, and Gundogan is expected to start against Everton. He was used as a substitute the last two matches but scored a goal in his last start. He finished the match against Leicester City with over 20 FanDuel points. Prior to his two substitute appearances, Gundogan had a stretch of 10 straight games with at least one chance created. He had three shots the last time City took on Everton. Gundogan has had trouble staying away from yellow cards of late. If he can be more disciplined, he should have plenty of offensive opportunities in a match that City are heavily favored.

Cheikhou Kouyate, Crystal Palace ($11)

Kouyate got to rest over the weekend as most teams have to juggle their lineups during this busy time. The typically defensive-minded midfielder had his best game on Boxing Day, scoring a goal against West Ham. He now faces a Norwich team that has allowed a league-high 40 goals. Regardless, Kouyate will have a solid floor based on his defensive play. Aside from Matchweek 20, Kouyate had four clearances and at least two tackles in three of his last five matches. He had two tackles and drew three fouls in the first match with Norwich this season. In a matchweek where not many surefire value plays exist in the front six, Kouyate is dependable.

Defender

Diego Rico, Bournemouth ($12)

Aside from some disciplinary issues, Rico has been very consistent for a team that has not played at a high level this season. He has scored at least 14 points in five of his last seven games. He has also recorded at least two clearances and two interceptions in four straight games. Rico has drawn five fouls over the last three matchweeks. Rico has at least one block in three of the last four games and at least one tackle in six of the last seven games. Most of his points come from this solid defensive play, but he does have the occasional chance created. West Ham are favorites at home against Bournemouth, so Rico should be busy on the defensive side.

Christoph Zimmerman, Norwich ($11)

Zimmerman was inserted back into the starting lineup on November 23. He has scored at least 15 points in five of the eight games since being put back into the starting XI. He has 12 clearances, four interceptions, four tackles, and three blocks over the last two matchweeks. He has performed well against teams in both halves of the Premier League table and is coming off his best game of the season this past weekend against Tottenham. Zimmerman has been fouled in all but two of his nine games and has picked up just one yellow card.

Adam Masina, Watford ($9)

Watford have a plethora of injuries and a suspension on their backline, so Masina should step back into the starting lineup at left back. The defender had two solid showings in his last pair of starts at the beginning of December, scoring at least 14 points. He created one chance against Leicester City and Crystal Palace while also recording three clearances, two interceptions, and two tackles in both games. He also drew at least one foul in both matches. Wednesday's match against Wolves should be a test for Masina, but the teams have similar possession numbers, and Watford have played better under new leadership.

Keeper

Lukasz Fabianski, West Ham ($9)

Fabianski returned from a hip injury over the weekend and was immediately placed back in net for the Hammers. He had a decent showing by scoring 13 FanDuel points against the potent Leicester City attack, which included a penalty save. Prior to his injury, Fabianski had three clean sheets in seven games, and he has now recorded at least three saves in six of his eight starts. Fabianski should give the West Ham back line more confidence, as the Polish international was always expected to be the number one keeper.



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.