FanDuel Premier League Value Plays for Matchweek 22

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.

Sadio Mane and Marcus Rashford ($22) share the top spot this week. Five forwards or midfielders are priced above $20 on this slate. Trent Alexander-Arnold ($16) is alone at the top of the defender list. Kasper Schmeichel ($15) is back at the top of the keeper pricing.

There are 360 players available, including Billy Arce ($0), with an average salary of just over $10. Let's see where the value lies in Matchweek 22.

Forward/Midfielder

Matthew Longstaff, Newcastle ($11)

Longstaff does not always start, but Newcastle may have the longest injury list of any team this season. He has scored 26.9 FanDuel points in two of his four appearances this season. In the Boxing Day match against Manchester United, Longstaff scored a goal on only one shot. He has created a chance in all but one game, showing that he can make an impact with limited playing time. Someone must step up to provide an offensive spark for Newcastle, and Longstaff should play right behind the Magpies' striker. They play another struggling side in Wolves, with both trying to find their groove again. Hopefully that leads to a back-and-forth game in which Longstaff gets into the offensive flow. Regardless, Longstaff looks to be Newcastle's best attacking option with all their injuries.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Brighton ($9)

Jahanbakhsh has not been starting for Brighton, but he has had the biggest impact of late. He has scored in back-to-back games and also created three chances against Chelsea. His goal against Chelsea allowed Brighton to share the points. He also had three total shots in that game in just 22 minutes of action. In the past two games, he has drawn three fouls, amassed two interceptions, and had two successful tackles. Jahanbakhsh is clearly an impact player in the right role, but his improved form should warrant more playing time. He had shown the scoring touch in the past despite not tallying with Brighton until recently. He joined Brighton from the Eredivisie after scoring 21 goals for AZ Alkmaar in the 2017-18 season.

Defender

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Manchester United ($12)

Wan-Bissaka has received rest over the busy holiday schedule, and he should be ready to go for the stretch run. His average FanDuel output is now under 15 points, but he scored 22 points against Norwich in their first contest this season. He had 10 tackles in that match, which is a category he has been inconsistent in lately. Norwich was playing much better when the teams first faced off, so United should have more of the ball, meaning Wan-Bissaka can get more involved offensively. He has nine chances created this season. This is a good matchup for United after a tough stretch, so the team should be up to the task.

Lewis Dunk, Brighton ($11)

Dunk has been more involved offensively than most center-backs. He has 15 shots and eight chances created in 19 starts. He has scored at least 11.5 points in three of the past four games and averages a touch more 15 points per game. He scored 13 points against Everton earlier in the season. Dunk is coming off an assist in the last match but also tends to his defensive responsibilities. He has completed at least one clearance in every match he has played in and has 12 clearances across the last four matches. Brighton are the underdogs on the road, but they have been playing better over the last two weeks, due in part to stingy defense. Brighton have allowed one or fewer goals in four of the last five games.

Charlie Taylor, Burnley ($9)

Taylor has returned from a hamstring injury in good form. Five of the last seven games he has appeared in have ended in double-digit FanDuel points, with three of at least 15 points. He created a season-high three chances last time out against Aston Villa. He padded his stat line with five defensive actions. Taylor is averaging 7.5 defensive actions over the last four games. Burnley are a team that like to sit back and absorb pressure, which is what we should expect this week against Chelsea. The Blues average over 55% possession, so Taylor will have plenty of opportunities to secure points through defensive actions. He is the lowest-priced expected starter on a Burnley back line that has been playing very well and should be a good play given the salary.

Keeper

Rui Patricio, Wolverhampton ($12)

Patricio and Wolves have struggled of late, but so have their opponents. Wolves have lost their last two games by just one goal while Newcastle have struggled to gain any possession. The first time these teams faced off this season, Newcastle had only two shots on target, and the game ended 1-1. Both teams had double-digit shots overall, but Patricio was not called into action much. Given Newcastle's form, even if it is a back-and-forth game, they should struggle to convert their opportunities, giving Patricia good clean-sheet odds as well as nice win odds.

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.