DraftKings Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper for Matchweek 23
Matchweek 23 in the Premier League is here, and it brings us a six-game slate on DraftKings. It features one huge favorite in Manchester City at home against Crystal Palace. They are sitting as a whopping -1150 favorite, according to Soccer odd. The next biggest favorite is Brighton at -155, and they are not typically a team that we are looking to get a ton of exposure to in our lineups. This is an interesting slate, so let's look at some players we want to roster at each position.
Forwards to Target
Sergio Agüero ($10,700): Agüero bagged a hat trick in his last game, his 12th in the Premier League for his career. That's the most in Premier League history. He's moved up to fifth in goals for the season but has done so over just 16 appearances. With Manchester City being huge favorites, Agüero is a no-brainer top play at the forward position if looking for goals. He is a -290 favorite to score at any time and 6/1 to score another hat trick. His expensive salary and likely high ownership means that he might need two goals to make him worth paying for, but the possibility of multiple goals is certainly in the range of outcomes for Agüero.
Nicolas Pépé ($8,100): Many Arsenal fans have been disappointed with Nicolas Pépé in his first Premier League season. Fortunately for daily fantasy players, he has been a better value. He hasn't been scoring many goals but is instead providing value through crosses. He has the most crosses for the Gunners this season, despite making only 12 starts. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang suspended, Arsenal will need Pépé to start in a forward position. Pépé has only scored 5 goals for Arsenal but got 23 goals in France last season, so he's a capable finisher.
Leandro Trossard ($6,800): Trossard is a value option at the forward position who has a good floor and a good matchup. He has at least four crosses in his last three games and has averaged 4.38 crosses per 90 minutes this season. Trossard also averages 2.52 chances created per game. Now, he faces Aston Villa as a home favorite. Villa has allowed the second-most crosses per game in the Premier League this season and the most per game away from home. He makes for a good play if looking to pay down at forward.
Midfielders to Target
Kevin De Bruyne ($11,000): The creative force behind Man City's attack is Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne leads the league in assists with 14, with the next closest player having eight. His 184 crosses are the second-most in the league. This isn't to say he's only a distributor, though, as he's chipped in with seven goals, as well. Manchester City dominate the ball, with over 60% possession per game. That bodes well for De Bruyne to pick apart Crystal Palace and add to his league-leading assist tally. It will be tough to roster both De Bruyne and Agüero. De Bruyne may be better for cash games given his floor with crosses, while Agüero's upside makes him more appropriate for tournament lineups.
Emiliano Buendía: ($8,700): Buendía has been the lone bright spot for struggling Norwich City. He has double-digit DraftKings points in seven straight games, even scraping together 12.4 points last game when his team were beaten 4-0 away to Manchester United. He ranks top 10 in crosses and corner kicks taken. He also is third in assists with seven, which is quite impressive considering Norwich have only scored 22 goals. They have an easier matchup against struggling Bournemouth, who haven't won in their last five Premier League games. Bournemouth have allowed the sixth-most crosses in away matches this season, setting up well for Buendía to do his thing.
Stuart Armstrong: ($4,600): Armstrong may be a cheaper piece that you need if you want to roster multiple Manchester City players. He got his first goal of the season last week and continues to trend up just like the rest of his Southampton team. He had three shots and two shot assists in each of his last two games against tough opposition in Leciester City and Tottenham. Armstrong should start out wide, giving him the opportunity to get some crosses in, as well.
Defenders to Target
Diego Rico ($5,000): Rico has flown under the radar behind some of the other standout fantasy defenders on bigger clubs, but he has been nearly as productive. He's third among defenders in crosses, behind Trent Alexander-Arnold and Lucas Digne. He shares Bournemouth's corner kick duties with Ryan Fraser, giving him a good floor. Norwich have allowed the third-most crosses per game this season and the most goals. Rico makes for a good value at just $5,000 as one of the league's better fantasy defenders this season.
Matt Doherty ($4,000): Doherty is a cheap defender play who could pay big dividends. He is a rare defender who likes to get forward and shoot. He scored four goals in the Premier League last year and has three this season. Doherty has the second-most shots per game for a defender. He also is fourth on Wolves in crosses. Doherty is another player you may need to get the expensive players in your lineup but has more upside than a typical punt defender.
Goalkeepers to Target
Ederson ($5,900): Ederson is easily the top play at goalkeeper if spending up. Manchester City are by far the biggest favorite on the slate, facing a Crystal Palace team that has tied for the fewest goals in the league with just 20. The win and clean sheet bonuses are very likely in this game. If paying up for a goalkeeper, it makes sense to pay up for the one that is a -1150 favorite for $5,900 instead of the one that is just a -155 for only $300 less.
Dean Henderson ($4,200): Henderson has been great for Sheffield United this season, conceding just 18 goals in 21 games. Sheffield United aren't huge underdogs in this game against Arsenal, with the Gunners being just a -125 favorite to get the win. Arsenal will also be without their leading goal scorer, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang suspended. Sheffield United also beat Arsenal earlier in the season and should be able to at the very least keep it competitive at Emirates Stadium.
Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. 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.