DraftKings Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper for 4/3/21

After an FA cup week and an international break, the Premier League finally returns for a full slate on Saturday. We've got our typical three games this Saturday with some big teams playing. So let's take a look at the games, with odds from La Liga odds:

Forwards to Target

Mohamed Salah ($7,700): Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Salah usually has a salary around $10,000, but his recent streak of no goals in his last five games has seen that salary plummet. He scored in both of Liverpool's Champions League matches since his last Premier League goal, so he hasn't been completely shut out. He's also still tied for the league lead in goals with 17. He netted two goals over the international break for Egypt, so maybe some time away from the club will do him well. The bookmakers are suggesting he should do well in this game against Arsenal, with his anytime goal-scoring odds sitting at -120. We should take the discount on Salah while we can, because it wouldn't be a surprise to see his salary jump back up in the next few weeks.

Gabriel Jesus ($7,100): Jesus hasn't always come through for us this season when we've played him. He has seven goals in 21 Premier League appearances, which is only the fourth most on Manchester City. That's been baked into his salary, though, as he's just $7,100. City are the best possession team in the EPL and average the most shots per game, according to WhoScored.com. That should mean chances will come for Jesus, even if this theory hasn't always come to fruition. Jesus has +115 odds to score in this match, so getting him at this salary makes him a solid point-per-dollar option.

Jamie Vardy ($6,600): Vardy is in a brutal matchup versus Man City, but he has a few things going for him. His salary is $800 less than that of Kelechi Iheanacho, who went on a scoring tear with Vardy out. Vardy has better goal-scoring odds than Iheanacho does, so these salaries feel like a bit of recency bias. Vardy's style of scoring on counter attacks makes him lethal against City. This was true in their first meeting of the season, as Vardy scored a hat trick in the Foxes' 5-2 win at City. The Citizens are in much better form now than they were then, but Vardy is easy to like at this salary.

Also Consider: Raphina ($10,000), Raheem Sterling ($7,600), Diogo Jota ($7,200), David McGoldrick ($5,900)

Midfielders to Target

Kevin De Bruyne ($10,500): It's a slate with Manchester City on it, so Kevin De Bruyne is in play. His last two Premier League starts show exactly why he's the best DFS asset in the league. He scored two goals in his last game against Southampton. Before that, he was trying to drag his team back against Manchester United, and that resulted in eight shot assists, 10 crosses, and 20 total fantasy points without a goal or an assist. He has the second most assists in the league despite missing six games. De Bruyne carries an elite floor, as he averages more than three shots, three shot assists and six crosses per 90 minutes, according to Rotowire. He's one of the safest plays on any slate, and he has plenty of upside, too.

Martin Ødegaard ($6,700): Once a Norwegian prodigy who joined Real Madrid at the age of 15, Ødegaard didn't become a global superstar but is now a solid midfielder. He had a good season with Real Sociedad in La Liga last year on loan. After not seeing as much playing time this season as he would like at Madrid, he went on loan again, this time to Arsenal. He's made an impact since joining the Gunners, scoring two goals. In their last match, Ødegaard took all of their set pieces. This is an exciting development that makes him fantasy relevant. Including the Europa league, he has at least 17 DraftKings points in his last three games. The matchup against Liverpool isn't great, but it isn't as intimidating as it was last season. This makes Ødegaard a fine play in the midrange of midfield.

Kalvin Phillips ($3,900): Phillips is the punt option at midfield who makes the most sense. He takes some corner kicks for Leeds, who are actually the biggest favorites on the slate. The other set pieces will belong to Raphina, whose salary is all the way up at $10,000. Leeds should dominate possession in this game, giving Phillips chances to push forward. He's a good low-salary target.

Also Consider: İlkay Gündoğan ($7,100), Jack Harrison ($6,400), Oliver Norwood ($4,000)

Defenders to Target

Trent Alexander-Arnold ($6,600): Last season, Trent Alexander-Arnold was always the top defender play when Liverpool was on the slate. That flipped a bit this season with Andrew Robertson taking some corner kicks, too. Alexander-Arnold has been the more consistent fantasy performer of late between the two, with at least five crosses in 10 straight games. He hit double-digit crosses in three of those games, something that Robertson has not done since the calendar flipped to 2021. There's also a bit of narrative at play with TAA, as he was omitted from the England squad this past break and should be looking to prove his worth to England manager Gareth Southgate ahead of this summer's European Championships. If that causes Trent to perform even better in fantasy, it would be welcomed. He is clearly the top play at defender, as no other player can match him in the crossing department.

Ezgjan Alioski ($4,100): Alioski has a good matchup playing for Leeds against Sheffield United, and he comes in at a decent salary for a full-back on a favored team. Leeds tend to use their full backs differently than most teams do. While Alioski doesn't cross a ton, he does get forward and get involved in the attack, usually more centrally than the typical full-back. The Blades have been bad all year, and Leeds has a chance to blitz them on Saturday.

Also Consider: Luke Ayling ($5,000), Kyle Walker ($4,400), Enda Stevens ($3,700)

Goalkeepers to Target

Illan Meslier ($5,500): Meslier hasn't been the most reliable keeper this season, mostly due to Leeds open style of play. He should be fine in this matchup against Sheffield United, though. They've scored the fewest goals in the league with just 16. Leeds are the biggest favorite on the slate, but Meslier is $200 less than Ederson. This makes him a slight value, and he is worth considering if you have the salary to use on goalkeeper.

Kasper Schmeichel ($4,100): Schmeichel's matchup is not good against Manchester City, but Leicester are a quality team with a chance of winning this game. City also get a lot of shots on target, which raises Schmeichel's ceiling and floor. The save volume could rescue his fantasy output if he concedes a few goals, and it could lead to a huge outing if he's able to make a bunch of saves in a win. Of course, this could go poorly, too, but Schmeichel isn't a bad low-salary dart throw on this slate.

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.