Welcome back after the FA Cup break. Glad you could join us. We are on to gameweek 26 and what a lovely slate we have for you. 6 games for your viewing and sweating pleasure.
Down on the Pitch
Chelsea v Swansea — Here we go, kicking off the slate with the team atop the table. This one seems a bit one-sided in the only area that matters for the ones between the lines. It feels like a 3-0 win to me, but it’s Chelsea’s style of play that leads me to feature this game, more so than the scoreline. Chelsea likes to play more of a counter attacking style than the other squads in the top 6. That style should afford swansea more possession and a couple more shots on goal than if they were playing either squad from Manchester.
On Fanduel, you can use a swansea guy to save some cap room on the bottom end of your squad and rack up peripherals. A guy like Kyle Naughton on defense. The only guys you could take on offense would be Gylfie Sigurdsson or Fernando Llorente. Llorente is a GPP only dart throw if you see some holes in the Chelsea defense. Sigurdsson could be used in cash, as he has been real solid the last 10 weeks or so. He comes in as the second highest priced midfielder on FD and the third highest on DK.
On the other side of this matchup, Diego Costa has the highest odds to score and his odds to score two are higher than most other footballers on the slate have to just score a single goal. You didn’t spend your valuable time to read me write that Diego Costa is a good play but I am just gonna say that I love the spot anyway. We also cannot overlook the job that Pedro has done recently. He has 3 goals in his last 7 matches and he looks much more comfortable in the offense, now.
Everton v Sunderland — This is another matchup that seems fairly one-sided. I do think Sunderland has a chance to score a goal here. They are not very good and should concede more of the possession than they take. That said, Jermain Defoe is somewhat a forgotten man playing on this squad. The team is so bad and will be relegated the championship division next year rather than playing in the top flight Premier League. His price will likely be awkward to fit because they have to weigh his scoring touch against the team play and it usually leaves him in the 7500 to 8000 range and that can be tough to go with.
For the home side, Romelu Lukaku is listed as a game time decision but he should be good to go for gametime. It was just a minor calf thing. He should start and he should beast. Ross Barkley’s recent home form should keep this squad rolling. In his last 2 home games, he has 3 shots on goal, 3 assists, 1 goal, and 7 chances created.
For you DK players, Seamus Coleman will likely be the guy sending in the crosses. Barkley crosses a little but gets in a bit close for that. Also, Ademola Lookman might get the start again if Kevin Mirralas can’t go. I like him as a GPP target if Everton starts him at the usual left forward in the 4-3-3.
Watford v West Ham — This could be an interesting game. Watford generally struggles but they have played very solid defense and are showing a better attack of late. West Ham is still in flux. Just as they find themselves, Andy Carroll gets hurt and roles change. If you are on DK, choose wisely in this match because I think this will be the most competitive match of the day and getting it right could mean some serious cash. If you are a Fandueler, hope for the best.
Both of these teams funnel the attack towards the striker. Now, I know what that statement says on the surface. Yes, most teams do; but, Watford and West Ham go as their strikers go.
I like the attacking wingers, Manuel Lanzini or Sofiane Feghouli. Let’s think about it. One day you have big Andy Carroll who made his living going up and getting the ball. Great target. Only now he is out and you replace him a guy who is a good deal shorter going up against a defensive unit that is gaining confidence. Sounds like a second man helping situation to me. Lanzini should get more play time of the two, but only edged Feghouli 4 shots to 3 last match.
While I like the other two, I like the upside of Robert Snodgrass a little more. Watford plays aggressive defense and he should be the one taking the set pieces. From a central position, he should be very involved in all aspects of the game.
For Watford, I like Troy Deeney. As his team has grown, so has his play. He is the obvious choice to score for Watford. If we want even less owned and in a good spot then I want to look at M’baye Niang. He is not a lock to start but in the one game he started he had 4 shots in 81 mins and 4 dribbles (1 successful). West Ham has trouble with skillful players and attacks down the wing.
Between the Sticks
My favorite plays at keeper include
- Ben Foster – Bournemouth is not good on the road and West brom has a good defense.
- Tom Heaton – Burnley’s defense is weak on the road and should give up their fair share of shots with one of the league’s best keepers behind them.
- Eldin Yakupovic – solid keeper and hull gives up a lot of shots.
As always good luck and you should join the DFS Army. We have a lot of dedicated people interested in helping you be the best DFS player you can be.
DFS ARMY VIP MEMBERSHIP
Do you want access to the most advanced Daily Fantasy Soccer info in the industry? How about the chance to talk player picks and lineups with our Soccer DFS Pros and likeminded players? DFS Army VIP Members get all of that PLUS access to our best in the industry projections and optimization tools. Go to DFS Army VIP membership and use promo code TREYJ to lock in at 20% off the monthly membership fee. That’s just $16 a month for premium chat, coaching from sport-specific experts, cheat sheets and optimization tools. You won’t find a better deal or a better DFS team.