Daily Fantasy Soccer Picks for the English Premier League - DraftKings 4/30/16
Editor's note: Welcome Rob Banner who'll be covering Soccer (Football to all you Non-Americans) for us. Really excited to have him on board and you can give him a Twitter follow @RobBanner_
A full Premier League fixture list returns this weekend as the Premier League season draws to a close. The majority of sides have three matches remaining and it looks like Leicester City will do the unthinkable and win the Premier League. A victory at Old Trafford versus Manchester United would secure the title, however Leicester play on Sunday and it’s Saturday’s Premier League slate that I’ll be focusing on in this article.
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Goalkeepers
Heurelho Gomes – DK $4,000
Opponent – Aston Villa
Watford goalkeeper, Heurelho Gomes offers good value at $4,000 against the worst side in the Premier League and one of the worst sides in Premier League history, Aston Villa. Goalkeepers receive five points if their side wins and another five if they keep and clean sheets and there’s every chance Gomes will pick up all ten points. Aston Villa have lost their last ten matches and they’ve only scored in two of their last seven matches. Watford on the other hand have proved to be a good Premiership side, they’re 12th in the table and have only conceded 40 goals all season.
Adrian – DK $3,900
Opponent – West Bromwich Albion
Adrian is a good alternative option to Heurelho Gomes and is priced marginally cheaper at $3,900. The Spaniard has averaged seven points per match this season and that can be bettered by very few goalkeepers. Furthermore, the West Ham United goalkeeper faces West Brom who are one of the lesser sides in the Premier League. They’ve only scored 32 goals all season, only Aston Villa have scored fewer and this is significant because Adrian will receive five points if he keeps a clean sheet. Moreover, goalkeepers lose two points each time they concede a goal, therefore it’s crucial that they don’t concede too many.
Defenders
Phil Bardsley – DK 3,000
Opponent – Sunderland
Phil Bardsley has had a lot of game time as of late because Stoke City’s regular right back, Glen Johnson is out injured. Bardsley is often undervalued and that appears to be the case again this weekend. In the very few games Bardsley has played in this season, he’s averaged seven points per game which is very respectable for a player valued at $3,000. He’s a relatively attacking full-back and earns the majority of his points through crossing the ball into the box and winning tackles. Finally, the Englishman faces Sunderland on Saturday and there’s every chance Stoke will keep a clean sheet, which would be worth an extra three points for Bardsley.
Nyom – DK 3,100
Opponent – Aston Villa
Another good option in the defensive slot is Watford full back, Nyom. Nyom has been a regular for Watford at right back this campaign and he’s averaged 7.1 points per game this season. As I’ve already alluded to above, Watford face Villa and this should have a positive effect on Nyom’s scoring. Villa are the worst side in the League and Nyom will inevitably have numerous opportunities to get forward. Furthermore, a clean sheet is more than likely and as a result, there’s a good chance that the Watford defender will receive an extra three points.
Midfielders
Ross Barkley – DK 6,200
Opponent – Bournemouth
Onto the midfielders and first up we have Everton attacking midfielder, Ross Barkley. Everton might have had a poor season, but Ross Barkley has certainly stood out. He’s averaged 12.5 points per game this campaign and is a shoe in for England’s Euro 2016 squad. His high average score on DraftKings is down to his ability to score and create goals. The 22 year old has scored 8 and assisted 7 goals in his 33 Premier League appearances this season. At a price of $6,200, Barkley offers good value against Bournemouth who are one of the worst sides in the Premier League defensively.
Bakary Sako – DK 4,400
Opponent – Newcastle United
Alan Pardew has described Zaha’s chances as 50/50 for this match and as a result, Bakary Sako may start ahead of the Englishman. Sako has played very few matches due to injury this season, but when he’s played, he’s impressed. The Crystal Palace wide man has averaged 9.8 points per game this season, despite only played 80 or more minutes on six occasions. Sako’s high average scoring is down to his willingness to take a shot and cross the ball into the box. He’s scored over 12 points in a number of games this season despite failing to score or assist in them.
Forwards
Odion Ighalo – DK 5,600
Opponent – Aston Villa
Despite the death of his father, Ighalo is expected to start in midweek and I have no doubt that he’ll have opportunities to score against the worst side in the League Aston Villa. Villa have conceded 69 goals this season, that’s considerably more than any other Premier League side and Watford will have plenty of opportunities to score. Ighalo has averaged 11 points per game this season on DraftKings and this has been down to his goalscorer ability. He’s scored 14 Premier League goals this season and he should be able to add to his tally on Saturday.
Papiss Demba Cisse – DK 3,700
Opponent – Crystal Palace
Now he’s fit again, Papiss Demba Cisse has regained his starting role up front for Newcastle and he appears to be in favour with new manager Rafa Benitez. Subsequently, Cisse offers tremendous value when priced at $3,700. Newcastle are fighting for their lives and they face an out of form Crystal Palace side who have only won one of their last nine Premier League matches. Thus should result in Cisse have a few more opportunities than the average game and hopefully he’ll be able to get on the scoresheet. At least that’s what he did versus Liverpool at the weekend and this will inevitably boost the 30 year olds confidence.
Utilities
Andy Carroll – DK 5,000
Opponent – West Brom
Andy Carroll has been in fine form as of late and it pushing for a spot in England Euro 2016 squad, however unlikely that may be. The Englishman has averaged 7.7 points per game this season, however this is slightly misleading because he’s only stared nine games this season and he’s made 14 substitute appearances. After a good run of form, Carroll appears to have won his place back in the starting line-up and has averaged an excellent 19.4 points per game in his last five matches.
Danny Welbeck – DK 5,500
Opponent – Norwich City
Last but not least is Arsenal forward, Danny Welbeck who is expected to start over Olivier Giroud. Welbeck has impressed since he’s returned from a lengthy injury lay off and is a great value addition to your side at $5,500. Since Welbeck returned from injury in February, he’s scored four goals and has assisted two which are worth valuable points on DraftKings. The main reason for me selecting Welbeck is the opposition he faces. Norwich City are a very poor side, particularly defensively, they’ve conceded 60 goals this season which makes them one of the worst teams in the League defensively.
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