SOCCER

Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 19

Douglas Smith  —  @DFresh39 Dec 29th, 2016
A seven-game FanDuel slate brings high risk and high reward with the value plays for Matchweek 19 in the Premier League.

The matches continue to come fast and furious, but that means a better chance for value across the seven-game FanDuel slate on Saturday. All seven of the Premier League matches taking place on Saturday are on the slate and there is some deep value. The value comes by staying away from clubs inside the top five.


The following players may provide the most value seen in several weeks as the slate provides some intriguing matchups of teams in the lower half of the table. Five of the eight teams that have allowed at least 30 goals will be in action. Also, the majority of clubs that have scored less than 25 goals on the year are on the slate.

All of this may be a recipe for uncertainty, but it creates value as the teams come in evenly matched. High risk, high reward, as they say, so remember to check the team news Saturday morning to make sure these players keep their place in their respective sides with more matches looming at the beginning of next week.

Forward

Joshua King, Bournemouth

FanDuel Price: $7,200

Any striker that plays against Swansea City is a good target. Bournemouth will travel to the Liberty Stadium days after Bob Bradley was removed from the manager role with the Swans, which could cause even more turmoil for the 19th-place club. Bournemouth's schedule may have fallen perfectly in order to stop their small two-game losing streak.

Swansea allows 15 shots per match, and Bournemouth hold the slight advantage in average possession on the season. The Cherries are tied for second in the league in fouls drawn per match with just over 13, and Swansea commit slightly more than 11 fouls per match.

King is considered a strong dribbler and gets fouled at least once per match. He has drawn three fouls in each of the last two matches, which were against top eight teams. He also earned two tackles in both of those games to tally defensive action points from the striker position. Against Chelsea last week, he showed that he can put pressure on the defense although the team struggled to find him service. Service should be much easier against a Swansea team that has given up a league-leading 41 goals.

It is always smart to pay attention to the team news ahead of the match, but the importance is heightened this time of year as managers juggle their squads with the busy schedule. King led the line last time out against Chelsea, but he was subbed off in the 66th minute. Callum Wilson stayed on the bench, but Wilson could be reinserted into the lineup. He is just $6,900 and would bring much of the same upside as King in this matchup.

Midfield

Adnan Januzaj, Sunderland

FanDuel Price: $4,600

Januzaj is on a season-long loan with the Black Cats and rediscovering his form around the holidays. He has went at least 80 minutes in his last two matches after coming in as a sub in his previous three appearances. Against Watford, he lineup up in central midfield right behind striker Jermain Defoe. Among the front four players, Januzaj had the second-most touches in the match for Sunderland.

Januzaj got a rest on Boxing Day with his parent club, Manchester United, hosting Sunderland. The 21-year-old midfielder should be able to take advantage of the extra rest as Sunderland travel to Turf Moor.

He has been on corner-kick duty for Sunderland. On average, Burnley concede the most corner kicks per match in the league. Burnley has conceded 28 goals on the year and are tied for second with eight defensive errors per contest.

Current coach David Moyes thinks that Januzaj can be a game changer for his team as they try to claw out of the relegation zone. Januzaj still has a lot to prove to both Sunderland and United, so this is the time to fulfill his promise and take advantage of a great matchup.

Defender

Eric Bailly, Manchester United

FanDuel Price: $5,100

Bailly was not listed on the early injury reports from Jose Mourinho and should slot in next to Phil Jones as Marcus Rojo looks for a rest. This is a clear case of squad rotation as Mourinho gets Bailly some playing time before losing him to the African Cup of Nations.

Bailly's injuries have limited him to 11 appearances, but he has averaged nine defensive actions per contest. It has been easy to see why Bailly was Mourinho's first signing at Manchester United.

United come into the final match of the 2016 calendar year having earned clean sheets in the last match of the previous four years. Their opponents, Middlesbrough, have also been blanked in three of their last four league matches. Boro are also next to last in shots on the season. The back four just need to keep their shape, and they can easily earn defensive action points against a team that struggles to really threaten their opponent.

Keeper

Ben Foster, West Brom

FanDuel Price: $6,700

News spread Thursday morning that Jordan Pickford is out for an extended time period, so many FanDuel players will likely be on Vito Mannone and his $5,000 price. However, Foster's 10 saves against Arsenal are hard to ignore. His team lost, but the performance in net kept the match from becoming embarrassing and came on the heels of Foster extending his contract.


West Brom faces Southampton, a team that has only scored more than one goal once over their last six games in all competitions. They are sixth in shots, which allows Foster to earn points if he continues his current form. Foster is averaging close to five saves over his last five matches. In fact, of all the keepers in the Premier League who have faced at least 50 shots, Foster has the best save percentage.