4 FanDuel Premier League Studs to Target for Matchweek 15

As is the case when playing any sport on FanDuel, it’s imperative to hit on high-priced studs, the players in which you’ve made the biggest investment. This is especially true with strikers in soccer as goals are often the difference between winning and losing in DFS.

Let’s take a look at some high-priced players -- all across the pitch -- who, despite costing a good chunk of change, are worth the investment.

This article is geared toward FanDuel's main slate, which begins at 10:00 a.m. EST Saturday and features seven matches.

We have a fairly level slate on our hands as no squad is more than a 1.0-goal favorite. Only three teams -- Liverpool, Spurs and Everton -- are more than a 0.5-goal favorite, with those three installed as 1.0-goal favorites. Leicester and Stoke are 0.5-goal favorites, while the two other matches are pick 'ems. The Palace-West Brom clash has a 2.0-goal over/under, but the other six fixtures all sit at a 2.5-goal over/under.

Without any massive favorites, it makes predicting ownership a slightly tougher task this week, and it also means it'll be more difficult for us to find high-priced plays we can feel super good about.

On the heels of midweek action, it's imperative to check starting lineups for squad rotation. That's especially true with Liverpool and Tottenham, both of whom have midweek Champions League games coming up in addition to playing just a few days ago.

Let's get to it.

Forward

Harry Kane, Tottenham

FanDuel Price: $12,000

Let's get this out of the way first -- Kane is a candidate to be rested. He played a full 90 minutes Tuesday, and Spurs have a Champions League group stage match midweek next week. But with Tuesday's loss at Leicester dropping Spurs to seventh in the table, Tottenham may not want to sit their star man for the kay date at Watford, a side just one spot behind Spurs.

As good as Watford have been this season, the Hornets have had some struggles defensively. Marco Silva's bunch have allowed 25 goals through 14 matches, the most for any squad in the top 12 of the table. In their last match, the Hornets gave up a four spot in a 4-2 home loss to Manchester United.

On the year, Watford averages 49.9% of the possession at home while Spurs see the ball 56.1% of the time in their travels. This should be a really good match, but Tottenham are a 1-goal favorite with a 1.75-goal implied total. That makes Kane pretty appealing on a wonky slate for top-priced forwards. Liverpool and Everton are the two other 1.0-goal favorites, but both squads have been getting a lot of their goals from midfield.

Kane has 10 goals and 1 assist in 13 league outings, and he is averaging an EPL-best 6.0 shots per match (with no other player averaging more than 4.0 shots per match). Kane has accounted for nearly half of Spurs' 22 goals, and he's never a bad bet to score when Spurs are favored.

Midfielder

Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool

FanDuel Price: $10,500

If there's a team to load up on this week, it's Liverpool. A 1.0-goal road favorite for their match with newly-promoted Brighton, the Reds are in a good spot, and they offer a few top-notch options.

Obviously, Mo Salah ($12,000) is one of those. He's averaging an insane 30.2 FanDuel points per game this season, and he's leading the league with 12 goals in 12 starts (and 2 substitute appearances). He scored two goals Wednesday despite not starting, and the fact he didn't play a full 90 means he's probably in line to start against Brighton.

The only negative with Salah is you'll have to swallow a lot of ownership if you want to roster him. That's where Coutinho comes in. The Brazilian has been overshadowed by Salah's scorching form, but Coutinho has three goals and two assists in seven EPL starts, and he -- not Salah -- leads the Reds in shots per match (4.0) in league play.

Coutinho's 53.1 passes per game give him some safety, and Liverpool should be on the ball plenty in this one, seeing as their possession average of 56.8% is markedly better than Brighton's 46.4% mark. Coutinho didn't play at all midweek, so he's locked and loaded, and his free-kick ability gives him additional upside. No one will bat an eye if you opt for the in-form Salah, but Coutinho is an enticing pivot who checks a lot of boxes.

Defender

Lewis Dunk, Brighton

FanDuel Price: $7,000

Sticking with the same match, Brighton figure to spend large chunks of this game pinned deep in their own half. That makes Dunk and fellow defender Shane Duffy ($6,500) pretty safe plays.

Let's focus on Dunk. The 26-year-old has scored at least 15 FanDuel points in 9 of his last 11 matches, and he would've topped that barrier last weekend at Manchester United if not for an unlucky own goal. Dunk's upside is pretty low -- he hasn't scored more than 25 fantasy points in a game this year -- but his per-game averages of 5.8 clearances, 1.9 interceptions, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 tackles is what we're after.

If Dunk or Duffy are rotated out of the squad, their replacement -- whoever it is -- would be one of the slate's top value plays.

Goalie

Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester

FanDuel Price: $5,000

Burnley are one of the season's best stories thus far, and the fact they're currently sixth in the table -- ahead of Tottenham -- is pretty nuts. The Clarets are doing it with defense as they've scored a mere 14 goals in 14 EPL fixtures. It's not some hard-luck story, either, as their 3.0 shots on goal per game ranks 15th in the league.

That puts Schmeichel in a nice spot for a clean sheet at the King Power Stadium this weekend. Schmeichel hasn't been in his best form, failing to record a clean sheet in four straight matches, but two of those games were against Manchester City and Tottenham, offensive powers.

Schmeichel has recorded at least two saves in all but one match this campaign, so he probably won't turn in a complete dud if Burnley score. But his combination of good clean-sheet odds and decent-enough expected save volume make him a solid play.

Austan Kas is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Austan Kas also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username akas247. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.