Manchester City and Manchester United have opened the season with three straight wins to match Chelsea for the best record in the Premier League. Chelsea will be in a favorable position to extend its undefeated run with a win over Swansea City on Sunday, but City and United will be in tough spots when they clash in the Manchester Derby on Saturday. The early start time for that showdown means it will not be on the main DraftKings contest so you can enjoy it without cheering for your fantasy options. There are seven matches to choose from when it comes to building the perfect fantasy lineup for Saturday’s main DraftKings contests. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Saturday’s DraftKings EPL fantasy leagues.
GK: Petr Cech, Arsenal
Salary: $5,700
Arsenal earned its first win of the season versus Watford last week thanks in big part to a strong performance from their goalkeeper. Cech recorded his best performance of the season with six saves in a 3-1 win and he should be in line for another strong outing when Arsenal takes on Southampton this Saturday.
D: Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham
Salary: $4,100
Tottenham is another team to focus on heading in to their favorable matchup against a Stoke side that is buried at the bottom of the Premier League table with just two goals while posting a 0-1-2 record through three games. Danny Rose is the top option on the Spurs back line but Alderweireld is the better value play at just $4.1K.
D: James Collins, West Ham United
Salary: $3,500
West Ham United will look to keep Watford from earning its first win of the season this week. We like Collins as a smart value pick for our DraftKings lineups as he currently ranks second on the club in fantasy points through three games behind only Michail Antonio. Collins is available at a very reasonable $3.5K so he should be a strong bet.
M: Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
Salary: $9,400
Sanchez currently ranks third among Premier League midfielders in fantasy points behind only Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, both of whom aren’t available in this week’s DraftKings competitions. That makes Sanchez the default top midfield option and at $9.4K we have no problem locking him in to our EPL fantasy lineup. Arsenal has scored six goals in three games, which is pretty good for EPL fantasy purposes. Although they are currently in eighth place in the standings table, only two teams have actually scored more goals than them so far this season.
M: Etienne Capoue, Watford
Salary: $4,400
It might come as a surprise to some that Capoue currently ranks fourth among Premier League midfielders in fantasy points so far this season. Watford’s top fantasy option has two goals and five shots through his first three games of the season and at just $4.4K he should be a lock in nearly every EPL fantasy lineup this week.
F: Alvaro Negredo, Middlesbrough
Salary: $8,000
The former Valencia striker has made the most out of his opportunity since arriving at Middlesbrough with a goal and two assists through his first three Premier League games. Negredo is a little bit expensive but the smart value plays we have locked in elsewhere make him an affordable asset in our EPL fantasy lineup.
F: Erik Lamela, Tottenham
Salary: $7,500
We broke down the favorable matchup Spurs will have this week earlier and that should boost Lamela’s stock heading in to a showdown with Stoke City. Lamela scored one goal and added an assist in three games through Tottenham’s first three games of the season and at $7.5K he is definitely a reasonably priced option at the forward spot.
FLEX: Santiago Cazorla, Arsenal
Salary: $7,400
With exactly $7.4K left over to spend on our FLEX position, Cazorla is the obvious option here as the midfield option that will provide yet another spark to our explosive offensive attack. Cazorla has one goal and two assists with five shots through Arsenal’s first three games and there is a very good chance he adds to those totals as part of our DraftKings winning lineup for Saturday.
